Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse football returns from its bye week Saturday night for its Homecoming game against Pittsburgh (4-2, 2-1 ACC).
The Orange (3-3, 1-2) is aiming to avoid a three-game losing streak while the Panthers have gotten hot.
Last year’s game at Pitt didn’t go well for Syracuse, and a win Saturday would go a long way in restoring confidence in the locker room. It would also allow the Orange to move closer to the top half of the ACC standings heading into a stretch of games against three ranked opponents.
In a season that has been unlike Fran Brown’s 2024 debut, Syracuse’s back is against the wall in the second half of the year.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, here are 10 things to know.
Rickie’s problem
The first step to solving an issue is admitting that one exists. For two weeks, it was nearly a consensus that Rickie Collins had a problem with staring down his receivers.
Collins, Brown and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon refused to admit the problem existed after the Orange’s 38-3 loss to Duke. It wasn’t until after Syracuse’s loss to Southern Methodist that the Orange began facing the music.
Sophomore running back Yasin Willis said after that game that Collins was, at times, too quick to make his decisions. After Tuesday’s practice, Collins himself said he has an issue.
“I need to do better, obviously, relaxing my eyes,” Collins said. “At times, I may get locked onto something. But that’s what I did over the bye week, attacked that approach and being able to see and have good eyes.”
Collins has three touchdowns to five interceptions this season while completing just 55.2% of his passes. His percentage of turnover-worthy plays stands at 7.5%, according to Pro Football Focus, the highest of any quarterback in the FBS with at least 60 snaps played.
Pitt forced five of Kyle McCord’s 12 interceptions last year. If Collins hasn’t fixed his staring problem, Pat Narduzzi’s defense could have another field day against the Orange.
Another running back to handle
Running backs have had fun with Syracuse’s defense this season.
It started with Tennessee having two 80-yard rushers. Then Connecticut had two 70-yard rushers. Then Clemson’s Adam Randall ran for 130 yards on 8.1 yards per carry. Then Duke’s Nate Sheppard went for 168 and two touchdowns on 11.2 yards per carry.
Now, Syracuse has to deal with Desmond Reid, one of the best all-purpose backs in the country. Reid had 1,545 all-purpose yards and nine total touchdowns last season. He had 155 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns last week in addition to his rushing contributions.
Syracuse ranks tied with Ole Miss for 95th in the FBS in rushing defense. Once again, the key to an Orange victory will be fixing its worst defensive issue.
Retention of services
Brown was clearly displeased with defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson’s first-half play calling in the 31-18 loss at SMU on Oct. 4.
It came one week after Brown challenged offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon to feed running back Yasin Willis more for the second time this season.
In Robinson’s case, Brown claimed he made it clear which plays he wanted called, and Robinson didn’t properly execute those calls until the second half.
Brown was asked about his frustrations with his coordinators on Monday and said play-calling responsibilities will remain with Nixon and Robinson.
“We’re going to let those guys continue to do it,” Brown said. “They understand my vision now and see exactly what we’re looking for. We should be fine.”
Is Luke Carney ready?
Brown once said that Syracuse will always have two or three quarterbacks that are ready to win games for the Orange.
The No. 2 quarterback now is Carney, the dual-threat true freshman from Texas.
Collins’s struggles have led to some fans calling for Carney. But, as Brown said Monday, Collins is still the starter.
Syracuse is playing a team Saturday that benched its opening-day starter for a true freshman. It’s enough to ponder whether Carney is ready to play or not.
Carney said Tuesday night he and Nixon have had discussions about which plays he feels the most comfortable running, saying he feels the two are on the same page. He also feels ready to play if needed.
“I feel confident with what I’ve been able to show in practice,” Carney said. “And the things I’m able to do as far as throwing the ball and moving around with my legs.”
Carney has played one snap this season, scoring a rushing touchdown vs. Colgate in relief of Collins. Before that, Carney started 55 consecutive games and won four state titles at Dallas Christian.
