Pitt’s 59-14 demolition of Miami (Ohio) in Week 1 wasn’t just about Mason Heintschel’s record-tying day. The Panthers also got a strong early return from the newcomers sprinkled throughout the roster, and that mattered just as much in a season opener that showed how quickly this group is starting to fit together.
The headline-grabbing moment from the supporting cast came on special teams, where Antonio Chadha drilled a 58-yard field goal to close the first half. It was his first kick in a Pitt uniform, and it tied Ben Sauls and Alex Kessman for the longest field goal in program history.
"I love Chadha," Heintschel said postgame. "I honestly didn't know he had that in him. He's a little crazy, after he hit it he was smacking his head, but he's a special player."
Chadha arrived at Pitt as a walk-on transfer from FCS program Western Illinois, and he also finished 7-for-7 on extra points. Sam Hunsaker, another transfer, added a PAT and handled kickoff duty with 579 yards.
On offense, transfer wide receiver Malik Knight wasted no time making an impact. The Western Carolina transfer caught Pitt’s first touchdown of the season on a 17-yard catch-and-run and finished with five receptions for 53 yards.
Heintschel also found UAB transfer Elijah Lagg for a touchdown. Lagg, listed as a backup tight end on the depth chart, made three catches for 23 yards in his Pitt debut. Oklahoma transfer tight end Carson Kent chipped in with two catches for 29 yards.
The Panthers also got useful snaps from the backfield. La’Vell Wright stepped in as a backup running back when Ja’Kyrian Turner was out and finished with 25 rushing yards at 6.2 yards per carry.
True freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. joined the scoring, too. The Maryland running back posted 22 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards and a touchdown catch, making him the only freshman to score for Pitt in the opener.
Another first-year player, wide receiver Demetrice McCray, added 24 yards on two receptions. With Pitt’s receiver and running back groups already crowded, getting that kind of production from two true freshmen is a notable early sign.
Defensively, the Panthers were a little uneven in the second quarter, but they locked Miami (Ohio) out the rest of the way and blanked the RedHawks in the second half. The returnees up front drew the most attention, though a few newcomers made their presence felt there, too.
Memphis transfer Demarco Ward posted three solo tackles, matching Shawn Lee Jr. and Cruce Brookins for the team lead. Purdue transfer linebacker Alex Sanford Jr. finished with a tackle and an assist.
Among the freshmen, Lincoln Hoke, Josh Pittman and Kentrail McRae each recorded tackles as Pitt’s new pieces continued to show up across the board in a convincing opening win.
In Other News...
Pitt Faces An Early Test After That Explosive Season Opener
Pitt heads into Saturday with a fresh dose of confidence after opening the season with a sharp offensive showing against Miami (Ohio), a game that gave the Panthers an early glimpse of what the attack can look like when it is clicking. Mason Heintschel was at the center of it, and the opener gave Pitt plenty to build on as it turns toward a matchup that should offer a clearer read on where this team stands in the early weeks of 2026.
UCF arrives for the fourth meeting between the programs, adding a little more familiarity to a game that already feels like an early test for Pitt. The Panthers have won two of the first three in the series, but this one comes with enough intrigue to matter well beyond the numbers, especially with the roster leadership and coaching structure now in place and the offense trying to prove the opener was a starting point rather than a one-week burst. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Is About To Give UCF The Test Its Opener Couldn't
UCFs season opener could hardly have gone much better. The Knights rolled past Bethune-Cookman 73-6, tying the school mark for points in a game while setting a program record for margin of victory, and Scott Frost came away encouraged by the way his team handled business. The performance gave UCF a fast start and a little early momentum, but it also came against a level of competition that left plenty to be proven when the schedule stiffens.
Pittsburgh is ready to be part of that next test, coming off its own opening-game win and a sharp offensive showing of its own. The matchup now carries the feel of an early measuring stick for both programs, with the Panthers bringing the kind of defensive challenge UCF did not see in Week 1 and the Knights trying to show that their opener was more than just a one-sided tune-up. For Frost and his team, the bigger question is how much of that opener can travel when the opposition looks a lot more like what they will face the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]