Pitt 27, Syracuse 13: Panthers Run Past Orange to Stay Perfect
Three games. Three different types of victories. And most importantly, three wins.
Pitt opened ACC play Thursday night with a physical 27-13 victory over Syracuse at Acrisure Stadium, improving to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
After relying on Mason Heintschel's arm in the season opener and the defense against UCF, the Panthers turned to their running game against Syracuse — and it delivered in a big way.
Pitt Finally Gets the Running Game Going
Through the first two weeks of the season, Pitt's rushing attack had been relatively quiet.
That changed Thursday night.
The Panthers piled up 245 rushing yards, averaging nearly seven yards per carry and consistently creating explosive plays against the Syracuse defense.
Damon Ferguson Jr., La'Vell Wright and Heintschel all found the end zone on the ground as Pitt controlled the game with a balanced and physical rushing attack.
It was exactly the kind of performance the Panthers needed as they entered conference play.
Damon Ferguson Jr. Breaks Out
The biggest individual performance came from Damon Ferguson Jr.
The true freshman rushed for a career-high 102 yards, giving Pitt its first 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
His biggest play came early in the second quarter.
With Pitt already leading 7-0, Ferguson took a handoff and exploded through the Syracuse defense for a 32-yard touchdown, extending the Panthers' advantage to 14-0.
Ferguson continued to make an impact throughout the night, including consecutive runs of 18 and 33 yards that helped set up another Pitt touchdown in the third quarter.
After scoring his first collegiate touchdown against UCF, Ferguson followed it with his first career 100-yard game.
La'Vell Wright Gets Pitt Started
Pitt struck first late in the opening quarter.
The Panthers put together a nine-play, 63-yard drive that ended with La'Vell Wright scoring on a 2-yard run.
Antonio Chadha's extra point gave Pitt a 7-0 advantage, and the Panthers never trailed.
Ferguson's touchdown early in the second quarter pushed the lead to 14-0 before Chadha connected on a 42-yard field goal to make it 17-0.
At that point, Pitt appeared to have complete control.
Syracuse Makes Things Interesting Before Halftime
The Orange finally responded late in the second quarter.
Ahmad Miller finished a 10-play, 65-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, cutting Pitt's advantage to 17-7.
The momentum shifted even further when Heintschel was intercepted by Davien Kerr with less than a minute remaining in the half.
Syracuse turned the turnover into a 42-yard Shay Barker field goal as time expired.
A game Pitt had controlled suddenly went to halftime with the Panthers leading just 17-10.
Pitt Answers Immediately
If there were concerns about Syracuse carrying that momentum into the second half, Pitt quickly erased them.
After forcing a three-and-out on Syracuse's opening possession, the Panthers went 76 yards in just four plays.
They didn't attempt a single pass.
Ferguson ripped off runs of 18 and 33 yards before Wright added another 16-yard gain.
Heintschel finished the drive himself, scrambling 9 yards for a touchdown to restore Pitt's two-score advantage at 24-10.
It was arguably Pitt's most impressive drive of the night — four plays, 76 yards, all on the ground.
Heintschel Doesn't Need a Big Passing Night
After throwing seven touchdowns in the opener, Mason Heintschel has now shown he doesn't need massive passing numbers for Pitt to win.
Syracuse limited the sophomore quarterback to 10 completions on 23 attempts for 123 yards. He also threw one interception.
But Heintschel made an impact with his legs, rushing for 41 yards and scoring the crucial third-quarter touchdown.
His passing numbers won't jump off the page, but with Pitt running the football as effectively as it did Thursday, they didn't need to.
Carson Kent Leads the Receivers
With Pitt leaning heavily on the ground game, opportunities through the air were limited.
Carson Kent led the Panthers with 63 receiving yards, including catches of 38 and 25 yards.
His 38-yard reception on Pitt's first offensive play immediately demonstrated the Panthers were willing to attack Syracuse downfield, even though the running game ultimately became the story of the night.
Pitt's Defense Delivers Again
One week after holding UCF to seven points, Pitt's defense put together another strong performance.
Syracuse managed just 13 points and failed to score a touchdown in the second half.
Orange quarterback Steve Angeli finished with 161 passing yards, while Pitt consistently created pressure and prevented Syracuse from developing a sustained passing attack.
Nick James delivered one of the biggest defensive plays just before halftime, sacking Angeli for an eight-yard loss and forcing Syracuse to settle for a field goal.
Syracuse added another field goal late in the fourth quarter, but by then Pitt had the game under control.
Antonio Chadha Remains Reliable
Antonio Chadha continued his strong start to the season.
Chadha connected from 42 yards in the second quarter and added a 34-yard field goal in the fourth.
His final kick extended Pitt's lead to 27-10 with 8:16 remaining and effectively put the game out of reach.
By the Numbers
- Final Score: Pitt 27, Syracuse 13
- Pitt Record: 3-0 overall, 1-0 ACC
- Pitt Rushing: 245 yards
- Mason Heintschel: 10-of-23, 123 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
- Damon Ferguson Jr.: 102 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Carson Kent: 63 receiving yards
- Antonio Chadha: 2 field goals, including a 42-yarder
- Attendance: 42,087
Three Games, Three Ways to Win
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Pitt's 3-0 start is how different each victory has looked.
Against Miami (Ohio), Heintschel and the passing game stole the show.
Against UCF, the defense carried the Panthers through a 12-7 slugfest.
Against Syracuse, it was the running game.
Pitt rushed for 245 yards after averaging only 3.6 yards per carry through its first two games. Ferguson emerged as another weapon in the backfield, Wright contributed important carries and Heintschel showed he can hurt defenses with his legs.
Being able to win in multiple ways could become increasingly important as the ACC schedule gets tougher.
A Milestone Night for Pat Narduzzi
Thursday was also a historic night for head coach Pat Narduzzi.
Narduzzi coached his 144th game at Pitt, setting a new program record for games coached.
The Panthers made sure the milestone came with a victory, giving Narduzzi an ACC win and a 3-0 start to his 12th season in Pittsburgh.
What's Next
Pitt now gets some extra time to prepare for its next opponent.
The Panthers will remain at Acrisure Stadium and host Bucknell on Saturday, September 26.
Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET.
After opening the season with three consecutive victories, Pitt will have an opportunity to move to 4-0 before returning to the heart of its ACC schedule.
The Panthers haven't needed the same formula twice.
So far, they've simply found ways to win.
Final: Pitt 27, Syracuse 13.