Syracuse @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 24, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 23, Syracuse 20

Pittsburgh seeks a third straight victory and a second straight eight-win campaign when Syracuse visits Saturday afternoon on senior day in the regular-season finale for both teams. After knocking off then-No. 2 Clemson 43-42 on Chris Blewitt’s 48-yard field goal, the Panthers avoided a letdown last week with a 56-14 pounding of Duke.

The proud Pittsburgh program hasn’t won eight games in back-to-back seasons since 2009-10. James Conner set two records last week with 101 yards and two TDs, Nathan Peterman threw three touchdown passes and Quadree Henderson returned a punt 65 yards for a score and added a 52-yard run. Syracuse, despite forcing a season-high four turnovers, is coming off a third straight loss after falling 45-14 to Florida State. The Panthers won 23-20 last year in the Carrier Dome on a 25-yard field goal by Blewitt as time expired.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: Pittsburgh -24.5.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (4-7, 2-5 ACC): Junior Zack Mahoney was 16-of-36 for 196 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked eight times last week in place of injured starter Eric Dungey, and Mahoney is expected to start again this week. Senior Amba Etta-Tawo caught a 46-yard touchdown, his ninth of the season, tying Clemson's Deon Cain for the most in the ACC, and sophomore Dontae Strickland leads the team in rushing with 503 yards on 142 attempts. Freshman cornerback Christopher Frederick totaled a career-high six tackles against the Seminoles, played a role in three of the four takeaways and had his first career interception.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (7-4, 4-3): Conner (945 yards) has 50 rushing TDs for his career, breaking the previous ACC mark set by Ted Brown of North Carolina State (1975-78), and his 53 total touchdowns eclipsed the old league mark of 52 set by Wali Lundy of Virginia (2002-05). Peterman, who is guiding the highest-scoring team (39.3) in school history since 1904, is completing 60.4 percent of his passes with 22 TDs against five interceptions, and he has thrown for 545 yards and eight TDs in the last two games. The Panthers boast the nation's No. 4 defense against the run, limiting opponents to 98.1 yards on the ground.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Pitt and Syracuse have played every year since 1955, with Pitt holding a 37-31-3 advantage, including wins in 12 of the last 14.

2. More than half of Pitt DE Ejuan Price’s 36 tackles this season have been for a loss. The senior defensive end has compiled 19 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.

3. Mostly due to Dungey (64.8 completion percentage, 2,679 yards, 15 TD, seven interceptions), Syracuse ranks second in the ACC and 13th in FBS in passing offense (310.5).

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 51, Syracuse 27