5 Things to Know: Syracuse at Pitt
10/22/2024 8:43:00 AM | Football
The Syracuse football team heads to Pittsburgh on Thursday night for an ACC showdown against the No. 19 Panthers. Here's five things to know about the matchup.
1. Most Frequent Rival
'Cuse and Pitt will meet for the 80th time on Thursday. The Panthers are the Orange's most frequent opponent in program history, in a series that dates back to 1916.
The two teams have met annually since 1955. Penn State (71), Colgate (68) and West Virginia (61) are the only three other programs that SU has matched up with 60 times or more.
2. Another Ranked Test
The Panthers, who check in at No. 19 and 20 in the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively, mark the third ranked squad Syracuse has faced this season at the time of their meeting. Having already defeated then No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 25 UNLV, 'Cuse is seeking its third ranked win of the 2024 campaign.
Syracuse has not defeated three ranked teams in a single season since 1998. It'll also be the second road game against a ranked squad. If the Orange are able to leave Acrisure Stadium with a victory – something that SU hasn't managed since 2001 – it'll mark the first season since 1992 that SU will come away with multiple ranked road victories.
3. End of the Road
Syracuse has been away from the JMA Wireless Dome since Sept. 28 and that three-game (plus a bye) road swing will conclude on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The Orange are looking to move to 3-0 in road games this season. It'd be the first time since 2010 that 'Cuse won three straight away from the Dome in the regular season. That 2010 squad managed four-straight road victories in a six-game span, winning at USF, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Rutgers.
The 35-day stretch without a home game will conclude on Nov. 2 when Virginia Tech visits the Dome. Secure your seats for the first home game in over a month at Cuse.com/Tickets.There's also a mini-plan available, where fans can get tickets to both the Virginia Tech and UConn games for a special price. Click here to take advantage of that deal!
4. McCord Making Moves
QB Kyle McCord has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his first six starts at Syracuse, tying the program record for 300+ yard games in a single season. He is rising rapidly on a number of Orange record lists.
His 19 touchdown passes tie for sixth in a single season in school history with Tommy DeVito (2019), Ryan Nassib (2010) and Donovan McNabb (1996). His next TD pass will tie McNabb's 1997 campaign for fifth. Don McPherson (1987), McNabb (1998) and Nassib (2011) are all tied for second with 22. Nassib's 2012 season is the program record with 26.
McCord is also on pace to shatter the single-season passing record. He's got a 62.3 yard cushion in the yards-per-game category. He needs 1,589 yards (264.8 avg. per game) over the final six games to tie Ryan Nassib's 2012 season mark of 3,749.
5. Spread Offense
McCord's favorite target has been whoever is open through the first six weeks, and everyone is getting theirs. Syracuse is currently the only school in the country with three wide receivers averaging 70+ yards per game. That equates to three of the top-63 players in the country in the statistic all playing at SU.
Jackson Meeks leads the way (76.5), followed by Trebor Pena (76.3) and Oronde Gadsden II (72.2).
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1. Most Frequent Rival
'Cuse and Pitt will meet for the 80th time on Thursday. The Panthers are the Orange's most frequent opponent in program history, in a series that dates back to 1916.
The two teams have met annually since 1955. Penn State (71), Colgate (68) and West Virginia (61) are the only three other programs that SU has matched up with 60 times or more.
2. Another Ranked Test
The Panthers, who check in at No. 19 and 20 in the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll, respectively, mark the third ranked squad Syracuse has faced this season at the time of their meeting. Having already defeated then No. 22 Georgia Tech and No. 25 UNLV, 'Cuse is seeking its third ranked win of the 2024 campaign.
Syracuse has not defeated three ranked teams in a single season since 1998. It'll also be the second road game against a ranked squad. If the Orange are able to leave Acrisure Stadium with a victory – something that SU hasn't managed since 2001 – it'll mark the first season since 1992 that SU will come away with multiple ranked road victories.
3. End of the Road
Syracuse has been away from the JMA Wireless Dome since Sept. 28 and that three-game (plus a bye) road swing will conclude on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The Orange are looking to move to 3-0 in road games this season. It'd be the first time since 2010 that 'Cuse won three straight away from the Dome in the regular season. That 2010 squad managed four-straight road victories in a six-game span, winning at USF, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Rutgers.
The 35-day stretch without a home game will conclude on Nov. 2 when Virginia Tech visits the Dome. Secure your seats for the first home game in over a month at Cuse.com/Tickets.There's also a mini-plan available, where fans can get tickets to both the Virginia Tech and UConn games for a special price. Click here to take advantage of that deal!
4. McCord Making Moves
QB Kyle McCord has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his first six starts at Syracuse, tying the program record for 300+ yard games in a single season. He is rising rapidly on a number of Orange record lists.
His 19 touchdown passes tie for sixth in a single season in school history with Tommy DeVito (2019), Ryan Nassib (2010) and Donovan McNabb (1996). His next TD pass will tie McNabb's 1997 campaign for fifth. Don McPherson (1987), McNabb (1998) and Nassib (2011) are all tied for second with 22. Nassib's 2012 season is the program record with 26.
McCord is also on pace to shatter the single-season passing record. He's got a 62.3 yard cushion in the yards-per-game category. He needs 1,589 yards (264.8 avg. per game) over the final six games to tie Ryan Nassib's 2012 season mark of 3,749.
5. Spread Offense
McCord's favorite target has been whoever is open through the first six weeks, and everyone is getting theirs. Syracuse is currently the only school in the country with three wide receivers averaging 70+ yards per game. That equates to three of the top-63 players in the country in the statistic all playing at SU.
Jackson Meeks leads the way (76.5), followed by Trebor Pena (76.3) and Oronde Gadsden II (72.2).
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