Pitt rallies past Va. Tech 35-33 after losing QB — SkimNews
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- Pittsburgh rallied from a 14-0 hole to beat Virginia Tech 35-33 on a missed 36-yard field goal by John Love as time expired, improving to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC
- Pat Narduzzi went on ESPN after the win and told AP Top 25 voters to "wake their ass up," arguing his unranked Panthers have earned respect after posting their first road victory of the season
- Mason Heintschel was injured on the fourth play of the second half and was seen on crutches, forcing fifth-year senior Holden Geriner — a transfer from Auburn and Texas State — to throw a touchdown pass off the bench
- Virginia Tech committed four turnovers that Pitt converted into 14 points, with Ethan Grunkemeyer throwing a career-high 434 yards in a losing effort that saw the Hokies outgained the Panthers 499 to 295
- Pitt's win moves the Panthers into a group of three unbeaten ACC teams, though Heintschel's status and the quarterback depth chart now become the central question for Narduzzi's squad
Why it matters: Pitt is now 5-0 and 2-0 in the ACC, and Narduzzi's AP Top 25 case is no longer just bluster — the Panthers own a road win over a 4-1 Virginia Tech team that outgained them 499 to 295. The immediate concern is Heintschel's health: he left on crutches, and Geriner's poise off the bench will determine whether Pitt's unbeaten start survives contact with the rest of ACC play.
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