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Explosive run game leads Pitt over Syracuse in Thursday night ACC showdown

 
Tagged under: Gameday Hub, pfn, Pitt

| September 18, 2026

Known for its high-powered passing attack, the Pitt offense has shown in its last two games that it can also win on the ground.

Running backs Damon Ferguson Jr. and La’Vell Wright combined for 188 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns, leading Pitt to a comfortable 27-13 win over Syracuse. 

“We want to be two-dimensional.” Head Coach Pat Narduzzi said after the game. “It was a goal coming into the game.”

Most impressively, Ferguson and Wright put on a show to step in for injured starting running back Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner, who was ruled out after being a game-time decision. Quarterback Mason Heintschel also contributed to the run game, showing his dual-threat capability with 56 yards and a rushing touchdown on 11 carries. 

Despite the first play of the game being a 38-yard catch-and-run from Heintschel to tight end Carson Kent, several missed throws led to only 10 completions on 23 attempts, 123 passing yards, and an interception for the true sophomore.

That interception came late in the second quarter and led to a field goal that shrank what was once a 17-0 Pitt lead to 17-10 at halftime (and could’ve been 17-13 if not for a 29-yard field goal that was shanked wide-left early in the second quarter).  

“Flat out – I just didn’t play well,” Heintschel said postgame. “But if you can be frustrated after a win, that’s a pretty good sign.” 

Although Heintschel’s performance wasn’t up to his standard, Syracuse QB Steve Angeli was far worse, stalling the Orange’s momentum in the second half with two interceptions. Angeli would be benched on Syracuse’s final drive of the game. 

Alex Sanford, a senior transfer linebacker who played for Purdue last season, led the Panthers with 11 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. 

“It doesn’t matter who the QB is; we come to hunt,”  Sanford said. 

While the Pitt defense hunted Angeli in the second half, the Syracuse offense could only move the ball in the air early on. Wide receiver Umari Hatcher led the Orange with 3 catches for 58 yards in the first half, and the team had 28 of Syracuse’s 47 yards rushing in the first half on 20 carries. 

However, after the Panthers came out blazing in the second half, forcing a 3-and-out and scoring on four consecutive runs for 76 yards, Syracuse’s backfield, led by senior Ahmad Miller, found open holes and ran for nearly 100 yards on the ground. 

The Orange had two drives in particular that threatened a score thanks to consecutive runs that moved the chains, but Pitt’s defense made big plays to keep the game from getting within a score. 

Defensive tackle Sean FitzSimmons sacked Angeli to force a punt after Shawn Lee Jr. showed hustle to get a hand on a ball that would have beaten him for a touchdown if it were better placed. Early in the fourth quarter, former Penn Hills product and Auburn transfer cornerback Raion Strader got in front of a slant route and collected his first interception of the season in Pitt territory. 

“I think there is a lot for us to improve upon,” former Leechburg star and Pitt linebacker Braylon Lovelace said. “It’s [stopping the run and putting on good tape] something we take pride in.”

Lovelace counted for Angeli’s final game-crushing interception, picking off a pass over the middle on a 3rd-and-long that eventually set up a field goal to put Pitt up 27-10.

The Panthers (3-0, 1-0) will take on FCS opponent Bucknell at Acrisure Stadium next Saturday afternoon, Sept. 26, before continuing ACC play – traveling to Blacksburg on Friday night, Oct. 2, to take on James Franklin’s Virginia Tech Hokies. 

Follow @PiratePeyton and @PAFootballNews on X for live updates from every Pitt home game!

 
 
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