Pitt will be without the defensive efforts of Calijah Kancey and Habakkuk Baldonado against Miami tonight after neither made the trip down to Miami Gardens, Florida.
Kancey sustained an injury during the second half of the 28-26 win over Duke last weekend, an undisclosed upper-body injury. Baldonado picked up a knock at the end of the Virginia game two weeks ago and missed the Duke contest.
It’s a significant loss for Pitt’s defensive line as half the starting unit will need to be replaced against Miami. John Morgan will likely slide into Baldonado’s vacated spot, and Devin Danielson, David Green and Tyler Bentley will rotate more heavily to fill in for Kancey’s absence.
Kancey has recorded 30 tackles (18 solo), 14 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks. Baldonado has recorded 25 tackles (nine solo), five tackles for loss, two sacks and two pass breakups.
With two key defensive linemen out, it could be a chance for Pitt to use some younger linemen. Nahki Johnson, Samuel Okunlola, Sean FitzSimmons and Elliot Donald all made the trip to Miami.
