Pittsburgh announced that running back Desmond Reid will not play against 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. This marks his fourth missed game of the season.
The junior has been a key dual-threat option for the Panthers this season. He’s the team’s second-leading rusher and fourth-leading receiver.
His absence comes at a tough time for No. 23 Pitt (7-3). The Panthers enter the final two weeks as one of four ACC teams with just one conference loss.
Georgia Tech presents a major offensive challenge. The Yellow Jackets rank first nationally in total offense at 496.7 yards per game.
Their red-zone unit scores on 95.3% of its trips inside the 20-yard line.
Pitt’s defense ranks ninth nationally against the run. They’ll need that strength 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. They’ll need both players to step up against a Georgia Tech team that’s converting 51.3% of its third-down attempts.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
