PITTSBURGH — There will be yet another new Pitt offensive line configuration against No. 17 North Carolina this weekend.
With Matt Goncalves going down late in the fourth quarter against West Virginia last weekend, it appears he will be unavailable to go against UNC tonight. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Noah Hiles reported that Terrence Moore and Ryan Baer will make their first starts tonight.
He further reported that Moore will start at center in place of Kradel. And it appears likely that Baer slots into the lineup at right tackle, and Branson Taylor slides back over to left tackle to fill in for the injured Goncalves.
It’s yet another new combination for a struggling offensive line that hasn’t made life easy on a struggling Phil Jurkovec this season.
Goncalves has provided perhaps the lone steadying presence on the offensive line this season, starting all three games at left tackle, but he left in the fourth quarter last weekend with an undisclosed injury.
Moore played in all 13 games last season, getting some reps at center when Owen Drexel went down against Tennessee in Week 2, and it will be his first career start. Baer, who filled in for Goncalves at left tackle to conclude the WVU game last week, will also be making his first career start.
It seems likely that Blake Zubovic will hold down one of the guard spots, and it’s likely that Jason Collier Jr. will serve as the other guard — with Kradel out of the lineup. And Taylor, who has started all three games at right tackle, will remain in the starting lineup.
On a wet, rainy night at Acrisure Stadium, the Pitt offensive line will likely be tasked with run blocking heavily against the North Carolina defense.
Rudderless team with no identity and bad coaches