Kyle Louis was paying attention. Mentally, at least.
The sophomore linebacker for Pittsburgh spent part of the time leading up to the 19th-ranked Panthers’ 80th game against Syracuse reading about how the matchup was expected to be a high-scoring affair, with Orange quarterback Kyle McCord posing a challenge that Pitt might struggle to meet.
“Our defense took that personally during the whole bye week,” Louis said. And they sure showed it.
In a dominant 41-13 victory on Thursday night that lasted over three hours, the Panthers reminded everyone that while their offense has changed a lot under new coordinator Kade Bell, some things remain the same under long-time coach Pat Narduzzi.
Pitt is going to blitz, and then they’ll blitz some more, determined to force mistakes. This has been the case since Narduzzi took over nearly ten years ago, and it hasn’t changed in 2024. After a slow start—by Narduzzi’s high standards—the intense style that has always defined the Panthers has led to their first 7-0 start since 1982.
“Our motto all year is to ‘prove it,’” Narduzzi said. “I think we proved a lot in a primetime game with a national audience.”
The previous season, Pitt had a rough 3-9 record and lost to Syracuse at Yankee Stadium, where the Orange gained 382 yards on the ground with tight end Oronde Gadsen II playing as the “wildcat” quarterback.
This time, Pitt intercepted McCord five times, with three of those returns resulting in touchdowns. Louis even made a 59-yard run down the sideline for a touchdown midway through the first quarter, skillfully maneuvering through traffic as he reached the end zone.
“If I get the ball in the middle of the field, I’m scoring,” Louis said. “As soon as I got the ball, I saw the field open up. I already knew where I was going to go.”
And Louis already has a good idea of where the Panthers are headed. When asked if he thought they could be unbeaten as they entered November, especially after being predicted to finish 13th in the expanded ACC, Louis simply nodded.
“Of course, I thought 7-0 definitely could happen,” he said. “We’ve got talent on this team that was tremendous. … I don’t see anybody messing with us, for real.”
So far, no one has. Pitt still has some challenges ahead, including a game at No. 22 SMU on November 2 and a home game against No. 9 Clemson on November 16. However, the Panthers have shown they can win in different ways.
This is the same team that came back from double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter to beat Cincinnati and West Virginia, thanks to the skills of redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein and smaller running back Desmond Reid. They also managed a close 17-15 win over California and overwhelmed Syracuse with multiple pick-6s and several sacks.
“A win has come from each phase of football,” said kicker Ben Sauls, who has been perfect this season, making all 45 of his extra points and field goals. “If we continue to do that, we’ll be really dangerous.”
Pitt might already be there. The young secondary that struggled early in the season has improved quickly, and the defensive line has contributed to 10 sacks in the last two games. In the middle, the linebackers have been nicknamed “The Sharks” by position coach Ryan Manalac over the summer.
Louis, Braylan Lovelace, Rasheem Biles, and Brandon George have fully embraced their new identity, putting their hands on their helmets like shark fins after making big plays.
They celebrate in front of an energetic student section that, on Thursday night, included an inflatable shark being tossed around and at least one fan dressed in a shark costume just a week before Halloween.
Biles — whose 35-yard pick-6 during Syracuse’s first drive set the tone for the game — joked afterward that he might sell some shark-themed merchandise when he got home and thinks the whole “shark” theme has turned into a “movement.”
It’s fitting for a group named after an animal that’s always on the move.
However, sharks aren’t the only animals that come to mind for the ACC’s biggest surprise team. The swagger and confidence that were missing in 2023 have returned for a program that believes it’s improving every week.
“We’ve got a shot against anybody,” Louis said. “We don’t just have a shot. We have an advantage because we’ve got some dogs on this team.”
