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WEEK 13 ACC LINEBACKER OF THE WEEK: Braylan Lovelace, Jr., LB, Pitt (Leechburg, Pennsylvania),...Recorded four tackles and a 100-yard pick-six that flipped the momentum of the second half in the Panthers' ranked road win at No. 16 Georgia Tech...His interception return was Pitt's longest interception return for a touchdown since 1908, when Homer Roe posted a 105-yard pick-six against West Virginia...It marked the second interception return touchdown of Lovelace's career and his second interception of the season...It was the longest interception return for a touchdown by an ACC linebacker since at least 1996...It also stood as the longest interception return by any linebacker in the nation this season...Only six FBS linebackers have recorded a 100-yard interception return touchdown since 1996, including Lovelace, who is the first to do so since 2021. - ACC Football

(DS#15 ILB) Jr/2027

ILB Braylan Lovelace, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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11/24/25 - JaKyrian Turner, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 5-09, 180 (DS#20 RB) + More +

WEEK 13 ACC RUNNING BACK & ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Ja'Kyrian Turner, Fr., RB, Pitt (Wildwood, Florida),...Rushed for 201 yards on 21 carries and scored one touchdown—a game-clinching 56-yarder—in the Panthers' ranked road win at No. 16 Georgia Tech...His 201 rushing yards are a single-game high by a true freshman nationally this season...Became the first Pitt running back to eclipse 200 rushing yards since Israel Abanikanda in 2022...Added four receptions for 12 yards, totaling 213 all-purpose yards...Led all ACC players last week in rushing yards, rushing average (9.6), and all-purpose yards...His rushing and all-purpose yardage totals were both single-game highs among all ACC freshmen this season...His rushing total is the most by a Pitt freshman since Qadree Ollison's 207 yards versus Youngstown State in 2015 and the third most by a Pitt freshman since at least 1995 (James Conner, 229 vs. Bowling Green). It also stands as the most by a Pitt freshman against a Power 4 opponent. - ACC Football

(DS#20 RB) Fr/2029

RB JaKyrian Turner, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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11/22/25 - JaKyrian Turner, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 5-09, 180 (DS#20 RB) + More +

Ja'Kyrian Turner ran for 201 yards and a touchdown, Braylan Lovelace had a 100-yard interception return and Pittsburgh held off No. 15 Georgia Tech 42-28 on Saturday night to keep its Atlantic Coast Conference championship holes alive. Up 28-0 early in the second quarter, Pitt (8-3, 6-1) had only a seven-point advantage in the fourth quarter when Ja'Kyrian Turner went up the middle for 56 yards and a touchdown with 2:41 remaining. Mason Heintschel was 20 of 27 from 226 yards and two touchdowns for Pitt. Kenny Johnson caught six passes for 91 yards and a score. Georgia Tech (9-2, 6-2) dropped out of the ACC title chase. Haynes King completed 27 of 41 passes, with a pair of scoring throws to Isiah Canion. King threw two interceptions. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#20 RB) Fr/2029

RB JaKyrian Turner, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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11/19/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

WEEK 9 ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Mason Heintschel, Fr., QB, Pittsburgh (Oregon, Ohio),...Completed 28 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns as Pitt defeated NC State...The 423 passing yards marked a freshman record at Pitt...His 423 passing yards were the most in the ACC and second-most nationally last week...Became the first ACC freshman in the past 30 seasons to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns in a game...Also became the first Power Four freshman quarterback to throw for 400 yards this year...Since taking over as a starter in Week 6, Heintschel ranks second in college football in passing yards (1,210), fifth in completions (92) and seventh in passing touchdowns (9)...Earned his second ACC Rookie of the Week honor. - ACC Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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11/19/25 - Kenny Johnson, Jr/2027, Pittsburgh, 6-1, 205 (DS#39 WR) + More +

