Pitt Wins Squeaker Over Syracuse, 17-16

Last week, Pitt’s special teams cost them a game against North Carolina by giving up two punt return touchdowns. This week, it was just the opposite as Pitt’s special teams helped Pitt to a 1 point win over Syracuse today, 17-16.

Led by All-America candidate, Aaron Donald, Pitt held Syracuse over the final 4:39 of the game and eeked out a win in upstate NY. As it turned out, Donald’s block of a Syracuse extra point on a 1st Quarter TD run by Jerome Smith was the difference in the ball game.

Syracuse amassed 146 yards rushing, including 86 yards by Jerome Smith on 16 carries. Smith broke the scoring open on a 36 yard TD scamper at the 12:07 mark of the 1st Quarter to give the Orange the 6-0 lead (Donald blocked the extra point) over Pitt.

Pitt answered with a 19 play, 51 yard drive of their own finished by Chris Blewitt’s 43 yard field goal to keep Pitt within 3 by the score of 6-3 in the 2nd Quarter.

Pitt QB Tom Savage, meanwhile, was 28 for 41 and 218 yards passing with 1 TD and 1 INT. His touchdown pass to TE Manesseh Garner gave Pitt the 10-6 with 3:06 left in the first half.

Following a series of defensive stops, Pitt had the chance to get the ball back with less than 2 minutes left in the first half to try and extend the lead. That’s when Pitt PR Kevin Weatherspoon fumbled a punt return. A few plays later, Syracuse kicker Ryan Norton kicked a 41 yard field goal to close the half. Pitt led 10-9 at that point.

In the 2nd half, Syracuse came out strong and held Pitt on consecutive series. Orange QB Terrell Hunt, who finished the day 15 for 23 and 123 yards passing, then threw a 42 yard TD bomb to Alvin Cornelius to put Syracuse back on top, 16-10 at the 6:25 mark of the 3rd Quarter.

Pitt answered with a 9 play, 88 yard drive capped by a 5 yard TD run by Issac Bennett to give Pitt what turned out to be the decisive lead, 17-16.

In the game’s waning moments, Syracuse faced 4th down and 8 from the Pitt 35. The Orange then lined up Norton to presumably kick a 53 yard FG. Instead, the play call was a fake and would have clearly been a TD pass from the place holder. Fortunately for Pitt, head coach Paul Chryst managed to call timeout and set the defense. It may have been his greatest call all season long.

With the win, Pitt (6-5 overall, 3-4 in the ACC) has now become bowl-eligible for the 6th straight season. The Panthers close out the season with a home game next Friday, November 29th against Miami (8-3 overall, 4-3 in the ACC), who defeated Virginia earlier in the day 45-26.