Syracuse (2-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) returns for the first of two-straight home games with a 12:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff against Pittsburgh (2-3, 0-1 ACC). The Orange has lost four straight matchups with the Panthers, who are coming off a 42-10 win over Rice. A loss would deal a crushing blow to SU’s already hurting bowl chances.

Here’s what you need to know about the Panthers.

All-time series: Pitt leads, 38-31-3.

Last time they played: SU traveled to Heinz Field last year for its season finale and scored 61 points in a loss. An injury-depleted defense allowed Pitt to gash SU for nearly 400 yards rushing and just nine receptions while the Panthers put up 76 points in the highest scoring game in FBS history. There were 20 touchdowns scored and 1,312 yards of combined offense. Zack Mahoney filled in for Eric Dungey at quarterback and threw 61 passes. He completed 43 for 440 yards and five touchdowns, all of which went to former SU wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo.

The Pittsburgh report: Pitt is unranked and enters the matchup with a record identical to Syracuse. Its losses have all come against good teams: No. 4 Penn State, No. 15 Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech, which sits atop the ACC’s coastal division.
Last year, Pitt took on Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl and lost, 31-24, to finish 2016 at 8-5. A bowl appearance this season would make for 10 straight seasons with a postseason appearance for the Panthers.

But, this year’s team has significant turnover from the team that dropped 76 on SU. At quarterback, the Panthers send out Southern California transfer Max Browne. He started the first three games of 2016 for the Trojans before being overtaken by now-Heisman candidate Sam Darnold. Browne moved to Pitt before spring practice with immediate eligibility.

In five games, Browne has struggled to hold his starting spot. He failed to throw a touchdown in all three of Pitt’s losses, and Redshirt Sophomore Ben DiNucci replaced him in each game. Browne did have a nice week against Rice’s 122nd ranked passing defense, posting 410 yards and 4 touchdowns while completing 28-of-32 passes.

Beyond that, Pitt’s offense doesn’t boast the type of dynamic playmakers SU has seen in recent weeks. Qadree Ollison leads the team with 221 rushing yards and averages 3.9 yards per carry. Eleven Panthers have caught a pass so far, but none have hauled in more than 20 total.

Defensively, the Panthers don’t rank well in pass coverage (107th) or stopping the run (85th). A year after amassing 61 points, SU should be poised for another high-scoring day.

How Syracuse beats Pitt: It’d be disappointing to see SU allow more than a few scores here considering Pitt’s early offensive struggles. If the Orange is able to keep Pitt under 30 points and avoid a shootout, it’s hard not to like SU’s chances.
On the other side of the ball, Eric Dungey and company have to do what they do best: throw the football. Running the ball, as of now, is not something that will work out consistently. So unless SU is able to establish a ground game on its first couple of possessions, let Dungey sit back in the pocket and find the nation’s leading pass catchers in Steve Ishmael (51 receptions) and Ervin Philips (44).

Player to watch: Quadree Henderson, wide receiver, No. 10

Henderson, a 5-foot-8 junior from Wilmington, Delaware, leads Pitt with 680 all-purpose yards. He topped all of FBS in kick return yards last season and took a kickoff to the house three times on his way to being named a first team All-American. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said on the ACC teleconference that this could be the week Henderson gets more involved in the offense, particularly as a deep threat. And considering big plays have been SU’s weak point several times this season, Henderson is worth keeping an eye on.

Published on October 5, 2017 at 8:06 pm

Contact: jtbloss@syr.edu | @jtbloss