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The University of Pittsburgh has a tradition of excellence in football that dates back to 1890. The Pitt Panthers have won Nine National Championships and many of the greatest players in the history of football are proud to call Pitt their alma mater.
Pitt boasts 99 First Team All-Americans, 25 members in the College Football Hall of Fame and ten Panthers have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
NGSC Sports provides you the ultimate Pitt Game Day Preview, where true Panther fans come to find out about Pitt and their upcoming opponent! Mike Drakulich (@PghSportsNation) brings you inside the huddle for both teams, providing all fans with The Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Scoop, Score Prediction, Broadcast Information, and a complete breakdown of each team.
Heck, you’ll even know the weather at kickoff! The only thing you’re missing is a game uniform!
Pitt Panthers (2-4) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-3)
NCAA Week 8
Vegas line: Wake Forest -1.5
Game-time: Saturday, October 21st, at 3:30 PM
Venue: Allegacy FCU Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC.
- Field: FieldTurf
Weather at Kickoff: 66 and sunny. Winds out of the West at 10 MPH.
Tickets: Pitt Ticket Office
The Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Scoop
The Christian Veilleux Era got off to a shaky start last week vs Louisville, but once the Canadian born gunslinger found his footing, he and the resurgent Pitt defense lead the Panthers to a stunning 38-21 victory over the #14 ranked Cardinals.
Pitt, with the win, was able to raise their season record to 2-4, and 1-1 in the ACC.
Still, despite the positive result, there is some work to do to keep Pitt’s offense trending in the right direction.
Pitt’s passing offense is ranked 13th in the ACC, averaging just 193.8 yards per game. If the Panthers have any chance of finishing this season over .500, that has to improve drastically.
For the upcoming game against Wake Forest (3-3) this Saturday, Veilleux, the receivers, and wide receiver coach Tiquan Underwood have been working hand in hand to jump-start the stagnant offense to more acceptable levels.
“I played with Tom Brady, and you had to be on the same page with Tom,” Underwood said, “and if you weren’t, you weren’t going to be playing.”
On the year, Veilleux has 345 yards passing with three touchdowns and just two interceptions, however, his completion rate is well below par. In the Louisville game, Veilleux completed just 12 of 26 passes, and overall he is 24 of 53– good for a paltry 45.3% in completing passes.
“He knows he can be even better. There are some throws he probably would want back,” Underwood said. “There are some catches the receivers want back. We have to fix those things in practice.”
“It all comes down to execution. You’re not always going to have the perfect call. But sometimes, a player can bail you out by making a fantastic play. As coaches, we try to pick the proper call. We play the percentages based on down and distance situation. After that, players have to make a play.”
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi was pleased with Veilleux’s first start.
“Christian threw some nice balls. He got the ball out quick, as well,” Narduzzi said. “He made good decisions with the ball. I liked where he placed the ball. But he can do a better job on some of his out routes, which, Coach Cignetti will fix his feet.
“We’ll find out this week because we’ll throw a lot more out routes just to see what he does with his footwork, but I think that’s just being a young guy and trying to figure it out still.”
The miscommunications, which plagued former starter Phil Jurkovec while throwing to his receivers, continued against Louisville.
“One time, Bub Means releases inside. He should be releasing outside. Christian thinks he’s running a comeback, and he runs a vertical route. Those will get all cleaned up, just missed IDs.”
The defense, despite pitching a shutout in the 2nd half vs Louisville, is still looking for a complete game this year.
“We can still do a lot better. It’s not like we’re a finished product yet. Still learning, still getting better,” said Narduzzi. “Too many long drives, too many drives that continue to go that we should stop earlier, execution-wise.”
The Demon Deacons offense is lead by quarterback Mitch Griffis, who has passed for 1,197 yards, with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. Griffis has been sacked 24 times this year, and overall, they’ve allowed another five sacks to his backup.
29 sacks given up isn’t a good formula against a defense that thrives on getting to the quarterback, and with Griffis, who is battling an undisclosed injury, and is questionable to play, could be in for a short night if Pitt’s defense gets to him early and often.
