Photo by: Charles Wainwright
Orange Ready to Tackle Cross-Division Rival Pitt
10/1/2018 2:30:00 PM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Onward and upward.
Head coach Dino Babers set the tone for the week during his Monday press conference inside the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex, turning the page from the Clemson game and shifting the focus to the Orange's upcoming game against Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division foe Pittsburgh (2-3, 1-1 ACC). Kickoff is set for 12:20 p.m. Saturday at Heinz Field, and the game will be televised by Raycom Sports.
"We have to move on from Clemson,"Â Babers said. "We can't finish and reach our goals if we keep on looking back to the past. We're putting this thing to bed, so that we can move on to Pittsburgh."
Moving forward means overcoming adversity, and Babers explained that the Orange's next step is to grow from the setback.
"The big thing about Clemson [last year] is they didn't let Syracuse beat them twice," Babers said. "We've got to take a page out of that book. They beat us once, but we can't make that football team good enough to beat us twice. We need to lock in, refocus, and put all of our attention and energy into the Pitt Panthers."
When the Orange (4-1, 1-1 ACC) go head-to-head with their longtime rival, it'll be the 74th meeting between the two Eastern football heavyweights. The two schools, who were BIG EAST foes prior to joining the ACC together in 2013, are just two of the 26 FBS programs with 700+ all-time wins. The schools have played one another annually since 1955 and the Panthers are the Orange's most familiar opponent.
While Syracuse won last year's contest 27-24 at the Carrier Dome, Pittsburgh holds a 38-32-3 lead in the series, including a 21-11 advantage on its home field. Babers believes shutting down Pitt's rushing attack is the key to ensuring a similar outcome to last season.
The Panthers' ground game has been their biggest weapon through five games. Running back Qadree Ollison leads the way, averaging nearly six yards per carry and rushing for four touchdowns. Backup tailback Darrin Hall is equally dangerous, averaging 6.7 yards per rush on 31 carries this season.
"They can run the football," Babers said. "They have two big backs they run the football with, and they believe in running the football. They're a bunch of tough guys that like to grind it out and pound on you.
"We just saw what happened to us in the last game when somebody decided to do that. We've got to find a way to stop the run on defense. We get turnovers and win the kicking game, then we're going to be okay next week."
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
Head coach Dino Babers set the tone for the week during his Monday press conference inside the Iocolano-Petty Football Complex, turning the page from the Clemson game and shifting the focus to the Orange's upcoming game against Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division foe Pittsburgh (2-3, 1-1 ACC). Kickoff is set for 12:20 p.m. Saturday at Heinz Field, and the game will be televised by Raycom Sports.
"We have to move on from Clemson,"Â Babers said. "We can't finish and reach our goals if we keep on looking back to the past. We're putting this thing to bed, so that we can move on to Pittsburgh."
Moving forward means overcoming adversity, and Babers explained that the Orange's next step is to grow from the setback.
"The big thing about Clemson [last year] is they didn't let Syracuse beat them twice," Babers said. "We've got to take a page out of that book. They beat us once, but we can't make that football team good enough to beat us twice. We need to lock in, refocus, and put all of our attention and energy into the Pitt Panthers."
When the Orange (4-1, 1-1 ACC) go head-to-head with their longtime rival, it'll be the 74th meeting between the two Eastern football heavyweights. The two schools, who were BIG EAST foes prior to joining the ACC together in 2013, are just two of the 26 FBS programs with 700+ all-time wins. The schools have played one another annually since 1955 and the Panthers are the Orange's most familiar opponent.
While Syracuse won last year's contest 27-24 at the Carrier Dome, Pittsburgh holds a 38-32-3 lead in the series, including a 21-11 advantage on its home field. Babers believes shutting down Pitt's rushing attack is the key to ensuring a similar outcome to last season.
The Panthers' ground game has been their biggest weapon through five games. Running back Qadree Ollison leads the way, averaging nearly six yards per carry and rushing for four touchdowns. Backup tailback Darrin Hall is equally dangerous, averaging 6.7 yards per rush on 31 carries this season.
"They can run the football," Babers said. "They have two big backs they run the football with, and they believe in running the football. They're a bunch of tough guys that like to grind it out and pound on you.
"We just saw what happened to us in the last game when somebody decided to do that. We've got to find a way to stop the run on defense. We get turnovers and win the kicking game, then we're going to be okay next week."
For complete coverage of Syracuse football, follow us on Twitter (@CuseFootball), Instagram (@CuseFootball) and like us on Facebook (Syracuse Football).
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