A contrite Fran Brown eyes quick turnaround v. ACC rival Pittsburgh on Thursday night

Brown held his weekly media session Monday, just four days before the Orange look to snap a nine-game ACC losing streak facing nemesis Pitt.

A somewhat tranquil Fran Brown met the media Monday at the Lally Athletics Complex, prior to the Orange's meeting Thursday with Pitt. | Screen shot courtesy of Syracuse University Athletic Communications

The answers to the inquiring media's questions Monday were shorter and more predictable as Brown finished licking his wounds over the 21-18. tough-to-swallow opening conference game defeat to Cal last weekend in the Dome. It was a game that was certainly up for grabs heading late into the fourth quarter, and Brown quickly wanted to pivot ahead to the formidable Panthers challenge that awaits his squad Thursday night for the season's first road game at Acrisure Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN).

For some reason over the last 20 years under Greg Robinson, Doug Marrone, Scott Shafer, Dino Babers, and Brown, Syracuse stopped beating Pittsburgh. The 'Cuse has just two wins over Pitt (2023 and 2017) going back to 2013, coming, ironically, after SU amazingly lost only one game against the Panthers between 1984-2002 under Dick MacPherson and Paul Pasqualoni.

The last time Syracuse won in Pittsburgh was 2001

Brown has so far not found success against his two peer northeastern ACC rival coaches Pat Narduzzi of Pitt, and BC's Bill O'Brien, going a combined 0-4 in his first two seasons. Without making his feelings too clear publicly, the winless record bothers Brown as a competitive coach.

Now with just three days to prepare and build his team back up, Brown is focused on one of the advantages of a short week, especially when the last outcome did not turn out the way anyone wanted.

"We just lost, (now) we have a chance to go play faster (schedule), that's what I like about it," Brown said Monday of the only weeknight game on this year's slate. "We get an opportunity to compete, go have fun, and have a chance to be 1-0 (this week)."

But beating Pitt, which comes into this week's matchup at 2-0 off wins against Miami of Ohio and Central Florida, has been especially out of hand on the road, with an average margin of defeat at just over 12 points over the last five meetings in the Steel City.

"It's going to be a tough game (my message to the team), you better be ready to go play," Brown said succinctly when asked about the challenges Pitt has caused the Orange football program over the last decade.

"Coach Narduzzi is a good football coach, I like how he has his defense sound, they like to hit," Brown added. "On the offensive side of the ball, they create big plays. This conference is qurterback happy, right? Pitt's quarterback Mason Heintschel (18th this week nationally in passing efficiency/zero interceptions) is one of the better quarterbacks in the country."

A start-from-scratch attitude explains the state of the Orange heading into Week 3

An apologetic Brown (to the team's supporters) has moved on from the Cal defeat, knowing the frustration level with an uneven performance has put Orange Nation into a cautious mode on predicting where things go next in the first road test.

From quarterback Steve Angeli (will start at Pitt) throwing three picks, far too many penalties (the Orange have the most penalties (27) and penalty yardage (257) of all 138 FBS teams), and shoddy special teams play that has cost the team points, Brown and the staff have their work cut out for them with short preparation time.

None-the-less, head coaches tend to speak optimistically and are always looking to key in on the right motivational tools.

"Do we find out how tough we are, do we go out and compete (Thursday)?," Brown asked rhetorically about his players.

"We're going to keep working, we're moving on to the next football game, and hoping you (the supporters) can do the same thing to push and follow, and have our backs, and move on. It happens in life."

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