Wake Forest’s main receiver is Jahmal Banks, who has caught 36 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor Morin, Wesley Grimes, and Ke’Shawn Williams get plenty of looks weekly as well.
Banks can expect to see plenty of Pitt corner M.J. Devonshire, who returned an interception to the house last week vs the Cardinals.
The Demon Deacons rushing game features a pair of backs in Demond Claiborne and Justice Ellison, who have combined for 663 yards on the ground. Ellison is more apt to catch passes out of the backfield than Claiborne.
Wake Forest is coming off a rough outing vs Virginia Tech, who pounded them 30-13 last week.
Pitt needs to build off it’s momentum in gained last week, and capitalize on a Wake team that is reeling from their performance last game.
Pitt is hopeful to get starting center Jake Kradel back, who has been out the past three games.
The offensive line, which has been in flux all year, certainly hasn’t helped the running game, which is ranked next to last in the ACC.
“We’ll do a better job of checking how many guys they have in the box and doing that just with some of the youth we have there,” Narduzzi said. “We ran in some pretty heavy boxes. We’ve got to find a way to better get out of a play, if we can. It’s better to run a play and everybody going in the right direction than running a play with some guys going that way and some guys going another way. We’ll get better at that, I think, week by week.”
This game plan for Pitt is pretty simple. Play solid defense, and punish Wake QB Sam Griffis every time he drops back to pass. Get him out of the game and the Demon Deacons will have to rely on unproven Santino Marucci. On offense, the line has to keep Veilleux protected and open up some holes for Rodney Hammond and C’Bo Flemister to run through. A strong run game will only open up more space for the Pitt passing attack.
Veilleux coming into his 2nd start, should be more poised in the pocket, and be much more efficient in getting the ball to his weapons in Konata Mumpfield, Bub Means, Kenny Johnson, and Gavin Bartholomew.
This is a great game to rectify all of the problems that have plagued Pitt this season, and set them up to go toe to toe with the likes of Notre Dame and Florida State in the weeks to follow.
Prediction: Pitt 31 Wake Forest 17
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ACC Network (Xfinity: Channel 1325)
- Announcers: Jorge Sedano (play-by-play) Orlando Franklin (analyst) | Marilyn Payne (reporter)
Local Radio: Pittsburgh- 93.7 The Fan
- Announcers: Jeff Hathhorn (play-by-play) Pat Bostick (analyst) | Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
National Radio: N/A
- Announcers:
Alternative Broadcasts:
- Online Radio: 937thefan.radio.com
- Satellite Radio: SiriusXM channels 380
Scouting the Pitt Panthers
Overall Record: 2-4 | ACC Record: 1-2 | Rank: N/A
Previous Game: Pitt 38 Louisville 21
Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi
- 9th Season with Pitt
- Lifetime Record: 64-45
- ACC Division Titles: 2
- ACC Championships: 1
Pitt Team Links
- Pitt Panthers Roster
- Pitt Coaching Staff
- Pitt Team/Individual Statistics
- Pitt Panthers 2023 Schedule
PITT OFFENSE (Pro Style)
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 25.8 (139th)
- Total offense yards per game: 304.8 (225th)
- Passing yards per game: 193.8 (184th)
- Rushing yards per game: 111 (213th)
QUARTERBACK
Christian Veilleux | #11
Veilleux was shaky to start vs Louisville, but once he found his stride, he lead the Panthers to a 38-21 clubbing of #14 Louisville. Now he’ll look to build on that momentum and keep the Pitt offense rolling against Wake Forest.
Passing Yards: 345 | TD Passes: 3 | INT’s: 2 | Sacked: 2
Rushing Yards: 17 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Back-up: Nate Yarnell | #19
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Rodney Hammond | #6
Hammond is Pitt’s starting running back, but splits carries with C’Bo Flemister in most games.
Rushing Yards: 246 | Rushing TD’s: 3
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 34 | Receiving TD’s: 0
C’Bo Flemister | #24
Flemister makes the most of any opportunity he gets, always finding a way to fall forward for positive yards.