Syracuse has found success in one true freshman from Texas with Byron Washington. If it comes to it, the Orange will need Carney to produce in a similar fashion and join Washington, along with Demetres Samuel Jr. and Antoine Deslauriers as the key players of Syracuse’s 2025 recruiting class.
Who is this kid?
Eli Holstein transferred from Alabama and looked like the next big thing in the ACC last season. The quarterback won seven straight games to begin the 2024 campaign as a redshirt freshman. He has gone 3-5 since.
Now, true freshman Mason Heintschel is the man in Pittsburgh and has rejuvenated the Panthers. Through three games, he has six touchdowns to two interceptions while completing 73% of his passes.
The difference for Pitt has been the explosiveness Heintschel has provided. He’s averaging 12.6 yards per completion and his 9.2 yards per attempt would rank 15th in FBS if he qualified to be listed among the national leaders.
Without a consistent pass rush, Syracuse’s secondary will have its hands full Saturday.
What the numbers say
The Panthers are Syracuse’s most frequent opponent, as Saturday will be the 81st time these teams play each other.
Pitt has won 44 of those games and three were ties. The Panthers are 20-19-3 in Syracuse, but the Orange holds an 11-10-1 advantage in the dome.
Syracuse has allowed an average of 34.5 points in its last two games while Pitt has scored an average of 41 in its last two. Syracuse is averaging just 10.5 points per game in that span.
Along with that 30.5-point difference, the losing team in this series has been held to exactly 13 points in their last two meetings.
Now, Syracuse will be looking to avoid two different losing streaks.
Not only has the Orange lost its last two games, but Syracuse was 0-2 after bye weeks last season.
A loss Saturday would mean an extension of both skids.
Washington will be out for Syracuse after earning his way into a timeshare of snaps with right guard Joe Cruz.
Wide receiver Justus Ross-Simmons, who left the SMU loss with an ankle sprain and was using crutches, is listed as questionable to play.
Freshman wide receiver Darius Johnson is also questionable to make his college debut. He posted a picture of himself in practice on his Instagram story Monday, writing “Lord I thank you for a healthy & speedy recovery.”
Thursday’s availability report also listed offensive linemen TJ Ferguson and Trevion Mack, along with linebacker Gary Bryant III as questionable. Bryant spoke to reporters Tuesday, which serves as a positive sign considering Syracuse doesn’t make inactive players available to reporters.
Defensive backs Demetres Samuel Jr., Chris Peal and Devin Grant are listed as probable. Joining them are defensive linemen Denis Jaquez Jr. and Kevin Jobity Jr., along with wide receiver Johntay Cook II and tight end Dan Villari.
Fifth-year wide receiver Umari Hatcher is not listed on the availability report. He posted a photo earlier this week indicating he was in Virginia near his hometown of Woodbridge. A team spokesman did not respond when asked about Hatcher’s status with the team.
Hatcher, who suffered a serious lower-leg injury against Connecticut near the end of last season, had appeared in the Orange’s win against Colgate earlier this season. He started six games in the 2024 season.
How to watch
Pitt vs. Syracuse will air at 7:30 p.m., Saturday on ACC Network, which you can stream on DirecTV (free trial).
Live stream: DirecTV (free trial), fuboTV (free trial), Hulu + Live TV, Sling
Odds
The latest betting lines for Saturday’s game are as follows:
- Spread: Pitt favored at -10.5
- Total (Over/Under): 54.5
- Moneyline Odds: Syracuse +340, Pitt -450
The odds and lines presented in this article are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.
Fans can find even value with the promos from DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, and BetMGM, though neither New York nor South Carolina permits in-state college sports betting.
Please note that in New York, you cannot bet on in-state college teams. This applies to both home and road games. However, you can bet on college teams from schools located outside of the state.
BRENT AXE: Pitt 36, Syracuse 24
CHRIS CARLSON: Pitt 31, Syracuse 17
JAVON EDMONDS: Pitt 34, Syracuse 13
NATE MINK: Pitt 48, Syracuse 20
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