Anderson Will Get Another Shot Against Pitt

Pittsburgh (4-1, 1-0 Big East) will travel to the Carrier Dome to take on the Orangemen (1-3, 0-0) on Oct. 5, noon. The Orangemen are hoping history will work in its favor as Pitt has never beaten the Orangemen since the formation of the Big East. Still, one question remains.

Will Troy Nunes finally take back the starting QB job? That is the question fans have been asking throughout the week.

Entering Saturday’s contest against Pittsburgh, Anderson has thrown for just 527 yards including six interceptions to only a pair of TDs. Combine that with a paltry 42.3 completion percentage (30-for-71) and fans might be screaming “We want Troy” early in the game.

That’s exactly what happened last week against Auburn. After throwing three picks and being knocked hard to the ground several times, coach Paul Pasqualoni had to go with Nunes, who sparked the offense. He might do the same against Pitt’s tough defense.

Pitt ranks fifth in turnovers (17) and ninth in pass-efficiency defense (85.68). But Pitt will have their hands full with RBs Walter Reyes (383 rushing, six TDs) and freshman Damien Rhodes (263, 4 TDs).

Syracuse is on the opposite side of the spectrum on defense. The Orangemen yield an atrocious 31.5 points and a tad under 500 yards per game. Certainly unacceptable, but key injuries to their secondary and a tough non-conference schedule including Auburn and UNC have contributed to their struggles.

The Orangemen might be in even more trouble defensively as linebacker Jameel Dumas (42 tackles) is questionable with a pulled groin for Saturday’s contest. Clifton Smith (54 tackles) continues to lead the Orangemen defense.

Jamel Riddle leads an Orangemen offense that will need to score early if they want to beat Pitt. The wide receiver stands at only 5-foot-7, but has caught eight passes for 258 yards (32.2 YPC) and two TDs. He’s also been a key punt returner for this team.

But Riddle has suffered from blurred vision throughout the week after the game against Auburn. But Riddle said his swollen left eye has improved and he should be ready to go.

The Orangemen are coming off their best performance of the year against Auburn despite a 3OT loss. But eyes are in the front of our heads and not the back, and this makes us look forward, Pasqualoni said. The head coach said that the team is prepared after a week of watching film and learning from their mistakes.