The No. 19 Pitt Panthers have started the 2024 season with six consecutive wins. Coming off of a bye week, Pat Narduzzi's squad will welcome a 5-1 Syracuse team to Acrisure Stadium tonight for a Thursday night primetime matchup.
Here is an extended look at Pitt's opponent for Saturday.
Twitter // Instagram // Website // Roster // Transfer Portal // Recruiting Class
Game details: Thursday October 24, 2024. 7:30 Acrisure Stadium (68,400)
Current Odds: Pitt -5.5 // O/U 61.5 (FanDuel)
Television: ESPN — Matt Barrie (play-by-play) Dan Mullen (analyst) Harry Lyles Jr. (reporter)
Radio: 93.7 The Fan — Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
Opponent: Syracuse University (established 1870)
School location: Syracuse, New York
Season record: 5-1 (2-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Fran Brown, 1st season (5-1)
Last Meeting: November 11, 2023 Syracuse 28, Pitt 13
All-Time Series: Pitt leads 43-33-3
Pittsburgh Connections
Da'Metrius Weatherspoon No. 57 OL — Clairton High School
Yasin Willis No. 23 RB — Former Pitt commit
National ranks
Total Offense: Syracuse 12th (469.5 ypg) // Pitt 8th (481.3 ypg)
Scoring Offense: Syracuse 32nd (33.8 ppg) // Pitt 10th (40.8 ppg)
Rushing: Syracuse 121st (104.3 ypg) // Pitt 50th (175.5 ypg)
Passing: Syracuse 2nd (365.2 ypg) // Pitt 12th (305.8 ypg)
Total Defense: Syracuse 64th (356.7 ypg) // Pitt 61st (353.2 ypg)
Scoring Defense: Syracuse 73rd (24.6 ppg) // Pitt 63rd (23.5 ppg)
Run Defense: Syracuse 49th (127.5 ypg) // Pitt 25th (108.5 ypg)
Pass Defense: Syracuse 90th (229.2 ypg) // Pitt 104th (244.7 ypg)
About Syracuse: As Pat Narduzzi put it in his press conference on Friday, he feels like he is playing Syracuse for the first time. In reality, that's probably the truth in many respects. First-year head coach Fran Brown has brought a new identity to the team and it really has energized the entire program.
Syracuse is off to a 5-1 start, and despite a puzzling setback to Stanford at home, has really looked like a formidable contender at the top of the ACC. The Orange are moving the ball at will with Kyle McCord at quarterback, a transfer from Ohio State who looks to be playing the best football of his career. The former Philadelphia Catholic League star has thrown for 2,160 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.
McCord has a bevy of weapons at his disposal. Running back LeQuint Allen is dual threat with over 400 rushing and 200 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Tight end Oronde Gadsden II is a matchup problem with his 6-foot-5 frame. Receiver Jason Meeks and Trebor Pena have already combined for 80 receptions already, though Pena's status for tonight is doubtful.
Syracuse operates one of the most potent passing offenses in the country and this is a team riding a current three-game winning streak. There is going to be plenty of confidence with this team coming into Thursday's game. The Orange are on the cusp of being ranked with a 5-1 record, and a win over a top-20 Pitt team would likely be enough to crack the polls.
STORYLINES
Strong performance by McCord helps Syracuse hang on against NC State (TheJuiceOnline)
5 takeaways from Syracuse's 24-17 win over NC State (TheJuice Online)
Podcast: Syracuse outlasts NC State on the road (TheJuiceOnline)
Podcast: Syracuse takes on No. 19 Pitt (TheJuiceOnline)
Syracuse Opponent Analysis: Pittsburgh Panthers (TheJuiceOnline)
Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Syracuse with TheJuiceOnline (PantherLair)
Data Dive: The numbers behind Syracuse’s 5-1 start (TheDailyOrange)
Film Review: Big plays hindered Syracuse’s chances vs. NC State (TheDailyOrange)
‘He’s all of D.A.R.T.’: Justin Barron fuels Syracuse’s victory in Raleigh (TheDailyOrange)
Pass-catching trio propels Syracuse’s win over NC State (TheDailyOrange)
Syracuse’s defense wreaks havoc to spearhead 24-17 win over NC State (TheDailyOrange)
Observations from SU’s win over NC State: McCord dazzles, D-line adjusts (TheDailyOrange)
Film Review: The 5 game-winning plays from 1st half of SU’s season
Orange, Pitt Clash For 80th Time Thursday Night (Syracuse Athletics)
5 Things to Know: Syracuse at Pitt
Syracuse vs. NC State Condensed Game | 2024 ACC Football (ACC)
NAMES TO KNOW
Kyle McCord was once the top quarterback prospect in Pennsylvania at powerhouse St. Joe's Prep. He was highly recruited, and landed at Ohio State. After not seeing much action his first two seasons, McCord won the starting job last season and won his first 11 games, but there were mixed feelings with his overall performance, which led him to hit the transfer portal. In his first year in Syracuse, his completion percentage is about the same as it was in 2023 at 66%, but the volume at which Syracuse throws is much higher. That has led him to toss 19 touchdown passes through six games, as opposed to 24 all of last year with the Buckeyes.
Outside of Desmond Reid, LeQuint Allen is probably the best two-way running back in the ACC. He has 449 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, and seven total touchdowns this season. The junior from New Jersey went over 1,000 yards last season, and totaled 103 against Pitt at Yankee Stadium.
Jackson Meeks has made a big impact in his first year at Syracuse. The Georgia transfer has posted some impressive individual performances, including his last game out against NC State. In that game, Meeks had 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown in a 24-17 Syracuse win.
Trebor Pena leads the team with 42 receptions this season. Earlier in the season, he had 10 catches for 101 yards against Stanford. Pena also leads the team with five receiving touchdowns.
Perhaps the player that needs to be at the top of the scouting report is Oronde Gadsden II, a 6-foot-5 tight end. Gadsden was a first team All-ACC pick in 2022, but an injury limited kept him off the field most of last season. Since returning, he has looked like an all-conference caliber tight end with 32 catches for 433 yards and three touchdowns.
Fadil Diggs came to Texas A&M, trailing his coach Elijah Robinson, Syracuse's first-year defensive coordinator. Diggs has been a welcomed addition with a team-high eight tackles for loss this season along with four sacks.
Derek McDonald has started 19 games in a row at linebacker. The 6-foot-5 redshirt junior is the team's top tackler with 42 stops on the year.
Justin Barron is a very good player with a ton of experience. Barron has started 34 games as a safety/outside linebacker role, and is coming off one of the best games of his career. In a one-score win over NC State, he recorded eight tackles, two TFLs, one sack, one fumble recovery, and an interception.
Alijah Clark is a veteran player now in his third year as a starting safety after transferring in from Rutgers. Clark is third on the team in tackles with 32 stops.
Duce Chestnut was a freshman All-American for Syracuse in 2021, and starred again for the Orange in 2022. Following that year, he transferred to LSU for one season, before landing back in Syracuse. Chestnut is a talented player with six career interceptions in four seasons.
