After becoming bowl-eligible with a 20-13 Oct. 18 win against Virginia, the Blue Devils are looking to seize control in of the ACC Coastal Division with a win against Pittsburgh at noon Saturday at Heinz Field. Every week throughout the football season, we’ll break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest.
Duke: cornerback Breon Borders
Most teams don't like to throw at Breon Borders. Although he gave up a few deep throws against Georgia Tech and allowed Virginia wide-receiver Miles Gooch to catch a deep pass right before halftime Oct. 18, his production has mostly been quiet this season because teams shy away from him. Last season, he tied a program record with four interceptions as a true freshman, including a pair in the ACC Championship game against Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston. The Cavaliers attempted to go after Borders, but the Statesville, N.C., native punished quarterback Matt Johns, breaking up three passes, including one in the end zone.
Borders faces a critical matchup this week in defending Pittsburgh's Tyler Boyd, who torched the Blue Devil secondary with eight receptions for 154 yards and three touchdowns in the Panthers' 58-55 win in Durham last season. He has accounted for half of Pittsburgh's receiving touchdowns and 45.9 percent of its receiving yards this season. If Borders and the Duke secondary can keep up with Boyd in one-on-one coverage and force Panther quarterback Chad Voytik to look for other targets on Saturday, the Blue Devils will have a chance at shutting down one of the Panthers' most dangerous weapons.
Pittsburgh: quarterback Chad Voytik
Voytik will be looking for consistency against a Duke defense that is only allowing 15.1 points per game and is facing a stingy secondary that is 33rd in the FBS giving up 204.6 yards per game through the air. One key will be for Voytik to take care of the ball in the pocket and on his throws. He has thrown an interception in six of eight games this season and fumbled twice last week against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils have scored 24 points off of four forced turnovers during their two-game ACC winning streak and have the best turnover margin in the conference. On the other hand, Pittsburgh has the conference's worst turnover margin at -6, especially after fumbling seven times last week against Georgia Tech.
In addition to taking care of the ball, Voytik will also need to make plays with his legs when he gets outside the pocket for the Panthers to bounce back. The sophomore has rushed for 290 yards in Pittsburgh's four wins, including 100-yard games against Florida International and Virginia Tech, but has managed to only run for a total of seven yards in the team's four losses to Akron, Iowa, Virginia and Georgia Tech. If Voytik can make plays with his legs and force the Duke defense to dedicate a spy to respect his speed and athleticism, it will open up the field for bigger passing plays and put pressure on the Blue Devil secondary.
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