Preview: Syracuse at Pitt

Syracuse (4-7, 2-5 ACC) vs. Pittsburgh (7-4, 4-3 ACC)
Game Details: Saturday, Nov. 26 | 12:30 p.m.
Location: Heinz Field | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Game Links: Tickets | Listen | Watch | Live Stats
Television: ACC Network (Affiliates)
Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network
Twitter: @CuseFootball | @Cuse
Syracuse Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes
Pitt Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse (4-7, 2-5 ACC) football team will close out the regular season against longtime rival Pittsburgh (7-4, 4-3 ACC) on Saturday, Nov. 26. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. at Heinz Field.

The Orange have lost three in a row, including a 45-14 defeat against Florida State on Nov. 19 in its last outing. Redshirt senior wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo hauled in his ninth touchdown reception of the year against the seminoles, tying him for fourth on the program single-season record list.

Pitt comes into Saturday's contest receiving votes in both major polls after knocking off Clemson two weeks ago on Nov. 12 and defeating Duke 56-14 on Nov. 19. Against the Blue Devils, running back James Conner set a new ACC record with his 50th career rushing touchdown.

The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst) and Roddy Jones (sideline) on the call. Click here for a full list affiliates carry the game.

EASTERN FOOTBALL HEAVYWEIGHTS
Syracuse and Pitt are two of the most storied programs in the country, particularly among eastern teams. They represent two of the 24 FBS programs with at least 700 all-time wins. The Panthers have 711, while the Orange own 705 that are recognized by the NCAA.

The Orange and Pitt have combined to win the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy 12 times. Presented every year since 1936, the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy recognizes the best FBS team in the Northeast. Syracuse has claimed the trophy six times, most recently in 1992, which is tied with the Panthers for third on the list behind Penn State (29) and Army (7).

In addition, the two teams have 28 bowl victories between them with Syracuse winning 15 and Pitt boasting 13 postseason victories. Both programs also have a Heisman Trophy winner to their credit (Syracuse – Ernie Davis, 1959; Pitt – Tony Dorsett, 1976).

WINNING FINALES
Since 2012, the Orange are 3-1 in the last game of the regular season. Last year, SU recorded 20-17 victory against Boston College in the final game of 2015 when Cole Murphy drilled a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Syracuse also nipped the Eagles in the 2013 regular-season finale to become bowl eligible, and toppled Temple to cap the 2012 regular season,

Syracuse is 1-1 against Pitt when playing the Panthers in its regular-season finale. The last such occurrence was in 2011, with the Panthers coming away with a 33-20 victory at Heinz Field.

BRISLY AT HIS BEST
The Orange lead the nation in punt return average at 18.9 yards per return. That current clip would eclipse the school season record of 17 yards per return set in 1995.

Senior Brisly Estime is the main reason for the Orange's success. He leads the nation in punt return average, tallying 19.4 yards per runback. He has 14 returns for 272 yards, including six of 20 yards or more. Estime's career average of 18.7 yards per punt return is second in Orange history behind Floyd Little (19.7) and also ranks second among active FBS players.

SCOUTING PITT
The Panthers have wins over two teams ranked in the top 10 of this week's polls: No. 4 Clemson (43-42) and No. 8 Penn State (43-42). Pitt has won two in a row and is 5-1 at home in 2016.

Head coach Pat Narduzzi is in his second season leading the Panthers after spending eight years as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State. Narduzzi is 15-9 overall and took the Panthers to the Military Bowl after an 8-4 regular season in 2015.

Running back James Conner is just 55 rushing yards short of 1,000 for the season. Conner is the ACC career record holder for rushing touchdowns (50) and total touchdowns (53). He runs behind an offensive line that features two seniors on the left side in tackle Adam Bisnowaty and guard Dorian Johnson. Quarterback Nathan Peterman's touchdown-to-interception ratio is better than 4:1. Peterman has thrown for 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions.

The Panther defense ranks fourth in the country against the run, limiting opponents to just 98.1 yards per game on the ground. Cornerback Ryan Lewis leads the Panthers with 67 tackles, while 2015 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Jordan Whitehead has 65 stops. Senior defensive end Ejuan Price has been a force this season. More than half of Price's 36 tackles have been for a loss. He has 19 TFLs and 11 sacks.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the 71st meeting between Syracuse and Pitt and the 62nd consecutive season the two teams have faced one another. The Panthers hold a 37-30-3 advantage in the series (SU's 2004 victory was vacated by the NCAA) and Pitt has won all three pairings since the schools joined the ACC together in 2013.

The Syracuse-Pitt rivalry is the second-longest series in Orange history in terms of number of games played. SU has played only Penn State more times (73) than the Panthers.

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Players Mentioned

Brisly Estime

Amba Etta-Tawo

Cole Murphy

Syracuse University Athletics