Rushing Yards: 177 | Rushing TD’s: 2
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 92 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Daniel Carter | #4
Rushing Yards: 104 | Rushing TD’s: 2
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Konata Mumpfield | #9
Mumpfield is first on the team with 23 catches for 279 yards and three touchdowns.
Receptions: 23 | Receiving Yards: 279 | Receiving TD’s: 3
Bub Means | #0
Means had plenty of preseason hype, but has been average in 2023. Had his best statistical game of the season with Veilleux under center, so hopefully this is a sign that better times are coming.
Receptions: 11 | Receiving Yards: 217 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Daejon Reynolds | #3
Receptions: 8 | Receiving Yards: 90 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Kenny Johnson | #2
Johnson was finally given more playing time vs Louisville, and with his talent, it’s just a matter of time before he takes over as Pitt’s best receiver.
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 76 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Rushing Yards: 31
Che Nwebuko | #21
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Rushing Yards: 23
TIGHT ENDS
Gavin Bartholomew | #86
Leads the team with 291 yards receiving. Veilleux needs to get him more involved in the air attack.
Receptions: 14 | Receiving Yards: 291 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Karter Johnson | #8
Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 27 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Malcolm Epps | #7
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 3 | Receiving TD’s: 0
OFFENSIVE LINE
LT: Branson Taylor | #78
LG: Blake Zubovic | #68
C: Jake Kradel | #53 or Terrance Moore | #58
RG: Jason Collier | #50
RT: Ryan Baer | #70
*Injured/Out
PITT DEFENSE (Base 4-3)
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 25.2 (137th)
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 325.3
- Passing yards allowed: 202.7
- Rushing yards allowed: 122.7
- Sacks: 19
- Interceptions: 3
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE: Dayon Hayes | #50
Tackles: 16 | Sacks: 2
DT: Deandre Jules | #0
Tackles: 14 | Sacks: 1
DT: Devin Danielson | #95 or David Green | #2
Tackles: 6 | Sacks: 1.5 Tackles: 19 | Sacks: 1
DE: Nate Temple | #6
Tackles: 14 | Sacks: 0
LINEBACKERS
Money: Bengally Kamara | #11
Tackles: 16 | Sacks: 1
MIKE: Shayne Simon | #32
Tackles: 23 | Sacks: 3
STAR: Solomon DeShields, Jr. |#23
Tackles: 35 | Sacks: 2
SECONDARY
CB: Marquis Williams | #14 or A.J. Woods | #9
Tackles: 14 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1 Tackles: 16 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
SS: Donovan McMillon | #3
Tackles: 46 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
FS: Javon McIntyre | #7
Tackles: 34 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
CB: M.J. Devonshire | #12
Tackles: 16 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1 | TD: 1
PITT SPECIAL TEAMS
PLACEKICKER
Ben Sauls | #90
Extra Points: 19-19
Field Goals: 5-8
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 2-2
- 30-39 yards: 1-1
- 40-49 yards: 2-3
- 50+ yards: 0-2
KICKOFF RETURNERS
Konata Mumpfield | #9
Average: 20.0 | TD Returns: 0
Kenny Johnson | #2
Average: 33.7 | TD Returns: 1
PUNT RETURNER
M.J. Devonshire | #12
As a senior at Aliquippa High School, Devonshire had eight kickoff or punt return touchdowns, one short of the national high school record, and would’ve had five more if not for penalties. Last year, Devonshire averaged an ACC best 9.7 yards per punt return.
Average: 2.8 | TD Returns: 0
Scouting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Overall Record: 3-3 | ACC Conference Record: 0-3 | Rank: n/a
Previous Game: Virginia Tech 30 Wake Forest 13
Head Coach: Dave Clawson
- 1st Season with Wake Forest
- Lifetime Record: 152-136 | 62-56 at Wake Forest
Links
WAKE FOREST OFFENSE (Multiple)
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 23.5
- Total offense yards per game: 367.8
- Passing yards per game: 227.2
- Rushing yards per game: 140.7
QUARTERBACKS
Mitch Griffis | #12
Griffis definitely won’t evoke memories of Sam Hartman. Through six contests he is averaging 199.5 yards per game through the air, and has been sacked 24 times, with the team allowing a total of 29 for the season. Griffis is listed as questionable for this game.
