Mason Heintschel was damn near perfect, and Pitt did just about everything you could have asked for in a dominant season-opening win over Miami (Ohio).
In this episode of the Pittsburgh Football Podcast, Chris breaks down his biggest takeaways from Pitt’s blowout victory at Acrisure Stadium, starting with Heintschel’s monster performance: 453 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and another sign that the sophomore quarterback may be taking the leap Pitt hoped to see in Year 2.
Chris discusses what stood out about Heintschel beyond the box score, the early comparisons to Kenny Pickett, and an offense that showed off plenty of speed and a surprisingly deep group of playmakers. He also dives into Blue Hicks’ response to a brutal dropped touchdown, Pitt’s dominant run defense, some growing pains in the secondary, and why the offensive line concerns coming out of Week 1 may be a little overblown.
Plus, one of Pitt’s biggest preseason question marks delivered an encouraging first impression. Antonio Chadha drilled a 58-yard field goal, Gabe Russo impressed at punter, and the Panthers may have some answers in the kicking game — although the kick coverage unit has plenty to clean up.
And yes, we’ll talk about the tarps.
Finally, Chris runs through the biggest results from around the ACC and college football in a chaotic Week 1 before turning the page toward Pitt’s next test against UCF.
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TIME STAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
05:48 - Mason Heintschel and the Pitt Offense
26:16 - Pitt’s Defensive Performance on Saturday
32:13 - A Surprising Special Teams Performance
37:17 - Things You Can Get Mad About (if you really want to)
42:28 - News Around the ACC and Country in Week 1
Episode 11