I hope you all got your rest this weekend, because the real fun starts now.
This Saturday, the Panthers will host No. 9 Notre Dame at Acrisure Stadium. On a bustling day that will include the official retirement of Pitt star Aaron Donald’s No. 97 and ESPN’s College Gameday coming to town, the Panthers will kick off their final three games of the season, a slate that features some of the better teams in college football.
Then, they go on the road down to Atlanta to face off against No. 14 Georgia Tech, who took nine games to suffer its first loss and now has a bye week to reset and refresh.
To cap off the regular season, Pitt comes back home for a bout with No. 16 Miami, which could play some pretty desperate ball in their final chance of the year.
It all represents the biggest test for the Panthers, and in particular, for true first-year quarterback Mason Heintschel.
First impressions are important. Second impressions are even more crucial. Heintschel excelled in both of them, and then some. He’s blown out fellow ACC teams, walked into a rival team’s barn and came out with a win, and has set a new record for passing yards by a true first-year quarterback in program history.
Since taking over the starting role, Heintschel has accumulated 1,511 passing yards — an average of 302.2 per game — with 13 total touchdowns and an average of 8.4 yards per play. The team as a whole is averaging 40 points and 446.8 yards per game when he starts.
In different games, he’s unlocked all three of the team’s top weapons at wide receiver. Junior Kenny Johnson has two more than 100-yard games with Heintschel at the helm. Redshirt senior Raphael “Poppi” Williams has touchdowns in back-to-back games. And redshirt sophomore Cataurus “Blue” Hicks set a new career high with 120 receiving yards against NC State.
Heintschel recorded a passer rating of at least 143.3 in all but one of his games and has a 150.8 passer rating on the year.
No matter what happens, his story is undeniably a success. For someone with a grand total of four pass attempts at the college level to come in and perform the way he has is nothing short of remarkable. I think any football fan would tell you that.
But sports is always a “what have you done for me recently?” industry. The opinions on this kid are as high as they could possibly be. Will that change when the season is done?
Perhaps recency bias is something the entire Panthers team will grapple with as they close out their season.
We all remember the meltdown from last year, don’t we? The Panthers were 7-0, off to their best start since 1982. They were ranked as high as No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Then, it all came tumbling down.
Even if it was before Heintschel’s time in the program, many of these Panthers, players and coaching staff alike, were here to witness last year’s brutal collapse. They remember that pain, that frustration, that embarrassment.
Once upon a time, 12months ago, Pitt was also at 7-2 on the year. But they would not win another game the rest of the way. Those losses fed into a larger streak that saw the Panthers lose five straight games to end the regular season. Their dejecting year was capped off by a hectic bowl game that saw Toledo outlast Pitt, 48-46 in overtime.
Now, Pitt stands on the brink of something truly special. After that Louisville loss a month and a half back, no one expected Pitt to have the kind of run they’re having. Instead, they’ve shocked the college football world, and a spot in the ACC Championship rests on the fate of these games. Perhaps better yet, a spot in the College Football Playoff still sits as a possibility, however faint it is.
But, it comes with three significant, daunting tests. The competition is going to get a lot harder, and these programs are going to have a lot more to play for. Pitt won’t be favored in any of these games.
In a way, though, isn’t that kind of the point?
This is where the Panthers get thrown into a pressure cooker. Looking at it broadly, it’s easy to see how the Panthers could take a step back against three ranked teams who are vying for playoff spots. Let’s say the Panthers do collapse and lose out. If you believe the oddsmakers, that’s the most likely outcome.
Is that 7-5 record looked at the same way as last year’s? Does the success of Heintschel and several younger players make the disappointing end to the season easier to accept? It’s a fascinating thought exercise.
But if you’re the Panthers, it’s up to you to make that talking point moot. It’s up to you to leave no room for excuses.
There’s no easy matchup now, no weak opponent that Pitt can plan to steamroll. If this team truly has something special in them, you’re going to see it play out over these next few weeks. If the best of Pitt’s season is yet to come, we’re going to find out real quick.
They’ve got a chance to do something really, really special here. Not only do title and playoff games loom in the distance, but a chance to make serious names for themselves in this sport stands right in front of them with this stretch.
Honestly, it’s hard to think of a better opportunity for Heintschel and his team.