Syracuse’s Thursday night trip to Acrisure Stadium turned into another second-half unraveling, and this one came with all the familiar pain points: quarterback turnovers, missed kicks and a defense that couldn’t slow Pittsburgh’s ground game in a 27-13 loss.
The Orange actually had a chance to settle in after a rocky start. Early on, Syracuse was pushed backward by back-to-back pre-snap penalties that left it pinned near its own goal line, and Pitt cashed in on the opening score. Then came the special teams shakeup: Tripp Woody missed a 29-yard field goal and was immediately benched in favor of true freshman Shay Barker.
Before halftime, Syracuse found a brief spark. Davien Kerr picked off Mason Heintschel, and Barker turned that takeaway into points by drilling a 40-yard field goal as the half expired, trimming the Panthers’ lead to 17-10.
That was about as good as it got for the Orange.
The fourth quarter delivered the collapse. With Syracuse down 24-10, Steve Angeli threw an interception in the first minute of the final period deep in Pitt territory.
The defense forced a punt, but three plays later Angeli was picked off again, this time by Braylan Lovelace. Pitt answered with a field goal to go up 27-10, and Fran Brown then turned to backup Amari Odom.
Odom’s lone series was Syracuse’s best offensive possession of the second half. He guided an 11-play, 71-yard march that ended with Barker’s 30-yard field goal, bringing the final to 27-13.
The quarterback issue is now impossible to ignore. Five days after a three-interception fourth quarter against California, Angeli again lost control when the game tightened.
He completed just one pass in the third quarter and then gave away the ball twice in the fourth. Odom, by contrast, looked composed on his single drive, stepping up in the pocket and moving the offense.
The bigger picture was just as bleak. Syracuse was hammered on the ground, allowing 245 rushing yards to Pittsburgh. Damon Ferguson Jr. led the charge with 106 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, La’Vell Wright added 77 yards and a score, and Heintschel chipped in 41 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The Orange also buried themselves with penalties, finishing with 10 for 94 yards. That pushed their season total to 37 penalties in only three games. Between the flags, the missed opportunities and the inability to stop the run, Syracuse never gave itself a real shot at stealing the road win.
There were a few bright spots. Miller was Syracuse’s most reliable offensive runner, finishing with 80 hard-earned yards on 13 carries. Barker also handled the pressure after Woody’s benching, connecting on both of his kicks and accounting for seven of Syracuse’s points.
Still, the night ended with two veteran starters benched on national television after costing the Orange valuable points. Angeli’s second-half turnovers now total five over a five-day span, and Woody’s missed chip shot ended his night early. More than anything, the penalty problem remains glaring: 10 more flags, 37 in three weeks, and a mess that has to get cleaned up fast.
Syracuse is now 1-2 and has an extended mini-bye before heading to East Hartford to play UConn on Saturday, October 3. Over the next two weeks, Fran Brown and his staff have to sort out the quarterback situation between Angeli and Odom, settle on Barker as the kicker, shore up the run defense and get the penalty count under control.
In Other News...
Syracuse May Lose A Key Transfer Before He Ever Plays
Amarri Monroes Syracuse debut is suddenly tied up in a legal fight that could determine whether he gets to play a fifth college basketball season at all. A hearing was held over Monroes eligibility under the NCAAs new 5-in-5 rule, with State Supreme Court Justice Jean Marie Westlake pressing the NCAAs lawyer on how the policy should apply in his case while Monroes attorneys pushed for a preliminary injunction to keep him eligible as the matter moves forward.
For Syracuse, it is the kind of off-court uncertainty that can reshape roster plans before a player ever gets into a game. Monroe arrived with the expectation of helping next season, but the question now is whether the Orange will have him available when it matters. A written decision on his eligibility is expected soon, and until then the situation hangs over both Monroe and Syracuses plans for the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Pitts Breakout QB Carries A Personal Story Into Syracuse Matchup
Mason Heintschels rise has been one of the more striking storylines in college football this season, with the Clay High School product from Oregon, Ohio, stepping in as Pittsburghs starting quarterback and quickly turning into a national name. In 12 games, he has topped 3,000 passing yards and thrown 23 touchdowns, production that has helped put the Panthers in the spotlight while also cementing his place in the programs record book.
There is also a personal layer to his success that travels with him every week. Heintschel wears his middle school football number on his cleats in honor of his late friend Lukas Mason, who died in 2020, and that detail adds another reason Syracuse will be seeing a quarterback playing with more than just a hot hand when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads To Pitt With No Margin For Another Sloppy Night
The loss to Cal was the kind of night Syracuse cannot afford to repeat, a muddled 21-18 setback that mixed turnovers, missed chances and too many self-inflicted mistakes. Steve Angelis three interceptions and Tripp Woodys two missed field goals told part of the story, but the 15 penalties for 132 yards made the bigger point clear: the Orange spent too much of the game beating themselves.
Pitt is next, and the timing could hardly be less forgiving for a Syracuse team already trying to steady itself amid recent struggles and injuries. Recent matchups have gone Pitts way, and with the margin for error shrinking fast, Syracuse has to clean up the sloppiness before the trip turns into another night of frustration. [Read more 🡒]