Pittsburgh – Syracuse was hoping to change their fortunes going to Pittsburgh and Heinz Field. For the second straight week, the Orangemen returned back home with a loss.
Syracuse lost to No.25 Pittsburgh 21-10 with a inept offense for the second straight week.
The victory makes it two in a row for the Panthers and they are now 2-0 and rolling.
No one had a really good game offensively for the Orangemen, but they got scores from WR Taj Harris and QB Rex Culpepper. One of the most exciting play was Harris’ 69-yard TD reception in the second quarter.
SU quarterback Tommy DeVito was under duress in the first half and got sacked seven times by the Panthers for a loss of 12 yards, he left the game at the 11:29 mark of the second quarter. He finished 9/15 with just 32 passing yards and one pick. Rex Culpepper came in relief and had little success at the helm scored the Orange only touchdown on a 69-yard dart to Taj Harris in the second quarter. Culpepper was 4/9 with 88 passing yards and one touchdown.
The Panthers was led by Kenny Pickett, who completed 25 of his 36 passes for 215 passing yards with two touchdowns and one bad pick that he threw into coverage.
The Panthers outgained Syracuse in total yards 342 to 171.
SU capitalize on a Pitt fumble in the first quarter, taking an early lead on a Andre Szmyt field goal from 26 yards out with 6:08 to play. Pittsburgh regrouped and marched down the field on the next drive as Pickett hit Jordan Addison for 27 yards for the score. Panthers led 7-3 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, DeVito was getting hit hard and got sacked four times in the first half. DeVito then left the game with an undisclosed injury and did not return for the rest of the first half.
Two plays later Rex Culpepper hit Taj Harris down the right sideline for a touchdown bomb of 69 yards. That was the longest throw of Culpepper’s career and his first touchdown pass since 2017.
The Panthers would answer right back as Pickett ran it in for a touchdown from one with 5:06 to go in the second. The Panthers led 14-10 at the break.
Pittsburgh capitalized on the interception thrown by DeVito in which was his first pick in a SU record 212 pass attempts, Pickett threw his second passing touchdown with 54 seconds to go in the third quarter, finding Jared Wayne from 17 yards out.