Passing Yards: 1,197 | TD Passes: 9 | INT’s: 7 | Sacked: 24
Rushing Yards: 79 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Back-up: Santino Marucci | #18
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Demond Claiborne | #23
Claiborne is the lead back, but is only averaging 62.5 yards per game. Not a threat catching passes out of the backfield.
Rushing Yards: 375 | Rushing TD’s: 3
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 13 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Justice Ellison | #6
Ellison backs up Claiborne, but when given a chance had 137 yards rushing vs Georgia Tech a few weeks ago.
Rushing Yards: 288 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 8 | Receiving Yards: 38 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Tate Carney | #30
Rushing Yards: 141 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Jahmal Banks | #80
Banks is the Deacons main weapon at receiver, leading the team with 36 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns.
Receptions: 36 | Receiving Yards: 374 | Receiving TD’s: 3
Taylor Morin | #8
Morin is 2nd on the team with 26 receptions for 334 yards.
Receptions: 26 | Receiving Yards: 334 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Wesley Grimes | #8
Averaging 18.7 yards per catch.
Receptions: 16 | Receiving Yards: 299 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Ke’Shawn Williams | #13
Receptions: 18 | Receiving Yards: 201 | Receiving TD’s: 1
TIGHT ENDS
Cameron Hite | #20
Receptions: 7 | Receiving Yards: 104 | Receiving TD’s: 1
*Injured/Out
WAKE FOREST DEFENSE (4-2-5)
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 23
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 359
- Passing yards allowed: 228
- Rushing yards allowed: 131
- Sacks: 17
- Interceptions: 6
DEFENSIVE LINE
LDE: Jasheen Davis | #30
Tackles: 28 | Sacks: 4.5
LDT: Kevin Pointer | #91
Tackles: 17 | Sacks: 0.5
RDT: Justin Williams | #44
Tackles: 10 | Sacks: 0
RDE: Kendron Wayman | #5
Tackles: 22 | Sacks: 2
LINEBACKERS
BUCK: Dylan Hazen | #24
Tackles: 41 | Sacks: 1
MLB: Jacob Roberts | #40
Tackles: 46 | Sacks: 5
SECONDARY
LCB: Caelen Carson | #1
Tackles: 25 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SS: Malik Mustapha | #7
Tackles: 36 | Sacks: 0.5 | INT: 1
FS: Chelen Garnes | #9
Tackles: 29 | Sacks: 0.5 | INT: 0
RCB: DaShawn Jones | #10
Tackles: 18 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 3
NB: Evan Slocum | #14
Tackles: 15 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
WAKE FOREST SPECIAL TEAMS
PLACEKICKER
Matthew Dennis | #99
Extra Points: 12-13
Field Goals: 13-15
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 7-7
- 30-39 yards: 5-6
- 40-49 yards: 1-2
- 50+ yards: 1-2
KICKOFF RETURNER
Ke’Shawn Williams | #13
Average: 25.3 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Taylor Morin | #2
Average: 9.6 | TD Returns: 0
PITT vs WAKE FOREST HISTORY
Series Began: 2018
Overall Record: 2-0
- At Home: 0-0
- On Road: 1-0
- Neutral Site: 1-0
ACC Series: 2-0
Streak: Pitt won the last two games.
Last Game: Dec. 4, 2021 (Pitt 45, Wake Forest 21)
INJURY REPORT (10/19/23)
Pitt Panthers
Out: LG Ryan Jacoby, LT Matt Goncalves
Doubtful: None
Questionable: C Jake Kradel
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Out: QB Michael Kern
Doubtful: None
Questionable: QB Mitch Griffis
ACC STANDINGS
Author Profile
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From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
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