Pittsburgh controlled the line and the scoreboard Thursday, beating Syracuse 27-13 behind 245 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Panthers moved to 3-0 while Syracuse fell to 1-2 after a night shaped by two Orange interceptions.
Damon Ferguson Jr. led Pitt with 102 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. La'Vell Wright added 81 yards and a score, and quarterback Mason Heintschel contributed 41 rushing yards and another touchdown even though he completed only 10 of 23 passes for 123 yards.
Syracuse's Steve Angeli finished 13-for-25 for 161 yards with two interceptions. The Orange did run for 142 yards and held the ball for 33:12, but 5-for-14 third-down conversion and 0-for-1 on fourth down kept that possession from becoming points.
Pitt's defense produced four sacks and two takeaways, with Alex Sanford Jr. recording 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Panthers have a clear early identity: win the ground game, limit explosive mistakes and let the defense close the door.
