College football: Pitt at Syracuse
Preview capsule
Trending
Saturday: 7:30 p.m.
Records: Pitt (4-2, 2-1 ACC); Syracuse (3-3, 2-1 ACC)
TV: ACC Network
Radio: WBFD-FM 98.7; The Fan 93.7-FM
Satellite radio: Channel 371
The betting line: The Panthers are 10.5-point favorites
Last week: Pitt beat Florida St., 34-31. Syracuse lost 31-18 at SMU.
Notes: Pitt lost starting quarterback Steve Angeli to injury, along with his 1,317 yards passing, 10 touchdown passes and only two picks. The new QB is Rickie Collins, who in limited time has three TD passes and five picks. ... The Orange's top rusher is Yasin Willis, but he has rushed for only 337 yards. Teammate Will Nixon has totaled 210 on the ground. ... The top target for Collins is Johntay Cook who has 390 yards receiving on 31 receptions and two scores. ... Pitt true freshman QB Mason Heintschel has topped 320 yards passing in both of his starts, completing 733 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and just two picks. ... In his return to the lineup, Pitt running back/receiver Desmond Reid totaled 200 yards from scrimmage, 155 receiving and 45 rushing, along with two scores against the Seminoles. True freshman Ja'Kyrian Turner also scored two touchdowns in the win. ...Linebacker Kyle Louis posted 11 tackles, 1.5 for loss, in the win for Pitt. ...Pitt and Syracuse have played very year since 1955. Pitt has won 19 of the last 23 games, including last year's 41-13 victory at home.
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi (On Syracuse coach Fran Brown): "I think he's an outstanding coach. You see his toughness ... Fran Brown is a tough dude and their team plays tough all the time. They play with great effort. They've got a good football team, and they've got weapons and they've got good schemes."
(On Heintschel's 2-0 start): "He's a competitor. He does a great job leading the offense. He wasn't shaken by the road, he wasn't shaken by throwing a pick, wasn't shaken by throwing a second pick. He continues to come back."
(On the firings of James Franklin at PSU): "James Franklin is a great coach. It's the business we're in. I've got a lot of respect for him. I'm more focused on Fran Brown and the Syracuse Orange and the challenge we have this weekend. I am just worrying about winning football games here so it doesn't happen to me. My job is to take care of my job, stay in my lane."