STANFORD — Pitt is 4-0 since starting freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, while Stanford is 3-0 at home. One of those streaks will come to an end Saturday afternoon at Stanford Stadium when the Cardinal hosts the Panthers for the first time since 1922.
Stanford (3-5, 2-3 ACC) plays three of its last four at home as it attempts to make a bowl game for the first time since 2018 — when it beat Pitt 14-13 in the Sun Bowl — which was the last time it won its first three home games. The team is averaging 391 yards and 26.7 points on The Farm, compared to 253 yards and 12 points on the road.
“The goals that we have are still in front of us,” interim coach Frank Reich said. “We’re 3-0 at home. That means something, right? We’re proud of that. We’ve faced some struggles, we’ve had some down moments, but we’re 3-0 at home. So we’re looking to build upon that. We know that’s going to be a challenge against a good team, but we’ve had some other good teams come in here.”
But those previous teams – Boston College (1-7), San Jose State (2-5) and Florida State (3-4) – aren’t as hot as Pittsburgh (6-2, 4-1), which is averaging 41.3 points a game since Heintschel took over and has three ACC wins by at least 17 points.
Stanford Cardinal’s Sedrick Irvin (26) celebrates with teammates their 30-29 win against the San Jose State Spartans at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2024. Irvin scored winning touchdown in the last seconds of the game. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The Panthers are coming off a 53-34 win over N.C. State in which Heintschel completed 28 of 48 passes for 423 yards – the ninth-most in college football this season and Pitt’s single-game passing record for a freshman. He became the only freshman in the Power Four this season to throw for 400 yards and three scores in a game.
He excels at extending plays and keeping his eyes downfield. Reich was particularly impressed with a throw he saw Heintschel complete against Florida State, in which the quarterback scrambled left, jumped in the air and threw across his body.
“I don’t know how many NFL quarterbacks can make that throw,” Reich said. “He’s got really good vision down the field. He’s athletic, and can take a hit. There are several times where he’s stepping up in the pocket and is about to get hammered and makes a big throw down the field. He’s playing at a high level for a young player.”
Pitt has the second-best passing offense in the ACC (302.4 yards a game), while Stanford has the second-worst passing defense (292.3).
If the game turns into a shootout, the Cardinal will at least have a healthier Ben Gulbranson at quarterback. The Oregon State transfer injured his knee two weeks ago against Florida State and re-aggravated it last week against Miami, when he had his worst performance of the season (9 of 21 passing for 50 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions).
“As we come into this week, we’re probably even ahead of where we were last week,” Reich said Monday. “I’m feeling good about where he’s at physically.”
Stanford will need the sixth-year senior’s experience to counter Pitt’s complex pressures. The Panthers have finished in the national top 20 in team tackles for loss in each of the past six seasons, and are currently fourth nationally at 8.2 TFLs per game.
Stanford wide receiver CJ Williams (3) makes a fingertip catch in the first half of an NCAA college football game against SMU, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
One key will be unlocking receiver CJ Williams, who is fifth in the ACC in receptions (40) and leads the team with 476 receiving yards, but was held to one catch for 11 yards in last week’s 42-7 loss at Miami.
Reich said the lack of production was a combination of Miami’s pressure on Gulbranson and their coverage on Williams.
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“Very confident in CJ’s ability to be our No. 1 guy,” Reich said. “Give them credit that they shut us down, and we need to get back on track.”
Still, Reich hopes that the first half at least – Stanford was tied 7-7 on the road against a Top 10 team – provides some confidence heading into this closing stretch.
“The way we played in the first half, it didn’t feel like it was too big for our guys,” Reich said. “I mean, it felt like we were in the moment. Thought we traveled well, took care of business as far as all that. We were focused, and then we just ran out of gas against a good football team.”
