Big East Football standings 2012: Pitt tied for last place after 2 games

After two Big East Conference games, Pitt sits in last place in the league standings with an 0-2 record.

Pitt vs. Syracuse 2012: Offense fails Panthers in 14-13 loss to Orange

The Pittsburgh Panthers fell 14-13 on the road to the Syracuse Orange in an ugly game Friday night. Pittsburgh is now 2-3 on the season, 0-2 in Big East play. Syracuse's two first quarter touchdowns were too much for a Pittsburgh offense that struggled all night, particularly in the fourth quarter when the Panthers had a chance to steal a victory.

Twice in the final quarter, Pittsburgh drove deep inside Syracuse territory only to emerge with no points. After reaching the Orange 29-yard line, a false start penalty and sack of quarterback Tino Sunseri led to a punt. As the game wound down, Pittsburgh advanced to the Syracuse 17-yard line, only to have a 15-yard intentional grounding penalty and sack of Sunseri knock the Panthers out of field goal range.

The folks at SB Nation's Pitt Panthers blog Cardiac Hill were in no way pleased with the performance of their team:

The 14-13 loss to Syracuse was, in a word, a joke. You thought Youngstown State and Cincinnati were bad? This was a whole 'nother level. Pitt had this game won if they wanted it. I mean if they really wanted it. After giving up an early touchdown on Syracuse's first drive, the defense settled down to pitch a shutout - the rest of the way. greg Maddux couldn't have done a finer job. So when it comes to sitting someone down in the corner, it's got to be the offense.

Pittsburgh hosts the undefeated and No.19-ranked Louisville Cardinals next Saturday at Heinz Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET.

Pitt vs. Syracuse: Panthers' offense stalls in loss

For three quarters, Pitt simply seemed a step behind Syracuse. The defense settled down after allowing a touchdown on the Orange's first drive, but unfortunately, Pitt's offense couldn't do much, either.

That's not to say Pitt didn't have their chances. On a fourth-quarter drive, Pitt climbed to the Syracuse 29 - certainly within kicker Kevin Harper's range (even despite his recent struggles). But a false start penalty and a sack of quarterback Tino Sunseri forced the Panthers to punt.

The Panthers would have an even better chance later in the quarter when they marched the ball down to the 17-yard line. This time, it was a costly 15-yard intentional grounding penalty on Sunseri and another sack that knocked Pitt out of field goal range.

Plenty of reasons could be cited for Pitt's loss, but those two drives may be the biggest. Granted, kicker Kevin Harper has certainly been anything but automatic this season. That was proved when he missed a 42-yard field goal in the first half. But I'll take my chances that he could make one of two field goals in that situation.

One of the biggest issues with this team is that they appear to have little idea of how to handle actual game situations. The team doesn't have much perspective on how to perform at crucial times in the game. The best example of this was the debacle at the end of the first half against Cincinnati, when instead of settling for a field goal, Sunseri held the ball too long and the team didn't even have the opportunity to go for three points.

Pinning the loss solely on Sunseri would be wholly unfair. He did, after all, throw for more than 300 yards and complete 76% of his passes. The sacks hurt, but he didn't throw any interceptions or turn the ball over. But the fact remains that he also made some poor decisions. In particular, the intentional grounding was a huge penalty and really helped change the look of the game. Instead of being in a position to attempt what could have been a game-winning field goal, Sunseri's penalty knocked the team farther backward than they could realistically afford.

At this stage, Pitt needs to (perhaps more than anything else) simply learn how to manage actual game situations. The Panthers missed out on a golden opportunity to win a Big East game and get back into the conference race. Instead, at 0-2, they may have all but assured they cannot win the Big East title.

Pitt vs. Syracuse recap: Panther fall, 14-13, in defensive struggle

The Pittsburgh Panthers fell to 0-2 in the Big East on Friday night with a one-point loss on the road to Syracuse. It was a defensive struggle, and two first-quarter touchdowns by the Orange proved to be the difference. Pitt moved the ball during the second half, but could only add a field goal, falling 14-13.

Tino Sunseri had another solid game under center, throwing for 319 yards and continuing his rhythm with wideout Devin Street and tight end Mike Shanahan. Street hauled n 10 catches for 130 yards and Sunseri hit Shanahan for a 46-yard gain in the third quarter, the biggest play of the half for the Panthers. It moved the ball to the Syracuse 11-yard line, but the Pitt offense could not finish the drive off, settling for a 27-yard Kevin Harper field goal. It would be the only points of the second half for either team.

