Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh Football News: Draft Scout Player News

Draft Scout College Football Player News

10/19/25 - QB Mason Heintschel, Fr/2029, Pittsburgh, (DS#8 QB)

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#8 QB) Fr/2029