Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Halfway through Syracuse’s second season under head coach Fran Brown, the Orange sit at the .500 mark. Following a season-opening loss to then-No. 24 Tennessee, SU rattled off a three–game winning streak, including a victory to begin Atlantic Coast Conference play over Clemson in Death Valley.

As Syracuse starting quarterback Steve Angeli went down with a season-ending injury versus the Tigers, so did its season. The Orange lost their first two games with Rickie Collins under center and are fighting for Bowl contention.

Following a Week 7 bye, SU looks to get back on track against Pitt. The Panthers are 4-2 with two one-possession defeats and are 2-0 since naming true-freshman Mason Heintschel their starting quarterback.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (3-3, 1-2 ACC) will fare against Pitt (4-2, 2-1 ACC) Saturday:

Aiden Stepansky (4-2)
Post-bye blues
Syracuse 20, Pitt 33

Most teams entering a contest off a bye week are recharged and ready to roll. That has not been the case for the Orange under Brown. Syracuse dropped both of its post–bye games in 2024, and the trend will continue in Brown’s second season.

The week off likely allowed Collins and Co. to refind themselves to an extent and sure up a few details of the offense. The Panthers, however, are not a defense to experiment against. While already recording 18 sacks through six games, Pitt has also proven it can stop the run by allowing just 83.5 yards per game on the ground — the least in the ACC. Kyle Louis is one of the unsung defensive stars in the conference, as proven by his 11 total tackles against then-No. 25 Florida State last week. He’ll torment Syracuse Saturday.

Pitt’s offense has also become intimidating after a needed quarterback change. Heintschel has ignited the Panthers over the last two games with his elite accuracy and mobility. He has completed 73% of his passes and run for 92 yards, a recipe for disaster for the Orange, as proven through Darian Mensah and Kevin Jennings.

Somehow, this game won’t be as bad as last year’s matchup, where the Panthers boat raced SU from start to finish and made Kyle McCord look foolish all night. Still, a loss is a loss, and Syracuse will continue piling them up.

Cooper Andrews (4-2)
The E-Rob legacy game
Syracuse 20, Pitt 17

Alright. Why not? I had this game circled as a surefire Syracuse victory heading into the year. Now, it’s not close to a certainty. But I think second-year defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson has a few tricks up his sleeve to silence Pitt’s freshman quarterback and help the Orange earn a gritty home win over their rival Panthers.

Maybe there’s some personal bias involved here — one time in SU’s football facility, Robinson walked by me wearing my red and black Jordan 4’s and complimented them, which I’ll always respect him for. But as casual as Robinson was that afternoon giving me props for my J’s, he’ll calmly draw up an excellent game plan against a Pitt offense that’s bound for a letdown.

It starts in the secondary. Cornerbacks Demetres Samuel Jr. and Chris Peal, among others in a young defensive backs room, can excel in man coverage versus Panthers receivers Raphael Williams Jr. and Kenny Johnson. Robinson shouldn’t be afraid to leave Peal and Samuel on islands with them.

To complement them up front, this is a prime spot for Robinson to blitz the daylights out of Pitt. Heintschel’s offensive player grade when facing the blitz is a measly 57.5, per PFF. This is the time for linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and Co. to shoot through the gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield.

If Robinson employs an aggressive defensive scheme and, of course, if the Orange execute it well, look for defense to be what breaks Pitt and helps Syracuse register an upset victory.

Zak Wolf (5-1)
Party on 5th ave
Syracuse 17, Pitt 31

Pittsburgh has given Syracuse fits since Pat Narduzzi took over in 2015, and more specifically, SU’s quarterbacks. Last season, McCord looked like he was seeing ghosts, throwing five interceptions in a blowout loss. SU won two years ago, but used Dan Villari as a wildcat quarterback. From 2020-2022 against Pitt, the Orange scored three touchdowns, averaged 11 points, while Rex Culpepper, Tommy DeVito, Garrett Shrader and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson combined to go 38-for-71 with 457 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

You get the idea by now. Narduzzi is good at frazzling Syracuse quarterbacks, and with Collins under center, that won’t change. Collins said he worked on relaxing his eyes and not staring down receivers over the bye week. That’s been the quarterback’s biggest problem through two starts, so trying to solve that is key. I’m no football savant, but that doesn’t seem like a problem you can fix in under two weeks.

The Orange also can’t even rely on their running game to take pressure off Collins. They’re 13th in the ACC with 111 yards per game, while Pitt’s defense allows a conference-best 83.5 yards. On offense, Heintschel’s introduction reinvigorated the Panthers.

In two starts, he’s completed 73% of his passes for 680 yards and six touchdowns, while Pitt’s offense has put up 82 points, including 34 on the road to defeat then-No. 25 FSU last week. Until Syracuse gets better quarterback play from Collins, it’s going to be a tall task to beat any competent ACC opponents.

Published on October 15, 2025 at 9:18 pm