Get to know the Pittsburgh Panthers: Syracuse football’s week-eight opponent in 2025

The Pitt Panthers are always one opponent that Syracuse can’t avoid.
Get to know the Pitt Panthers heading into the 2025 season when the Panthers and Syracuse football continue their rivalry.
Get to know the Pitt Panthers heading into the 2025 season when the Panthers and Syracuse football continue their rivalry. | Elsa/GettyImages

After six straight weeks of games to open the 2025 football season, the Syracuse Orange will get a bye the second weekend of October. Fran Brown’s team will return from that off week with an old friend nemesis, the Pitt Panthers. This rivalry hasn’t been kind to the Orange this century, but it’s unavoidable. As a home game that kicks off the second half of the season, this will be a crucial one for Syracuse, so let’s take a deep dive into the 2025 Pitt Panthers.

Pittsburgh’s head coach: Pat Narduzzi

One thing you can say about Pitt is that the program has been stable for a long time. Narduzzi has been the head coach of the Panthers since 2015 and is entering his 11th season at the helm. He got his coaching career started in 1990 as a grad assistant at Miami (Ohio). He then spent most of the 90s at Rhode Island, including two years as the defensive coordinator.

Narduzzi’s big break came in 2004 when he became Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator under Mark Dantonio. He followed Dantonio to Michigan State, serving as defensive coordinator there for eight seasons before getting the head coaching gig at Pitt. In his 10 seasons with the Panthers, Narduzzi is 72-56. He peaked in 2021 when the Panthers won the ACC championship and finished the year ranked No. 13 in the country. Narduzzi has taken Pitt to seven bowl games in 10 years, although the Panthers are just 2-5 in those bowl games.

Last meeting with Syracuse: Pitt 41, Syracuse 13 (2024)

This was a night to forget for Syracuse fans, as well as a game Kyle McCord probably wants erased from his memory permanently. The Orange was on a three-game winning streak ahead of a Thursday night game in Pittsburgh. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, as McCord threw five interceptions, three of which the Panthers returned for a touchdown, giving the Orange no chance in this game. On the bright side, Syracuse went 5-1 the rest of the way, while that ended up being Pitt’s final win of the season.

Series history

The Syracuse-Pitt football rivalry dates all the way back to 1916. Obviously, these teams were together in the Big East for many years and then made the move to the ACC together in 2013. But the Orange and Panthers have played 80 total games against one another in a rivalry that dates back over a century.

From the mid-1980s to the early 21st century, Syracuse dominated, as the Panthers managed just one win in the yearly meetings between 1984 and 2001. Alas, it’s been mostly Panthers since then. Syracuse picked up wins in 2004, 2012, 2017, and at Yankee Stadium in 2023. But the other 18 games since 2002 have all belonged to the Panthers. Despite Syracuse’s lack of success, there has been no shortage of memorable games, most notably the ridiculous 76-61 Pitt victory in 2016 that briefly held the record for most total points in a game at the FBS level.

Pittsburgh’s 2024 season

To say Pitt’s 2024 season was a tale of two halves would be the understatement of the year. The Panthers won seven in a row out of the gate, including non-conference wins against former Big East foes Cincinnati and West Virginia. However, as mentioned, a 41-13 win over Syracuse ended up being Pitt’s final victory of the season.

The Panthers were ranked No. 18 in the polls after beating the Orange, only to lose five straight games to SMU, Virginia, Clemson, Louisville, and Boston College, finishing the regular season 7-5 and 3-5 in the ACC. The Panthers were invited to the GameAbove Sports Bowl, losing a six-overtime thriller 48-46 to a Toledo team that finished sixth in the MAC.

Pittsburgh’s key returning players

Despite a rocky freshman season that ended with an injury, the Panthers will be happy to have Eli Holstein return as the starting quarterback in 2025. He provides stability at that position and has a chance to get better after throwing 17 touchdown passes and completing close to 62% of his passes last year. Leading rusher Desmond Reid also returns to the Pitt backfield. Despite falling short of 1,000 rushing yards in 2024, Reid averaged 5.3 yards per carry on the ground and was Pitt’s second-leading receiver.

Defensively, Pitt is stacked at linebacker, with Kyle Louis, Rasheem Biles, and Braylan Lovelace all returning. They were three of Pitt’s top three tacklers a season ago. Louis was a second-team All-American last year, while Biles also has All-ACC potential. Playing in front of that linebacker trio is Jimmy Scott, a pass-rushing threat with six sacks last year, and Sean FitzSimmons, a proven commodity on the interior of the defensive line. Behind Pitt’s talented linebackers, there is a veteran secondary that includes three returning seniors, including the safety tandem of Jason McIntyre and Cruce Brookins.

Pittsburgh’s notable additions

To ensure a strong offensive line that can protect Holstein, the Panthers added Jeff Persi, Kendall Stanley, and Keith Gouveia, who are all proven players in smaller conferences. Meanwhile, Deuce Spann and Cataurus Hicks, who both transferred from other ACC programs, add some depth at wide receiver, where the Panthers might have some question marks. Incoming freshmen Bryce Yates and Tony Kinsler could also get a chance to shine with playing time at wide receiver potentially available.

On the other side, Oregon transfer Jaeden Moore, Utah State transfer Blaine Spires, and Eastern Michigan transfer Joey Zelinsky give Pitt several new pass rushers, boosting their depth at that position. The Pitt secondary also has reinforcements on the way. Rashan Murray and Kavir Bains-Marquez are both experienced players from smaller programs who add depth. Also, freshman Josh Guerrier could be a player to watch if the Panthers need another playmaker in their secondary.

Pittsburgh’s 2025 season outlook

The Panthers head into the 2025 season on a six-game losing streak. After going 3-9 in 2023, Pitt is just 10-15 over the past two seasons. Without a strong 2025 campaign, Narduzzi could start to feel some pressure. Therefore, Holstein must show clear signs of improvement. Otherwise, the Panthers could continue to struggle in ACC play. The good news for Pitt is that they have a defense that should give them a chance almost every game they play.

Pitt’s schedule isn’t the most forgiving either. They have an early non-conference road game against rival West Virginia, not to mention road games with Florida State and Syracuse, as well as long road trips to Stanford and Georgia Tech in November. Home dates with Louisville, Notre Dame, and Miami won’t be easy either. The Panthers shouldn’t be too worried about becoming bowl-eligible. But more than half of Pitt’s games could easily go either way, making it hard to break out of the middle of the pack in the ACC.

When and where Pittsburgh plays Syracuse in 2025

The Orange and Panthers will play for the 81st time on Saturday, October 18, at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Prediction: Syracuse 21, Pitt 13

This is a toss-up game, but the timing of it is important. Syracuse will have a bye week before hosting the Panthers. Meanwhile, Pitt will be playing for a fourth week in a row, one week after making a long trip to Florida State. The Orange will be the fresher team and will have an extra week to work out some of the defensive issues likely to plague them when they visit SMU. Looking at Pitt’s roster, the Panthers are likely to have their fair share of defensive slugfests in 2025. With the extra rest, Syracuse will outlast Pitt, eventually scoring a couple of second-half touchdowns to secure the win.