PITTSBURGH — It appears that Pitt has shaken off the injury bug to an extent following the bye week, with a couple of starters returning to the lineup, but Jake Kradel remains out.
Bub Means, who left the Virginia Tech game early, is dressed but not listed as a starter. And Bangally Kamara and Devin Danielson are both dressed and listed in the starting lineup at linebacker and defensive tackle, respectively.
Kradel, who is the most experienced member of the Pitt offensive line, has missed the last few weeks, starting with the North Carolina game after not feeling right in practice last week. And his undisclosed injury will keep him out of yet another game.
Terrence Moore made his first start at center against UNC, and he’s holding onto the starting gig at least a week longer. With Matt Goncalves out for the season, Ryan Baer will once again — and likely for the remainder of the season — start at right tackle.
Means caught one of his four targets, for the long touchdown, before leaving the VT game. Means is active, but Kenny Johnson is listed as a starter and should receive the largest workload of his young collegiate career yet.
Kamara, who left in the first half of Pitt’s loss to WVU last month and was in a walking boot, is finally back in the lineup, and Braylan Lovelace and Kyle Louis should still receive a fair share of snaps. Shayne Simon and Solomon DeShields are also starting.
It’s somewhat of a trade as Virginia Tech starter Kyle Louis is out of the lineup tonight.
Danielson has started all four games for Pitt this season — rotating alongside the likes of David Green and Devin Danielson — before not traveling to Virginia Tech before the bye week. His return likely signals that the veteran four of Danielson, Green, Deandre Jules and Tyler Bentley will play heavily against No. 14 Louisville.
It’s a wet, chilly evening at Acrisure Stadium, and the playing conditions will likely not be ideal.
