Pitt Freshman QB Struggles in Win Over Stanford

PITTSBURGH — True freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel struggled in the Pitt Panthers' 35-20 win over the Stanford Cardinal.

It was a turnover-filled game from Heintschel, who completed 60.5% of his passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also had eight carries for 21 yards and lost two fumbles.

"What stands out most about him is his turnovers at the end, but we'll learn from them," Pat Narduzzi said. "He made some great plays. There are some times he made some great plays. We'll take the great plays. We've got to clean up the bad ones, but he's got a lot of moxie for a young quarterback."

That's exactly what Heintschel's performance was. A mixed bag.

Heintschel made some good throws and some big plays, with eight of his 23 completions going for more than 15 yards. And just a week after a record-breaking performance against NC State, too. But he also made obvious rookie mistakes, with three of his turnovers occurring in the second half, and both of his interceptions being in the end zone.

Heintschel's Interception Woes

Heintschel's first pick was an uncharacteristic, ill-advised throw on the 1-yard line, made while he was pressured and scrambling to his right. He tried to force it to a covered Deuce Spann, but Brandon Nicholson jumped in front of Spann and made the play at the front pylon.

Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) runs the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

The second was when Heintschel attempted to rip one down the seam to Raphael "Poppi" Williams, but he couldn't lead the pass without throwing it out of the back of the end zone, and Nicholson was able to undercut Williams' route and make a second pick.

"Offensively, gained a lot of yards, but we can't turn the ball over in the red zone three times, down the goal line three times," Narduzzi said. "Just can't have it. That's probably the most disappointing thing, but we'll live and learn from that. Again, young quarterback. He's got to learn how to just take what they're giving you and not try to force things and try to get touchdown passes and try to make those plays."

Costly Fumbles

Heintschel is now up to four fumbles this season, with two lost. His other two fumbles were against Florida State, but both were recovered.

Heintschel lost his first fumble in the first quarter when he scrambled and was walloped in the open field. Stanford recovered it on the Pitt 36-yard line, and it led to a Cardinal touchdown drive.

Heintschel's other fumble came at the 3-yard line, for Pitt's third red zone turnover of the day, and with a decisive lead in the fourth quarter. He ran what appeared to be a read option run and was again hit hard and lost possession.

"He's got to tuck it away," Narduzzi said. "He's got to have better ball security. Obviously, it's something he'll learn from, and we've got to get better at that."

The playcall on Heintechel's second fumble was questionable, to say the least. Pitt had a 35-13 lead with 3:55 remaining, and the call appeared to include an option where Heintschel keeps it and runs up the middle. However, Narduzzi said that wasn't the intention of the play.

"It wasn't supposed to be a run to him," Narduzzi said. "If you go back and watch the videotape, it was kind of a power read. He was supposed to shovel [pass] it. Something happened with the shovel. He just ate the ball. But again, if he shovels it, incomplete pass. It would have been nice to come out with at least three downs there, but we can't turn the ball over. I still thought he was down from the replay I saw."

Another Rocky Road Performance

Heintschel has been a pleasant surprise for Pitt this season. He has 1,547 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 64.1% completion percentage and a 71.0 quarterback rating as a true freshman, and has led Pitt to a five-game winning streak. However, he has performed much better in home games than away.

Heintschel has 746 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions with a 65.2% completion percentage in two home starts this season. But he also has 765 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions and a 62.6% completion percentage in three road starts. All four of his fumbles were also on the road.

Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) passes against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Those are concerning numbers with a must-win road game against No. 16 Georgia Tech still on the schedule. And it's not like Pitt is facing uber-talented road teams either.

Heintschel's first road start came against No. 25 Florida State. Although they were ranked at the time, the Seminoles' ranking was based solely on their 31-17 win over No. 8 Alabama in Week 1. Their other two wins at that time came against East Texas A&M and Kent State.

Florida State then went on a four-game losing streak that included the loss to Pitt, and finally got its first ACC win since Sept. 21, 2024, this weekend.

Pitt's other road wins include beating 3-3 Syracuse, which has since lost two more games to extend its current losing streak to five games, and now 3-5 Stanford.

Understandably, an underecruited former three-star quarterback may feel out of his element in road environments. But if his speedy development so far this season is an indication, Heintschel will likely improve in road games soon enough.

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