Pitt coaches challenge Mason Heintschel to further elevate game, learn from mistakes

Late in the third quarter of Pitt’s eventual 35-20 win over Stanford, the Panthers were at the goal line looking to pile it on even more against the Cardinal.

In the shotgun, after faking a handoff up the middle to Ja’Kyrian Turner, quarterback Mason Heintschel rolled to his right, with pressure from Stanford forcing him to make a quick decision.

From the moment the ball left his hands, just about everyone in Stanford Stadium, Heintschel included, recognized he made a mistake, as Hunter Barth jumped in front of Deuce Spann for an interception in the end zone.

.@hunter_barth_ brought the pressure and @BrandonNich5 comes up with his first pick of the year!

???? ESPN#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/spdJl0fMmt

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) November 1, 2025

It was a perfect encapsulation of what coach Pat Narduzzi and coordinator Kade Bell have challenged Heintschel to avoid.

“I think there are times when I’ve tried to do a little bit too much,” Heintschel said. “I have to work on that. Coaches are doing a great job of getting on me about that. They’re pushing me to be better, and it’s just something that we’re going to take week by week and improve on as much as we can.”

Heintschel’s second interception, also in the red zone, was similar, as he was picked off over the middle in the end-zone on an attempt to Poppi Williams.

INT number ✌️ for @BrandonNich5 ‼️

???? ESPN#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/1kHYPtFwi9

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) November 1, 2025

Narduzzi and Bell have no reason to second-guess the now-month-old decision to bench Eli Holstein in favor of Heintschel behind center.

That move, more than anything else, is why Pitt is 7-2 (5-1 ACC), a winner of five straight games and ranked No. 24 by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

While Heintschel has thrown five interceptions, he’s tossed 12 touchdowns, thrown for 1,547 yards and completed 64.1% (118 of 184) of his passes.

Since Heintschel first started Oct. 4 against Boston College, Pitt’s 200 points scored in five games leads the nation, while the Panthers’ 2,229 yards of total offense ranks second.

As the Panthers take it relatively easy this week, their final bye of the season, a difficult stretch awaits.

That begins Nov. 15, when No. 10-ranked Notre Dame visits Acrisure Stadium.

It’s the first of three straight matchups against teams currently ranked in the top 25. Pitt also faces No. 17 Georgia Tech and No. 18 Miami to conclude the regular season.

As Pitt prepares to begin that run with an ACC title appearance in play, Narduzzi wants to see Heintschel elevate his game.

“He’s trying to do too much, which happened earlier in the year,” Narduzzi said. “I’m glad it happened before the last three (games). You make those mistakes in one of these last three games or the next game, which is really the last game because it’s the only one that matters, (and) it’s a problem. He’s got to learn, and he will. He’s smart. He’s not happy, so when he’s not happy, it’s good.

“We’ve got a ways to go,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of things to clean up.”