Bill Belichick Praises Pitt QB Ahead of UNC Matchup

The Pitt Panthers will play North Carolina on Oct 10, their sixth game of the season and first full game after Mason Heintschel's injury.

Fifth year transfer quarterback Holden Geriner, who helped Pitt stun Virginia Tech in a clutch win after Heintschel went down, will get the first start of his college career against North Carolina.

This is Pitt's first time playing North Carolina since 2024, meaning it's their first matchup against the Tar Heels since they got future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick at the helm.

Pitt's 2024 season derailed after starting quarterback Eli Holstein suffered an injury. Now, this will be a big test to see if the Panthers' offense can hang on for a full game without Heintschel.

Belichick on Pitt

In his press conference, Belichick praised Pitt and their offense, saying Heintschel was a "really great quarterback. He's got great vision, I'm sure for [Pitt] it's unfortunate to lose him."

"When you watch [Geriner] come into the game, you don't see the offense change much," Belichick said about Pitt's new starting quarterback. "He makes good, quick decisions. You can tell he's experienced."

Geriner was a backup at Auburn and then at Texas State before transferring to Pitt. He didn't see much game action, but he does have four years of being around top college football teams.

Initially, when Geriner came into the game against Virginia Tech, he handed the ball off to Pitt's running backs repeatedly until they found the endzone. As the game progressed, Geriner was trusted enough to actually make the plays himself. This ended up working, as he threw for 78 passing yards and a touchdown pass on 8/12 pass attempts.

Holden Geriner hits Blue Hicks for a Pitt TD pic.twitter.com/PVPf76y3vX
— The off-season (@TheOffSeasonCFB) October 3, 2026

North Carolina Defense

Geriner is in for a tough matchup, going against a legendary head coach known for his defensive schemes.

North Carolina is allowing 19.5 points and 200.5 yards per game. They have 10 sacks but only two interceptions taken by the defense. They have held opponents to 24-56 conversions on third down and 5-12 conversions on fourth down.

The Tar Heels are coming off of a loss to Notre Dame, in which they held the Fighting Irish to 37 points, the same amount Pitt did last season.

North Carolina is 2-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play, with losses to Clemson and the aforementioned Notre Dame. Their lone Power Four win so far was in Week Zero against TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, played in Dublin, Ireland.

This is almost the perfect team for Pitt to play in the current context, as North Carolina isn't the hardest team on the Panthers' schedule, but they aren't one that should be doubted.

While losing Heintschel is a devastating blow, it doesn't have to mean the end of being a real threat in the ACC for a roster full of great players.

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