5 Things to Know: 'Cuse vs. Pitt
11/8/2023 10:53:00 AM | Football
The Orange are headed to the Big Apple on Saturday to face Pittsburgh. The game, presented by SRC, is celebrating the centennial anniversary of the first football game played at Yankee Stadium. Here's five things to know about the matchup.
1. 100 Years Later
Saturday's game is the 100th anniversary of the first football game played at Yankee Stadium, setting the stage for a long history of football in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium has now hosted over 100 football games and established a bowl game more than a decade ago, which the Orange has played in three times.
The first matchup was a defensive battle – a 3-0 win by Syracuse, the lowest scoring game in program history. A stark contrast from the 2016 matchup where 137 points were scored, which at the time was the FBS single-game record.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at Cuse.com/Tickets.
2. 'Cuse and Pitt Part 79
Syracuse and Pittsburgh meet for the 79th time on Saturday, Syracuse's most frequent opponent, ahead of Penn State (71), Colgate (67), West Virginia (61) and Boston College (57).
The series has been played annually since 1955, and will continue through at least 2030 to be an annual matchup, as the two schools were given annual rival status in the ACC's new scheduling model that was announced last week.
Pitt holds the all-time series lead 43-32-3. However 'Cuse is looking to continue its unbeaten streak at neutral sites vs. the Panthers, having won both previous meetings. In addition to the 1923 game at Yankee Stadium, 'Cuse also won the 1965 matchup at Shea Stadium, 51-13.
3. Downstate Success
Syracuse has made the greater New York City area its second home in the more than 130 years of program history. This will be the 39th 'Cuse football game played in a pro venue in the greater New York area. Syracuse is 20-16-2 (.552) in those contests.
They include a 7-3 mark at Yankee Stadium, 1-0 record at Shea Stadium, 15 games (7-6-2 at the Polo Grounds, a 5-3 mark at Giants Stadium and four contests (0-4) at MetLife Stadium.
4. Wax On
Marlowe Wax moved into seventh place in program history for career tackles for loss in Friday's game against Boston College. His career total increased to 34.5 with two more against the Eagles.
Orange legend Dwight Freeney (50.0) has the school record by nine, but Wax – who has another year of eligibility remaining – is on pace to challenge the mark should he opt to forgo the NFL for another season.
Wax can continue to climb the ranks this season. He needs just three more to tie Dyshawn Davis for sixth. He's 3.5 behind Louis Gachelin for fifth and four behind Arthur Jones (38.5) for fourth. Only Duke Pettijohn (40.0), Marquis Spruill (41.0) and Freeney (50.0) have topped more than 40 in their career.
5. Under Center
QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson got his second collegiate start last time out vs. BC in place of an injured Garrett Shrader. If Del Rio-Wilson gets the starting nod again on Saturday – head coach Dino Babers said on Monday that both QBs (Shrader and Del Rio-Wilson) needed to be evaluated by the medical staff and status would not be announced – two of his three collegiate starts will have come vs. Pitt.
Del Rio-Wilson threw for 120 yards at Acrisure Stadium in his first collegiate start last season.
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1. 100 Years Later
Saturday's game is the 100th anniversary of the first football game played at Yankee Stadium, setting the stage for a long history of football in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium has now hosted over 100 football games and established a bowl game more than a decade ago, which the Orange has played in three times.
The first matchup was a defensive battle – a 3-0 win by Syracuse, the lowest scoring game in program history. A stark contrast from the 2016 matchup where 137 points were scored, which at the time was the FBS single-game record.
Tickets for Saturday's game are available at Cuse.com/Tickets.
2. 'Cuse and Pitt Part 79
Syracuse and Pittsburgh meet for the 79th time on Saturday, Syracuse's most frequent opponent, ahead of Penn State (71), Colgate (67), West Virginia (61) and Boston College (57).
The series has been played annually since 1955, and will continue through at least 2030 to be an annual matchup, as the two schools were given annual rival status in the ACC's new scheduling model that was announced last week.
Pitt holds the all-time series lead 43-32-3. However 'Cuse is looking to continue its unbeaten streak at neutral sites vs. the Panthers, having won both previous meetings. In addition to the 1923 game at Yankee Stadium, 'Cuse also won the 1965 matchup at Shea Stadium, 51-13.
3. Downstate Success
Syracuse has made the greater New York City area its second home in the more than 130 years of program history. This will be the 39th 'Cuse football game played in a pro venue in the greater New York area. Syracuse is 20-16-2 (.552) in those contests.
They include a 7-3 mark at Yankee Stadium, 1-0 record at Shea Stadium, 15 games (7-6-2 at the Polo Grounds, a 5-3 mark at Giants Stadium and four contests (0-4) at MetLife Stadium.
4. Wax On
Marlowe Wax moved into seventh place in program history for career tackles for loss in Friday's game against Boston College. His career total increased to 34.5 with two more against the Eagles.
Orange legend Dwight Freeney (50.0) has the school record by nine, but Wax – who has another year of eligibility remaining – is on pace to challenge the mark should he opt to forgo the NFL for another season.
Wax can continue to climb the ranks this season. He needs just three more to tie Dyshawn Davis for sixth. He's 3.5 behind Louis Gachelin for fifth and four behind Arthur Jones (38.5) for fourth. Only Duke Pettijohn (40.0), Marquis Spruill (41.0) and Freeney (50.0) have topped more than 40 in their career.
5. Under Center
QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson got his second collegiate start last time out vs. BC in place of an injured Garrett Shrader. If Del Rio-Wilson gets the starting nod again on Saturday – head coach Dino Babers said on Monday that both QBs (Shrader and Del Rio-Wilson) needed to be evaluated by the medical staff and status would not be announced – two of his three collegiate starts will have come vs. Pitt.
Del Rio-Wilson threw for 120 yards at Acrisure Stadium in his first collegiate start last season.
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