Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-18 · by Will Graves The Associated Press
Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 this season with a 27-13 victory over Syracuse in their ACC conference opener. The Panthers' ground game dominated, led by freshman Damon Ferguson who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, while the team as a whole gained 245 rushing yards. Despite struggling offensively at times, head coach Pat Narduzzi celebrated his record-breaking win in his 144th game with Pittsburgh.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In a Thursday night ACC matchup, the Pittsburgh Panthers defeated the Syracuse Orange by a score of 27-13. Despite being flagged nine times for 90 yards and beginning the game as the most penalized team in the country, Syracuse struggled on defense against Pittsburgh’s running game. Pitt’s Damon Ferguson Jr., a freshman, rushed for 102 yards and scored a touchdown, while La’Vell Wright added 81 rushing yards. The Panthers' offensive performance was key as they improved to 3-0, with the victory marking head coach Pat Narduzzi’s 144th win at Pittsburgh, setting a school record. Syracuse started their ACC season with a loss following their previous defeat to California in Week 2.
Written for “Syracuse vs Pitt Matchup” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Damon Ferguson Jr., La’Vell Wright and Mason Heintschel ran for touchdowns, and Pittsburgh continued its perfect start with a 27-13 win over Syracuse on Thursday night.
asserted
Pittsburgh → run → night
The Panthers (3-0, 1-0 ACC) piled up 245 yards on the ground despite playing without injured starting running back Boosier Turner to make Pat Narduzzi a winner in his school-record 144th game as head coach.
“Nice to win when you don’t play your best football on offense or defense,” Narduzzi said.
asserted
Narduzzi → pile → offense
Pitt’s running game had struggled a bit coming in, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry.
asserted
game → struggle → carry
The Panthers nearly doubled that total in their conference opener.
asserted
Panthers → double → opener
Ferguson, a freshman, provided a jolt with a 32-yard sprint to the end zone early in the second quarter that gave Pitt a 14-point lead.
asserted
that → provide → lead
“He’s that guy,” Panther linebacker Braylon Lovelace said of Ferguson.
asserted
Lovelace → ’ → Ferguson
“He’s a young guy.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
But it don’t matter what age you are at this level.
asserted
you → matter → level
If you’re a dog, you’re a dog.”
asserted
you → ’re → ?
Ferguson finished with 102 yards rushing and Wright added 81 and Justin Cook would have had more on his first-quarter carry if he hadn’t pulled up due to an apparent injury during a 23-yard dash.
asserted
he → finish → dash
“I feel like we all are explosive in our own ways,” said Ferguson.
asserted
Ferguson → feel → ways
Syracuse (1-2, 0-2) kept Heintschel under wraps as a passer.
asserted
Syracuse → keep → passer
The sophomore completed just 10 of 23 for 123 yards and a pick but made up for it with his legs.
asserted
sophomore → complete → legs
Heintschel ran for 41 yards, the highlight coming on a 9-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter that featured a pretty juke past diving Orange linebacker Gary Bryant III.
asserted
that → run → III
He later capped the win with a spin move on third-and-9 that produced a 10-yard gain and a first down that allowed the Panthers to drain the rest of the clock.
asserted
Panthers → cap → clock
Asked if he’s now a running quarterback, Heintschel joked his spin felt like it was in “slow motion” but pointedly added he needs to be better at the main part of his job.
asserted
he → ask → job
“To be a dual threat, you’ve got to throw the ball too,” he said.
asserted
he → get → ball
“And we didn’t throw the ball well today.”
asserted
we → throw → ball
Syracuse began the night as the most penalized team in the country and was flagged nine times for 90 yards, including a sequence in the second quarter in which the Orange were called for pass interference on third down, leading head coach Fran Brown to get called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he protested.
asserted
he → begin → conduct
Two plays later, Ferguson bounced outside and down the sideline to the end zone to give the Panthers control.
asserted
Ferguson → bounce → control
Steve Angeli had for 167 yards passing for Syracuse before being benched in favor of Amari Odom in the fourth quarter after throwing interceptions on back-to-back drives to thwart any chance of a rally.
asserted
Angeli → have → rally
Odom was 7 for 7 against a Pitt defense protecting a three-score lead.
asserted
Odom → protect → lead
The 60-year-old coach, who arrived at Pitt in late 2014 and was tasked with providing stability after a tumultuous period for the program, briefly turned sentimental after passing Jock Sutherland on the all-time games coached list.
asserted
who → arrive → list
Narduzzi pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket that was a copy of a passage by writer Elbert Hubbard’s “Loyalty Pledge” that his father Bill Narduzzi, a longtime coach at Youngstown State, often turned to.
asserted
father → pull → State
“My dad was big on loyalty,” Narduzzi said.
asserted
Narduzzi → say → loyalty
“And I guess I inherited that from him.”
asserted
I → guess → him
If the Orange want to be any sort of factor in the ACC, they have to clean things up.
asserted
they → want → things
The steady barrage of flags in the first half consistently extended Pitt drives and Brown’s frustration on the sideline — while understandable — didn’t help.
asserted
frustration → extend → sideline
The Panthers have won three games three different ways.
asserted
Panthers → win → games
They blew out Miami (Ohio) in the opener, showed some grit while slogging past UCF in a monsoon last weekend, and rode their ground game to a third straight victory over the Orange.
asserted
They → blow → Orange
That kind of versatility could play in a league that looks wide open behind frontrunner Miami.
uncertain
that → play → Miami
Up next
Syracuse: travels to UConn on Oct. 3.
asserted
Syracuse → travel → Oct.
Pitt: hosts Bucknell on Sept. 28.
asserted
Pitt → host → Sept.
The Aporia
