Duke vs Pitt football: Blue Devils seek 4-game ACC win streak when they play Panthers
The last time Duke won more than seven regular-season football games was 2014, and the resurgent Blue Devils have two chances to reach that threshold this season.
The first comes Saturday when Duke travels to play Pittsburgh in a ACC Coastal Division matchup.
Winners of three consecutive ACC games for the first time since 2015, the Blue Devils (7-3, 4-2) have to clear a hurdle years in the making to push that streak to four games. Duke has only defeated Pittsburgh once since the Panthers entered the ACC in 2013, and Pitt has won the past six meetings.
Pittsburgh won its first ACC championship last season and started this season nationally ranked. But the Panthers (6-4, 3-3) find themselves tied with Miami (5-5, 3-3) for third place in the Coastal Division standings behind division champion North Carolina (9-1, 6-0) and the Blue Devils.
Saturday’s game pits two of the ACC’s top five rushing offenses against each other. Duke is second in the ACC, averaging 203.8 yards per game while Pitt is No. 5 at 180.7 yards per game.
Three Duke players to watch
Riley Leonard, QB: The sophomore is only the second quarterback in program history to reached double-figures in passing touchdowns (13) and rushing touchdowns (10) in the same season. He leads Duke in rushing yards (625), which is No. 6 among all ACC players and tops among league quarterbacks. He’s completed 64% of his passes with just five interceptions, throwing for 2,113 yards.
Brandon Johnson, S: Though he’s 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, the speedy and tough Johnson leads Duke in sacks (5.5) after recording two during a 24-7 win over Virginia Tech last Saturday. He’s become a key weapon in Duke’s blitz packages. The sophomore has 42 tackles, including 20 solo stops, and has two of Duke’s six interceptions.
Jalon Calhoun, WR: A senior, Calhoun has been Leonard’s favorite target of passes this season. Calhoun had the ball thrown his way 10 times against Virginia Tech last Saturday. He caught five for 94 yards. For the season, he leads Duke with 41 catches for 585 yards with two touchdowns.
Three Pittsburgh players to watch
Israel Abanikanda, RB: Almost assured of being an all-ACC player this season, Abanikanda leads the ACC in rushing yards (1,207) and rushing touchdowns (17). That’s despite sitting out one game due to injury. No other ACC running back has reached 1,000 yards this season. He’s surpassed 100 yards in seven games this season, including gaining 121 yards and scoring a touchdown in Pitt’s 37-7 win at Virginia on Saturday.
Kedon Slovis, QB: The Panthers’ passing offense took a serious step back this season after Kenny Pickett left for the NFL. Slovis has as many touchdown passes (six) as interceptions (six) and has completed just 59.2% of his passes. Pitt’s completion percentage as a team (58.7%) is No. 11 in the ACC after finishing No. 1 in the league with 67.5 last season.
SirVocea Dennis, LB: Pitt’s leading tackler with 74 stops (33 solos), Dennis also has 9.5 tackles for loss with six sacks. He’s a force as a run stopper, pass rusher and defending the pass.
Vegas betting odds
Pittsburgh opened as an 7.5-point favorite over Duke on Sunday.
Pittsburgh at Duke game and TV info
Who: Duke Blue Devils (7-3, 4-2 ACC) at Pittsburgh Panthers (6-4, 3-3)
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
When: Noon, Saturday
TV: ACC Network
Stream: ESPN+
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 5:40 AM.