SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Kenny Pickett threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, one of them coming on a trick play to put Pittsburgh ahead for good, and the Panthers held off Syracuse 27-20 on Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Pittsburgh (5-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) had won its previous three, by a combined seven points, and two of those victories came in the final minute. This one was different until the end, with the Panthers gaining a 24-6 halftime lead and keeping the Orange at bay despite a tense final 2 minutes.

Clayton Welch hit Aaron Hackett for a 7-yard touchdown with 2:44 left to move the Orange within striking distance, and the Panthers averted a meltdown after Vincent Davis lost a fumble but was ruled down with under 2 minutes left deep in his own territory.

Syracuse (3-4, 0-3), which had lost only once in their previous nine games in the Carrier Dome, is the only team in the ACC’s Atlantic Division without a conference win

Pickett hit a wide-open Aaron Mathews for a 43-yard score after a pair of laterals to give Pitt a 10-3 lead late in the first quarter.