Pitt didn’t need long to take control Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. By the time the first quarter was halfway through, the Panthers had already settled in, and by the fourth quarter they were rolling with a 42-0 lead over Bucknell in the non-conference finale.
The game opened with Pitt winning the coin toss and deferring, and the defense set the tone right away. Bucknell quarterback Emmett Dowling was under pressure from the start, and the Bison’s first possession went nowhere after three passes netted just three yards and ended in the game’s first punt.
Pitt’s offense had a rough opening of its own when Mason Heintschel missed his first two throws, but the Panthers found their rhythm quickly. On third-and-10, Heintschel connected with tight end Carson Kent for 14 yards, then found Blue Hicks for a 34-yard gain into Bucknell territory.
After two more incompletions, Pitt faced another third-and-10, and Heintschel picked up seven yards on a scramble before staying on the field for fourth-and-3. He then delivered a 19-yard touchdown pass to Censere Lee.
Bucknell’s next drive turned messy in a hurry. The Bison ran 10 snaps, but five were either affected or wiped out by penalties.
Bucknell was flagged for a false start and holding, while Pitt drew penalties on three straight snaps - a pass interference, an offside and a facemask. The drive still moved across midfield before stalling, and Bucknell punted from the Pitt 37.
The Panthers answered by moving 80 yards for another touchdown. Damon Ferguson opened the possession with a 21-yard run, later converted third-and-1, and then caught a 14-yard check-down to help push Pitt deeper into Bucknell territory. On third-and-10 from the Bucknell 35, Heintschel hit Bryce Yates for 20 yards, then rolled right on third-and-goal from the 3 and found Carson Kent for his first touchdown as a Panther.
Pitt led 14-0 with 2:52 left in the first quarter.
Bucknell did get into Pitt territory on its next possession, helped by a roughing flag on Sean FitzSimmons and a defensive holding call on Rashan Murray. But the Bison couldn’t finish the drive and missed a 43-yard field goal attempt wide.
From there, Pitt kept building the margin. Heintschel converted a third-and-2 with a 21-yard scramble, Jaylin Brown added a 10-yard catch and an 11-yard run, and Yates grabbed an 18-yard pass to move the Panthers inside the Bucknell 10. Heintschel then threw to freshman receiver Demetrice McCray for his first career touchdown.
Pitt was up 21-0 with 10:01 left in the second quarter.
The Panthers were not done. After another Bucknell punt, Pitt drove 83 yards for its fourth touchdown, with Heintschel and Kent linking up three times for 32 yards on the series, including a pair of third-down conversions. Tony Kinsler added a 24-yard catch on second-and-12 to reach the Bucknell 10, and Heintschel finished the drive by hitting Lee for another score.
Pitt led 28-0 with 2:02 left in the half.
One more defensive stop set up one more quick strike. Pitt forced a three-and-out, and on the third play of the next drive Heintschel went deep down the right sideline to McCray for a 48-yard touchdown. That made it 35-0 with 52 seconds left in the second quarter.
At halftime, Heintschel had completed 20 of 28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns. McCray had two catches for 56 yards and two scores, while Kent led the Panthers with six receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Pitt opened the second half with the ball and moved to the 22 before a long gain to Hicks turned costly. Bucknell knocked the ball loose and recovered it for the game’s first turnover.
The Panthers’ defense erased that momentum immediately with another three-and-out, and Pitt’s offense went right back to work. A 24-yard pass to Yates, a 31-yard catch by tight end Elijah Lagg and another 14-yard grab by Yates set up Heintschel’s seventh touchdown throw of the day, a seven-yard strike to Lee. That made it 42-0 with 9:35 left in the third quarter.
After another Pitt three-and-out forced Bucknell back onto the field, the Panthers made wholesale changes. Holden Geriner took over at quarterback, the entire offensive line was replaced and the reserve running backs and receivers entered the game.
Geriner helped Pitt move the chains with a 17-yard pass to McCray, but the drive stalled when Brown was stopped on third-and-2 from the Bucknell 37, leading to Pitt’s first punt of the game.
Bucknell managed a first down on its next possession before stalling at midfield and punting again. As the third quarter wound down, Geriner and the second-team offense worked through a false start and a holding penalty to move into Bucknell territory, aided by a 20-yard pass to Tyreek Robinson.
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Fisher clearly values what both players have meant to the program, and their decisions give Pitt a longer runway as it tries to stay in the national title mix. Babcock and Bayless have already been central to the Panthers recent rise, and even with the future still unfolding, their choice to stay connected to the program leaves the door open for more deep postseason runs. [Read more 🡒]