Syracuse blew a 10-point fourth quarter lead against Virginia, but SU (3-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) looks to get back on track when it hosts No. 25 Pittsburgh (5-1, 3-0) on Saturday at noon in the Carrier Dome. Follow along with Syracuse-Pittsburgh coverage here or on Twitter @DOSports.

To learn more about the Panthers, The Daily Orange spoke with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review beat writer Jerry DiPaola.

The Daily Orange: Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd is leading the ACC in receptions and receiving yards per game. How much could he single-handedly change a game?

Jerry DiPaola: Well he can, he has the ability to make a play from almost anywhere on the field. Pitt hasn’t thrown the ball down the field that much this season and I think it’s just a matter of getting in sync with a new starting quarterback, Nate Peterman. But yeah, he has that ability to turn a game around. He usually has been a good punt returner. He can still do that, but he fumbled twice in the Georgia Tech game (most recent game). He didn’t lose the fumbles, he recovered them, but he had problems and (Pitt head coach) Pat Narduzzi even said on Monday he’s thinking about replacing him with Avonte Maddox if Boyd’s fumbling continues on the punt return team.

The D.O.: What are Nate Peterman’s strengths as a quarterback?

J.D.: He hasn’t thrown an interception since the first quarter of the Iowa game (third game of season), which was his first start. He threw two interceptions in the first quarter and hasn’t thrown one since. Eighty-four consecutive passes without one. So he seems to be very poised in the pocket … and he seems to know where to go with the ball. They’ve converted a lot of third and fourth downs for first downs with Peterman as their quarterback.

The D.O.: Freshman strong safety Jordan Whitehead is leading Pitt in tackles. Why has he been able to step in right away as a freshman?

J.D.: Well, he’s incredibly talented. Very good athlete. Smart kid. Studies his playbook very well. He would’ve been starting in the opener but Narduzzi didn’t want to throw a true freshman in there in the first game as a starter. But he started in the second game; he started ever since. He got hurt in the Georgia Tech game with a head injury, but he’s been practicing this week and I think he’s going to be OK. Just a very talented athlete. Could probably play safety or corner and they’ve put him at strong safety. He’s not a real big guy but he’s done a nice job in run support this year.

The D.O.: In Narduzzi’s first season as head coach, what’s the biggest difference in Pitt from last year to this year?

J.D.: He has more enthusiasm as far as getting the team hyped up to play. Paul Christ is a good coach, a good man, a very good play-caller — one of the best play-callers in the college football, I believe. But Narduzzi is a little different. He just comes at you very aggressively whether you’re a player, one of his coaches, a member of the media, he’s just the kind of the guy that gets everybody around him excited. And he’s done it with boosters, too. In the offseason this summer in May and June, he traveled all over the East Coast talking to booster groups trying to raise money and drum up support for the program. He’s just done a good job.

The D.O.: If Syracuse were to win, what would be the thing it would have to do right?

J.D.: They would have to find a way to run the football. Pitt defends the run really well. It didn’t defend the run really well against Georgia Tech in the first half. Second half was much better. If Syracuse could find a way to move the football on the ground, I think that would open things up in the secondary. Pitt does a lot of blitzing and if they’re blitzing, that might leave some of their receivers one-on-one.

Published on October 22, 2015 at 8:50 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds