PITTSBURGH – The Pitt Panthers flew into Palo Alto, Calif. with one job. And when they fly home tonight, it will be a job well done.
Pitt did just enough, weathering a slew of penalties, unforced errors and injuries to a 35-20 win vs. the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mason Heintschel threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns but also turned the ball over three times, Ja’Kyrian Turner ran for 100 yards and the defense picked off three passes (including a pick-six), racked up five sacks and eight tackles for loss.
It was a dream start for the Panthers.
Stanford was aggressive early, deciding to go for it on 4th-and-1 from inside their own 40, and it was a WPIAL charge upfront. Sean FitzSimmons and Cameron Lindsey burst through the line and knocked Cardinal running back Cole Tabb back for a 2-yard loss.
Pitt followed it up with a quick scoring drive, Mason Heintschel hitting Kenny Johnson up the seam for a 17-yard touchdown.
However, it wasn’t so smooth sailing throughout the remainder of the first quarter. A dropped Braylan Lovelace interception led to a 39-yard field goal, and after a Heintschel fumble on a scramble, a dropped Rashad Battle interception led a 17-yard touchdown by Cardinal wideout CJ Williams. And just like that, the Cardinal took the lead.
It took until the first play of the second quarter for the Panthers to reach the end zone again. A wildcat snap to Deuce Spann converted a 4th-and-2 from the Cardinal 4 and resulted in a go-ahead touchdown.
And finally, Javon McIntyre made a nice play on a poorly thrown ball by Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson and picked off the ball – proving that the third time really is the charm. It didn’t result in any points.
But then Kyle Louis, running stride for stride with Stanford tight end Sam Roush, picked off another pass. And again, it didn’t result in any points.
It took until the end of the second quarter, right after the two minute timeout, for a nice play design to get Poppi Williams wide open in the flat. Heintschel fired to Williams, who walked into the end zone from yards out. 21-10, Pitt. But Stanford was able to drive for a 45-yard field goal at the buzzer, making it a one score game at the half.
A couple of quick scores opened things up in the second half, though. Pitt drove nearly the length of the field on its second possession of the second half, racking up 89 yards on a march to the end zone – capped by a 14-yard touchdown strike to Jake Overman.
Two plays later, Shawn Lee Jr. picked off Gulbranson once again and returned the ball 30 yards to the end zone for a touchdown – his first interception and pick-six all in one. 35-13, Pitt.
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
Pitt appeared to be on its way to another score, set up with a 2nd-and-goal at the Stanford 1, but Heintschel tried to force a pass to Spann that was picked off by Cardinal defensive back Brandon Nicholson in the end zone.
And then, two possessions later – as the defense pitched a strong second half – Heintschel threw another red zone interception. He tried to fit a ball over the middle to Williams that was late and picked.
Still, despite a late Heintschel fumble in the end zone (a strange play call in and of itself), Pitt did enough to get out with a win. And that’s what matters at this point in the season.
Pitt improves to 7-2 (5-1 ACC) with the win and enter the bye week riding a five-game winning streak. The bye week will be huge to get healthy but also work out the kinks that have become apparent over the last three weeks. The Panthers will host No. 12 Notre Dame at Acrisure Stadium in two weeks.
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