Remember last year’s game at Yankee Stadium?
Teams: Syracuse Orange (5-1, 2-1) at No. 19/20 Pittsburgh Panthers (6-0, 2-0)
Day & Time: Thursday, October 24, 7:30 pm ET
Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA.
Line: Syracuse faces a tough test according to Fanduel’s odds. The Orange are +5.5 underdogs to the Panthers.
TV/Streaming: ESPN, WatchESPN
Radio: Cuse.com, TK 99/105, WAER 88.3, Sirius/XM 371
Rivalry: 43-33-3, Pitt
Current Streak: 1, Syracuse
First Meeting: Syracuse has faced Pittsburgh more than any other team in its history, so you’d expect this series to have a really early origin story. The first ever game between the two programs was held in 1916, which the Panthers won 30-0.
Last Meeting: After Garrett Shrader grabbed his shoulder to throw a touchdown pass to Max Mang, we should’ve seen this game coming. The Orange changed its offensive system since their top two QBs couldn’t throw the ball due to injuries. What came from that is a Syracuse rushing attack that pounded the ball for 392 yards on the ground. Three Syracuse rushers had over 100 yards, with the leader being Dan Villari’s 154 yards to grab a 28-13 win over Pitt at Yankee Stadium.
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Head Coaches: Syracuse – Fran Brown (first year, 5-1) | Pitt – Pat Narduzzi (10th year, 71-50)
Coach Bio: Narduzzi played for his father, Bill, at Youngstown State University for one year before transferring to Rhode Island for the remainder of his collegiate career. He played linebacker and was a three-year starter for the Rams. Narduzzi’s big break was with Cincinnati 2004, where he was Mark Dantonio’s defensive coordinator for the Bearcats. He followed Dantonio to Michigan State in 2007 where he held the same position on his staff. Narduzzi moved to Pittsburgh to become its head coach for the 2015 season and has stayed there since. Pitt has made five bowl games under Narduzzi.
Last Year: Pitt massively struggled last year, suffering its worst season under Narduzzi and its worst season since 1998. Despite a win over then No. 14 Louisville, the Panthers finished 3-9.
Last Game: It wasn’t pretty, but Pitt eked out a win over Cal to escape with a 17-15 win. The Panthers remained undefeated but it hasn’t been easy by any means. Three of its four games against Power Four competition have been settled by one score.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“Fear Me, I’ve Killed Hundreds of Timelords”: Desmond Reid has been lights out for Pitt this season both in the run and receiving game. He has 513 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He also has 341 yards and four touchdowns through the air, averaging 13.6 yards per catch.
If Syracuse Wins: This is for 2016.
If Syracuse Loses: See Syracuse has a clause where if it lost at Pitt this week, the field is renamed to Heinz Field.
Fun Fact: For those new to Syracuse football, this will be the 80th meeting between the two programs. Pitt is Syracuse’s most frequent opponent, with Penn State checking at No. 2 with 71 all-time meetings.