Pittsburgh enters the third year of the Paul Chryst era looking to return to a bowl game for the sixth-straight season. To do so, the Panthers must transition to a new quarterback and adapt to life without wide receiver Devin Street, who reeled in 51 catches for 854 yards and seven touchdowns last year before departing for the NFL. Sophomore Chad Voytik takes the reins from also-departed quarterback Tom Savage, and figures to always have his eye on sophomore sensation Tyler Boyd, who racked up nearly 1,200 receiving yards and seven scores as a true freshman in 2013.
Running back James Conner was a wrecking ball coming out of the backfield a season ago—the 6-foot-2, 250-pound sophomore used his strength and punishing running style to rush for 5.6 yards per carry during his rookie campaign. Four-fifths of Conner's offensive line returns from a season ago, meaning Conner will have the opportunity to bruise his way to a second successful season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pitt must fill the sizable void left by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the 13th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The Panthers return only five starters on defense, but will miss Donald's explosiveness and the double-teams he attracted from offensive linemen. Redshirt senior defensive back Ray Vinopal is the Panthers' leading returning tackler.
The Blue Devils and Panthers produced an epic shootout in their first meeting as ACC foes last October, with the Panthers leaving Wallace Wade Stadium with a 58-55 win. Duke will look to return the favor when it visits Heinz Field Nov. 1.
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