The Panthers outlasted Syracuse in a sloppy 30-13 win at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, as offensive inefficiency let the Orange hang around a lot longer than necessary. The prime-time conference matchup turned into a battle of who could get out of their own way less. Nevertheless, the Panthers continued their winning ways and moved to 5-2 on the season.

Mason looked mortal for the first time this season

First-year quarterback Mason Heintschel has had a hot start to the season, leading his squad to three straight ACC wins in his first three career starts. They say the third time’s the charm, but Saturday’s game was a pedestrian performance from the young signal-caller. 

Heintschel finished the game 13-of-24 for 143 yards and an interception, resulting in his lowest completion percentage and total passing yards this season. After an electric 36-yard rushing touchdown on the Panthers’ first drive, the offense went stagnant with Heintschel under center.

After the opening touchdown, only one drive in the first half resulted in points for the offense — a 31-yard field goal. The longest of those drives went for nine yards in six plays. Pitt would have gone into the half leading only 10-7 if it wasn’t for a 66-yard punt return touchdown from junior wide receiver Kenny Johnson. 

Syracuse’s defensive line was in Heintschel’s face all night, and he was brought to the turf a total of seven times throughout the game. When Heintschel had clean pockets, he would often roll out and force risky throws downfield in unnecessary game situations. One of those risky throws resulted in a turnover, when late in the first quarter from his own 13-yard line, Heintschel targeted Johnson in triple coverage and was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Davien Kerr. 

Heintschel, a true first-year, is understandably going to have growing pains as he gets more comfortable in this offense and opposing teams gather more tape on him. One positive, despite the down performance, is that Heintschel never seemed to lose his confidence in throwing the ball. Heintschel was sacked seven times but never played scared and continued to push the ball down the field, a flaw that cost his predecessor the starting role. 

Injuries are starting to pile up

Pitt’s defense was already thin heading into Saturday night, especially on the defensive line. Before the game, standout junior linebacker Rasheem Biles was ruled out with an undisclosed injury just two hours before kickoff. Additionally, All-American junior linebacker Kyle Louis left the game with an apparent head injury with five minutes left in the first quarter. 

With Biles and now Louis out, senior linebacker Nick Lapi and first-year linebacker Cameron Lindsey had to step up in their absence. Fortunately, the next-man-up mentality prevailed, with Lapi and Lindsey each leading the team with seven tackles and two tackles for loss. 

The Panthers are already short of senior defensive lineman Blaine Spires and first-year defensive lineman Zach Crothers, so with Biles and Louis potentially missing more time, this defense is suddenly very thin up front. Pitt’s defense has played effectively even with the injuries, but the schedule only gets tougher from here on out. 

Pitt will face Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Miami to end the season, all of which are currently ranked. For a team that relies on its defense, Pitt will need its starters to heal soon for a chance to play competitive football at the end of the year.

Lack of discipline could have cost the Panthers

Heintschel wasn’t perfect under center, but the team’s struggles to move the ball weren’t completely on him. Pitt had 13 penalties for 114 penalty yards, many of which came from false starts from the offensive line. 

A lot of explosive plays were wiped out by these unnecessary false starts, including a 61-yard touchdown run from first-year running back Ja’Kyrian Turner. Pitt faced many third-and-long situations, which contributed to a measly 4-for-15 conversion rate on third down all game. At one point, Pitt faced a mind-boggling first-and-40, taking the offense from the red zone to near midfield.

An ugly win counts just as much as any other, but some aspects of how the Pitt offense operated were tough to watch. 

Syracuse had offensive issues of their own, so the penalties weren’t as back-breaking, but against higher-quality competition, Pitt would have put itself in serious trouble. Once again, a win is a win, but a repeat showing of Saturday night could spell trouble for the Panthers, especially against the rest of their opponents.