No 19 Pitt Unleashed the Sharks on Syracuse in a 41-13 Victory

Tagged under: District 7, Pennsylvania Colleges

Ryan Thielet | October 25, 2024

The Pitt Panthers took care of business tonight against the Syracuse Orange, with their defense racking up five interceptions, including three pick-sixes. Pitt scored 31 unanswered points in the first half, while the Orange managed their first score halfway through the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Pitt added two more scores to the Orange one securing a decisive 41-13 victory.

The Pitt Panthers started the game with possession, going three-and-out. Syracuse’s first drive didn’t fare any better, as quarterback Kyle McCord threw the first of his five interceptions, this one returned 35 yards for a touchdown by Rasheem Biles. This gave Pitt an early 7-0 lead with 12:47 left in the first quarter.

On their next possession, McCord threw another interception, this time to Brandon George, who managed the grab while lying on the field after a fall. Pitt capitalized on this turnover with a 39-yard field goal by Ben Sauls, setting a school record for most consecutive made field goals and extending the lead to 10-0 with 8:28 remaining in the first.

The Panthers’ defense, known as “the Sharks,” kept up the pressure, and Kyle Louis picked off McCord again, returning it 59 yards for Pitt’s second pick-six of the quarter. This put the Panthers up 17-0 with 6:23 left in the first. The score remained 17-0 as the Orange carried the ball into the second quarter, unable to break through Pitt’s relentless defense.

Early in the second quarter, the Orange turned the ball over on downs, giving the Panthers offense possession with 14:51 left in the first half. Pitt’s offense finally put points on the board with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Eli Holstein to Censere Lee, extending the lead to 24-0 with 12:30 remaining.

The next score came at 1:05 when Pitt’s defense delivered their third pick-six of the game. This time, former WPIAL standout Braylan Lovelace intercepted a pass and took it 33 yards to the end zone, extending the Panthers’ lead to 31-0. Syracuse ran out the clock to close the half, heading into the break down 31-0.

The Orange started the second half strong, finally putting points on the board. After a grueling 18-play drive that took over 9 minutes and 34 seconds, Kyle McCord snuck the ball into the end zone. However, they failed on the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 31-6 in favor of Pitt with 5:22 left in the third quarter.

Pitt’s next drive didn’t yield any points, as they turned the ball over with 2:59 remaining on the clock. Syracuse quickly gave it back, with McCord throwing his fifth interception of the game, this time caught by Phillip O’Brien Jr., with just 46 seconds left in the third. Pitt carried a 31-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

Pitt opened the fourth quarter with another touchdown, as Eli Holstein connected with Raphael “Poppí” Williams Jr. for a 29-yard pass, extending the lead to 38-6 with 14:54 left in the game. Syracuse failed to respond, going three-and-out once again.

The Panthers then called upon Ben Sauls to attempt a school-record 57-yard field goal, which he successfully drilled, pushing the lead to 41-6 with 11:13 remaining. The Orange finally answered back with a touchdown of their own, as Dan Villari rushed in from two yards out, making the score 41-13 with 7:18 on the clock.

Pitt went three-and-out on their next drive, and after another long possession by Syracuse, they attempted a field goal. However, Jadyn OH missed a 48-yard attempt, keeping the score at 41-13. The Panthers regained possession with just 1:55 left on the clock and ran out the remaining time, ending the game with a final score of Pitt 41, Syracuse 13.

The Panthers improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1982, marking a significant statement win for Pitt’s defense. With all the talk surrounding Kyle McCord and the Orange offense, linebacker Kyle Louis remarked on the defensive preparation: “The main narrative of the story was that it was going to be Kyle McCord vs. Eli Holstein, and they were hyping up Kyle McCord more than Eli. The whole bye week, the defense took that personally. We changed up some passing concepts that we did because we knew where McCord wants to go. He definitely tried the linebackers.”

Another highlight of the game was kicker Ben Sauls, who continued his perfect streak by setting two school records: longest field goal and most consecutive field goals made. When asked about Sauls, linebacker Rasheem Biles stated, “NFL GMs should spend a draft pick on Ben.”

Pitt will face 22nd-ranked SMU in Dallas next weekend in another massive ACC matchup. This contest could have significant implications for the ACC Championship and potential College Football Playoff aspirations.