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.