It's almost kickoff at Acrisure Stadium for the Pitt Panthers game against the Bucknell Bison , and starting running back Ja'Kyrian 'Boosie' Turner was not listed in the starting lineup.
Boosie Turner played in the season-opening game against Miami (OH) , where he had 108 total yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has missed the team's next two games, wins over UCF and Syracuse .
Turner was listed as questionable and probable for those games, and head coach Pat Narduzzi mentioned that he could have played , but the games weren't the toughest competition.
If Pitt held their own against UCF and Syracuse , they definitely won't need Turner against FCS school Bucknell. But it would have been nice to see Boosie have a chance to warm up in a game before the Panthers take on Virginia Tech on the road.
In his place, true freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. has really stepped up. Ferguson has 183 rushing yards and three touchdowns through his first three collegiate games, the only player on the Panthers to score a touchdown in all three of the team's games so far.
This game isn't expected to be as exciting as any of the team's first three, but it will be a good opportunity for the offense to get right after a few rocky weeks .
Turner was in a similar situation his true freshman season, being a backup to returning starter Desmond Reid . After some injuries, Boosie was the one to step up and be a reliable running back. This includes a ranked road win against Georgia Tech where he had over 200 rushing yards and the dagger touchdown, a performance that earned him ACC Honors.
Turner had 745 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his true freshman season. He had a great connection with quarterback Mason Heintschel , a fellow true freshman Mason Heintschel.
Pitt's other backup running back is senior La'Vell Wright. Wright has 141 rushing yards on the season and scored a touchdown against Syracuse. Running backs Jaylin Brown and Justin Cook have also been options for the team.
The injury bug has been affecting the Panthers early on, with wide receiver Malik Knight missing several games and defensive back Cruce Brookins leaving the Syracuse game early. The Panthers haven't let this affect them too much, as they have had a decently strong 3-0 start to the season, their first 3-0 start since 2024.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pittsburgh as Pitt Starting RB Out vs. Bucknell .
