Oct 223 min read

Spectacular QBs Key in Pitt Panthers, Syracuse Orange Tilt

Pitt QB Eli Holstein — © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The No. 19 Pitt Panthers (6-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) host the Syracuse Orange (5-1, 2-1) at 7:30 p.m. EST on Oct. 24 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. This huge ACC matchup features two teams with one combined loss on the season. The quarterback matchup in the game is tremendous, with senior Kyle McCord of Syracuse going against redshirt freshman Eli Holstein of Pitt.

What's at Stake?

Head coach Patt Narduzzi's Panthers are one of four ACC teams with an unblemished conference record. A win by the Panthers would enhance their chances of making the ACC championship game.

Pitt still has games later in the season against ranked opponents, No. 22 SMU (6-1, 3-0) and No. 9 Clemson (6-1, 5-0), and the outcomes of those contests will influence their final positioning in the conference. But a loss to Syracuse would greatly reduce their chances of making the conference championship game.

For Syracuse, first-year head coach Fran Brown's Orange already has a loss in ACC play, so the margin for error is slim. The back half of the Orange’s schedule is not tough except for the finale against Miami. If the Orange win this game, they could face the Hurricanes with a spot in the ACC championship game on the line.

Pitt RB Desmond Reid — © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Key Players: Pitt Panthers

Offense: QB Eli Holstein has 1,700 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He is also second on the team with 266 rushing yards and tied for the lead with 3 rushing TDs. Running back Desmond Reid has rushed for 494 yards and 3 TDs while chipping in 25 receptions for 341 yards and 4 TDs. Reid is second in the FBS and first in the ACC with 182.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Defense: Defensive back Donovan McMillion leads the team with 56 tackles and has 3 passes broken up, 1 INT and 1 forced fumble. Linebacker Kyle Louis is second on the team with 54 tackles and has 3 sacks, 1 pass broken up, 2 INTs and 1 forced fumble.

Key Players: Syracuse Orange

Offense: QB Kyle McCord has thrown for 2,160 yards with 19 TDs and 6 INTs. The receiver tandem of Jackson Meeks and Trebor Pena has a combined 80 catches for 917 yards and 9 TDs. The dynamic duo certainly has the attention of the Pitt secondary.

Syracuse QB Kyle McCord — © Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Defense: DB Justin Barron is tied for the team lead with 39 tackles and also has 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 pass broken up and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive lineman Fadil Diggs will play a big role in shutting down the Pitt offense. Diggs has 28 tackles and leads the team with 4 sacks.

Trends to Watch

The Pitt offense stumbled on Oct. 12 when the Panthers hosted Cal and eeked out a 17-15 win. Before that narrow victory, the lowest point total Pitt had in a game this season was 28. That was the first game this year in which Holstein did not throw a TD pass. The Panthers will need the offense to regain its prior form for Pitt to beat Syracuse.

The Panthers are looking to get a win in the first game the team is playing since naming Allen Greene as the new athletic director.

The Orange are riding a three-game winning streak, highlighted by an overtime win at UNLV (6-1, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) on Oct. 5. Similar to Pitt, the Orange also stumbled a bit in their last game, a 24-17 win at North Carolina State (4-4, 1-3 ACC) on Oct. 12. The Syracuse offense will need to be on top of its game to give the Orange a chance of matching Pitt score for score.