Postgame Notes at Pittsburgh - Syracuse University Athletics

Syracuse (0-2, 0-1 ACC) at #25/rv Pittsburgh (2-0, 1-0 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020
Postgame Notes

Pittsburgh 21, Syracuse 10

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Junior WR Taj Harris hauled in a 69-yard touchdown pass from redshirt senior QB Rex Culpepper with 10:33 left in the second quarter. Culpepper’s toss came two plays after he replaced redshirt junior Tommy DeVito, who was injured. The score put the Orange ahead, 10-7.
Freshman RB Sean Tucker had his first collegiate carries against Pitt. He finished with four carries for 24 yards.
DeVito, who returned to action in the third quarter, saw his school-record streak of passes thrown without an interception ended at 212. Pittsburgh’s Paris Ford came up with the pick with 4:39 left in the third.
DeVito’s most recent intercepted pass came against Holy Cross on Sept. 28, 2019.
Redshirt freshman RB Jawhar Jordan had a personal best 40 yards. He ran 13 times.
Redshirt freshman WR Courtney Jackson had a career-best three catches for 15 yards.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Freshman S Ja’Had Carter led the Orange with a personal-best nine total tackles. He had seven solo stops.
Junior CB Trill Williams and junior S Andre Cisco each had eight total tackles.
Sophomore linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku had seven total tackles, including two for losses.
Sophomore LB Mikel Jones had a turnover for the second Saturday in a row. He recovered a first-quarter fumble at the Pitt 14.
Jones added an interception in the third quarter to halt a Pitt drive in Syracuse territory. His 12-yard return gave the Orange possession at the 30-yard line.
Freshman LB Stefon Thompson had the first quarterback sack of his career. He dropped Pitt’s QB Kenny Pickett for a four-yard loss.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

Redshirt junior Andre Szmyt opened the game’s scoring with a 26-yard field goal.
Szmyt’s first 3-pointer was the 50^th of his collegiate career and moved him into fourth on the Syracuse all-time list. Cole Murphy (2014-17) has the school record with 59.
Redshirt senior Nolan Cooney had a successful afternoon punting the ball. He kicked six times for a 43.8-yard average.

MISCELLANEOUS

Pittsburgh kicker Alex Kassman missed two field goals – 37 and 45 yards. The Panthers also botched a 3-point attempt at the end of the first half which resulted in a loss of nine yards.
Pittsburgh ran 80 plays to Syracuse’s 58. The Panthers outgained the Orange, 342-171.

SPIRIT OF ‘76

The game marked the 76^th meeting between Syracuse and Pitt on the gridiron.
The Panthers are the most familiar foe in Orange football history.
The two programs have squared off in 65 straight seasons.

FIRST-TIME STARTERS
Defense

Ja’Had Carter (S)

GAME CAPTAIN

Airon Servais (LT)

COIN TOSS

Pittsburgh won the coin toss and deferred. Syracuse received the opening kickoff.

NEXT GAME

Syracuse hosts Georgia Tech in its home opener on Saturday, September 26. Kickoff is at 12 noon.