Pitt dominates Syracuse 30-13 for third straight win – Winnipeg Free Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback Mason Heinchel scored once, Kenny Johnson returned a punt 66 yards for another, Trey Butkowski made three field goals and Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 30-13 on Saturday night.

Pitt (5-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its third straight with true freshman Heintschel, while the Orange (3-4, 1-3) lost their third straight, all with LSU transfer Ricky Collins as their starting quarterback after Steve Angeli's season-ending injury.

With the win, Pitt continued its dominance over the Orange. Pitt has won seven of eight and 20 of the last 24 games of the series played since 1955.

Pitt and Syracuse struggled offensively, combining for 28 first downs and 472 yards. The teams scored a total of 25 penalties.

Heinchel was 13 of 24 passing for 143 yards with one pick and was sacked seven times. Ja'Kierian Turner rushed for 42 yards for the Panthers.

Collins was 16 of 32 passing for 126 yards and threw two touchdown passes, but had three interceptions remaining while having a team-leading 37 yards on the ground. Jontay Cook had seven receptions for 66 yards for the Orange.

Each team took advantage of the quarterback's mistakes in the first half. After an interception by Pitt defensive end Tamon Linum, Heintschel ran the ball untouched and gained 36 yards for the first points of the game.

Late in the first quarter, Syracuse guard Davien Kerr deflected Heinshel's pass and returned it to the Pitt 12. Two plays later, Collins hit Darrell Gill Jr. for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7.

After that it was all Pitt.

Pitt delivered the knockout blow to end the inning. After a three-and-out, Johnson returned Jack Stonehouse's punt 66 yards to go with just two seconds remaining, giving the Panthers a 17-7 lead at intermission.

Syracuse continued to struggle with Collins at the quarterback position. The fall of Pitt guard Javon McIntyre prevented it from getting the fourth pick. Freshman Luke Carney replaced Collins for two drives in the third quarter before Collins returned.

The Orange managed just 74 yards of offense and five first downs in the first 30 minutes, with just 14 yards on the ground on 12 attempts against a Pitt defense that stepped in by allowing fewer yards per rush than any team in the country at 2.16 yards per carry.

The Orange also went three-and-out six times.

Conclusion

Pitt: The Panthers did enough to win their third in a row, but came up short. The offense was blocked for much of the night and Heinchel struggled to defend.

Syracuse: A misguided offense has the Orange spinning their season out of control, with three of their next four games coming on the road against ranked opponents, including next Saturday's 7-0 loss at Georgia Tech.

Next

Pitt: Home against NC State on Saturday.

Syracuse: Travels to No. 12 Georgia Tech on Saturday.

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