Pitt Panthers Seize Respect in Win Over Syracuse

© Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers defense intercepted Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord five times en route to a 41-13 win on Oct. 24 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. Three of those interceptions, all in the first half, were returned for touchdowns.

Game Summary

Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles led a dominant Pitt defense with 12 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 quarterback hurries. Biles also had the first of the Panthers' 3 Pick-6s. The game was a tale of two defenses as Pitt’s offense could not move the ball well against the Syracuse defense. But the Pitt defense was the story, outscoring both offenses tonight. “Heck of a defensive performance,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said.

The Panther defense played with a chip on their shoulders as they felt the publicity that McCord was getting was a slap in their face. “They were hyping up Kyle McCord playing against our passing defense,” Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis said. “The whole week the whole lot of them, our defense took it personal.”

McCord finished the game with 321 yards passing and a rushing touchdown, but had no touchdown passes and threw 5 interceptions. He was also sacked 4 times by the angry Pitt defense. Narduzzi was satisfied with his defense’s performance against Syracuse but doesn’t care how the Panthers win. “I’m always satisfied,” Narduzzi said. “Defensive coach, I’m a head coach with a defensive background. You know, I want everyone to play well. I don’t care if it’s offense or defense.”

Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein struggled for the second game in a row, throwing for only 108 yards and 2 touchdowns. Holstein left the game with an apparent head injury in the fourth quarter, although Narduzzi said Holstein is fine. “Eli’s going to be fine," Narduzzi said after the game. "He’s in there smiling, happy, jumping around. Just out of precaution we kept him out.”

Turning Point

The turning point came early when Biles stepped in front of a McCord pass on the sideline and returned it 35 yards for the game’s opening score. Biles credits his film study for helping him know what Syracuse was going to do on his interception. “We had a lot of film we’ve been watching with the bye week we had,” the sophomore said. “We know they do a lot of option routes. We’ve been watching a lot of film on these guys and we knew what they like to do.”

© Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

What it Means for Pitt Panthers

The Panthers are now 7-0 for the first time since 1982. Pittsburgh is currently tied with Miami and SMU for second place in the ACC with a 3-0 conference record. The Panthers are now leaning into the meat of their schedule. Three of their next four games are at SMU, at Louisville and against Clemson. The teams that play in the ACC Championship Game will be determined in the upcoming weeks.

© Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

What it Means for Syracuse Orange

It's a bad loss for Syracuse, which drops head coach Fran Brown’s Orange to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC. The Orange currently sit tied for ninth in the conference with Louisville and Virginia. The offense, while able to move the ball against Pitt, needs to fix the turnovers. Syracuse dominated Pitt statistically in all but one category: turnovers. There aren’t too many teams who can win a game turning the ball over five times.