Observations from Syracuse’s loss to Pitt: RBs stuffed, final 1st-half possession
Syracuse defensive back Chris Peal attempts a tackle. Despite allowing 30 points in its third-straight defeat, SU's defense impressed with seven sacks throughout the day. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.
When he arrived at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 24, 2024, Kyle McCord was one of college football’s sharpest signal callers. He’d guided Syracuse to a resurgent 5-1 start, with another test on deck against then-No. 19 Pittsburgh.
By the time the quarterback left the stadium, though, everything had unraveled. Pitt picked off five of McCord’s passes — returning three for touchdowns — in a 41-13 rout that brought SU’s momentum to a screeching halt.
Even McCord, at the peak of his form, struggled against the Panthers. So for Rickie Collins, who entered Saturday still trying to find his footing after rocky showings against SMU and Duke, a team that feasted on McCord was far from the ideal remedy.
That proved true in SU’s third-consecutive loss. Collins’ mishaps persisted against the Panthers, as he threw three interceptions and placed Syracuse in a hole that even true freshman Luke Carney couldn’t help it claw back from. The defeat drops the Orange below .500 for the first time under Fran Brown.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (3-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) 30-13 loss to Pittsburgh (5-2, 3-1 ACC) on Saturday.
Collins’ collapse continues
It’s no secret Collins has struggled to begin his tenure as SU’s starter. He had big shoes to fill after an injury to Steve Angeli — who led the nation in passing yards through four weeks. His first two starts could have been explained away as inexperienced mishaps. But those didn’t end on Saturday.
After two short gains on SU’s first drive, Collins immediately made the same mistakes. Johntay Cook split out wide, and Collins didn’t hesitate. The quarterback’s pass sailed behind Cook into the hands of Pitt cornerback Tamon Lynum. Less than two minutes later, Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel rushed 36 yards on a third-and-9 to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Collins’ flounders didn’t stop there. After opening the second quarter with a punt, Collins started SU’s next drive with an incompletion to Cook. The Panthers’ stifled Willis’ ensuing rush, forcing the Orange and Collins to give the ball right back to Pitt.
Soon after, Panthers defensive back Cruce Brookins snagged an interception on a crossing route intended for Cook. It marked SU’s eighth turnover in its last 10 quarters, dating back to its matchup with the Blue Devils.
Brown clearly had had enough with Collins’ struggles. He said Monday that Collins was the starter, but he replaced Collins with Carney to open the second half. However, Carney’s capabilities were limited, and the Orange struggled to move the ball for the rest of the game.
Collins re-entered the game to open the fourth quarter, but in his first drive, he threw a deep interception to Pitt free safety Kavir Bains-Marquez, effectively sealing a Panthers’ win.
SU’s fourth loss began in the pocket. For the last few games — and again Saturday — that position was manned by Collins. It’s unclear if that’ll remain the case going forward.
SU’s RBs run nowhere
Brown expressed displeasure with his running backs’ usage after facing Duke. Yasin Willis recorded a tied-for-season-low 11 carries while Will Nixon had seven. Then, against SMU, Willis and Nixon combined for 22 carries compared to Collins’ 45 pass attempts.
While Brown wanted to further utilize his tailbacks, Pitt’s rush defense — which ranked seventh in the nation allowing 83.5 rushing yards per game — presented a challenge. Brown stuck to his sentiment.
Early and often against the Panthers, Syracuse’s running backs got the ball, but they struggled mightily. On Syracuse’s first drive, Willis was stuffed for short gains, and Collins followed with a pick. By the end of the first quarter, the Orange had just seven total rushing yards on as many attempts.
In the second quarter, Syracuse again struggled to move on the ground. Nixon had gains of one and two on SU’s opening drive, while Collins mixed in one for three yards. With 6:39 to play in the second half, the Orange ran the ball just once more, totaling 14 rushing yards in the game’s first 30 minutes.
Entering the second half trailing by 10, the Orange were forced to rely more on their passing. But even with Carney replacing Collins, the offense remained stagnant. Willis had a gain of one, and Nixon added three more yards. With Syracuse down 20-7 by the fourth quarter, its intentions to run were abandoned for the rest of the game.
The Orange ended with 76 total rushing yards, while their longest try from a running back came on a meager six-yard gain from Willis.
SU’s final 1st-half possession
For most of the first half, Syracuse was entirely in it. Trailing by just three points, the Orange received the ball at their own 20-yard line with 30 seconds remaining. They had one timeout left, while Pitt still had its three. Collins had already thrown two picks.
When Syracuse got the ball, Collins could’ve kneeled. Nixon, perched in the backfield at the time, could’ve looked for a gap. Yet, Syracuse remained aggressive, with Jeff Nixon dialing up three straight passes.
On the first one, Collins looked over the middle. He had Dan Villari open but misfired the pass, nearly floating it into the outstretched arms of Panthers free safety Javon McIntyre.
On Collins’ second attempt, he found Nixon in the flat. Nixon gained three yards on the play, bringing up a third-and-7 from the 23-yard line. It may have appeared to be a lost cause, but the Orange continued to push.
The next pass, Collins missed Villari on the outside to bring up SU’s fourth punt of the day. Within 12 seconds, Pitt was handed the opportunity to get into field goal range with one last play.
It didn’t even need that. Returning Jack Stonehouse’s punt, Pitt receiver Kenny Johnson broke one early tackle. Then, he had unoccupied green grass ahead.
Syracuse’s last hope was Stonehouse, who inched closer to Johnson as he raced down the sideline. And though Stonehouse captured Johnson’s left leg, the receiver broke free for a 66-yard house call that silenced the Dome and shifted the momentum.
Pitt would start with possession in the second half and wouldn’t relinquish the two-score lead Johnson gave them on the Orange’s horrid final first-half possession.
Jobity Jr., SU’s pass-rush thrives
Syracuse’s pass-rush has been a forgettable part of its game. Entering Saturday, the Orange ranked last in the ACC with eight total sacks, a stark contrast from Pitt’s third-ranked 17. They hadn’t notched more than three in a game this season, and four of their first six contests featured one or fewer sacks.
But against Pitt, the unit came alive. Aside from his early rushing touchdown, SU ambushed Heintschel in the backfield all day.
Syracuse’s first sack came in the middle of the first quarter. With 4:23 to play, Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff connected with Chase Simmons to force the Panthers back six yards. One play later, Davien Kerr jumped Heintschel’s intended target to secure SU’s first and only takeaway of the day.
The pressure kept coming. On a third-and-4 with 11:47 left in the second quarter, Heintschel stood calm in the pocket. SU safety Devin Grant cut past Pitt’s offensive line to push Heintschel back nine yards.
Nine minutes later, Kevin Jobity Jr. joined the bash, recording his second sack of the season on yet another third down. And Jobity was far from done. The defensive end collapsed on Heintschel two more times, with David Reese and Jamie Tremble each recording sacks, too.
In a game not much went right for Syracuse, the pass-rush undoubtedly exceeded expectations. With seven sacks against the Panthers, the Orange nearly doubled their season production in a single game.
