Pitt’s quarterback situation has gone from bad to worse, and the Panthers are now trying to steer through ACC play with no clear answer under center.
Mason Heintschel’s season ended with an ACL tear, and that injury immediately changed the outlook for Pitt. The Panthers still managed to win the game in which he was hurt against Virginia Tech, but the schedule has only gotten tougher since then.
The next move was Holden Geriner, the Texas State transfer and fifth-year quarterback who got the start the following week against North Carolina. Pitt lost that one 21-17, and Geriner’s line told the story: he went 27-of-44 with two interceptions.
He was better on quick throws and check downs, but he struggled with mobility and the deep ball. His longest completion against North Carolina was a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Malik Knight that stayed closer to the sideline than the middle of the field.
Geriner also rushed for -1 yard and was sacked twice.
Then Pitt turned to the other option, and for the second year in a row the Panthers went with a true freshman at quarterback against Boston College. Corey Dailey, a four-star recruit from Seguin, Texas, made his first college start in Chestnut Hill.
He opened with a jolt. Dailey’s first throw was a 75-yard touchdown strike to Blue Hicks, and it ended up being Pitt’s last touchdown of the game.
After that, the night got much tougher. Dailey finished 11-of-25 for 193 yards with two interceptions in a 27-21 loss that dropped Pitt to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in ACC play.
The coach staff may not have another option to test. The expectation now is that Pitt will choose between Geriner and Dailey and ride with one of them the rest of the way.
Both quarterbacks have shown different strengths, but neither has given Pitt clean, consistent play. Geriner’s experience showed up in how quickly he processed screen passes and short throws.
Dailey brought more mobility, even if the production was modest. He ran for nine yards, including an eight-yard burst for a crucial first down, and he was only sacked once.
Dailey’s arm talent also gave Pitt more ability to attack downfield, but the stretches without a completed pass hurt him. He did not complete a throw in the second quarter, went 3-for-8 in the third, and finished with 65 passing yards in the fourth. Pitt also couldn’t cash in when it got into the redzone multiple times.
The broader picture is grim, especially with the ACC schedule getting harder. Pitt’s 2024 season went from 7-0 to 7-6 after an injury to Eli Holstein, and this year has started to echo that same kind of slide.
Three of the Panthers’ remaining five opponents - Georgia Tech, Florida State and Cal - also lost on Oct. 17.
The other two, Louisville and undefeated Miami, are both difficult road games.
It does not get much more daunting than a trip to 6-0 Miami, but Pitt can at least show what kind of team it still is if it can battle the Hurricanes.
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Mario Cristobal knows what is coming to Hard Rock Stadium. As Miami prepares to face Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes are getting a visit from a Panthers team that still has enough defensive talent to command attention, especially up front. Cristobal has already pointed to Pitts line and the way the Panthers can disrupt an offense, a reminder that this is not the kind of matchup to treat lightly even with Miami riding high after its double-overtime win over Florida State.
For Pittsburgh, though, the bigger issue has been on the other side of the ball, where injuries to its star quarterback have left the Panthers short of the level that once had them ranked and unbeaten. They come in off a loss to Boston College, which only sharpens the contrast with a Miami team that has kept gathering momentum. The question hanging over Pitt is whether enough of its identity remains intact to make this trip more than just another tough test against a No. 1 team. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Heads To Miami With Its Season Suddenly Feeling At A Crossroads
Pitt heads to Miami on Oct. 24 with the kind of trip that can turn a season one way or the other. After back-to-back losses, the Panthers are walking into a matchup with the No. 1-ranked Hurricanes, who are still unbeaten and stand as the ACCs lone undefeated team. Miami has been built around a high-end attack led by Heisman candidate Malachi Toney and quarterback Darian Mensah, so this is not just a measuring-stick game for Pitt, it is a chance to show the slide is temporary.
The timing makes the assignment even tougher for the Panthers, who are already trying to sort through issues at quarterback while staring at a historically rough track record in games like this. A win in Coral Gables would instantly change the conversation around a team that suddenly looks like it is at a crossroads, while another loss would deepen the pressure heading into the stretch run. Either way, the next week gives Pitt little margin for error and a lot of questions to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt's Georgia Tech Game Just Got Bigger Amid This Two-Game Slide
Pitts late-October matchup with Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium already carried plenty of weight, and now the stage around it has grown a little bigger. The Panthers will host the Yellow Jackets on Oct. 31 in a nighttime setting that should give the game a different feel, one that fits a team still trying to steady itself after a two-game slide and keep its postseason path moving in the right direction.
For a Pitt team looking to improve its record and lock in bowl eligibility, the timing matters almost as much as the opponent. A strong response at home would ease some of the pressure that has built over the last two weeks, while giving the Panthers a chance to reset in front of a nationally televised audience and remind everyone what kind of finish they can still put together. [Read more 🡒]