Previewing Pittsburgh from the Panthers Perspective
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With tomorrow night’s game against Northeast “Rival” Pittsburgh approaching, we wanted to get some insights on Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers. Thankfully Obnoxiously Pitt Girl from the Sickos Committee clique was willing to answer our questions.
TNIAAM: Ok, so Pitt is 2-0, what has gone well in these first two games?
OPG: The two games Pitt has won so far have been two VERY different games. For the Miami (OH) game, the weather was gorgeous and Pitt was able to really lean into OC Kade Bell’s high-flying offense, scoring 59 points, with sophomore QB Mason Heintschel throwing seven touchdown passes to seven different receivers, tying or breaking a variety of school and ACC records in the process. Miami is expected to be a good MAC team this year so this performance certainly got people thinking about the offense’s potential!
The UCF game, on the other hand, occurred in a downpour after an hour+ lightning delay and Pitt won it 12-7. I listened to a lot of this game on the radio rather than watching it because I was driving, but it really sounded like a slog and the stats back that up. I would be remiss as a member of the Sickos Committee if I did not note that Pitt got to 12 via a field goal, a safety, and a touchdown, and at one point led 5-0. I’m honestly a little sad they didn’t win 5-0.
All that to say that my big takeaway from the season thus far is that while Pitt is certainly capable of offensive fireworks, they can win ugly if that’s what they need to do, too. That ability to get the job done even in less-than-ideal circumstances is super important if this team wants to make some noise down the stretch in the ACC race (or beyond!) and I am once again Thinking About Charlotte and Ready to Be Hurt.
I also want to mention special teams as something that’s going well. Pitt’s new punter, Gabe Russo, was an FCS punter of the year semifinalist at Idaho State last year and has looked good, which has been a nice change of pace from the sometimes-questionable Caleb Junko. Meanwhile, walk-on kicker Antonio Chadha, who is a fifth year senior on his fourth school, made me like him from the very first kick. He drilled a 58-yarder into the notoriously difficult open end zone at Heinz Field (I pronounce it Heinz Field regardless of the fact that it’s spelled Acrisure Stadium now) just before halftime of the Miami (OH) to tie a school distance record. He’s also built like a fullback and I really hope he gets to tackle someone this year. Get this man a scholarship!
TNIAAM:Mason Heintschel looks to be improving upon his strong freshman game, what has impressed you so far?
OPG: Obviously the whole “Seven Touchdowns for Seven Receivers” thing was really impressive, but what I have liked seeing so far is better decisionmaking than last year. We have yet to see Mason throw a pick, though there was a close shave against UCF, and he has taken only two sacks so far, compared to 34 across ten game appearances last year. Hard to say more when one of the two games we’ve seen so far this year was played underwater – he was 18 for 29 for 212 yards and no TDs on Saturday, which is fine but not what we know he’s capable of. Either way he’s definitely grown as a player over the offseason, which is what we want to see!
I said this in last year’s Q&A, but he really does remind me quite a bit of a young Kenny Pickett – he has the same ability to make something out of nothing when scrambling and a clear will to win. He even said something this week about not having the largest hands – folks who were paying attention to the 2022 NFL combine and draft might remember “Kenny Pickett Small Hands Discourse,” something that plagued the internet for at least a week.
Anyway, I’m not on the “Mason Heisman” train yet, not least because September Heisman candidates rarely win the thing in December and I would like him to actually win the thing if possible, but I will be continuing to watch him with interest as both a Pitt fan and a general fan of the sport. And donating to Pitt athletics’ NIL fund so we can hopefully, maybe, please God let this happen, afford to keep him next year.
TNIAAM: Besides the QB, what players on Pitt’s offense should Syracuse fans be worried about?
