Pitt stayed perfect Thursday night, leaning on a punishing ground game and a disruptive defense to beat Syracuse 27-13 at Acrisure Stadium. The Panthers improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, while Syracuse fell to 1-2 and 0-2 in the conference.

Pitt established control early. La'Vell Wright opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, and freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. broke loose for a 32-yard touchdown early in the second. Antonio Chadha added a 42-yard field goal to push the Panthers' advantage to 17-0.

Syracuse finally found some rhythm before halftime. Running back Ahmad Miller capped a 65-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown, and Shay Barker's 42-yard field goal on the final play of the half cut Pitt's lead to 17-10. The Orange had recovered from a difficult start and went to the locker room within one possession.

Pitt answered almost immediately after halftime. Quarterback Mason Heintschel finished a quick 76-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run, restoring a two-score advantage at 24-10. Syracuse never reached the end zone again, managing only a fourth-quarter field goal as the Panthers' defense repeatedly shut down opportunities.

The difference was Pitt's rushing attack. The Panthers accumulated 245 yards on the ground, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Ferguson led the way with 102 yards on just 10 attempts, Wright added 81 yards, and Heintschel contributed 41 more. All three scored rushing touchdowns. Pitt finished with 368 total yards despite Heintschel completing only 10 of 23 passes for 123 yards.

Syracuse actually finished with 347 total yards and possessed the ball longer than Pitt, but mistakes continually stalled the Orange. Quarterback Steve Angeli completed 13 of 25 passes for 161 yards but threw two interceptions, and Syracuse was penalized 10 times for 94 yards. Ahmad Miller provided the offensive bright spot with 78 rushing yards and the Orange's only touchdown.

For Pitt, the victory followed a gritty 12-7 win over UCF and showed another way the Panthers can win. After relying heavily on their defense a week earlier, Pitt controlled Syracuse on the ground and turned explosive rushing plays into points.

At 3-0, the Panthers leave their first ACC game with their unbeaten record intact and an increasingly clear identity: run the football, create pressure defensively, and force opponents to play from behind.