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The Atlantic Coast Conference is a quarterback-driven league. You need an elite arm to win with regularity. Both Syracuse and Pittsburgh have historically stood the test of time when it comes to the quarterback position, with SU housing legends like Donovan McNabb and Kyle McCord and Pitt boasting a Hall of Fame alumnus in Dan Marino.

This year, though, the Orange and Panthers’ signal-caller situations are flipped. Syracuse entered 2025 with Steve Angeli as its starter, but after he tore his Achilles in a Week 4 win over Clemson, SU’s offensive production has slowed to a halt with Rickie Collins under center. As for Pitt, it benched NFL Draft prospect Eli Holstein after a 2-2 start to the year, then won its last two games off the right arm of star freshman Mason Heintschel.

Now, the two squads square off in a crucial conference matchup — one that could prove massive for the Orange’s bowl-game chances.

“I’m hoping this game is a four-quarter throwdown,” SU head coach Fran Brown said at his weekly press conference Monday. “Hopefully we play five, whatever it takes, but it’s going to be a good football game.”

Here’s what to know before Syracuse (3-3, 1-2 ACC) hosts Pitt (4-2, 2-1 ACC) Saturday evening as SU looks to snap a two-game losing streak.

All-time series

Pitt leads 44-33-3.

Last time they played …

The Orange got trounced by the Panthers 41-13 in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 24, 2024. It was Syracuse’s second loss of an eventual 10-3 campaign in its first season under Brown.

People don’t remember the score as much as they remember McCord’s stat line. McCord threw five interceptions in his worst performance with Syracuse. Despite the all-time bad outing, McCord swiftly recovered by setting the ACC single-season passing yards record at 4,779.

The Panthers report

In its 11th year with Pat Narduzzi at the helm, Pitt is putting together another formidable campaign as a dark horse in the ACC, especially since Heintschel replaced Holstein.

The Panthers rank 14th in the nation, per Pro Football Focus, with a 91.7 team defensive grade. They also rank 32nd in total defense at 313.7 yards allowed per game. And their 431.8 offensive yards per contest is the sixth-best mark in the ACC, one spot behind SU.

They’ve been nothing but lethal with Heintschel — who completed 30 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns in his first start on Oct. 4 against Boston College, which Pitt won 48-7. The Panthers’ offense averages 41 points through two Heintschel starts, including a 34-31 victory over then-No. 25 Florida State last week. Heintschel has two studs on the outside, wide receivers Raphael Williams Jr. and Kenny Johnson, who’ve combined for 732 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, Pitt’s front seven gets to the quarterback with proficiency and wreaks havoc in the running game. The Panthers’ 92.3 PFF rush defense grade is tied for the sixth-best total in the country, and their defense has totaled 18 sacks, which consists of 12 different players with at least one full sack. Linebacker Rasheem Biles stands out as the unit’s top dog, leading Pitt in tackles (52) while tallying a 75-yard pick-six against Louisville on Sept. 27.

The Orange are 2-8 head-to-head versus the Panthers since Narduzzi took over. And in those matchups, Pitt’s largest margin of victory came against Brown’s squad in 2024 (28 points). Judging by the history alone, Saturday should be another tough challenge for Syracuse.

How Syracuse beats Pitt

SU has to take pressure off Collins and hand the ball off to running back Yasin Willis early and often. Brown continues to stand pat in wanting to see more touches for Willis. And if offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon can dial up a successful, grind-it-out running game with Willis and his son, Will Nixon, it could wear Pitt’s defense out and open up downfield shots for Collins.

Willis only got 11 and 15 carries each of the last two games, respectively. Collins threw it nearly 50 times last game. That’s not a winning formula with a redshirt sophomore quarterback who got thrust into a starting role after seven career pass attempts at LSU. Meanwhile, Willis is dangerous with the ball in his hands and he simply needs more opportunities.

Though the Orange will need a few stops on defense to ensure they’re not playing from behind all game — like they did the last two contests — running the ball to alleviate Collins’ workload is one of the only ways Syracuse can deliver a home upset win over Pitt.

Stat to know: 59%

The Panthers have scored 30 times on 34 red zone possessions, good for an 88% conversion rate. However, their touchdown rate in the red area is significantly worse.

Pitt ends red zone drives with touchdowns just 59% of the time (20-of-34 tries). While Syracuse isn’t much better in the same category (15-of-27), bending but not breaking in the red zone will be crucial for SU’s defense to help win the ballgame.

Player to watch: Desmond Reid, running back, No. 5

After he missed the start of ACC play with an injury, senior running back Desmond Reid is healthy again and primed to disrupt SU’s defense. The 5-foot-8 Reid leads the Panthers with 187 rushing yards in four games played and had a spectacular 88-yard punt return against Kent State to serve as Pitt’s lone special teams touchdown this season.

Reid should see plenty of action Saturday against Syracuse’s rush defense, which allows 157.7 rushing yards per game and ranks sixth-worst in the country with a 62.9 PFF grade.

Published on October 15, 2025 at 9:00 pm
Contact Cooper at: ccandrew@syr.edu | @cooper_andrews