Are Panthers able to stop Duke’s ground game?
Sure, Pitt football’s ACC Coastal division hopes have been out of reach for a while now, but that hasn’t stopped the Panthers from wanting to prove a point this season. As they prepare to face Duke for a noon kickoff Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, the path to a second consecutive season with nine or more wins still exists. But to get there, beating Duke is a must.
Top storyline
Pitt’s matchup with Duke serves as a test of just how strong the Panthers’ defense has become since its fourth loss against North Carolina. But in the two games since, the Panthers’ defense has returned to the aggressive style of play that has been their identity the past few seasons under Pat Narduzzi.
Weeks ago, Pitt (6-4, 3-3 ACC) ranked toward the middle of the pack of the ACC in both rushing defense and sack production. That wasn’t the way Pitt’s defense played last season in the run to an ACC championship. But since then, Pitt has surged to become the ACC’s second-best defense against the run with only 97.7 yards a game allowed, and now has 37 sacks, which leads the country.
SirVocea Dennis said it took a player-led effort to make the necessary adjustments and reclaim that defensive identity.
“We sat down together as a team, no coaches, just players,” Dennis recalled. “We realized we weren’t playing Pitt football. We weren’t getting after the quarterback as much as we wanted to. We diagnosed what we needed to do, and coming out of that after North Carolina, we got after them.”
Last season, Pitt had a similar meeting led by its players to make adjustments against offenses based in the run-pass-option that led to the Panthers’ triumphant showing against Wake Forest’ top-ranked offense in the ACC championship game. Back then, the Panthers’ shot to win the conference proved as a motivating factor. But even with the Coastal title out of reach, the Panthers are motivated to have a strong finish.
It’s not lost upon the group that if Pitt were to finish with nine wins this season, it would be the first time since the 2008-2009 seasons under Dave Wannstedt that the Panthers accomplished that feat in back-to-back seasons.
“It means a lot,” Dennis said. “Nine wins is still a good season. A lot of people might look at it like we could’ve done better, and we could’ve, but we’ll take nine games and run with it.”
The importance of such a finish is bigger than Pitt’s pride; it also shines a light on the reputation of the program. Pitt did miss on the opportunity to put itself on a national stage with back-toback conference championships and a shot at the College
Football Playoff, but it can still use the defensive identity that has attracted star talent like Dennis, Calijah Kancey, Brandon Hill and others to the Panthers’ program. It also may keep future recruits who’ve committed to Pitt — like defensive lineman Jahsear Whittington, a four-star prospect who’s told the Post-Gazette about his excitement to play for Pitt’s defense. But all of that starts with beating Duke (7-3, 4-2) on Saturday.
Players to watch
Solomon DeShields: DeShields hasn’t become a consistent starter for the Panthers at linebacker like Bangally Kamara, but he’s found a way to be an asset to the defense in a sub-package role. His four sacks are fourth-most on the team, and he’s been part of the Panthers’ effort to generate third-down pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
“He comes in on our Delta package on third downs,” linebackers coach Ryan Manalac said of DeShields. “It’s a role he’s really embraced and takes a lot of pride in to learn in to work pass rush moves, understand nuances of protections and stunts. He loves that, and he’s flourished with opportunities to go make some plays.”
DeShields also registered a pass breakup against Virginia last week.
Owen Drexel: Drexel had a strong return for the Panthers last week after missing eight games because of an injury. As a fifth-year senior, he’s on his last year of eligibility and is about to play his final home game as ae Panther.
“It’s weird because I’m calling back from something,” Drexel said. “I’m feeling fresh again like I’m coming into something new while this is my last three [games.]
Jake Kradel did a fine job as Pitt’s center in Drexel’s absence, but Drexel was the catalyst for the entire starting Pitt offensive line to return for the 2022 season from last year. His return as a starter allows Kradel to go back to right guard and made the offensive line closer to full strength. The group is still missing Carter Warren, who’s season is done because of injury, but Drexel being back could be a strong point for the offense to rely upon to get the ground game going.
Drexel will go up against Duke defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, who leads the Blue Devils with nine tackles for loss. If Drexel is able to neutralize that defensive threat, it might be the key to getting running backs Israel Abanikanda and Rodney Hammond going for the Panthers.
Deslin Alexandre: Alexandre gets one last chance to show out for the Panthers in a home game. The sixth-year senior already has a careerhigh in 5.5 sacks and is a semifinalist for the Jason Witten award for his work to help children in his home country of Haiti with his
Fifth Down campaign. He’s been a prime role model for Pitt student-athletes as a competitor and a humanitarian who uses his profile to benefit others.
He’s also been just as impactful on the field with three consecutive games with at least one sack, and 4.5 sacks across those performances. As a two-year captain for the Panthers, seeing him continue a strong finish to his collegiate career should be a prideful moment for Pitt football fans.
Behind enemy lines
Unstoppable vs. immovable: Duke’s rushing offense ranks second in the ACC, just like Pitt’s rushing defense. That should create an interesting battle of wills to see which side controls the ground. Pitt’s rushing offense also ranks fifth in the ACC, while Duke’s rushing defense ranks fourth.
In the past, Duke has been a barometer for Pitt’s defense to prove it could still stuff the run. Last year, Pitt faced Mateo Durant, the Blue Devils’ lead running back who eventually earned a training camp spot with the Steelers. But the Panthers came out on top and neutralized Duke’s ground game. That’s been the case for many years, but now Duke’s rushing efforts are led by its quarterback, Riley Leonard, who has team highs with 625 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Pitt has struggled this season at times to stop rushing quarterbacks, but that has changed in the past two weeks against Syracuse and Virginia. Look for that Pitt aggression on defense to be the difference maker that doesn’t allow Leonard to get Duke going and eventually allow the Panthers’ pass rush to make plays and keep the Panthers in front of the country in sack production.
Advantage: Pitt
Predictions Christopher Carter: Pitt 31, Duke 20
Pitt has never lost to Duke with Narduzzi as head coach. If there was ever a program that fit the bill of what the Panthers’ defense under Narduzzi was designed to stop, it’s always been the Blue Devils. Even in their best years, Duke’s football team has been a strong rushing offense that ran into a brick wall of a defense when Pitt came to stop their run game. Saturday should be another chapter in that series as Pitt shuts down the run and gets after Leonard enough for the defense to dominate while the offense uses its big-play ability open up a lead the Panthers defend.
Noah Hiles: Pitt 27, Duke 17
Similar to the past two weeks, a steady mix of its reliable run game and stingy defense lifts it to a third consecutive win. Another effort from the pass rush prevents the Blue Devils’ offense from finding any sort of rhythm. Led by Israel Abanikanda, the Panthers offense rushes for more than 300 yards and three scores. Kedon Slovis plays another clean game, throwing no interceptions and completing 70% of his pass attempts.