Game Week: Pitt Welcomes Syracuse to Heinz Field for Homecoming

Game Notes (PDF): Pitt vs. Syracuse

PITT (2-3, 1-1 ACC) vs. SYRACUSE (4-1, 1-1 ACC)
October 6, 2018 • 12:20 p.m., ET
Heinz Field (68,400/Natural Grass) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
Raycom (WTAE-TV) • Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network

Game Storylines
• Following a two-game road trip, Pitt returns home and will host longtime eastern foe Syracuse. Both teams are looking to get back on the winning track following defeats last week.

• The Panthers are looking to snap a two-game losing skid following defeats at UCF and North Carolina. Syracuse suffered its first loss of the season, a last-minute setback at Clemson last week.

• Pitt and Syracuse have played every year since 1955, when both schools were independents. Pitt has won 13 of the past 16 games in the series but dropped last year's encounter, 27-24.

• Tight games are commonplace between Pitt and Syracuse. Four of the past six games have been decided by three points or less.

• Pitt is 22-11 against Syracuse in Pittsburgh. That record includes a 7-1 mark at Heinz Field. The Orange's only victory at Heinz came in the stadium's inaugural season, a 42-10 decision in 2001.

• Third-year Syracuse head coach Dino Babers is very familiar with Pitt and Pittsburgh. During the 2003 season, Babers served as running backs coach under Panthers head coach Walt Harris.

• Syracuse leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally in turnovers gained with 12. The Orange are plus-8 in turnover margin for the season (12 gained, four lost). Pitt, in contrast, is minus-1 on the year (seven gained, eight lost).

• Pitt has proven capable of big plays in the return game. The Panthers have scored touchdowns on a kickoff return (Maurice Ffrench) and punt return (Rafael Araujo-Lopes). Pitt is the only team in the ACC to score TDs on both a kickoff and punt this season.

• Five Pitt opponents appear in this week's Top 25 polls: Notre Dame (No. 6 Associated Press/No. 7 USA Today Coaches Poll), Penn State (No. 11/11), UCF (No. 12/13), Miami (No. 17/17) and Virginia Tech (No. 24/No. 23).

Series in Brief
Series Began: 1916
Series Overall: Pitt leads 38-32-3
ACC Series: Pitt leads 4-1
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 22-11
At Syracuse: SU leads 19-16-3
At Neutral Sites: SU leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 7, 2017 (Syracuse 27, Pitt 24)
Last Meeting at Pitt: Nov. 26, 2016 (Pitt 76, Syracuse 61)
Current Series Win Streak: Syracuse has won one (2017)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 11 games (1973-83)
Longest SU Series Win Streak: 11 games (1991-2001)
Largest Pitt Margin of Victory: 38 points (38-0, 1975)
Largest SU Margin of Victory: 48 points (55-7, 1996)

Broadcast Information
Television • Raycom (WTAE-TV, Channel 4, in Pittsburgh)
Tom Werme (play-by-play), Dave Archer (analyst), Lericia Harris (reporter)

Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Pat Bostick (analyst), Larry Richert (reporter)

SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius Channel 98, XM Channel 194, Internet Channel 956

WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM
Pitt IMG Sports Network Online Audio Options
PittsburghPanthers.com
Pitt Panthers Gameday App
TuneIn (free live and on-demand content)

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Game Week: Pitt Welcomes Syracuse to Heinz Field for Homecoming

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Players Mentioned

Rafael Araujo-Lopes

Maurice Ffrench