By Ray Porter Jr./Urban Media Today
PITTSBURGH, PA—The last time the Pitt Panthers football team started the season with a 7-0 record was in 1982. On that team, there were names like QB Dan Marino, RB Bryan Thomas, OL Jimbo Covert, LB Chris Doleman, DB Tim Lewis and head coach Foze Fazio. That team would finish the season with a 9-3 record and a loss to SMU in the Cotton Bowl and a #10th ranked finish in the polls.
The 19th ranked 2024 Pitt Panthers Football team joined that ’82 team with a 7-0 start of their own after a 41-13 defeat over the Syracuse Orange in front of an Acrisure Stadium Crowd and a Thursday Night National TV Audience. Also in attendance was Legendary Pitt WR and recent College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Larry Fitzgerald who was also honored and celebrated that night, along with newly installed Director of Athletics Allen Greene.
It was a stellar performance by the defense that led the way for Pitt as they intercepted 5 of Syracuse QB Kyle McCord’s (35/64, 321 yards) passes, returning 3 for touchdowns. It marked the first time a FBS team has had at least 3 interceptions returned for TDs in the same game since 2022 and the sixth time since 2000.
“Heck of a defensive performance,” said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. “I mean, I don’t care how we win, offense, defense. We have great coordinators, great coaches, great players. It’s a tribute to just the overall coaching and playmakers. We talked about ‘start smart’ was our deal this week. We wanted to start smart. We knew kind of Syracuse was kind of like us as a football team. They won games and squeaked by some games and won ’em. We kind of thought they were very similar to what we were. Just talked about how we needed to start fast and be smart, just do all the details. Precision execution is kind of what our deal was. We certainly did that. Defensively we’re out there for 93 plays. Offense for 44. Anytime you get pick-sixes… It would be nice to put the offense back out there. They won’t let us do that again. Should be a new rule.”
For the first time on record, Pitt had three interception returns for touchdowns in a game. Each of the pick sixes occurred in the first half, the first time an FBS team accomplished that feat in the last 25 years. Pitt’s five interceptions was its most since also recording five against Connecticut on Dec. 6, 2008. They also held Syracuse to just six rushing yards on 29 carries. It is the fifth-lowest rushing total allowed by the Panthers under Narduzzi.
LB Rasheem Biles began the party with a 35 Yd Interception Return, then after a 49-yard FG by K Ben Sauls, LB Kyle Louis returned a McCord pass 59 yards. Pitt’s offense then got on the field and scored with QB Eli Holstein (11/15, 108 2 TDs) finding WR Censere Lee 20-yard score and then the defense struck again with a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown by LB Braylan Lovelace. By Halftime, Pitt led 31-0.
“Three pick-sixes. You talk about the big plays in the game. The Biles pick-six, big-time. That interception by Brandon George laying on his stomach and coming up with that. Louis’ pick-six, as you know. C.J. Lee had a nice touchdown pass. Poppi had a nice touchdown pass. Lovelace, TD on the screen,” Narduzzi said.
“Those tailbacks can run. When you look at Kyle Louis was a tailback and playmaker in high school, so was Lovelace. Rushed for a lot of yards in high school. Those guys looked like it when they got the ball in their hands.”
The third quarter wasn’t as eventful, but Holstein and the offense got their second score when he found WR Raphael Williams Jr. for a 29-yard TD. Then Sauls finished the scoring with a 57-yard FG (second longest in school history)
A 180 degree turn from last season when Pitt (7-0, 3-0 ACC) suffered a disappointing 28-13 loss to the Orange.
“I think it motivated them a lot. Even though they just scored 21 points on our defense last year, we weren’t happy with how we played,” said Narduzzi. “Our D-tackles didn’t play very well in that game. Obviously, it was an offense we never saw. Obviously, it was at Yankee Stadium and the press box was on first base. You might as well have been in a blimp way out of the stadium. Could have been in Staten Island or Long Island. We just couldn’t see anything. We made crappy adjustments. We weren’t happy with it. They came out, had to go to prove. Our motto all year is to prove it. I think we proved a lot on a primetime game time, national audience.”
The second half of Pitt’s College Football season will continue to ‘heat’ up as they will now prepare to face 22nd Ranked SMU (6-1, 3-0 ACC) next Saturday in Dallas.
“Again, team win overall. Moving on to the next, SMU. Big game down in Dallas. Looking forward to it,” Narduzzi commented.
Notes: Holstien left the game in the second half and was replaced by backup Nate Yarnell, but Narduzzi said all is well “Eli is going to be fine. He’s in there smiling, happy, jumping around. So we’ll be fine. Just added precaution. Kept him out. At first we just thought he had dirt in his eye. It was a little bit more than dirt, but he’s fine and happy.”
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