Saturday, October 22
Pittsburgh, PA
12:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
17
at
34
at Pittsburgh
Anthony Smith had an interception and also became SU's all-time leader in blocked kicks.
Orange Loses to Pittsburgh, 34-17
11/3/2005 9:25:21 AM | Football
PITTSBURGH, Pa.- Despite four takeaways and a pair of blocked kicks, the Orange lost to Pittsburgh, 34-17, this afternoon in BIG EAST action at Heinz Field. Senior Anthony Smith had a 73-yard interception return in the first quarter, then blocked a punt for his sixth blocked kick of his career to become the all-time leader in SU history.
Senior Damien Rhodes rushed 23 times for 74 yards. Sophomore Rice Moss caught a pair of passes for 29 yards. Defensively, Smith added a team high 12 tackles. Senior Kellen Pruitt chipped in with 10.
Pittsburgh started the game with the ball at its own 20-yard line and gained a couple of first downs, but was eventually stopped by the Orange defense. On the ensuing punt, the ball bounced and hit sophomore strong safety Dowayne Davis in the back of the leg, and the Panthers recovered the loose ball at the SU 21-yard line.
From there, a few LaRod Stephens-Howling rushes gave Pitt a first-and-goal situation. On second down, quarterback Tyler Palko missed his target, and threw the ball into Anthony Smith’s arms, who caught the pass four yards deep in the end zone and returned it 73 yards to the Pitt 27-yard line.
On the ensuing possession, Barker attempted a 40-yard field goal after SU went three-and-out, but the attempt hit the left upright and was no good.
Pitt took over at its own 30-yard line. Erik Gill caught a pass, but senior linebacker Kellen Pruitt knocked the ball loose from behind, and Davis recovered the fumble at the Pitt 37-yard line for SU’s second takeaway of the first quarter.
On the ensuing drive, Moss caught a pair of first down passes, and a Panthers personal foul moved the ball to the six-yard line. After a rush by Rhodes, junior quarterback Perry Patterson play faked to Rhodes, and found senior Tim Lane in the end zone to give the Orange a 7-0 lead.
On the next Pitt possession, Palko dropped back to pass on third down, but senior defensive end James Wyche beat his man, forced the ball from Palko’s hands, and recovered it himself to give SU the ball at the Pitt 15-yard line.
The Orange was unable to move the ball from that spot, and Barker came on and gave SU a 10-0 lead as he connected on a 32-yard field goal with 3:09 left in the first quarter.
SU began the second quarter with the ball on its own 20. Rhodes scampered for a first down on a 14-yard gain. On third down, Patterson threw, but Thomas Smith deflected the pass, and Pitt’s H.B. Blades came away with an interception and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown to make the score 10-7 with 14:09 left in the first half.
After an SU punt, the defense held the Panthers to three-and-out. Punter Adam Graessle was back to punt, but Smith broke through the line and blocked the punt. Sophomore Reggie McCoy picked up the loose ball and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown to bring the lead to 17-7 with 10:59 left in the half.
The blocked punt is Smith’s first of the season, and sixth of his career, which makes him the all-time leader at Syracuse in that category, passing David Tyree.
After another Pitt punt, Patterson threw to junior fullback Stephen McDonald, but he couldn’t handle it, and the ball deflected into Darelle Revis’ hands to give Pitt the ball near midfield.
On the ensuing drive, Stephens-Howling broke free for a 35-yard run to the Syracuse 10-yard line. The offense would be stopped there, and Josh Cummings came on to attempt a 27-yard field goal. Senior defensive tackle Kader Drame got a hand up on the kick, however, and blocked the field goal attempt.
With sophomore quarterback Joe Fields in the game, the Orange gained a first down with a pair of rushes, but a Fields’ pass was picked off by J.J. Horne at the SU 45-yard line with three minutes left in the half.
With a personal foul facemask and a defensive pass interference on the next play, the ball was brought to the SU 14-yard line on the ensuing drive. Palko found Derek Kinder wide open in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown score to bring the Panthers within three at 17-14 with 1:42 left in the half.
After SU was held in check on its next possession, Pitt got the ball back at its own 41-yard line with 33 seconds left. Two catches by Joe DelSardo and Greg Lee brought the ball into SU territory, and then Tim Murhpy got a pass over the middle to the Syracuse 21-yard line. Cummings came on to attempt his second field goal of the day, which he hit from 38 yards out, to tie the game 17-17 heading into the locker room.
In the Panthers’ first possession of the second half, Pitt drove down the field into SU territory. A Kinder catch and a Stephens-Howling run, plus an unsportsmanlike conduct call against SU brought the ball to the SU two-yard line. Palko took a keeper into the end zone to put Pitt up for the first time in the game, 24-17, with 9:56 left in the third quarter.
The Panthers began the final quarter at the SU seven-yard line, thanks to a 37-yard completion to Greg Lee. Murphy pounded the ball down to the one-yard line, and then Palko kept it himself to tally his second rushing touchdown of the game to put Pitt up 31-17 early in the fourth quarter.
With the game winding down, Pitt got the ball on the SU 41-yard line following a Brendan Carney punt from the back of the end zone. Pitt drove down to the 13-yard line, and Cummings hit a 30-yard field goal, his second of the game, to seal the win, 34-17.
For the Panthers (4-4, 3-1 BIG EAST), Stephens-Howling had 23 carries for 101 yards. Palko was 18-for-28 for 201 yards and three total touchdowns. Kinder caught eight passes for 81 yards and a touchdown.
The Orange (1-6, 0-4 BIG EAST) returns to action next Saturday when it hosts Cincinnati in the Carrier Dome for a noon kickoff.
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