MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Starting wide receiver Jeff Thomas remains suspended and will miss Miami's next game on Saturday (12:00 p.m., ESPN) at Pittsburgh.

Thomas was also suspended last game against for the Georgia Tech game for a violation of team rules, but head coach Manny Diaz said Thomas will return at Florida State on Nov. 2.

Miami lost 28-21 in overtime to Georgia Tech, falling to 3-4 on the season for the first time since 1997.

"It is very disappointing," senior wide receiver K.J. Osborn said after the game. "Jeff is a fantastic player. He is going to get his stuff right, but like Shaq (Quarterman) was saying at this university it's next man up so if he's out for a game other guys have to step up and make plays."

Senior linebacker Shaquille Quarterman also voiced his disappointment with Thomas, who also dealt with an issue last season as he left the team for the final two games and was planning on transferring to Illinois before Diaz convinced him to return.

"When you don't hold your part of the standard, especially when you do something that may hurt the team, it's not just, 'oh I'm not playing, it's on me, I have to tell my parents,'" Quarterman said. "It's on the whole team. It definitely hurt us out there. He's one of my favorite guys. He's one of our best guys--everybody knows that--so it was definitely different without him being out there."

Dee Wiggins started in place of Thomas and led the team with 62 receiving yards on two catches. Wiggins set career-highs with 64 yards and four catches against Virginia Tech the previous week as Thomas only appeared in three plays in the second half according to offensive coordinator Dan Enos.

Mark Pope, who has 10 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown, is listed as Thomas's backup on the depth chart at the Z-receiver spot.

Thomas has caught 24 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season. He has 76 catches, 1,207 yards, and seven touchdowns in 30 games at Miami.

Miami (3-4, 1-3 ACC) will be looking to get out of the Coastal Division cellar against second-place Pittsburgh (5-2, 3-1).

Christopher Stock has covered the Miami Hurricanes since 2003 and can be reached by e-mail at stock@insidetheu.com and on Twitter @InsideTheU.