The Blue Devils notched a huge win last Thursday against then-No. 15 North Carolina, but they still need one more victory to be in the mix for a bowl berth. Duke's first of two chances to get that win will come Saturday at 3 p.m. at Pittsburgh, which just handed Clemson its first loss of the season last Saturday. Every week throughout the football season, the Blue Zone will break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest:
Duke: Defensive tackle A.J. Wolf
The Blue Devils face the difficult task of containing Pittsburgh's vaunted rushing attack Saturday, and Wolf will be at the center of that mission. The redshirt senior defensive tackle and Duke's only healthy captain is one of the few contributors in its young defensive front that has played against James Conner before, seeing firsthand how dominant the Panther running back can be. Conner ran for 263 yards and three touchdowns when the Blue Devils beat Pittsburgh 51-48 in double overtime in 2014 before missing almost the entire 2015 season while he recovered from Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
Wolf had just one tackle against the Tar Heels, but still helped create openings for Duke's linebackers to make plays near the line of scrimmage, as the Blue Devils held North Carolina to 106 rushing yards. It was Duke's best defensive performance against the run since it held Virginia to just 80 yards on the ground Oct. 1. Wolf is also one of the Blue Devils' best pass rushing threats and will need to get pressure on Panther quarterback Nathan Peterman—who tossed five touchdown passes last week—early and often.
Pittsburgh: Wide receiver Quadree Henderson
Although Henderson is listed as a wide receiver, he is generally used as an explosive big-play threat in the backfield. The Wilmington, Del., native has 379 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries this year to go along with 21 catches for 231 yards. Henderson is most dangerous on special teams, though, leading the nation with three kickoff returns for touchdowns this season. The Blue Devils' kick coverage unit has been superb this season, but it has yet to face a returner as dangerous as Henderson. The 5-foot-8 sophomore ran for -4 yards against the Tigers last weekend and did not catch a pass, but he is always a threat to swing the momentum of a game by breaking free for just one big play.
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