Last Saturday, the Panthers kept their win streak going with a 53-34 rout of NC State. First-year quarterback Mason Heintschel played well once again as the Panthers look to make things interesting down the stretch.
“Money Mason” is no fad, Heintschel is here to stay
Pitt fans are familiar by now with Heintschel’s heroics, but the true first-year has played his way from a feel-good story to a legitimate starter of the future for the Panthers.
Heintschel’s 423 passing yards were the most by a first-year in program history, and he was the first 400-yard passer for Pitt since Kenny Pickett in 2021 — a beloved celebrity in Oakland. Heintschel is the only Power 4 first-year quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in a game this season, and he has thrown for over 300 yards in three of his four starts. To summarize — the kid is pretty good.
Sure, the sample size is small, but Heintschel has hit the ground running and shows no signs of slowing down. He has not had to rely on the defense or the running game to win, despite the strength of both.
Narduzzi deserves credit for midseason turnaround
Through five weeks of the season, Pitt held a 2-2 record after disappointing losses to West Virginia and Louisville. The offense struggled to generate momentum, and it looked like the beginning of a long year for the Panthers. Pitt’s season could’ve spiraled after an especially tough loss to Louisville, but to head coach Pat Narduzzi’s credit, the Panthers have turned the season around to remain competitive in the ACC.
The decision to bench redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein was a doozy, and could’ve led to locker-room issues if Heintschel didn’t start as well as he did. Holstein certainly had his struggles, especially with turnovers, but showed great potential in his first season with the team.
At the start of the season, Heintschel was an unknown commodity and had only appeared in relief in Pitt’s early-season blowouts against Duquesne and Central Michigan. Nevertheless, Narduzzi’s gamble paid off, and the Panthers now sit at 6-2.
Love him or hate him, Narduzzi managed to keep control of the locker room through two brutal losses and keep Pitt’s season intact. This current iteration of the Panthers feels different than the one that struggled against West Virginia and Louisville.
Why not just win the whole thing?
Pitt — winner of four straight — now sits at third in the ACC behind Georgia Tech and Virginia. The Panthers will get a chance to face the currently No. 8 ranked Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on Nov. 22 in what could be a massive conference matchup.
Pitt is probably not the most talented team in the ACC, but vibes have never been higher, and all the momentum is on the side of the Panthers. If Pitt can stick to its winning ways as it heads into a brutal end-of-season stretch, the Panthers could have an outside shot at the ACC title game. This defense has the talent to keep games close, despite currently being plagued by injuries.
If the Panthers can get healthy down the stretch and stay hot, then why not go out and win the whole damn thing?
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