Beat writers agree Syracuse will lose 2nd straight game of 2026 vs. Pitt
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Syracuse had ample opportunities to beat Cal Saturday, but it threw the game away and lost 21-18.
Steve Angeli throwing a career-high three picks in the second half? That’ll hurt. Kicker Tripp Woody missing two fourth-quarter field goals? Quite detrimental, right? Allowing 15 penalties for 132 yards? As ugly as a frog’s breath.
If Saturday was a rough day at the office, paying a visit to the Panthers on a short week is like volunteering for another shift before the bruises even healed.
Pitt has beaten SU in 20 of the last 24 meetings, and Syracuse last won on the road against the Panthers in 2001.
Here’s our beat writers’ thoughts on whether the Orange (1-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) will break the streak against Pitt (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) Thursday at Acrisure Stadium:
Noah Nussbaum (1-1)
Must win…again
Pitt 24, Syracuse 20
Last week, I said Syracuse needed to beat Cal, both for momentum’s sake and its future bowl prospects. Well, that obviously didn’t happen. A week later against Pitt, that same sentiment rings true, though even more urgent this time.
If the Orange don’t win this game, they’ll be in a dicey spot as the tougher part of their schedule looms. That’s why I’ve categorized it as a “must win” — again.
SU’s miscues against Cal — a team that’s nothing to write home about — don’t give me much hope anything will change against a better Pitt squad. Syracuse did nearly everything possible to throw that game away, from missed field goals to penalties to Angeli’s three interceptions, which put the nail in its coffin.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Orange still have a shot in this game; there’s just a lot to clean up before that can happen. First, there’s Angeli. Fran Brown is adamant that he’s healthy, which is good, but his performance against Cal was a Walmart version of the quarterback that led the country in passing yards per game last year.
Many of the penalties are easy fixes; they come down to a lack of discipline that can be taught. And SU’s running backs, likely without Tylik Hill, need to be more effective than the 3.3 yards per rush they produced versus the Golden Bears.
If these things go right, Syracuse may leave Pittsburgh victorious. But that’s a big if that doesn’t seem very likely.
Nicholas Alumkal (1-1)
Thursday Throes
Pitt 16, Syracuse 13
Syracuse’s last game at Pitt was also on a Thursday. In 2024, then-flawless SU quarterback Kyle McCord entered Acrisure Stadium and threw five interceptions. Amid a 5-1 start, watching the Orange’s clash with the Panthers — which resulted in a 41-13 loss — was like having will, hope and fun slowly sucked out of your body through a surgical drainage catheter.
The Orange will have similar Thursday throes — and throws, from off-kilter signal-caller Angeli — when they meet the Panthers this season.
Pitt’s raison d’être under head coach Pat Narduzzi is stifling defense that gives opposing offenses headaches. Angeli’s coming off his worst outing with the team; plus, SU’s rushing attack will be without Hill and lacks a proven explosive runner and reliable blocker. Points will be hard to come by for the Orange.
Good news for Syracuse: Its defense has held its own through two games, doing all it could to contain Cal Saturday before the Orange’s self-inflicted errors handed the game to the Golden Bears. The Panthers will similarly struggle to put together a consistent offense.
With my prediction of a low-scoring matchup and many punts, it may come down to SU’s punt return unit setting up strong field position or even taking the ball all the way to the end zone. Returners Demetres Samuel Jr. and Davien Kerr did that Saturday, but, you guessed it, the Orange self-destructed with penalties.
SU will have to find a way out of its Thursday throes. It won’t happen. I expect more Syracuse woes.
Harris Pemberton (1-1)
Fool me once…
Pitt 27, Syracuse 21
There was ample reason for optimism after Syracuse’s season opener, when the Orange obliterated an admittedly inferior New Hampshire squad. Angeli looked sharp, and the defense was nearly flawless. That performance was exactly what the Orange needed to convince people — at least the three of us — that they could hold their own in ACC play.
Saturday’s loss to Cal erased a lot of that optimism. SU grasped defeat from the jaws of victory, failing to capitalize on numerous opportunities to begin the year 2-0 and snap an eight-game ACC losing streak. Angeli’s three interceptions were the difference; SU’s run game looked flat and penalties plagued the Orange all night.
Of course, it’s early in the year, and Brown insists his young team is still learning how to win close games. But Saturday’s performance wasn’t too promising for an SU squad and coach that seemed to make strides in closing out close games last year.
Just two games in, Syracuse is facing some pressure. As Noah said, these early-season toss-up games will ultimately be the difference in a postseason berth. And, if Saturday’s loss is any indication, I’m not sure the Orange can ask for much more than a low-level bowl appearance this year.
A win Thursday against Pitt could change that trajectory. To avoid some difficult conversations in the coming weeks, Brown and the Orange need a solid win to show they can contend. But I don’t think I can reasonably pick the Orange to escape Acrisure Stadium with a victory. Not with the glaring issues exposed last Saturday.
Pitt isn’t indestructible by any means. Syracuse certainly has a shot to win, and I think it’ll keep the game relatively close. But it’ll be difficult for SU to pick up a win on the road if it replicates last week’s miscues. And right now, the Orange haven’t given me reason to believe they won’t succumb to those same mistakes and fall to 1-2.
