Syracuse University
Pittsburgh
Orange Travels to No. 14 Pittsburgh
11/6/2009 1:59:53 PM | Football
The Orange will play its second consecutive top-15 opponent and its fourth ranked opponent in the last five games when it faces #14 Pittsburgh on Saturday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh (12:00 p.m., ESPNU). SU's 2009 schedule is rated the 14th-toughest in college football this year. It will be the first game on the road for the Orange since September 12. Syracuse played seven of its first eight, including a school-record six consecutive home games, in the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse-Pittsburgh Series
The Orange has faced Pittsburgh 64 times, the third-longest series in the 119-year history of the SU football program. Syracuse is 30-31-3 all-time against the Panthers, including its 11 straight victories from 1991 to 2001. In 1996, the Orange routed Pittsburgh, 55-7, to record the 600th win in program history. In the meeting, SU's Jim Turner had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, which tied the longest kickoff return in school history.
Carter Eyes Top 25
Senior running back Delone Carter is 26th on SU's all-time rushing yards record list with 1,430. He ran for 50 yards on 19 carries against Cincinnati. One week earlier, Carter ran for a career-best 170 yards on 30 carries, including a career-long 53-yard run, for a career-high three rushing touchdowns against Akron. His 170 rushing yards is the fifth highest rushing performance in the BIG EAST this season and earned him BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognition. He is the first Syracuse player to run for 150-plus yards and have 30-plus carries since Curtis Brinkley rushed for 166 yards on 33 carries against Louisville in 2008.
Jones Climbs SU Career Tackles for Loss List
Senior defensive tackle Arthur Jones continued his climb up the Syracuse record list with his performance against Cincinnati. His 1.5 tackles for loss against the Bearcats increased his career total to 38.5, which is third in SU history and the most by an interior defensive lineman in school history. Jones ties for fourth in the BIG EAST with 0.25 fumble recoveries per game and his 145 career tackles ranks 10th in Syracuse history for tackles by a down lineman.
Smith is Among Nation's Best Defenders
Senior linebacker Derrell Smith is averaging 8.88 tackles per game, which is fourth in the BIG EAST and 49th in the nation. His 0.81 sacks per game is tied for 30th nationally and fifth in the conference. He is averaging 1.25 tackles for loss per game, which is tied for third in the league and 35th in the nation. His 0.5 forced fumbles per game leads the BIG EAST and ties for fifth nationally.
Paulus Tops SU Record List
Graduate student quarterback Greg Paulus has completed 132-of-203 passes (65.0 percent) through eight games, which is the best single-season performance in Syracuse history. Bill Scharr set the record in 1989 with a 63.3 completion percent. Paulus' 172.1 passing yards per game is 11th on SU's single-season record list and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST this season.
Orange Passing Game is on Target
Syracuse's passing game is producing 203.0 yard per outing, which is eighth on the SU single-season record list. Quarterbacks Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib have completed 63.6 percent of their passes (150-236), which is second-best in school history. The 2009 Syracuse offense is averaging 21.6 points per game this season, the most productive since 2004. The rush attack is averaging 109.6 ypg (178.8 in 2004) and the offense is producing 316.9 ypg (349.0 in 2004).
Scouting the Panthers
The 14th-ranked Panthers are 7-1 after beating South Florida, 41-14 last weekend. Senior quarterback Bill Stull has completed 132-of-196 passes for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns. Stull favors sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, who has caught 34 passes for 693 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman running back Dion Lewis leads the team in rushes with 1,029 yards on 185 carries.
