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Syracuse Travels to Take on #25 Pittsburgh

Cuse.com

  After a disappointing season opener in Chapel Hill, Syracuse Football (0-1, 0-1) will face another ranked opponent this weekend when they travel to Pennsylvania to take on 25th ranked Pittsburgh (1-0, 0-0).

The Panthers are ranked for the first time since 2018 after a 55-0 thrashing of FCS Austin Peay. They will stay home as Syracuse comes to town, fresh off a 31-6 loss at UNC Chapel-Hill last Saturday. 

Syracuse’s depth, already thin under normal circumstances, has taken an even bigger hit during the pandemic. The Orange saw its top two running backs, Abdul Adams and Jarveon Howard, opt out before week one. That left freshman Jawhar Jordan and junior Markenzy Pierre as Syracuse’s rushing duo.

It was an ugly debut for the pair in Chapel Hill, the two combined for just 38 yards in 19 rushing attempts. Quarterback Tommy DeVito actually led the Orange in rushing with 30 yards on 16 carries.

The passing game was equally dismal against UNC, with DeVito and his receivers rarely on the same page. Both DeVito and backup Rex Culpepper saw action in Chapel Hill but completed just 42 percent of their passes for a meager 134 yards. 

Some of both the rushing and passing woes can be pinned on the offensive line which struggled to protect DeVito or provide holes in the running game. The Tar Heels had seven sacks and allowed just 202 yards of total offense. 

Syracuse’s new 3-3-5 defensive scheme showed some promise, holding Carolina to just seven points in the first half before running out of gas in the second half. Andre Cisco added on to his total as the nation’s leader in interceptions with his 13th. 

Pitt is led by sixth year head coach Pat Narduzzi who has led the Panthers to a 37-29 record. The Panthers will trot out senior quarterback Kenny Pickett who threw for 277 yards in the season opener. 

Be sure to tune in to WAER at 88.3 FM at 11:30 for countdown to kick off. The season begins at 12 p.m. right here on your home of the Orange, WAER.