In front of a lively home crowd on Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Panthers extended their perfect start to the season, defeating the Syracuse Orange 27-13. The win marks the Panthers’ third straight victory and their first conference triumph, moving them to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the ACC.
Ground game carries the day
Despite missing injured starting running back Boosier Turner, Pittsburgh leaned on its rushing attack, amassing 245 yards on the ground. Freshman running back Damon Ferguson Jr. sparked the offense with a 32‑yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, giving the Panthers a 14‑point lead. Ferguson finished with 102 rushing yards, while teammate La’Vell Wright added 81 yards on the ground.
“He’s that guy,” linebacker Braylon Lovelace said of Ferguson. “He’s a young guy, but it don’t matter what age you are at this level. If you’re a dog, you’re a dog.” The Panthers nearly doubled their season‑average of 3.6 yards per carry in this game, showcasing a more explosive running performance.
Quarterback dual threat
Sophomore quarterback Justin Cook contributed both through the air and on the ground. He completed 10 of 23 passes for 123 yards and a turnover, but added 41 rushing yards, including a 9‑yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter. Cook joked that his spin move felt like “slow motion” but emphasized the need to improve his passing to become a true dual‑threat quarterback.
Defensive dominance and penalties
Syracuse struggled with discipline, committing nine penalties for 90 yards, the most in the nation at the time. A pass‑interference call in the second quarter led to head coach Fran Brown receiving an unsportsmanlike‑conduct penalty after protesting. Two plays later, Ferguson broke free for a long touchdown run, extending Pittsburgh’s lead.
Orange quarterback Steve Angeli was replaced by Amari Odom in the fourth quarter after throwing consecutive interceptions. Odom completed all seven of his attempts, helping seal the victory for the Panthers.
Narduzzi reaches a milestone
Pat Narduzzi, 60, celebrated his 144th game as Pitt’s head coach, moving past legendary Jock Sutherland on the all‑time games‑coached list. During post‑game remarks, Narduzzi shared a passage from Elbert Hubbard’s “Loyalty Pledge,” a favorite of his late father, longtime coach Bill Narduzzi. “My dad was big on loyalty, and I guess I inherited that from him,” he said.
Looking ahead
With the Panthers now unbeaten, the next challenge comes on September 28 when they host Bucknell. Syracuse will travel to face UConn on October 3, hoping to rebound after a tough start to ACC play.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
