It's a pick-6 party for No. 19 Pitt as the Panthers use 3 defensive TDs to drill Syracuse 41-13

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh linebacker coach Ryan Manalac nicknamed his group "The Sharks” during training camp, an ode to their relentlessness and hunger.

Manalac's players have leaned into it. And on Thursday night, the 19th-ranked Panthers and "The Sharks’ in the middle of their defense sent a message to Syracuse and the rest of the ACC that Pitt's unbeaten start is hardly a fluke.

Rasheem Biles, Kyle Louis and Braylan Lovelace — linebackers all — returned first-half interceptions for touchdowns as the Panthers crushed Syracuse 41-13.

“This ‘shark’ stuff is really a movement,” said Biles, whose 35-yard score just over two minutes in set the tone. “It’s really deep for us. ... It just shows how much work we put in, how good we are, ... it brings joy to us.”