PITTSBURGH, PA — Syracuse football hadn’t beaten the Pitt Panthers in Pittsburgh since 2001.
That losing streak continued Thursday night, as penalties and turnovers, much like the Cal loss, continued to plague the Orange.
Some calls were questionable, including the Demetres Samuel Jr. pass interference extending the Panthers’ second touchdown drive.
But notching double-digit penalties in the first three games starts to become a trend. Syracuse entered Pittsburgh leading the country in that category, which will extend after adding 10 more on Thursday.
“There’s a lot of judgment calls,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “When we jump offsides, that’s a call. When that happens, you have to be able to hold your water. When it comes to other calls, mistakes are going to happen.”
The Orange couldn’t stop the run, illustrated by the Panthers nearly doubling their ground attack behind La’Vell Wright and Damon Ferguson Jr. Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel barely lifted a finger, coasting to victory despite going 10-of-23 for 123 yards and one interception.
On the other end, Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli went 13-of-25 for 161 yards and two interceptions. Brown replaced him with Amari Odom in the final minutes, which could possibly be the direction moving forward.
“It was the coach’s decision, he’s trying to do what’s best for the team,” Angeli said.
The Orange’s success this season relies on Angeli’s production, but consecutive struggles may create some uncertainty for now.
Syracuse has more than two weeks before their next contest, where they travel to play UConn on Oct. 3.