Pittsburgh @ Duke preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2018 ) Duke 45, Pittsburgh 54

Down a starting quarterback, two running backs and three other starters, Pittsburgh survived a struggle with FCS Delaware last week after knocking off then-No. 15 UCF the week before. With the meat of the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule starting Saturday at Duke, the status of quarterback Kenny Pickett's is uncertain as the Panthers try to continue their dominance of the Blue Devils.

With Pickett (60.8 percent, 1,102 yards) out with a shoulder injury, redshirt freshman Nick Patti stepped in and completed 23-of-37 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Todd Sibley Jr. ran for a career-high 106 yards on 22 carries to help the Panthers to a 17-14 triumph over the Blue Hens. "Well, obviously it was not the Pitt football team that I like to see. I don't think we came up with the emotion that we could have," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. "But was happy for Todd Sibley to get his opportunity to go out there and run it and get it done. Nick Patti made some plays when we needed to, nice one down the pipe there with V'Lique Carter (30-yard TD), and then Taysir (Mack) made some great catches at the end to put us ahead." Pitt has won seven of the last eight meetings against Duke, including three straight in Durham, and pulled out a 54-45 victory last season when Pickett hit Maurice Ffrench with a 25-yard TD pass with five seconds left to snap a tie. Duke senior quarterback Quentin Harris was 20-of-27 for 163 yards and two passing scores to tight end Noah Gray as the Blue Devils scored 31 straight points to take down Virginia Tech, 45-10 last week - its largest road win in ACC play since 1989 (41-0 against North Carolina) and the worst Hokies' home conference loss since 1950.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: Duke -5.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (3-2, 0-1 ACC): The Panthers outgained Delaware 443-170 - the lowest yardage it has allowed since giving up 105 in a 24-7 victory at Akron on Sept. 12, 2015 - and recorded a season-high six quarterback sacks for the third time this season. Sibley, who had only carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards in Pitt’s first four games, ran for 65 yards on 12 carries in the fourth quarter. “I took the challenge to heart,” Sibley said. “I think I practiced harder (this week) than I ever practiced. … I just took on the challenge."

ABOUT DUKE (3-1, 1-0): Harris (72.9 percent, 842 yards, 10 touchdowns, two interceptions) is third in the ACC in passer rating (157.4) and leads the team in rushing with a team-high 303 yards, including consecutive 100-yard rushing performances; that ties him for the most 100-yard games in a career by a quarterback with Daniel Jones and Thomas Sirk. “There’s so many ways you can run the ball. Mobile quarterbacks can cause all sorts of problems. The last few years, we’ve had mobile quarterbacks, first with Daniel (Jones) and now with Quentin," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "Quentin’s got great vision; he picks his times to run. I just don’t want him to run as much as he is, if he can help that. Unless it’s a touchdown.” Linebackers Koby Quansah and Brandon Hill led the team in tackles with 13 and 11, respectively; Quansah’s tackles matched his career high and handed him his second double-digit tackle game of the season, fifth of his career.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Pitt’s 35-34 win over UCF and 17-14 win over Delaware marked the first time since 2004 that the Panthers used fourth-quarter rallies to win consecutive games. In 2004, Pitt defeated Notre Dame (41-38) and West Virginia (16-13) in consecutive contests by rallying in the final period.

2. Gray finished with 50 yards on six catches against the Hokies and has five or more receptions in each of Duke’s games this season.

3. The Panthers have 24 sacks through five games, an average of 4.8 that ranks second in FBS.

PREDICTION: Duke 24, Pittsburgh 16