Pittsburgh linebacker Rasheem Biles, 31, intercepts and scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)
From Mirror, Wire Report
PITTSBURGH — Rasheem Biles, Kyle Lewis and Braylan Loveless returned first-half interceptions for touchdowns and No. 19 Pittsburgh cruised to a 41-13 victory over Syracuse on Thursday night.
Pitt improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1982 thanks to a defense that tormented Kyle McCord from the first snap and never relented. The Ohio State transfer threw picks on each of Syracuse’s first three possessions, with Biles and Lewis scoring on two of them. In another photo, linebacker Brandon George lies face down and flicks a deflected ball out of the air just before it hits the ground.
“Our offense was good, but our defense has dominated the game the last few weeks,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi told ESPN in a postgame television interview.
The Panthers were almost done. Loveless weaved 33 yards for a touchdown with 1:12 left in the first half after an ill-advised throw from McCord, giving Pitt a 31-0 lead and giving the Panthers their first three picks since Southern California in 2022. They became a team with three players who won the title. game.
The defense was so dominant that it hardly mattered that the Panthers’ high-powered offense was rarely on the field. Eli Holstein passed for 108 yards and two touchdowns, but was ejected in the fourth quarter after taking a hit at the end of a scheduled quarterback run.
Picked 13th in the new ACC in August, Pitt went 3-0 in league play and remains a candidate for a spot in the conference championship game, which begins in November.
“I always tell my players that they’re playing for themselves and their families, but they’re also playing for former Pitt players who are proud of what they’re doing here. ” Narduzzi said.
McCord completed 35-of-64 for 327 yards and five runs as Syracuse (5-2, 2-2) hit its first big speed bump under first-year head coach Fran Brown. Recorded an interception. The Orange dominated in time of possession (41:12 vs. 18:48) and total yards (327 vs. 223) but were turned around by a mistake by McCord and a failure to tackle a Pitt defender who ran up to the end zone. .
Take-out
Syracuse: It wasn’t just the interceptions that doomed the Orange, it was the penalties. Syracuse was flagged eight times for 70 yards, including a roughing the passer in the second quarter that negated an interception in Pitt territory that could have gotten the Orange back in the game. It also included a call.
Pitt: The Panthers relied heavily on first-year offensive coordinator Cade Bell’s up-tempo offense while winning their first five games. The defense that was Pitt’s marquee during Pat Narduzzi’s 10-year tenure has returned to form, but much work remains if Pitt wants to return to the ACC title game for the first time in four years.
Impact of public opinion polls
The Panthers are expected to move up a bit when the new poll is released next Sunday. The Orange were again second among teams receiving votes this week, but the number of supporters is expected to decline.
to the next
Syracuse: Plays against Virginia Tech on Nov. 2.
Pitt: Nov. 2, at No. 22 SMU.
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