Pitt 30, Syracuse 7 Post Game Notes
11/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
· With today's 30-7 victory over Syracuse, Pitt has now won 11 of the past 13 meetings with the Orange. The Panthers lead the all-time series, 36-31-3.
· With his one-yard scoring run in the first quarter, sophomore running back James Conner set the ACC single-season record for rushing touchdowns with 22, surpassing Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams, who had 21 in 2009. Conner also tied the Pitt season rushing touchdowns record, set by the legendary Tony Dorsett in 1976.
· James Conner was limited to a quarter-and-a-half of action due to a hip injury. He finished the game with 11 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. Conner now has 1,600 rushing yards on the year.
· Freshman running back Chris James rushed for 122 yards on 19 carries, both career highs.
· Pitt amassed 256 net rushing yards against Syracuse, which entered the contest with the nation's No. 24 defense against the run (127.3 rush yards per game). The Panthers' rushing yardage marks the most given up by Syracuse this season.
· Sophomore receiver Tyler Boyd compiled seven receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. It was Boyd's fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game and fifth of the season. Boyd has ten 100-yard receiving games for his career.
· Tyler Boyd now has 1,077 receiving yards on the season. He had 1,174 as a freshman in 2013. Boyd is only the second Pitt player to achieve two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career. The other is Larry Fitzgerald, who had 1,005 as a freshman in 2002 and a school-record 1,672 as a sophomore in 2003.
· Pitt now has a 1,000-yard rusher (Conner) and 1,000-yard receiver (Boyd) in the same season for the third time in school history. The prior occasions were in 2009 (Dion Lewis, 1,799 rushing yards/Jon Baldwin, 1,111 receiving yards) and 2000 (Kevan Barlow, 1,167 rushing yards/Antonio Bryant, 1,457 receiving yards).
· Junior cornerback Lafayette Pitts intercepted Syracuse quarterback AJ Long in the end zone in the first quarter. It is Pitts' second interception of the season and third of his career.
· Lafayette Pitts' interception in the opening quarter was the Panthers' first since the Oct. 4 Virginia game, snapping a streak of four consecutive contests without an INT.
· Sophomore linebacker Bam Bradley intercepted SU's Mitch Kimble in the second quarter. It was Bradley's first career interception and gave the Panthers' multiple INTs in a game for the first time since the Sept. 5 Boston College contest (when Pitt also had two INTs).
· Pitt forced three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble) against Syracuse, tying the Panthers' 2014 season high. Pitt also forced three turnovers in the Aug. 30 season opener with Delaware (three INTs).
· Sophomore receiver Dontez Ford made his first career start today. Ford spent the 2012 season at Syracuse before transferring to Pitt. He had an 11-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter—the first of his career—to give the Panthers a 17-0 lead.
· Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith made his second start of the season. He replaced sophomore tackle Adam Bisnowaty, who did not dress for the game due to injury.
