Rodney Hammond Sets Career-High in Pitt's Win Over Syracuse

An outstanding performance from the defense and career day from Rodney Hammond lifted the Pitt Panthers to a win.

PITTSBURGH -- The afternoon started bleakly, with an announcement that the Pitt Panthers' star running back, Israel Abanikanda, would not play due to an injury. But the running game didn't miss a beat as backups Rodney Hammond and C'Borius Flemister combined for 166 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. The Panthers defense locked down Syracuse's star rusher Sean Tucker and beat the No. 20 Orange, 19-9 for their first win in a month. 

The Panthers, down their star running back, continued to run the ball effectively after Syracuse gifted them good field position following a three-and-out and shanked punt by the Orange. But after running with Hammond seven times in eight plays for 28 yards, Kedon Slovis threw an interception into quadruple coverage while being tackled. 

Syracuse converted that turnover into three points. The Orange drove 75 yards in 12 plays thanks in large part to the arm of quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who's filling in for the injured Garrett Schrader. He hit on some long plays to a few different receivers to get his team within scoring range and earn a 3-0 lead with 26 seconds left in the first half.  

Pitt answered with a score of its own. Sharp passing from Slovis aided more strong running from Hammond, who punched in his first touchdown since the Backyard Brawl from six yards out to put the Panthers up 7-3 with 10:26 to play until halftime. 

Both sides traded punts until Del Rio-Wilson was able to jumpstart the Orange attack with a 31-yard connection to Damien Alford along the sideline. Four plays later and Andre Szmyt converted on his second field goal attempt to make it 7-6, Pitt with less than four minutes remaining in the half. 

The Panthers continued to hold strong on defense and Slovis completed all of his passes for yards on their final possession of the half to lead his team into field goal range. Ben Sauls made his first kick of the afternoon from 43 yards out despite multiple attempts by Syracuse to ice him and Pitt went into halftime leading 10-6. 

Pitt got the ball to open the second half, but couldn't make anything meaningful of the drive despite some short, efficient passing from Slovis. The Panthers punted and forced a kick from the Orange on their next drive. Pitt shot themselves in the foot yet again when offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti dialed up a double pass from Jared Wayne. He was looking for Hammond on a wheel route but lofted an easy interception to Isaiah Johnson. 

Pitt was able to force another punt and then the C'Borius Flemister show began. He entered the game to give Hammond a rest, but ended up carrying the ball 10 times for 42 yards and a touchdown, his first in a Pitt uniform, to put the Panthers up 17-6 with 1:49 left in the third quarter. 

The Panthers entered the fourth quarter - a notoriously dicey period of the game as of late - with a double-digit lead and in keeping with that trend, booted a 2-yard punt. It proved inconsequential, though. Pitt's defense held Syracuse on third down in their own territory and a lucky gust of wind kept a field goal attempt short to preserve the 11-point lead. 

The fourth quarter continued to be a defensive struggle until Del Rio-Wilson kickstarted a sluggish drive with a stunning escape and first-down scramble for 15 yards. He then hit on a 45-yard pass to D'Marcus Adams. But the promising drive ended in a field goal from the Orange and Pitt still held the lead at 17-9 with 4:52 left in regulation. 

After getting the ball back, the Panthers ran Hammond seven times for 31 yards and ate up 3:12 of the remaining clock. A pin-point punt from Sam Vander Haar and good coverage from SirVocea Dennis set up a sack from Deslin Alexandre in the endzone for a safety. 

Pitt led 19-9 and knelt the remaining clock out after fielding the onside kickoff cleanly. 

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