SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback Mason Heintschel ran for one score, Kenny Johnson returned a punt 66 yards for another, Trey Butkowski kicked 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) dropped their third straight, all with LSU transfer Rickie Collins as the starter quarterback following a season-ending injury to Steve Angeli.
With the win, Pitt continued its dominance over the Orange. Pitt has won seven of eight and 20 of the last 24 games in the series that has been played since 1955.
Pitt and Syracuse struggled on offense, combining for 28 first downs and 472 yards. The teams combined for 25 penalties.
"Our kids weren't very excited after they came to the locker room. I had to get them going. I had to do a dance just to get them fired up because it's hard to win on the road," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said.
But Narduzzi acknowledged his team "did not play as well as we needed to play."
"I think we sputtered. We didn't protect the quarterback at all ... We didn't get the run game going."
Heintschel was 13 of 24 for 143 yards passing with one pick and was sacked seven times. Ja'Kyrian Turner had 42 yards rushing for the Panthers.
"We've got to clean that up," Narduzzi said of the pass protection.
Collins was 16-of-32 passing for 126 yards and threw two touchdown passes but had three interceptions to go with a team-leading 37 yards on the ground. Johntay Cook had seven receptions for 66 yards for the Orange.
Each team took advantage of quarterback miscues in the first half. Following an interception by Pitt cornerback Tamon Lynum, Heintschel ran the ball up the gut untouched for a 36-yard score for the first points of the game.
Late in the first quarter, Syracuse cornerback Davien Kerr picked off a Heintschel pass and returned it to the Pitt 12. Two plays later, Collins hit Darrell Gill Jr. with an 11-yard touchdown strike tying the game at 7.
It was all Pitt after that.
Pitt delivered a knockout blow to close the half. Following a three-and-out, Johnson returned a Jack Stonehouse punt 66 yards to paydirt with just two seconds remaining, giving the Panthers a 17-7 lead at intermission.
"That was just really bad coaching (at the end of the first half)," Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. "I feel as though I should've run the ball" instead of passing three times.
Syracuse continued to struggle with Collins at quarterback. A drop by Pitt safety Javon McIntyre prevented a fourth pick. Freshman Luke Carney replaced Collins for two drives in the third quarter before Collins returned.
"I just wanted a spark," Brown said of his decision to pull Collins. "I just want to be straight when it comes to the quarterback decision, right? We're very young at quarterback. And we have to develop. That was one of the reasons we got Steve (Angeli) at the second portal because we knew we were young. He (Collins) literally took no reps for three years. I've just got to do a better job of developing him."
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 entered having allowed fewer yards per rush than any team in the country with 2.16 yards per carry. Syracuse finished with just 212 yards on 64 plays for an average of 3.31 yards per play.
The Orange also went three-and-out six times.
The Takeaway
Pitt: The Panthers did just enough to win their third straight but didn't distinguish itself. The offense was stymied most of the night and struggled to protect Heintschel.
Syracuse: With a malfunctioning offense, the Orange are staring at their season spiraling out of control with three of their next four games on the road against ranked opponents, including a matchup next Saturday at 7-0 Georgia Tech.
The Sack Exchange
The Orange defense pressured Heintschel all game long, sacking him seven times.
Getting the Jobity Done
Syracuse's Kevin Jobity Jr. had a great game, sacking Heintschel three times.
Up Next
Pitt: Home against N.C. State on Saturday.
Syracuse: Travels to No. 12 Georgia Tech on Saturday.
