Pittsburgh @ Syracuse preview
Carrier Dome
Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2009 ) Syracuse 10, Pittsburgh 37
Syracuse snapped one losing streak last week to open Big East Conference play with an important road win. The Orange get a chance to halt another slide Saturday when they host conference rival Pittsburgh.
Syracuse (4-1, 1-0 Big East) traveled to Tampa and posted its first-ever win over South Florida on Saturday. Quarterback Ryan Nassib capped a 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Sales and the Syracuse defense allowed just 219 total yards to the Bulls in a 13-9 victory.
South Florida had won five straight in the series with Syracuse by a combined score of 174-53 since entering the Big East in 2005. Now the Orange look to break a five-game losing streak to the Panthers, who are playing their Big East opener.
Only one of Pitt’s wins during the streak has been by less than 10 points, and last year the Panthers posted a 37-10 victory.
But the fortunes of the teams appear to be reversed this season.
Syracuse is off to its best start since 1999 - also the last time the Orange started a season 5-1 - while Pittsburgh (2-3) is struggling.
The Panthers have lost two of three and don’t have a signature win to speak of yet, having beaten FCS foe New Hampshire and Florida International. It could be argued that Pittsburgh’s best performance of the season came in its season-opening overtime loss at No. 10 Utah.
But while the Utes have taken off since that game, the Panthers have sputtered and enter Saturday’s game desperate for a win.
It would help the Panthers if they could become a little more consistent on offense, especially in the running game.
Dion Lewis is coming off a season in which he picked up 1,799 yards rushing, but he has been injured and has run for just 143 yards on the season. His backup, Ray Graham, is ninth in the nation in rushing at 134 yards per game, but 277 came against Florida International and he had just 44 in a 23-17 loss at Notre Dame last week.
All the inconsistency has put more pressure on first-year starting quarterback Tino Sunseri than the Panthers would like. Sunseri has thrown for 961 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Sunseri has thrown only two touchdown passes in Pitt’s three losses.
The preseason favorite to win the Big East, Pitt is struggling to find itself while Syracuse has discovered Nassib can lead a balanced attack.
Distributing the ball well, Nassib has completed a pass to 10 different receivers and seven of them have at least one catch for a touchdown. He is also getting help from the running game, with Delone Carter averaging 104.8 yards and Antwon Bailey pitching in nearly 40 yards per game.
Carter and Bailey combined for 186 yards rushing in last week’s win at South Florida.
Pitt leads the all-time series with Syracuse, 32-30-3.