Duke needs to get its communication together against Pitt
Pittsburgh (6-3, 4-1 ACC) at Duke (6-3, 3-2)
Noon, Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham
Can Duke’s secondary communicate better than it did last week? The Blue Devils cited frequent communication errors as a big source of their problems against UNC, so oftentimes they weren’t lined up properly or covering the correct player as the Tar Heels were blowing by them. That’s an easy way to lose a game, guaranteed.
Laura Keeley
N.C. State (6-3, 2-3 ACC) at Florida State (7-2, 5-2)
12:30 p.m., Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.
N.C. State’s defensive line hopes to disrupt Florida State’s shaky front enough to force quarterback Everett Golson to pass. If Cook gets loose, especially for a home run or two, N.C. State doesn’t have the firepower on offense to keep up. But if N.C. State’s defense can contain Cook, and force Golson to throw to beat them, the Wolfpack has an outside chance at its first win in Tallahassee since 2005.
Joe Giglio
Miami (6-3, 3-2 ACC) at North Carolina (8-1, 5-0)
3:30 p.m., Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill
For UNC it’s pretty simple: Keep on doing what has worked. Which is to say, limit the penalties and turnovers, demoralize defenses with big plays (there have been a bunch lately) and don’t get caught up in distractions. Such as, say, clinching the Coastal Division. The Tar Heels will have an opportunity to do that on Saturday if Duke beats Pittsburgh earlier in the day.
Andrew Carter
FLORIDA (8-1, 6-1 SEC) AT SOUTH CAROLINA (3-6, 1-6)
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, 12 p.m., ESPN
The Gamecocks wrap up their SEC schedule against the 11th-ranked Gators. … Florida leads the all-time series 24-8-3, but South Carolina has won two straight and four of the past five games. … The Gamecocks’ last three wins vs. the Gators were decided by five points or less.
SAN DIEGO (7-2, 5-1 PIONEER) AT DAVIDSON (1-8, 0-6)
Richardson Stadium, Davidson, 12 p.m.
The Toreros have won three straight over the Wildcats, and lead the series 8-2. … San Diego has won four straight games, while Davidson has lost four straight. … The Wildcats have also lost 23 consecutive league games, dating to the 2012 season.
EAST TENN. STATE (1-8) AT GARDNER-WEBB (3-6)
Spangler Stadium, Boiling Springs, 1:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs play the Buccaneers for the first time since 2003, after which the team was disbanded and not reformed until this season. … ETSU head coach Carl Torbush and offensive coordinator Mike O’Cain are both former ACC head coaches – Torbush at North Carolina, O’Cain at N.C. State.
LENOIR-RHYNE (6-4, 3-3 SAC) AT CATAWBA (8-2, 5-1)
Shuford Stadium, Salisbury, 1:30 p.m.
The Indians can clinch their seventh South Atlantic Conference championship, their first since 2007 and their first outright title since 2001 with a win over the Bears, who have won the past four league titles. … Catawba leads the series 46-44-4, but L-R has won the past six games.
WAKE FOREST (3-6, 1-5 ACC) AT NOTRE DAME (8-1)
Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind., 3:30 p.m., NBC
The fifth-ranked Fighting Irish are 2-0 against the Deacons, and enter Saturday’s game on a four-game winning streak. … Wake Forest will play top-five opponents on back-to-back weeks, going up against No. 1 Clemson next week.
CLEMSON (9-0, 6-0 ACC) AT SYRACUSE (3-6, 1-4)
Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y., 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Tigers play their first game as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team since 1981. … Clemson is 2-1 all-time against the Orange, but has won two straight since Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013. … The Tigers are one of six undefeated FBS teams nationwide.
APPALACHIAN STATE (7-2, 4-1 SUN BELT) AT IDAHO (3-6, 2-4)
Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho, 5 p.m.
The Mountaineers make their longest road trip of the season (2,495 miles) when they face the Vandals. … Idaho has lost two straight, while Appalachian State had its seven-game winning streak stopped with a 40-27 loss to Arkansas State on Nov. 5.
Bill Kiser
This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Duke needs to get its communication together against Pitt."