Pitt left Blacksburg with a 35-33 win over Virginia Tech on Friday night, a result that should put the Panthers in the AP top 25 after they improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC.
Pat Narduzzi made that case clear afterward, and he had plenty to point to. Pitt won on the road, rallied to pull out a thrilling comeback, and added a third victory against a power-four conference opponent.
But the bigger story coming out of the game is the health of quarterback Mason Heintschel.
Heintschel went down on the first series of the second half while scrambling for a first down and absorbing a heavy hit near the sideline. He immediately reached for his knee, stayed on the field for several minutes, and eventually needed help getting off. He could not put weight on the leg as he left and later watched the rest of the game from the sideline on crutches.
Backup Holden Geriner stepped in and kept Pitt afloat, but the offense clearly changed after the injury. Geriner did connect with Blue Hicks for a 29-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, yet the rhythm and the play-calling never looked quite the same.
That is the concern now for Pitt if Heintschel is forced to miss time, because the true sophomore had been carrying the offense at a high level. In four-and-a-half games, he had thrown for 1,304 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception. He also had two games with at least six touchdown passes, a huge reason the Panthers entered the season with real optimism in a wide-open ACC.
For a while, it looked as if Pitt might turn a strong road performance into a painful loss. The Panthers led by 11 points in the fourth quarter while also holding a plus-four edge in turnovers, only to watch Virginia Tech claw back late. A safety, then a Hokies touchdown on the next drive, and suddenly the home team had the ball deep enough to put kicker John Love in range.
Love got the chance, too. His attempt at the buzzer drifted just wide of the right upright, and Pitt escaped with the win.
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Pitt Escaped With A Win Fans Still Aren't Settled On
Pitt walked away with a 35-33 win over Virginia Tech, but the finish left plenty of people around the game looking at the replay instead of the scorebook. John Loves 36-yard field goal attempt as time expired was ruled no good, and the call held even as slow-motion video sparked a fresh round of debate over whether the kick had actually slipped inside the left upright.
The larger issue is what happens next when a game ends on a decision like that and the rules keep the booth from stepping in. Virginia Tech coach James Franklin voiced concern afterward about how clear the ruling was, and while Pitt gets to count the victory, the conversation around this one is likely to linger long after the teams have moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Mason Heintschel Faces A Huge Pitt Test In Hostile Territory
Mason Heintschels season has already offered a little of everything for Pitt, with some games showing the sophomore quarterbacks big-play upside and others reminding everyone how uneven a young passer can be. Now he gets his next major proving ground as the Panthers head to Virginia Tech for their first road game of the season, a setting that will ask as much about poise and command as it does about arm talent.
Heintschel has been unbeaten away from home in his college career, which gives Pitt reason to believe he can handle a difficult night in a hostile stadium. Still, road games have a way of exposing even small cracks, and this one feels especially important for both the quarterback and the Panthers as they try to establish some consistency early in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Just Became A Much Bigger Problem For Miami
Pitts unbeaten start kept rolling in dramatic fashion Saturday, and the Panthers needed every bit of it. Virginia Tech lined up for a 36-yard field goal on the final play with a chance to steal the game, but John Love missed, sending Pitt home with a 35-33 win and another reminder that Pat Narduzzis team is not going away quietly. The victory pushed the Panthers to 5-0, a mark that has only fueled the frustration around how theyre being viewed nationally.
Narduzzi made clear afterward that he believes his team has earned more respect from AP poll voters, and the conversation around Pitt is only getting louder. It helps that the Panthers found a way to survive even after starting quarterback Mason Heintschel left with a knee injury, with backup Holden Geriner stepping in to help finish the job. For Miami, a ranked-checking week just got a lot more complicated, because Pitt keeps stacking wins and finding different ways to answer every challenge. [Read more 🡒]