Pitt and Syracuse renew their rivalry on Saturday and both teams are heading in opposite directions.
A 5-1 start to the season has No. 25 Pitt ranked and off to their best start in six years as they lead the ACC Coastal Division. After a decent start to the season, Syracuse is coming off back-to-back losses to South Florida and Virginia.
The two teams have met every season since 1955 and the games are usually always tight. Pitt has won 11 of the past 13 games in the series and two of the last three games have been decided by a single point.
Who has the advantage?
Let’s take a look.
When: Saturday, October 24
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Time: Noon, EST
Watch: ESPNU
Spread: Pitt (-6.5)
Series History:
Series Began: 1916
Series Overall: Pitt leads 36-31-3
ACC Series: Pitt leads 2-0
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 21-11
At Syracuse: SU leads 18-15-3
At Neutral Sites: SU leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 22, 2014 (Pitt 30, Syracuse 7)
Last Meeting at SU: Nov. 23, 2013 (Pitt 17, Syracuse 16)
Current Series Win Streak: Pitt has won two (2013-14)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 11 games (1973-83)
Longest SU Series Win Streak: 11 games (1991-2001)
Largest Pitt Margin of Victory: 38 points (38-0, 1975)
Largest SU Margin of Victory: 48 points (55-7, 1996)
Keys for Pitt (5-1, 3-0 ACC)
1. Attack the Orange D- Since playing well early in the season, the Syracuse defense has been terrible lately against South Florida and Virginia. I would expect Pitt to be able to soften up that Syracuse defense with Qadree Ollison and then look for the big play in the passing game. Nate Peterman to Tyler Boyd could be a nice combo this week.
2. Pass Protect- While the Orange defense hasn’t been good lately, they can still get pressure off the edges. Guys like Ron Thompson, Luke Arciniega and Donnie Simmons can get to the quarterback so the Pitt offensive line must keep Peterman upright for four quarters.
3. Lean on the defense- Syracuse freshman quarterback Eric Dungey looks like a good one, but the Panthers defense has been very solid since allowing Youngstown State to hang 37 on them in the opener. For the most part, Pitt has limited big plays and touchdowns, so the recipe should simply be the same.
Keys for Syracuse (3-3, 1-1):
1. Keep Pitt on its toes: Dungey leads the ACC in pass efficiency and is ranked 10th nationally (167.1). Not bad for a freshman. But Pitt is ranked 11th nationally in pass efficiency defense and leads the ACC and is third nationally with 3.67 sacks per game. The key will be whether or not Dungey can keep Pitt on its toes and spring some big plays. He threw for two scores last week and rushed for 111 yards. He may have to do something big with his feet for the Orange to steal one.
2. Hit the big play: Pitt hasn’t given up many big plays, but Syracuse haven’t hit many either. Dungey enters the game with a 9-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but most of his pass attempts are on underneath routes. Syracuse doesn’t try and stretch the field and take the top off the defense very often. That may have to change this week as the Orange need to take some shots down the field. Look for WR Steve Ishmael, who has 13 catches in the past three games, to be heavily involved in the offense. However if Syracuse can’t stretch the field and Pitt can stack the line of scrimmage, it will be a long day for the Orange.
3. Win the turnover battle: Syracuse is reeling and playing at home. One thing that can make life a little bit easier is to force some Pitt mistakes. If the Orange can win the turnover battle, they might just be able to pull this one off.
Prediction: Just a few short weeks ago, it looked like Syracuse was ready to turn things around, but then came two brutal losses in a row. I like Dungey and believe he can give Pitt some problems, however I like the Panthers here. These games have always been close between the two teams and I look for something similar here. But the Panthers are learning how to win. They haven’t blown teams out as they have played in four straight games decided by a touchdown or less. The recipe will be the same here. Pitt will get an early lead and lean on the defense to protect it. Pitt 27 Syracuse 23
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