Panthers hope to break Carrier Dome losing streak
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) – When Pittsburgh visits the Carrier Dome on Saturday, the Panthers will be trying to forget the recent – and the not so recent – past against Syracuse. Good luck!
The Orangemen (1-3) have beaten Pitt (4-1) 11 straight times, and the Panthers have not won in the Carrier Dome in 20 years.
“That happened in the past and you cannot worry about that,” Pitt coach Walt Harris said. “We need to concentrate on this football team, this group of guys and their chemistry.”
The game marks the Big East opener for Syracuse, and that provides the Orangemen with an important chance to resuscitate their fading hopes of a winning season. They are desperate for a win – their only victory came against Rhode Island, a Division I-AA team.
“If you could find a silver lining in being 1-3, it’s the fact that none of these games have been conference games,” said Syracuse backup quarterback Troy Nunes, who grew up in Butler, Pa., and has had three of his best games against Pitt. “Not that we’re excited about being 1-3, but we’re excited to start the conference season, and we know right now that we have no losses in the conference.
“I think the guys on the team are excited that as poorly as we played in the beginning of the year that we look like we’re getting better,” Nunes said. “And we look like we’re getting better at the right time.”
Not according to the season’s statistics. Syracuse enters the game with a defense that’s ranked 114th in the nation, better than only three others in Division I-A. The Orangemen are allowing 499.5 yards per game and rank 111th in pass defense (281 ypg) and 105th in run defense (218.5 ypg).
Pitt, which is averaging 25 points per game, certainly will present plenty of obstacles for Syracuse. The Panthers, who beat Rutgers two weeks ago in their lone conference game to date, have won three straight and 10 of their last 11 dating back to last season.
More importantly, Pitt ranks among the top 30 teams in eight defensive categories, including turnovers gained (tied for fifth with 17), interceptions (tied for sixth with nine), fumbles recovered (tied for 12th with eight), and total defense (16th with a 279-yard average).
“They’re a very formidable team,” Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni said. “Pitt gets an awful lot done on offense. I’m not going to say Pitt’s game is living off their defense. They make an awful lot of plays on offense. They score an awful lot of points. That’s all I’m looking at.”