It's a pick-6 party for No. 19 Pitt as the Panthers use 3 defensive TDs to drill Syracuse 41-13

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh linebacker coach Ryan Manalac nicknamed his group "The Sharks” during training camp, an ode to their relentlessness and hunger.

Manalac's players person leaned into it. And connected Thursday night, nan 19th-ranked Panthers and "The Sharks’ successful nan mediate of their defense sent a connection to Syracuse and nan remainder of nan ACC that Pitt's unbeaten commencement is hardly a fluke.

Rasheem Biles, Kyle Louis and Braylan Lovelace — linebackers each — returned first-half interceptions for touchdowns arsenic nan Panthers crushed Syracuse 41-13.

“This ‘shark’ worldly is really a movement,” said Biles, whose 35-yard people conscionable complete 2 minutes successful group nan tone. “It’s really heavy for us. ... It conscionable shows really overmuch activity we put in, really bully we are, ... it brings joyousness to us.”

They're not nan only ones. The “Panther Pitt” student conception astatine Acrisure Stadium is dotted pinch shark gear, including fans successful afloat costume. They celebrated together aft Lovelace's 33-yard sprint to nan extremity area precocious successful nan 2nd 4th put Pitt up 31-0.

“We pridefulness ourselves connected being called ‘The Sharks,’” said Louis, who weaved 59 yards for a people midway done nan first quarter. "If you travel successful here, you amended study really to swim.”

Syracuse (5-2, 2-2) could not arsenic Pitt improved to 7-0 for nan first clip since 1982 down a defense that harassed Kyle McCord from nan first threat and ne'er fto up.

The Ohio State transportation threw picks connected each of Syracuse's first 3 possessions, pinch Biles and Louis scoring connected 2 of them. The different came pinch linebacker Brandon George lying connected his tummy and plucking a deflected shot retired of nan air conscionable earlier it deed nan ground.

The Panthers were hardly done. When Lovelace sniffed retired a surface precocious and raced to nan extremity zone, nan Panthers became nan first squad since Southern California successful 2022 to person 3 pick-6s successful a game.

“Our defense was our discourtesy today,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said.

The defense was truthful ascendant it hardly mattered that nan Panthers' high-powered discourtesy was seldom connected nan field. Eli Holstein passed for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns earlier exiting successful nan 4th fourth aft taking a deed astatine nan extremity of a designed backmost run.

Narduzzi said afterward that Holstein “was going to beryllium fine” and held retired for nan remainder of nan crippled arsenic a precaution.

Pitt — picked to decorativeness 13th successful nan new-look ACC successful August — improved to 3-0 successful nan convention and remained successful nan operation for a spot successful nan convention title crippled arsenic November begins.

“This was much for illustration a connection crippled to nan ACC and really to everybody,” Lovelace said. "We’re going to radiance each week.”

And gain a spot of payback successful nan process. The Orange embarrassed Pitt astatine Yankee Stadium past autumn while moving for 382 yards. Syracuse's discourtesy has made a awesome displacement pinch McCord down center, and nan Panthers relished nan chance to moreover nan score.

McCord vanished 35 of 64 for 327 yards pinch 5 interceptions arsenic Syracuse (5-2, 2-2) deed its first awesome speedbump nether first-year caput coach Fran Brown. The Orange dominated successful clip of possession (41:12 to 18:48) and full yards (327-223) but were undone by McCord's mistakes and an inability to tackle Pitt defenders arsenic they raced to nan extremity zone.

“This has sewage to beryllium nan champion capacity all-time connected this team,” Louis said. "Somebody’s sewage to show maine thing amended ... We’ve sewage to get put connected a wall aliases thing aft that performance.”

Syracuse: It wasn't conscionable nan interceptions that doomed nan Orange, it was nan penalties. Syracuse was flagged 8 times for 70 yards, including a roughing-the-passer telephone successful nan 2nd 4th that wiped retired an interception successful Pitt territory that could person gotten nan Orange backmost successful nan game.

Pitt: The Panthers relied heavy connected first-year violative coordinator Kade Bell's uptempo discourtesy while winning their first 5 games. The defense, agelong Pitt's calling paper during Pat Narduzzi's 10-year tenure, has returned to form, though plentifulness of challenges stay if Pitt wants to return to nan ACC title crippled for nan 2nd clip successful 4 years.

Expect nan Panthers to emergence a spot adjacent week erstwhile nan caller canvass comes retired Sunday. The Orange were 2nd among teams besides receiving votes this week but expect nan number of their supporters to driblet precipitously.

Syracuse: Hosts Virginia Tech connected Nov. 2.

Pitt: At No. 22 SMU connected Nov. 2.

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