It has been a struggle for the Pitt football team as of late, losers of three in a row and six of seven overall.
But Pitt’s bowl hopes are still mathematically alive, having to win out to become bowl eligible. That all starts this weekend when a familiar foe comes to Heinz Field in Syracuse.
The Panthers and Orange have played every year since 1955.
The last couple meetings between the two former Big East foes have been nail biters, including last season when Pitt became bowl eligible with a 17-16 win in the Carrier Dome last year on an Aaron Donald blocked extra point.
Who has the advantage this time around?
Let’s take a look.
When: Saturday, October 22
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA.
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPNU (Adam Amin and John Congemi)
Spread: Pitt (-7.5) via Bovada
Series History:
Series Began: 1916
Series Overall: Pitt leads 35-31-3
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 20-11
At Syracuse: SU leads 18-15-3
At Neutral Sites: SU leads 2-0
OT Games: SU leads 2-0
Last Meeting at SU: Nov. 23, 2013 (Pitt 17, Syracuse 16)
Last Meeting at Pitt: Dec. 3, 2011 (Pitt 33, Syracuse 20)
Current Series Win Streak: Pitt has won one (2013)
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:
1. Stop Someone, Anyone: The Syracuse offense is not good at all and it looks like backup quarterback A.J. Long will get the start in place of the injured Terrel Hunt. It shouldn’t matter as the Orange haven’t gotten good quarterback play all season no matter who has been under center. But this is a Pitt defense that has allowed an average of 49 points and 517.3 yards per game during the past three games.
The Syracuse offense ranks near the bottom of the FBS, scoring fewer than 20 points per contest. It’s even worse that 97 points came in those three wins against softer competition, meaning that Syracuse has scored only 94 points the rest of the year. Simply put, this Pitt defense has to stop someone.
2. Keep on Trucking: Just keep on turning around and giving the ball to James Conner, who has been outstanding during the latest losing streak. Conner is the nation’s third-leading roster and you can make a solid case for him being the ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Conner leads the ACC in four different categories: rushing yards (1,562), rushing yards per game (156.2), rushing touchdowns (21) and scoring (12.6 ppg.).
He also has his eyes set on two longstanding Pitt single-season records held by Tony Dorsett: rushing touchdowns (22) and total touchdowns (23). Dorsett established both records during his 1976 Heisman Trophy year. Despite Pitt’s struggles winning games, it would be nice to see Conner finish the season very strong.
3. Execute in meaningful situations: The Panthers have dropped six of their past seven after a 3-0 start to the season. Four of Pitt’s six losses have been by five points or less, meaning they aren’t executing on either side of the ball when they need to. On paper, Syracuse is a team that Pitt should beat, but that won’t happen until the Panthers start making big plays in tight and close situations.
Keys for Syracuse:
1. Get Solid QB Play: Whether it be Hunt, Long, Austin Wilson or Mitch Kimble, the consistent theme about this Syracuse team is that they have had bad quarterback play all season. There will be opportunities to make plays against this Pitt secondary. They just have to be able to make them.
2. Force Turnovers: As bad as their offense has been, the Syracuse defense has been pretty solid and has faced a tough schedule that has included games against Florida State, Notre Dame, and Clemson, as well as teams like Duke and Louisville. The Orange defense is ranked No. 38 in the nation, which is impressive given the teams that they have faced. That unit needs to force some Pitt mistakes and try and make things easy for their stagnant offense.
3. Keep the Pitt offense off the field: While the Pitt defense has struggled in a big way, their offense has been outstanding, averaging 37 points and 547.7 yards during the past three games. Syracuse needs to find a way to run the football and control the clock and keep the Panthers offense on the sidelines. If they don’t, Pitt could light the scoreboard up.
Prediction: I would expect a close game, as usually is the case when two teams know each other like these two do. The Panthers have won eight of the past nine games against the Orange, and 10 of the past 12. The teams split the past two meetings with each game decided by a single point. With two struggling team, I’m taking the home team on Senior Day. Pitt 30, Syracuse 24
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
