Fresh off their bye week, Syracuse football (3-3, 1-2) squares off with Pitt (4-2, 2-1) in an ACC showdown on Saturday.
It’s a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions. Since their loss to Louisville, the Panthers have won back-to-back games, including a 34–31 upset win over Florida State. The Pitt offense is red hot, scoring over thirty points in each of their last two games. That couldn’t be any different from a Syracuse team that’s found the endzone a combined two times in back-to-back losses following their upset win over Clemson.
The mid-season jolt for Pittsburgh can be attributed to the emergence of quarterback Mason Heinstschel. The combination of swagger and composure from the true freshman has brought hope to a season once spiraling out of control for Pitt. As they make a trip to the Dome on Saturday, they have an opportunity to continue to climb the ACC standings and get one step closer to bowl eligibility.
As for the Orange, their downward spiral began after they lost quarterback Steve Angeli to a torn achilles. Rickie Collins has struggled in his first two starts for the ‘Cuse, and their offense looks like a far cry from the Fran Brown offense Syracuse fans have become accustomed to. It’s safe to say that expectations for the season have completely changed for SU, who have shown little signs of life during their two-game losing streak.
Pittsburgh comes into this matchup firmly in control of the season series, with a 44-33-3 all-time record over Syracuse. In their matchup last season, the Panthers picked off Kyle McCord five times in a 41-13 win. The Orange will look for a much different result this weekend when they kick things off at 7:30.
