A pivotal game in primetime
The Syracuse Orange (5-1, 2-1) are back from their bye week and headed on the road to face the #19 Pittsburgh Panthers (6-0, 2-0). Kickoff is at 7:30 on ESPN and here’s what we’ll be watching for.
Kevin: Start strong
The Orange came out slow after their first bye and fell behind Stanford 10-0. It’s important for Syracuse to get a better start against the Panthers. Overall the Pitt defense has been solid, but they are only 14th in the ACC against the pass, so this is a chance for the Orange offense to move the ball through the air.
Max: Mistake-free special teams
This is something to watch every week, but especially in a conference game on the road. Syracuse has only made 50% of its field-goal attempts and have had multiple punts blocked this season. While these miscues haven’t backfired yet, it’s only a matter of time. You cannot be leaving points on the board against this undefeated Pitt team.
Carson: How does Syracuse handle Desmond Reid
All eyes should be on Pitt running back Desmond Reid ahead of SU’s game on Thursday. Reid joined Pitt this offseason after he transferred from Western Carolina (Fran Brown’s alma mater), and has made an immediate impact in the Panthers uniform. Among the more versatile players in college football, Reid leads Pitt with 498 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns, and his 341 receiving yards is second on the team behind wide receiver Konata Mumpfield. Syracuse did a good job stopping the run against NC State in Raleigh, but what lies ahead in Pittsburgh awaits a much more difficult task.
Mike: The Standard… Isn’t The Standard?
As we enter the second half of the season, there is still a portion of the fanbase and national media that doesn’t believe Syracuse is legit. They’ll point to the strong starts by the 2022 and 2023 teams who flamed out against the top teams on their schedule – and while, yes, these Orange did take down two ranked teams already, Pitt is the toughest test yet. The downfall of past years has been careless mistakes at crucial points. Now isn’t the time to get cute and I trust Fran will keep to what has been working.
Dom: More road resilience
Syracuse last two road games both saw the team compete in different outcomes — one that was high-scoring and another that was more of a defensive battle for most of the game. In both those contests, the Orange were able to make timely plays on both ends of the field at the right moment and will need to do that once again to beat Pitt on the road for the first time in over 20 years.
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What will you be watching for tomorrow night?