’Cuse, Pitt Clash on Homecoming
10/13/2025 3:45:00 PM | Football
The Orange will play their first home game in the month of October in nearly three years when it hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Syracuse University is celebrating Orange Central/Homecoming this weekend as well as Chamber Day.
Tickets for Saturday's game along with the remaining two home games this season are available at Cuse.com/FootballTickets. Fans who can't make it to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday can watch the game on ACC Network.
The Orange and Panthers will meet for the 81st time, which is the most games against any opponent in program history. The series dates back to the 1916 season and the squads have played each year since 1955. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 44-33-3.
"We get a chance to play against Pitt," head coach Fran Brown said. "Rivalry game. It's important that we go and have fun when we play this game. I want them to come here and have a lot of fun playing this game. I'm hoping this game is honestly a four-quarter throwdown, hopefully we play five, whatever it takes. But it's going to be a good football game. Excited to go against Coach Narduzzi. He's one of those coaches that's a really good football coach. You love him if you coach with him, you hate when coach against him. I'm excited to be able to compete against him.
"This will be a really good football game," Brown continued. "It will be a fun game Saturday night. I'm excited and hopefully, everybody can show up."
The Orange are coming off a bye week that came at exactly the halfway point of the season. Syracuse stands at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ACC play. In addition to the production 'Cuse has received from its key returners such as Darrell Gill Jr., Yasin Willis, Devin Grant and others, several newcomers, including true freshmen Demetres Samuel Jr. and Antoine Deslauriers, have made an immediate impact. Overall, 14 players have made their first career starts this season – a total that ties for fifth among FBS schools.
"We're just going to work, one day at a time," Brown said of his message to his team for the second half of the season. "We're just going to work one day at a time and stay focused. Stay on a mission. All their dreams and goals, aspirations for the season are still ahead of them. They are right there. They just have to be able to take them."
Pittsburgh enters Saturday's game on a two-game winning streak, which has improved its overall record to 4-2. The Panthers are 2-1 in ACC play following back-to-back wins against Boston College and on the road against Florida State. Mason Heintschel has taken over the starting job at quarterback and has passed for 634 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games.
Saturday's game will be Syracuse's first home game in the month of October since October 29, 2022 against Notre Dame. The Orange did not play a game in the JMA Dome in October in 2023 and 2024. Syracuse had to wait an extra week to try to snap a two-game losing streak, the first in Brown's tenure. While the bye week gave the Orange extra prep time, it also allowed the team spend time together away from football.
"I'm really excited about our past bye week," Brown said. "We got a chance to really relax, just hone in on all the little fundamentals of football so that was good for our team to be able to do that. And for us to do some things together to become a closer, tight-knit family."
Syracuse goes for its 45th all-time victory on Homecoming when it takes on the Panthers. Dating back to 1949, the Orange are 44-30 (.589) all-time in Orange Central/Homecoming games.
Tickets for Saturday's game along with the remaining two home games this season are available at Cuse.com/FootballTickets. Fans who can't make it to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday can watch the game on ACC Network.
The Orange and Panthers will meet for the 81st time, which is the most games against any opponent in program history. The series dates back to the 1916 season and the squads have played each year since 1955. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 44-33-3.
"We get a chance to play against Pitt," head coach Fran Brown said. "Rivalry game. It's important that we go and have fun when we play this game. I want them to come here and have a lot of fun playing this game. I'm hoping this game is honestly a four-quarter throwdown, hopefully we play five, whatever it takes. But it's going to be a good football game. Excited to go against Coach Narduzzi. He's one of those coaches that's a really good football coach. You love him if you coach with him, you hate when coach against him. I'm excited to be able to compete against him.
"This will be a really good football game," Brown continued. "It will be a fun game Saturday night. I'm excited and hopefully, everybody can show up."
The Orange are coming off a bye week that came at exactly the halfway point of the season. Syracuse stands at 3-3 overall and 1-2 in ACC play. In addition to the production 'Cuse has received from its key returners such as Darrell Gill Jr., Yasin Willis, Devin Grant and others, several newcomers, including true freshmen Demetres Samuel Jr. and Antoine Deslauriers, have made an immediate impact. Overall, 14 players have made their first career starts this season – a total that ties for fifth among FBS schools.
"We're just going to work, one day at a time," Brown said of his message to his team for the second half of the season. "We're just going to work one day at a time and stay focused. Stay on a mission. All their dreams and goals, aspirations for the season are still ahead of them. They are right there. They just have to be able to take them."
Pittsburgh enters Saturday's game on a two-game winning streak, which has improved its overall record to 4-2. The Panthers are 2-1 in ACC play following back-to-back wins against Boston College and on the road against Florida State. Mason Heintschel has taken over the starting job at quarterback and has passed for 634 yards and six touchdowns in the past two games.
Saturday's game will be Syracuse's first home game in the month of October since October 29, 2022 against Notre Dame. The Orange did not play a game in the JMA Dome in October in 2023 and 2024. Syracuse had to wait an extra week to try to snap a two-game losing streak, the first in Brown's tenure. While the bye week gave the Orange extra prep time, it also allowed the team spend time together away from football.
"I'm really excited about our past bye week," Brown said. "We got a chance to really relax, just hone in on all the little fundamentals of football so that was good for our team to be able to do that. And for us to do some things together to become a closer, tight-knit family."
Syracuse goes for its 45th all-time victory on Homecoming when it takes on the Panthers. Dating back to 1949, the Orange are 44-30 (.589) all-time in Orange Central/Homecoming games.
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