WEEK 9 ACC RECEIVER OF THE WEEK: Kenny Johnson, Jr., WR, Pitt (York, Pennsylvania),...Caught seven passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the first half of Pitt's 53-34 win over NC State...Despite missing the entire second half, he finished with the second-most receiving yards in the ACC with 112...Averaged 16.0 yards per reception in the win...Logged his second 100-yard receiving game of the season, both of which have come in Pitt's last four games. - ACC Football

(DS#39 WR) Jr/2027

WR Kenny Johnson, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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11/01/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

Mason Heintschel threw for 304 yards and tied his season-high with three touchdown passes, leading Pittsburgh to a 35-20 win over Stanford on Saturday. Pitt's first true freshman starting quarterback since Kenny Pickett in 2017, Heintschel completed 23 of 38 passes and had a rating of 143.3 while guiding the Panthers (7-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) to their fifth consecutive victory. Ja'Kyrian Turner ran for a season-high 127 yards while Kenny Johnson, Raphael Williams Jr. and Jake Overman each caught touchdown passes for Pitt in its first game at Stanford since 1922.

Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi was appreciative of the win but was more concerned with Pitt's jittery finish in the fourth quarter when Heintschel committed two turnovers in the red zone. "That's probably the most disappointing thing but you live and learn," Narduzzi said. "Young quarterback, he's gotta learn how to just take what they're giving you and not try to force things." Shawn Lee Jr. scored on a 30-yard interception, one of four turnovers forced by the Panthers. That was part of a dominant day by Pitt's defense, which had five sacks and limited Stanford to minus-4 yards rushing and twice forced turnovers on downs. "That was big, especially because we knew how they wanted to start the game," Panthers defensive end Jimmy Scott said. "We were scheming that play up all week." Ben Gulbranson completed 17 of 30 throws for 228 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for Stanford (3-6, 2-4) before getting benched in the second half. "Obviously today was not our best offensive outing," Stanford coach Frank Reich said. "There were eight possessions where it was still a two-score game, and we just couldn't do anything on offense." The Panthers never trailed, scoring their first touchdown four plays after dropping Stanford for a two-yard loss on 4th-and-1 from the Cardinal 37 on the game's opening drive. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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10/25/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

Mason Heintschel set a freshman school record by passing for 423 yards and Pittsburgh pushed its winning streak to four by racing past North Carolina State 53-34 on Saturday night. The Panthers (6-2, 4-1 ACC) are unbeaten since Heintschel replaced Eli Holstein following a loss to Louisville in late September. Heintschel completed 28 of 48 for three scores, including an 84-yard strike to Blue Hicks in the third quarter that blew it open. Hicks finished with four receptions for 120 yards. Kenny Johnson added seven catches for 112 yards and a 10-yard score late in the second quarter in which he shook off a tackle, spun, and then fended off a Wolfpack defender while diving across the pylon.

The victory kept Pitt in the thick of a wide-open ACC but also came at a potentially high cost. Panther running back Desmond Reid, an all-conference player a year ago, exited late in the third quarter with an apparent left leg injury. Reid missed two games earlier this season with an injury to the same leg. Hollywood Smothers, the ACC's leading rusher, darted for a 65-yard touchdown in the second quarter but finished with just 86 yards on eight carries as the Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3) spent most of the afternoon trying and failing to keep pace with the Panthers. CJ Bailey passed for 225 yards and three scores for N.C. State and wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann lobbed a 59-yard touchdown to tight end Justin Joly - who limped the last 20 yards after tweaking his left leg - on a double-pass, but the Wolfpack lacked the firepower to keep up. Pitt scored on four of its first six possessions of the first half and its first four of the second half with Heintschel looking perfectly comfortable running offensive coordinator Kade Bell's up-tempo attack. Trey Butkowski kicked four field goals for the Panthers. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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10/19/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

