Pitt’s quarterback room took a major hit Friday night, and now the Panthers know the damage will keep sophomore Mason Heintschel out for the rest of the season.
Pete Nakos of On3 first reported that Heintschel was headed for an MRI on his right knee after getting hurt in Pitt’s 35-33 road win over Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium. ESPN’s Pete Thamel later reported that the injury is a torn ACL, ending Heintschel’s year.
Heintschel’s injury came on the Panthers’ first drive of the second half, when he tried to stretch for a first down on third-and-8. He scrambled toward the outside, where Hokies fifth-year defensive lineman Kemari Copeland brought him down from behind. As Heintschel twisted to get out of bounds, senior cornerback Cam Chadwick Jr. came in late and low on his right leg.
Heintschel stayed down clutching his right knee, and Pitt’s medical staff quickly rushed onto the field. He eventually got to his feet, but he could not put weight on the leg and was taken to the locker room.
Later, he returned to the sideline in street clothes and on crutches.
The loss is a significant one for a Pitt team that improved to 5-0 with the win over Virginia Tech. With Heintschel sidelined, the Panthers will have to move forward over their final seven games without the sophomore quarterback.
Fifth-year quarterback Holden Geriner is now the clear next man up. He entered the game after Heintschel went down and finished 8-of-12 passing for 78 drives, leading two touchdown drives. One of those came on a 29-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Cataurus "Blue" Hicks that pushed Pitt ahead 35-24 early in the fourth quarter.
If Pitt needs another option, it has two freshmen in Corey Dailey and Angelo Renda. Dailey saw action in the Panthers’ 59-0 win over FCS opponent Bucknell at Acrisure Stadium in Week 4, going 3-of-5 for 60 yards and tossing an 18-yard touchdown to junior Tyreek Robinson late in the game. Renda has not played this season and appears to be the fourth quarterback on the depth chart.
In Other News...
Pitt Finally Reached The Top 25 But Now Everything Gets Harder
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But the bigger question now is how the Panthers handle the loss of starting quarterback Mason Heintschel, who suffered a torn ACL during the game. Pitt will have to lean even harder on the parts of the roster that have carried it so far, especially the rushing game, special teams and defense, if it wants to keep pace in the league and stay in the conversation for the College Football Playoff. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Escaped Virginia Tech With A Win Fans Will Debate All Week
Virginia Tech left Pittsburgh with the kind of finish that can linger all week, because the Hokies had a chance to force the issue at the end and came up short when John Love missed a 36-yard field goal as time expired. The debate started almost immediately over whether the kick had actually been good, and even with the fan noise swirling around the ending, the result still went in Pitts favor.
James Franklin did not turn the loss into a grievance about the officials, which only added to the frustration for Virginia Tech supporters looking for someone to blame. Ethan Grunkemeyer at least gave the Hokies plenty to build on, throwing for a career-high 434 yards, but the final sequence left the game defined less by the offenses production than by the miss and the unanswered questions around it. [Read more 🡒]