Where legends are born: Week 9 college football battles for the ages
By Justin Perez
5-1. 7:30 PM ET. 445. ESPN. Thursday, October 24th. syracuse vs pitt. 6-0. 444. Pittsburgh -6
All-Time Series: Pittsburgh leads 43-32-3 Last Matchup: Syracuse won 28-13(2023) Location: Acrisure Stadium
To kick off Week 9, a Thursday night matchup takes place in ACC country as Syracuse travels to play the No.19 Pitt Panthers. Both squads are coming off a bye week. Two weeks ago Syracuse beat NC State, 24-17 and Pitt got by Cal, 17-15, to start a year at 6-0 for the first time since the 1980s. Pitt looks to improve to 3-0 in ACC play while Syracuse will try and get to 3-1 to stay in the hunt for an ACC title.
Players To Watch
player. 445. . Wide Receiver. Jackson Meeks. . 1. Jackson Meeks. su jackson meeks.
Quarterback Kyle McCord is an easy pick for Syracuse's player to watch on offense. However, much of McCord's success has been because of his deep and loaded receiver core. His top target, Jackson Meeks, is the main headliner of that group. Meeks is having a fantastic regular season in 2024.
The senior is second on the team in receptions (38) and touchdowns (4). He's first in receiving yards (459). With Trebor Pena potentially missing this game, he'll continue to be the main man of the aerial attack. Last week, the Alabama native caught 11 balls for 116 yards and a touchdown.
. player. Desmond Reid. Desmond Reid. pitt's desmond reid. Running Back. 2. 444. .
Pitt has several standouts on offense. However, their top tailback, Desmond Reid, is the Panthers' Swiss Army Knife. Reid has shown to be a capable pass catcher out of the backfield as well as produce great runs. The junior has rushed for 494 yards on 78 carries. He's averaged 6.3 yards per carry and has rushed for three touchdowns.
The back from Miami Gardens, Florida, is currently second on the team in catches (25). He's added 341 yards and four scores through the air. Reid has averaged 13.6 yards per reception. He will be a player that Syracuse will focus on heavily in the game.
3. . player. 445. Fadil Diggs. Fadil Diggs. su's fadil diggs. Defensive Lineman. .
Fadil Diggs has quietly become one of the better pass rushers in the ACC. Syracuse is going to need him if they want to beat Pitt this Thursday. Diggs is the key to disrupting Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein. The numbers prove that. Currently, the native from East Camden, New Jersey is tied for fourth on the squad in tackles (28) with Darian Chestnut. The senior is fourth in solo takedowns with 15 of them. He leads the entire defense in tackles for loss (8) and quarterback sacks (4). Expect him to have an impact.
Linebacker. . player. . 444. pitt's kyle louis. 4. . Kyle Louis. Kyle Louis
The linebacker from East Orange, New Jersey is arguably Pitt's best player on defense. Kyle Louis is having an All-American-type season in 2024. Louis has racked up 54 tackles. He leads the team in tackles for loss (8.5) and is tied for second on the team in sacks with three of them. He also has two interceptions, a pass defended against, and a forced fumble. Louis is the only power-four defender with at least 50 tackles, eight TFLs, three sacks, and two picks.