Pitt is 3-0 and 1-0 in the ACC after a 27-13 win over Syracuse at Acrisure Stadium, and Thursday night's victory gave us plenty to talk about.
In Episode 17 of the Pittsburgh Football Podcast, I break down my biggest observations from Pitt's win, including a breakout performance from the running game, another dominant showing from the defense and some growing concerns surrounding Mason Heintschel and the passing attack.
Damon Ferguson and La'Vell Wright helped Pitt pile up nearly 250 rushing yards, while the offensive line answered some important questions and created running lanes throughout the night. Meanwhile, Pitt's defense continued its outstanding start to the season, forcing two interceptions and holding another opponent to 13 points or fewer.
But the passing game was a different story. We dig into Heintschel's 10-of-23 performance, missed opportunities in the passing game, what Syracuse may have done to make him uncomfortable and why the next few weeks could be important for both Heintschel and offensive coordinator Cade Bell.
We also discuss Pitt's penalty problems, another strong night from the special teams, the emergence of Corey Sanders' defense and why the upcoming Bucknell game could be an opportunity to get healthy and fine-tune the offense before a major road test at Virginia Tech.
Pitt is undefeated with plenty of room to improve — and that's not a bad place to be.
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TIME STAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
04:55 - Heintschel Struggles But Running Game Dominates
24:58 - Defense Continues to Dominate
30:58 - Special Teams, Penalties, & Looking Ahead to Virginia Tech
Episode 17