Pitt and Syracuse have taken a beating in Atlantic Coast Conference play this season, leaving both teams longing for a victory Saturday when they meet at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
The Panthers (2-7, 1-4) have lost three straight games, including the last two by a combined margin of 82-14. They fell to Florida State 24-7 last weekend, although the game was tight until the Seminoles scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the third quarter.
Pitt ranks 110th in the nation in scoring with just 20.7 points a game, much to the dismay of coach Pat Narduzzi.
“We’ve got to get the ball to the right guy at the right time, and again, it’s always something you can do better,” Narduzzi said. “When you watch the tape, you look back (and think), ‘Hindsight, man, I wish we would have tried that.’ You don’t get a second chance.”
Syracuse (4-5, 0-5) is the only winless team in ACC play, as the offense has disappeared following a 4-0 start.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson started last week’s 17-10 loss to Boston College in place of Garrett Shrader (undisclosed injury). Del Rio-Wilson battled through injuries of his own to go 7-for-17 for 37 yards, with four interceptions.
Syracuse coach Dino Babers has not made any decisions about Saturday’s starting quarterback, although he realizes the coaching staff and players need to take advantage of available opportunities.
“What we have to do is put those guys in a situation to make plays,” Babers said. “And then they have to be able to go out there and make the plays. Those kids, I thought, were in position to make plays. We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game.”
The Panthers have won 16 of the last 18 meetings between the teams, losing by only one point in 2012 and by three points in 2017.
Last season, Pitt held Del Rio-Wilson to 8-of-23 passing for 120 yards — and limited Syracuse to 145 total yards — in a 19-9 Panthers triumph.
–Field Level Media