Pittsburgh will be without one of its biggest offensive playmakers this weekend, as running back Desmond Reid will not play at No. 16 Georgia Tech on Saturday due to a lower-body injury, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Reid left last week’s loss to Notre Dame with an ankle issue and is now set to miss his fourth game of the season. The junior has been a key dual-threat option for the Panthers, ranking as the team’s second-leading rusher and fourth-leading receiver.
His absence comes at a critical moment for No. 23 Pitt (7-3), which enters the final two weeks as one of four ACC teams with just one conference loss. The Panthers face a major challenge against a Georgia Tech team boasting the nation’s top-ranked offense at 496.7 yards per game and a red-zone unit that scores on 95.3% of its trips.
Pitt’s defense, which ranks ninth nationally against the run, will look to slow Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King, who has accounted for 24 total touchdowns and 3,000 yards of offense.
The Panthers will lean more heavily on quarterback Mason Heintschel and running back Ja’Kyrian Turner as it attempts to keep pace with a Georgia Tech team converting 51.3% of its third downs.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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