Pitt defeated No. 21 Syracuse 19-9 at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The win improves the Panthers record to 5-4 on the year, and snapped a two-game losing streak.
Here are five things that stood out from the win.
A much needed win
After walking the field and through the tunnel following Pitt’s loss to North Carolina last week, the Panthers were a visibly dejected football team. Pitt bounced back however, and came up with a solid win over No. 21 Syracuse on a picture perfect November afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Pitt’s 2022 season has not gone as planned. The Panthers were projected to be a potential ACC title contender, but some surprising losses to the likes of Georgia Tech and Louisville rerouted those plans. The team is mathematically eliminated from winning the ACC Coastal at this point, and they are playing for pride and a bowl berth, and that’s exactly what they showed today.
The Pitt defense was dealt some tough situations last week, and UNC quarterback Drake Maye was certainly there to exploit them. Against Syracuse, it looked as though the Pitt defense played with a more personal approach. They were going against a backup quarterback, but still Pitt played with a purpose and wanted to shut them down completely, which they more less did.
The Panthers are now 5-4 on the year, and they have three winnable games on the horizon. Pitt needs one more to achieve bowl eligibility. It’s not the season they wanted to have, but they have a chance to finish strong.
A Dominant showing on defense
Syracuse was without starting quarterback Garrett Shrader on Saturday afternoon, but even so, Pitt just knocked them around all game long. Pitt dominated the Orange with one of the best defensive performances of the season.
Syracuse was held to 145 yards of offense. Pitt generated six sacks, nine tackles for loss, and limited the Orange to just 3 yards per play. The Panthers did not yield a touchdown all game long, and the Orange were 3-of-14 on third down conversions.
Syracuse quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson struggled in his starting assignment. After making some nice plays against Notre Dame last week, he had trouble simply completing a pass against Pitt. He finished 8-of-23 for 120 yards. The Orange quarterback carried the ball 14 times for a net of 7 yards.
It was a lights out game from the start for the Panthers’ defense, but especially down the stretch. The Panthers came up with clutch plays to seal the game. Deslin Alexandre's sack late in the game forced Del Rio-Wilson out of the back of the end zone for a safety to set the final score. That play was set up by Sir’Vocea Dennis’ brilliant special teams play to pin Syracuse at the 1-yard line. Dennis, a Syracuse native, was sensational against the Orange. He posted a team-high 8 tackles, 1 sack, and a forced fumble. His play on Saturday seemingly set the tone for the entire defense and his teammates followed his lead.
Other playmakers emerge in place of Abanikanda
Pitt leading rusher Israel Abanikanda took part in warmups on Saturday, but rumors started to swirl that he would not play against Syracuse. A Pitt spokesman said at the start of the game that Abanikanda was not expected to play due to an injury he sustained late in the game against North Carolina last week. Abanikanda never did see the field, but the Pitt offense found some other playmakers to step up in his absence.
Rodney Hammond was a key player for Pitt in 2021, and led the team in rushing in the team’s win over West Virginia to start the season. He is a more than capable player, and that proved to be true on Saturday. Hammond rushed 28 times for a career-high 124 yards and one touchdown. He took on the workhorse role, and delivered a solid game. Hammond does not possess the big-play threat as Abanikanda, but he came up with some tough runs all game long.
In addition to Hammond’s effort on Saturday, Pitt saw a strong performance from seldom-used reserve C’Bo Flemister. The Notre Dame transfer had 45 yards entering the game against Syracuse, and nearly eclipsed that total with 12 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. Flemister ripped off runs of 13 and 11 yards in the game, and on one possession he carried the ball eight straight times. It was the first time he got an extended look and actually played well.
Aside from the running game, Jared Wayne and Konata Mumpfield picked up some slack in the passing game. Wayne went over 100 yards for the second straight week and Mumpfield caught all six of his targets for a total of 59 yards. The Panthers still struggled to find the end zone, but without Abanikanda some other players showed they are capable of carrying the load.
Still untimely errors
Pitt beat a ranked team on Saturday by two scores, but it still felt like they left a lot on the field and it almost cost them the game. Pitt had some unfortunate penalties, turned it over twice, and found a new way to mess up on special teams this week.
Pitt’s offense had success at times moving the ball, but the Panthers only scored two touchdowns on offense. That just isn’t going to cut it in most games. Pitt only produced 31 yards in the fourth quarter, and never really pulled away like they could have.
There were also the two turnovers. Kedon Slovis actually played ‘OK’ aside from his one interception. Pitt was driving the ball early in the game and he was facing pressure. The smart play would have been to take the sack or throw it away, but he tried to push it deep and there were more Syracuse defenders in the area than Pitt receivers. The other turnover was on a trick play, where they asked wide receiver Jared Wayne to throw the ball across field. It just didn’t make sense, and it was a time where Pitt had the Orange on the ropes and running the ball would have been the effective play.
Pitt somehow managed to have a punt travel exactly two yards on Saturday. The Panthers used three punters in the game, and special teams continues to be a bit sloppy each week. It was still a good, solid win. Beating Syracuse was very much needed for this team, but it was probably a little closer than it should have been.
Virginia on the horizon
When Pitt hosted Virginia last year in Novemeber, the ACC Coastal was on the line. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett battled it out with Brennan Armstrong in an epic offensive showdown. When the Panthers travel down to Charlottesville next week, the game will look a little different.
Neither team is going for a division title, and both have offenses that aren’t operating like they were a season ago. Virginia is 3-6 on the year, and needs to win out to make a bowl game. First year head coach Tony Elliott and Armstrong just haven’t found a way to connect offensively this year and the Cavaliers have struggled because of it.
Pitt should enter the game as the favorites and also looking to assert control of the game early. The way the Pitt defense played on Saturday is certainly something to build upon, and they can likely take it into next week. Pitt is a team that is meant to get after the quarterback, and after recording six sacks against Syracuse, they should be out for more next week.
Pitt’s offense is still an adventure from week to week, but they have proven they can run the ball all season long. Hammond kept the chains moving without Abanikanda available. There are now some signs of Slovis and Wayne connecting for some deep balls, which is a welcomed sight for the offense. This team needs to find the end zone more, but there have been better trends on offense in the past two games.
Pitt has a chance to finish this season strong, and with a Virginia team awaiting that has lost five of their last six games, the Panthers need to take advantage.
