Pitt might’ve seen its loftier postseason hopes slip away late in the regular season, but there’s still a chance to end 2025 on a high note-and with a ninth win to show for it. The Panthers head to Annapolis for Saturday’s Military Bowl, where they’ll square off against an East Carolina squad that’s been hit hard by departures and uncertainty.
Let’s be clear: Pitt isn’t showing up to Maryland just for the pageantry. This is about finishing strong, honoring the 2025 team, and setting the tone for what’s next. Head coach Pat Narduzzi made that much clear.
“This is the last time this '25 team will play together,” Narduzzi said. “It’s a celebration and an opportunity to go out and play one more football game with your football team.”
That sense of tradition and pride matters, especially for a program that had legitimate hopes of crashing the New Year’s Six party not long ago. After a signature win over nationally ranked Georgia Tech, Pitt looked like it might be surging at the right time. But a stumble against Miami in the season finale-and a tough November loss to Notre Dame-knocked the Panthers out of the bigger bowl conversation.
Still, there’s plenty on the line. A win would give Pitt nine or more victories for the third time in five seasons, a sign of consistency under Narduzzi despite the postseason struggles (he’s 2-5 in bowl games at Pitt, including a loss in this same Military Bowl a decade ago).
The good news for Pitt: the core of the roster is intact. Linebacker Kyle Louis and running back Desmond Reid are prepping for the NFL Draft and won’t play, but otherwise, the Panthers are bringing a full deck.
That includes quarterback Mason Heintschel, who took over the starting job midseason and has been a steady hand since. He’s thrown for 15 touchdowns and added two more on the ground, giving Pitt a dual-threat presence who’s grown more comfortable with each snap.
East Carolina, on the other hand, is dealing with a much more fluid situation.
The Pirates are without starting quarterback Katin Houser, who threw for over 3,000 yards and 19 touchdowns before entering the transfer portal. That leaves the QB duties to Mike Wright-who’s had stops at Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Northwestern-and/or Chaston Ditta. Both have seen some action this year, but neither has the resume of Houser.
And that’s just the beginning of the attrition for ECU.
Top receivers Yannick Smith and Jayvontay Conner-who combined for over 900 yards and eight touchdowns-are also in the portal. Running back London Montgomery, the Pirates’ leading rusher with 742 yards and seven scores, is skipping the bowl as he prepares to leave the program.
Offensive coordinator John David Baker has moved on, and defensive coordinator Josh Aldrich is off to South Florida. Head coach Blake Harrell will take over defensive play-calling duties, while defensive line coach Roy Tesh manages the unit.
In short: the Pirates are scrambling to fill key roles on both sides of the ball, and they’ll be doing it against a battle-tested ACC opponent.
Still, Harrell isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“Let’s go let it rip, go have fun with it,” he said. “I’m sure that’s what Pitt’s doing right now, making some preparations for what they think might be coming.”
That “what might be coming” is the big unknown for Pitt. With so many moving parts on East Carolina’s side, game-planning becomes a guessing game. But Narduzzi isn’t letting the uncertainty distract his team from the task at hand.
“It really doesn’t matter,” Narduzzi said of ECU’s depleted roster. “They are football players and they all got hearts. It comes down to who plays with more toughness and who wants it the most.”
That’s the kind of mindset you want heading into a bowl game that could easily become a trap. Pitt has the edge on paper, no doubt. But East Carolina is embracing the underdog role with 30 seniors playing their final game together-and that kind of emotional fuel can’t be discounted.
A year ago, the Pirates knocked off NC State in this very bowl. Now, they’re trying to make it two straight wins over ACC opponents in Annapolis, even with a patchwork lineup and new voices calling the plays.
For Pitt, the mission is simple: finish the job, honor the work this 2025 team has put in, and head into the offseason with momentum. The Military Bowl might not be the destination they had in mind a month ago, but it’s still a chance to put a stamp on a season that had plenty of highs-and still has room for one more.