Quarterback Mason Heintschel ran for one score, Kenny Johnson returned a punt 66 yards for another, Trey Butkowski kicked three field goals and Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 30-13 on Saturday night. Pitt (5-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its third straight with true freshman Heintschel, while the Orange (3-4, 1-3) dropped their third straight, all with LSU transfer Rickie Collins as the starter quarterback following a season-ending injury to Steve Angeli. With the win, Pitt continued its dominance over the Orange. Pitt has won seven of eight and 20 of the last 24 games in the series that has been played since 1955. Pitt and Syracuse struggled on offense, combining for 28 first downs and 472 yards. The teams combined for 25 penalties. "Our kids weren't very excited after they came to the locker room. I had to get them going. I had to do a dance just to get them fired up because it's hard to win on the road," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. But Narduzzi acknowledged his team "did not play as well as we needed to play." "I think we sputtered. We didn't protect the quarterback at all...We didn't get the run game going." Heintschel was 13 of 24 for 143 yards passing with one pick and was sacked seven times. Ja'Kyrian Turner had 42 yards rushing for the Panthers. "We've got to clean that up," Narduzzi said of the pass protection. Collins was 16-of-32 passing for 126 yards and threw two touchdown passes but had three interceptions to go with a team-leading 37 yards on the ground.

Johntay Cook had seven receptions for 66 yards for the Orange. Each team took advantage of quarterback miscues in the first half. Following an interception by Pitt cornerback Tamon Lynum, Heintschel ran the ball up the gut untouched for a 36-yard score for the first points of the game. Late in the first quarter, Syracuse cornerback Davien Kerr picked off a Heintschel pass and returned it to the Pitt 12. Two plays later, Collins hit Darrell Gill Jr. with an 11-yard touchdown strike tying the game at 7. It was all Pitt after that. Pitt delivered a knockout blow to close the half. Following a three-and-out, Johnson returned a Jack Stonehouse punt 66 yards to paydirt with just two seconds remaining, giving the Panthers a 17-7 lead at intermission. - Pitt/AP College Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pitt/AP College Football
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10/16/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

WEEK 7 ASSOCIATED PRESS NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORABLE MENTION: Pittsburgh QB Mason Heintschel threw for 321 yards and two TDs in a 34-31 win over Florida State. - AP College Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: AP College Football
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10/13/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

WEEK 7 ACC QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: Mason Heintschel, Fr., QB, Pitt (Oregon, Ohio),...Completed 21-of-29 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns in just his second career start as Pitt upset No. 25 Florida State on the road, 34-31...Rushed for a career-high 64 yards on 16 attempts, including a career-long 30-yard run in the fourth quarter...Was one of just three FBS players - and the only ACC player - with 320+ passing yards and 60+ rushing yards for the week...Led the ACC last week in passing yards (320), yards per attempt (11.07), and total offense (385), which also ranked sixth nationally...Among FBS true freshmen last week, he was first in passing yards, yards per passing attempt, passing touchdowns and QBR...Eclipsed 320 passing yards in each of his first two starts, while posting a 73% completion percentage and six total touchdown passes...Second consecutive ACC weekly honor after winning ACC Rookie of the Week last week. - ACC Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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10/13/25 - Desmond Reid, Sr/2026, Pittsburgh, 5-08, 175 (DS#24 RB) + More +

WEEK 7 ACC RECEIVER OF THE WEEK: Desmond Reid, Sr., RB, Pitt (Miami Gardens, Florida),...Led all players with 200 yards from scrimmage (155 receiving, 45 rushing) and caught two touchdown passes in his return from injury as Pitt beat No. 25 Florida State on the road...Matched his career highs with 155 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, scoring on receptions of 16 and 24 yards...His 200 scrimmage yards led the ACC and ranked third nationally for Week 7...Led the ACC in receiving yards and receptions, was second in receiving touchdowns and third in scrimmage yards per touch on the week...Was the only FBS player in Week 7 with at least 45 rushing yards and 155 receiving yards...Led FBS running backs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in Week 7. - ACC Football

