Syracuse University
4-8 , 2-6
Pittsburgh
8-4 , 5-3
Recap: Pitt 76, Syracuse 61
11/26/2016 4:17:00 PM | Football
Orange and Panthers combine for FBS-record 20 touchdowns
Syracuse (4-8, 2-6 ACC) ran an ACC-record 106 plays and gained 668 yards of total offense, the second-highest, single-game total in school history and the most yards ever for an Atlantic Coast Conference team in a losing effort. The Panthers generated 644 yards on 59 plays and scored 11 touchdowns, including 10 on offense. Syracuse tallied nine touchdowns (5 passing, 4 rushing). In addition, the two sides combined for 58 first downs in the game, including 38 by the Orange – another team record.
Saturday's scoring output eclipsed the previous FBS mark of 136 combined points achieved twice in 2007 when Boise State outlasted Nevada in four overtimes 69-67 and Navy defeated North Texas in regulation, 74-62.
Orange quarterback Zack Mahoney made his third straight start in place of Eric Dungey and accounted for a school-record seven touchdowns, including tying Ryan Nassib's SU record with five touchdown passes. Mahoney was 43-for-61 through the air for 440 yards. All three numbers were career highs and rank second on the Orange's single-game record list. Mahoney added 49 yards rushing on 13 carries to finish with 489 yards offense, the second-highest, one-game total in the SU annals.
All five of Mahoney's scoring passes went to redshirt senior Amba Etta-Tawo, who caught 13 passes for 178 yards in his last game in a Syracuse uniform. Etta-Tawo's five TD receptions matched Torry Holt's ACC record and surpassed the previous SU standard of four shared by Tony Gabriel and Tommy Kane. They also gave Etta-Tawo 14 touchdown receptions for the season, equaling Kane's 1987 SU single-season record.
Etta-Tawo was one of four Syracuse receivers with at least seven receptions against the Panthers. Ervin Philips contributed 11 receptions for 107 yards to post his second career 100-yard receiving game. Brisly Estime added nine catches for 54 yards and Steve Ishmael snagged seven balls for 76 yards. In all, the Orange's four primary receivers combined for 40 catches and 415 yards.
Syracuse started the scoring barrage on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Mahoney with 7:42 left in the first quarter. The score was set up after Mahoney's 34-yard pooch punt pinned the Panthers inside their own 5-yard line. The Syracuse defense forced a three-and-out and the Orange capitalized on good field position at the Pitt 45.
The Panthers answered Mahoney's score on their ensuing possession when quarterback Nathan Peterman hit Jester Weah for a 59-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Peterman found James Conner for a 35-yard score to give the Panthers a 14-7 advantage.
With 28 seconds remaining the opening stanza, Dontae Strickland ran in from five yards out to tie the game and close the first-quarter scoring.
Pitt went ahead 28-14 in the second quarter on touchdown runs of six yards by George Aston and nine yards by Conner. Syracuse responded late in the half when Etta-Tawo caught a 5-yard TD pass from Mahoney to cap a 14-play, 68-yard drive. However, the Panthers tacked on another touchdown just before halftime as Peterman found the end zone on a 13-yard run with 10 seconds left to make the score 35-21 at the break.
In the third quarter, the Panthers opened up a 28-point lead (49-21) on a 20-yard interception return for a touchdown by Dane Jackson and a 66-yard touchdown run by Quadree Henderson. The Orange tallied three of the game's next four touchdowns to close the gap to 56-41 less than four minutes into the fourth quarter, but that's as close as Syracuse would get. The teams traded touchdowns for the remainder of the game, with Etta-Tawo scoring three times on passes from Mahoney in the final 7:21.
Conner and Henderson led a potent Pitt ground attack that racked up 393 yards and six touchdowns. Conner rushed for 115 yards and two scores on 19 carries, while Henderson finished with 103 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Peterman completed 9-of-18 passes for 251 yards, four touchdowns and one interception for the Panthers. Weah led the Pitt receiving corps with four catches for 99 yards and two scores.
Defensively, Parris Bennett paced the Orange with eight tackles, including 1.5 for a loss. Reggie Mitchell led four Pitt defenders who recorded double-digit tackles. Mitchell tallied a game-high 14 stops.
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Team Stats
SU 7, UP 0
SU - Mahoney, Z. 2 yd run (Murphy, C. kick), 7 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:13
SU 7, UP 7
UP - Weah, J. 59 yd pass from Peterman, N. (Blewitt, C. kick) 3 plays, 65 yards, TOP 1:13
SU 7, UP 14
UP - Conner, J. 35 yd pass from Peterman, N. (Blewitt, C. kick) 1 plays, 35 yards, TOP 0:08
SU 14, UP 14
SU - Strickland, D. 5 yd run (Murphy, C. kick), 10 plays, 74 yards, TOP 3:07
SU 14, UP 21
UP - Aston, G. 6 yd run (Blewitt, C. kick), 10 plays, 65 yards, TOP 4:52
SU 14, UP 28
UP - Conner, J. 9 yd run (Blewitt, C. kick), 4 plays, 69 yards, TOP 1:40
SU 21, UP 28
SU - Etta-Tawo, A. 5 yd pass from Mahoney, Z. (Murphy, C. kick) 14 plays, 68 yards, TOP 5:21
SU 21, UP 35
UP - Peterman, N. 13 yd run (Blewitt, C. kick), 8 plays, 64 yards, TOP 1:26
SU 21, UP 42
UP - Jackson, D. 20 yd interception (Blewitt, C. kick)
SU 21, UP 49
UP - Henderson, Q. 66 yd run (Blewitt, C. kick), 1 plays, 66 yards, TOP 0:11
SU 27, UP 49
SU - Neal, M. 42 yd run (Murphy, C. kickblocked), 4 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:05
SU 27, UP 56
UP - Ffrench, M. 77 yd run (Blewitt, C. kick), 1 plays, 77 yards, TOP 0:24
SU 34, UP 56
SU - Etta-Tawo, A. 12 yd pass from Mahoney, Z. (Murphy, C. kick) 6 plays, 45 yards, TOP 2:03
SU 41, UP 56
SU - Mahoney, Z. 19 yd run (Murphy, C. kick), 7 plays, 63 yards, TOP 2:11
SU 41, UP 63
UP - Ford, D. 79 yd pass from Peterman, N. (Blewitt, C. kick) 3 plays, 78 yards, TOP 1:43
SU 48, UP 63
SU - Etta-Tawo, A. 7 yd pass from Mahoney, Z. (Murphy, C. kick) 7 plays, 65 yards, TOP 2:12
SU 48, UP 70
UP - Weah, J. 6 yd pass from Peterman, N. (Blewitt, C. kick) 5 plays, 44 yards, TOP 2:15
SU 55, UP 70
SU - Etta-Tawo, A. 49 yd pass from Mahoney, Z. (Murphy, C. kick) 5 plays, 69 yards, TOP 1:19
SU 55, UP 76
UP - Conner, J. 1 yd run (Blewitt, C. kickfailed), 2 plays, 43 yards, TOP 0:32
SU 61, UP 76
SU - Etta-Tawo, A. 13 yd pass from Mahoney, Z. (Murphy, C. kickfailed) 10 plays, 77 yards, TOP 2:17
