Pitt and Syracuse return to Yankee Stadium a century after their first meeting in the Big Apple

NEW YORK (AP) — Longtime rivals Pittsburgh and Syracuse return to Yankee Stadium in hopes of turning their respective seasons around.

The game celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first college football game at Yankee Stadium, a 3-0 Syracuse win over the Panthers in 1923.

Both teams are struggling. The Panthers are 2-7 and already assured of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2017. The Orange have dropped five straight since a 4-0 start.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The Orange need to win two of their last three to become bowl eligible for a second straight year, which could be a tough ask considering Syracuse is riding a five-game losing streak, all but one of them by at least 17 points.

Pitt will miss a bowl for the first time since 2017, though a win over their longtime rival at Yankee Stadium would provide a nice moment in a season in which they have been few and far between.

KEY MATCHUP

Syracuse’s offensive line against Pitt’s blitz.

The Panthers might not be having a vintage season defensively — they’re not going to finish in the top five in sacks for the first time since 2018 — but they can still get after the quarterback, particularly one as vulnerable as whomever is under center for Syracuse, be it Garrett Shrader or Carlos Del Rio-Wilson.

The Orange have given up 18 sacks in five ACC games, tied for second-most in the league behind Wake Forest (30).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Syracuse: RB LeQuint Allen Jr. The Orange are last or nearly last in every major statistical offensive category in the ACC. Allen has been the lone bright spot. Allen ran for a career-high 142 yards in last week’s loss to Boston College and with the passing game essentially non-existent, whether Syracuse can move the ball could depend largely on whatever Allen might be able to provide.

Pitt: QB Christian Veilleux ... or QB Nate Yarnell. While Veilleux has shown flashes since being elevated to starter in early October, he has also struggled with accuracy, completing just 50% (81 of 162) of his passes, possibly creating an opportunity for Yarnell, a redshirt sophomore, to get a few snaps. With the Panthers playing out the string, Pitt could opt to see what Yarnell has before deciding what it might need at the QB position in 2024.

FACTS & FIGURES

The game marks the 100th anniversary of the first college game played at Yankee Stadium, a 3-0 Syracuse victory over Pitt at the original “House That Ruth Built” on Oct. 20, 1923.
Syracuse is 7-3 all-time at Yankee Stadium, including a 2-2 record at the new stadium, which opened in 2009.
The Panthers are 1-2 all-time at Yankee Stadium. Pitt beat Army 7-6 in 1962 and lost to Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 28, 2016.
Pitt has won 18 of the last 21 meetings between the longtime rivals, including a 7-1 mark since Pat Narduzzi became head coach in 2015. The Panthers beat the Orange 19-9 last year at Acrisure Stadium.
Points could be hard to come by. Syracuse is dead last in the ACC in scoring during conference games (8.8) while Pitt is ninth (21.4).
The Panthers are 10-2 in November since 2020, the two losses coming to No. 4 Clemson in 2020 and No. 4 Florida State last week.