The Panthers moved the ball inside the Syracuse 20-yard line again in the fourth quarter, but the drive turned disastrous from there. Sunseri hit Shanahan again, this time on a crossing pattern for a big 24-yard pickup to move the ball well within Harper's range for a game-winning field goal. But on the very next play, with the ball at the 17, Sunseri was whistled for intentional grounding, moving the ball back 15 yards. The Panthers quarterback was then sacked on the next play. Pitt was forced to punt on 4th and 34 with five minutes to play, a disappointing end to a once-promising scoring threat.

And they would never get the ball back. The Orange pounded the ball on the ground to run out the final five minutes as the Pitt defense could not get a stop to halt the chains from moving and the clock from ticking. It was a frustrating loss for Syracuse, with the team scoring just the one offensive touchdown on its first possession of the game.

Pitt will now hosts Louisville next week at Heinz Field.

Pitt vs. Syracuse score update: Panthers add a field goal, trail 14-13

In a defensive third quarter, the Pitt Panthers cut Syracuse's lead to just 1 at the Carrier Dome. Kevin Harper drilled a chip shot field goal to make 14-13.

The field goal was result of some impressive work from quarterback Tino Sunseri, who converted a couple huge third downs, setting up the big play of the drive -- a 46-yard connection with reliable tight end Mike Shanahan. Syracuse let Shanahan run wide open down the center of the field and Sunseri stood in the pocket under pressure and unloaded the ball just in time. It appeared Shanahan might take it to the end zone, but a Syracuse corner recovered down the left sideline to catch him on the 11-yard line. But the Panthers could not punch it in from there, settling for a 27-yard Harper field goal.

The Panthers started the half by pounding the ball on the ground with running back Ray Graham, handing him the ball on five of six plays on their first possession of the half. But the Panthers were pinned deep in their own territory after Syracuse moved the ball across midfield to start the half. The drive abruptly stalled, and Graham has 19 carries for just 41 yards so far.

Graham's struggles characterized the entire third quarter, as both defenses took over. Sunseri has once again established a connection with Devin Street, but Paul Chryst's offense was still unable to find the end zone.

Pitt vs. Syracuse: Panthers trail Orange at halftime, 14-10

Pitt enters halftime trailing Syracuse, 14-10. The Panthers got off to a slow start in the game, giving up a touchdown on Syracuse's first drive. The Panthers then went on to miss a field goal and after a Drew Carswell catch and subsequent fumble, the Orange picked up the ball and ran it in for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Pitt's defense has settled down, though. The unit didn't give up any more points the rest of the way and they came up with a huge interception in the end zone by K'Waun Williams as the Orange were deep in Pitt's territory. The Panthers later got on the board with a one-yard Ray Graham touchdown to cut the lead in half. The team added a late field goal by Kevin Harper to make it 14-10.

The big problem for the Panthers has been the lack of a running game. Pitt has a grand total of 21 yards on 20 carries and has found it difficult to move the ball against the Orange defense. But while quarterback Tino Sunseri has certainly missed a few wide open receivers, he's having a pretty solid game, completing 16-21 passes for nearly 200 yards. The passing game, which has been above average this season, is really keeping Pitt in the game.

The Panthers are making strides against Syracuse, but still have some work to do to catch up. Syracuse will get the ball to open up the second half. Stay tuned to this Storystream for more updates as the second half gets underway.

Pitt vs. Syracuse score update: Orange jump on Panthers early, take 14-0 lead

The Pittsburgh Panthers allowed a touchdown early as well as late in the first quarter to the Syracuse Orange and now find themselves down 14-0 on the road after one quarter of play.

Pittsburgh received the ball to start the game, but punted the ball to Syracuse after a quick three-and-out. The defense was unable to stop the Orange whatsoever in their first drive, allowing an eight play, 70 yard drive for a touchdown. The Orange were a perfect four-for-four in the passing game on the drive and the running game found gains at ease.

The Panthers offense went to work immediately after and were able to get into Syracuse territory behind three big passing plays from quarterback Tino Sunseri. However, the drive resulted into zero points as Kevin Harper missed a 42 yard field goal.

The miscues didn't stop there for Pittsburgh in the first quarter, though. Panthers tight end Drew Carswell coughed up the ball at midfield that was then picked up by Dyshawn Davis of Syracuse and returned for a touchdown.

Pitt vs. Syracuse: Panthers could face tough test against Orange

Pitt vs. Syracuse 2012: Game time, TV schedule, odds and more

The Pittsburgh Panthers look to build on their two-game winning streak when they travel to Syracuse on Friday night.