(DS#24 RB) Sr/2026

RB Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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10/13/25 - Kyle Louis, rJr/2027, Pittsburgh, 6-0, 220 (DS#4 OLB) + More +

WEEK 7 ACC LINEBACKER OF THE WEEK: Kyle Louis, R-Jr., LB, Pitt (East Orange, New Jersey),...Tallied 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss in the road win over No. 25 Florida State...His 11 tackles ranked third in the ACC and led all ACC linebackers for the week...Was the only ACC linebacker with at least 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss over Week 7...His second ACC Linebacker of the Week honor this season. - ACC Football

(DS#4 OLB) rJr/2027

OLB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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10/11/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

Mason Heintschel threw for 321 yards and connected with Desmond Reid on a pair of touchdown passes as Pittsburgh defeated No. 25 Florida State 34-31 on Saturday. A true freshman, Heintschel completed 21 of 29 passes and tossed a pair of second-quarter interceptions. But he has surpassed 300 passing yards in both of his starts, building off a rout of Boston College last week with a road upset of the Seminoles. Reid had eight catches for 155 yards and 10 carries for 38 yards for Pittsburgh (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Tommy Castellanos completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards for Florida State, including a pair of touchdowns to Micahi Danzy - 58 yards in the fourth quarter and 33 yards in the second quarter. But after the Seminoles (3-3, 0-3) went ahead 24-21 on Jake Weinberg's 34-yard field-goal attempt, Florida State fumbled at midfield and then went three-and-out. Later, while trailing 34-24, came Castellanos' 58-yarder to Danzy. The Panthers finished with a pair of field goals and then Ja'Kyrian Turner's 3-yard touchdown run capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with 2:28 left. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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10/08/25 - Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 215 (DS#9 QB) + More +

WEEK 6 ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Mason Heintschel, Fr., QB, Pitt (Oregon, Ohio),...Became the first true freshman quarterback at Pitt to win his first career start since Kenny Pickett in 2017, when he defeated No. 2 Miami...Completed 30-of-41 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns in Pitt's 48-7 win over Boston College...Became the first ACC true freshman with 300 passing yards and four touchdowns in his first career start since Deshaun Watson in 2014...Became the first Pitt freshman to throw for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a game without an interception since at least 1995, and the first Pitt quarterback overall to do so since Kenny Pickett against Georgia Tech in 2021. - ACC Football

(DS#9 QB) Fr/2029

QB Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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09/06/25 - Eli Holstein, rSo/2028, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 225 (DS#11 QB) + More +

Eli Holstein passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair to Raphael Williams Jr. as Pittsburgh surged past Central Michigan 45-17 on Saturday. Holstein hit Williams for a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The two connected again on a pretty 48-yard score late in the third to give the Panthers (2-0) some breathing room after the Chippewas had drawn within seven. Williams later hauled in a 40-yard grab that set up Juelz Goff's 2-yard touchdown run as Pitt avoided the upset after Central Michigan (1-1) hung around deep into the third quarter. Williams finished with six receptions for 121 yards and the two scores.

Holstein completed 21 of 28 but wasn't perfect. He was picked off for the second time in as many weeks when Central Michigan's Jordan Kwiatkowski had an interception that allowed the Chippewas to pull within 24-10 late in the first half. Central Michigan (1-1) got within 24-17 late in the third quarter when Joe Labas found Decorin Temple for a 6-yard touchdown at the end of a long drive in which the Chippewas converted a pair of fourth downs. Pitt responded immediately. Kenny Johnson's 47-yard kickoff return gave the Panthers good field position and two plays later Holstein made a perfect pass while on the run to Williams to restore Pitt's lead to 14. Central Michigan's three-quarterback rotation of Labas, Jadyn Glasser and Angel Flores combined to go 20 of 27 for 177 yards, but the Chippewas couldn't duplicate a second straight impressive road win after knocking off San Jose State last weekend in first-year coach Matt Drinkall's debut. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#11 QB) rSo/2028

QB Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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