SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Jordan Addison's Biletnikoff (award for outstanding receiver) campaign and Kenny Pickett's record-setting regular season wrapped with an efficient, if not flashy, evening.
The Panthers were far from perfect, but did enough to defeat Syracuse, 31-14, and secure a 10-win regular season for the first time since 1981. Pat Narduzzi's team, now 10-2 overall and 7-1 in ACC play, escaped the Carrier Dome ready for its ACC championship matchup with Wake Forest next weekend.
Pickett completed 28 of 38 passes for 209 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. The Heisman Trophy hopeful was harried by Syracuse's pass rush for portions of the night, operating behind a makeshift offensive line.
But the fourth-year senior had enough protection to set Pitt's single-season passing touchdowns record at 40 and counting. Pickett surpassed Dan Marino and Rod Rutherford's 37 touchdowns, recorded in 1981 and 2003, respectively.
Two of those touchdowns went to Addison, who tallied 11 catches and 81 yards while juking and gliding through Syracuse's defense on screen pass after screen pass. Addison brought his nation-leading receiving touchdown total to 17 on the year.
Pitt's tight ends were also integral to the passing game, even more than they had been all season. Super senior Lucas Krull had six catches for 43 yards and three first downs, while true freshman Gavin Bartholomew had five receptions for 50 yards and his fourth touchdown of the season.
Pitt outgained Syracuse, 333 to 242. The Panthers defense, though sliced up by Syracuse on a 14-play touchdown drive to open the game, finished with five sacks — improving Pitt's record to 21-1 under Narduzzi when recording five sacks or more.
Familiar faces
SirVocea Dennis attended high school four miles away from the Carrier Dome. But the Syracuse native, a two-star prospect out of Christian Brothers Academy, was never offered a scholarship by the Orange.
Surely that added juice to his turnover dunk on Pitt's sideline.
Dennis recovered a fumble forced by safety Erick Hallett in the second quarter, setting up Pitt's second touchdown of the day — a 25-yard connection from Pickett to Addison. The key turnover came two minutes after Pitt tied it at 7 with a 15-yard catch-and-run screen by Rodney Hammond.
Dennis, who was ejected for targeting on the third play of last weekend's win against Virginia, finished with four tackles and a quarterback hurry in his return to Syracuse.
Meanwhile, Pitt was burned by yet another WPIAL wide receiver. Syracuse's Courtney Jackson, a Gateway graduate, had seven catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns. In the Panthers' loss to Western Michigan, they allowed 124 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions to Shady Side Academy's Skyy Moore.
Injury report
Once again, the Panthers were without several key pieces on offense.
Wide receivers Taysir Mack, Jaylon Barden and Melquise Stovall didn't make the trip. All three were injured in Pitt's Oct. 30 loss to Miami. Mack and Barden haven't played since. Stovall had a 44-yard catch against North Carolina, but missed last week's win.
Starting right guard Jake Kradel, who exited the North Carolina game on the first drive and hasn't played since, also stayed in Pittsburgh, as expected.
But Israel Abanikanda's absence was somewhat surprising. The sophomore tailback left the Virginia game on the opening drive of the second half. Narduzzi said it was due to a "little tweaking" and that "he'll be fine." Perhaps Narduzzi was resting Abanikanda, the team's leading rusher, ahead of next week's ACC championship.
Up next
Pitt has a date with the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest's dominant 41-10 win against Boston College on Saturday secured the ACC Atlantic division title for Dave Clawson's team — setting up a championship game in Charlotte between the conference's highest-scoring teams.
The Demon Deacons entered the weekend fourth in the country with 43.1 points per game, just behind Pitt's 43.9. Sam Hartman has been as good as they come, ranking top 10 nationally in passing yards and touchdowns. He has a couple prolific pass-catchers to target, too, in A.T. Perry (1,031 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Jaquarii Roberson (953, eight TDs). That trio has helped mask Wake Forest's defense, which has allowed 40-plus points in four of the past five games.
The last time an ACC championship didn't feature Clemson was 2014, when Florida State and Georgia Tech combined for 72 points in a back-and-forth affair. Next Saturday could bring the same when Pitt and Wake Forest meet at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., for an 8 p.m. kick, televised on ABC.