OPG: It’s hard to say much with the sample of games we have so far, and I am by no means an analyst, but:
We have yet to see sophomore RB Ja’Kyrian Turner, better known as Boosie, take the field in 2026, but in 2025 he led the team in total rushing, even considering that he was RB2 behind the fantastic but injury-prone Des Reid (now a Buffalo Bill). If he is ready to go on Thursday night, watch out for him – I think the fact that Pitt’s run game has not looked as strong as usual is likely because he hasn’t been available, though freshman Damon Ferguson, Jr. has performed respectably so far, having snagged the only Pitt TD in the UCF game on Saturday.
In the pass game, receivers to watch include WRs Cataurus “Blue” Hicks and Censere Lee, both returning from the 2025 team. I have also been happy to see that this year’s passing offense is involving tight ends a little more than in past years, with Oklahoma transfer Carson Kent having three receptions so far. In total, seven Pitt receivers have a touchdown already this season thanks to the team’s remarkable offensive performance in the season opener, so there’s plenty of folks to watch!
TNIAAM: Syracuse is once again struggling to protect the quarterback, are the Panthers built to exploit that and who would be those players on defense to watch?
OPG: Pat Narduzzi’s teams are all about defense, with emphasis on stopping the run – UCF had only 20 total rushing yards all game on Saturday! This means that generally Pitt has solid DL and LB play and is set up well to make tackles for loss, including sacks.
Though some of the biggest names from the 2025 squad have transferred or graduated, the Panthers defense has always had a “Next Man Up” approach. Senior LB Braylan Lovelace is certainly one to watch if you’re worried about sacks – he already has one for this year, after having only one in all of 2025, and he also forced the safety in the UCF game. That said, Memphis transfer LB Demarco Ward, senior DL Isaiah Neal, and fifth year senior DL Jimmy Scott are all currently tied for the TFL lead with two each.
In the secondary, senior DB Cruce Brookins is worth keeping an eye on as well – Pitt’s defensive scheme puts its safeties and corners on islands because of the focus on stopping the run, and he (usually) is up to the task. Still, if I’m an opposing offense, I’m trying to blow the top off here.
TNIAAM: Why do Pitt and Syracuse always seem to play weird games?
OPG: Because Pitt and Syracuse are weird football teams! Crossing the streams leads to unexpected outcomes!
More seriously, I don’t really know, but I always enjoy it. My last game as an undergrad was the 76-61 game in 2016 and I had my boyfriend (also a Pitt student at the time, but he doesn’t particularly like football and yet has somehow been putting up with me for well over a decade at this point) and my dad in the Panther Pitt with me because it was Thanksgiving weekend and saner students were home with their families. We were three of only 34,049 people to be there for what was until 2022 the highest-scoring FBS football game in regulation EVER, so for me that game will always be emblematic of whatever the hell Pitt/Cuse is deep down inside.
Though I did also really really love the 2024 edition of this game, which showed that Pitt/Cuse can still be stupid without being all that close. “Sharing is caring,” says Kyle McCord while throwing the ball to yet another Pitt DB! (Ed. Note: We don’t recall McCord ever playing a game against Pitt)
TNIAAM: Who wins this “rivalry game” that neither side really considers a rivalry?
OPG: On the Sickos Committee Podcast we describe Pitt/Cuse as “Not a rivalry. They just play a lot,” and in football, I think that’s definitely true! I tend to like Cuse fans and usually root for the Orange when they’re not playing Pitt. Us northeastern football teams and fans have to stick together! The story is VERY different for basketball, though – my first big game in the Oakland Zoo as a freshman was the Tyler Ennis game. ):
Anyway, much smarter students of the game than me, like a variety of people out in the desert and ESPN’s Bill Connelly, have the line on this game at something like Pitt -10 as of time of writing. I think the directionality of that is probably right, but this quasi-rivalry being what it is, it will be closer than that, especially since this game is on Thursday night in September for some godforsaken reason. Pitt wins, but in a way that makes me post at least once (probably several times) about walking into the nearest body of water, becoming a mermaid, and never being seen again.
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Thanks again to Obnoxiously Pitt Girl for taking part in our Q & A.
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