How Stanford Can Beat the Pittsburgh Panthers in Huge Weekend Tilt

A loss last week makes this week urgent for Stanford

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) passes against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Stanford football is in win-now mode. Falling to 3-5 (2-3 ACC), the Cardinal urgently need to get back into the win column in order to salvage their season and keep themselves in position to earn a bowl game appearance.

Returning home after a tough road trip, the Cardinal hope that they can get their season back on track in front of their home fans, while also staying undefeated at home.

But this week's test is not easy. Taking on a red-hot Pittsburgh Panthers team, the Cardinal will be in for another difficult battle, taking on a team that has looked every bit like a program that is ready to make a run at the ACC title.

Starting the season at 2-2, the Panthers have won four straight and are now 6-2 while sitting in third in the ACC standings. Led by a young quarterback in freshman Mason Heintschel, the Panthers will bring everything they've got to keep their run of success going.

But nothing is impossible, and if Stanford plays its best brand of football, it is a very winnable game for the Cardinal—especially at home. Over the course of the season, the Cardinal have been very competitive in most of their games, but ultimately, struggles on defense have caused them to lose games that they stayed competitive in until the end.

Oct 25, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson (15) hands off the ball to running back Cole Tabb (33) during the first quarter the at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Against Miami, despite the Cardinal losing 42-7, they played very well through the first two-and-a-half quarters, but struggles in defending the run caused Miami to have a field day in the second half.

The Panthers do not run the ball as well, but still have a very good running back room capable of putting together big games. Led by both Ja'Kyrian Turner and Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh's running back room is good, but neither runner has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a single game this season.

If Stanford can keep that up and force the Panthers to be one dimensional on offense, that will help their prosepcts of winning this one quite a bit.

When it comes to Pittsburgh's offense, one area that Stanford needs to be prepared for is the strong passing game. Originally led by sophomore Eli Holstein, the Panthers made a change midseason to Heintschel, who has helped unlock a new level of dominance for the Panthers.

Oct 25, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Caden High (0) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A good deep ball thrower who is not afraid to move the ball downfield, the Cardinal defensive backs will need to keep their heads on a swivel and look to mitigate the damage that he can cause with his arm.

Offensively, Stanford needs to find the rhythm that it had prior to the Miami game. Struggling at the start of the season, quarterback Ben Gulbranson started to get comfortable in interim head coach Frank Reich's offense, going through a four-game stretch of strong play that saw Stanford's offense find some life.

But against Miami, Gulbranson, while nursing an injury, struggled when it mattered most, throwing two interceptions and spoiling any chance of Stanford pulling off an upset.

Gulbranson and the offense will be under a microscope this week against the Panthers. Even though they have a good defense, there's still has a lot to prove on that side of the ball. If the Cardinal can create problems for Pittsburgh's defense, the game could very well go Stanford's way.

Playing Pittsburgh is not going to be an easy game for Stanford, especially given how red-hot the Panthers have been. But if the Cardinal play well in all three phases, and capitalize on their success at home this season, then they could find themselves back in the win column and with a massive momentum boost for their final three games.