With 2 TDs, fumble recovery, Pitt freshman RB Ja'Kyrian Turner shines in win over Florida State

Pitt tailback Desmond Reid stole the show in his return to action after about a month’s absence because of injury, racking up 200 all-purpose yards in Pitt’s 34-31 upset of No. 25 Florida State on Saturday.

But Reid’s position mate, Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner, left his own mark on the victory.

Turner rushed 10 times for 44 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while catching four passes for 34 more yards.

“You really see ‘Boosie’ stepping it up,” coach Pat Narduzzi said in Tallahassee after the victory. “He’s got talent (and) he’s explosive.”

On top of his two scores, Turner, a true freshman, also threw his hat in the ring for the most impactful play of the game.

With a bit over six minutes to play, and the Panthers leading 27-24, Florida State punted after going three-and-out, failing to produce a game-tying or go-ahead score.

That put Pitt in the driver’s seat to deliver a knockout blow to the Seminoles or at least solidify its lead.

Near midfield, with 4:14 to go, a 30-yard run by Mason Heintschel seemed to be exactly what the Panthers needed, as it moved them deep into FSU territory as time continued to tick off the clock.

However, Heintschel fumbled the ball at the Florida State 30, a heart-dropping moment for Pitt.

But Turner stayed alert and was in perfect position to recover the fumble, setting up Pitt at the 24-yard line.

Four plays later, Turner scored his second touchdown of the afternoon from 4 yards out to put Pitt up 34-24 at the 2:28 mark of the fourth quarter.

Ja'Kyrian Turner : 10 carries for 44 yards & 2 TD's; 4 catches for 34 yards on 5 targets pic.twitter.com/cdjM1ns2cX

— Lee Harvey (@Sayian_Warrior) October 12, 2025

While the Seminoles countered with a quick touchdown strike, Turner’s heads-up play averted a potentially catastrophic momentum shift, keeping Pitt in position to win the game.

Turner’s overall game Saturday was emblematic of growth he has showcased dating back to training camp, when he was working himself back from a preseason injury that caused him to miss the season-opener vs. Duquesne.

“Boosie’s just now getting into the flow of things still as a young freshman,” tailbacks coach Lindsey Lamar said. “… It is a lot for a running back to learn, whether it’s protections (or) all the different routes and concepts that we do out of the backfield.

“So just learning it, the more experience and playing time he gets in actual games, the better he’ll do and continue to grow. That’s the thing, just keep playing, stay healthy and grow.”

Imagn Images

Pitt running back Ja'Kyrian Turner (25) runs the ball for a touchdown during the first quarter against Florida State on Oct. 11, 2025, at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

Turner, a Wildwood, Fla., native who enrolled at Pitt in January, scored his first collegiate touchdown vs. Central Michigan on Sept. 6 but, over the next two games, took only a combined 10 carries as redshirt freshman Juelz Goff stepped into the starter’s role with Reid out.

But against Boston College on Oct. 4, Turner rushed 12 times for 67 yards, adding two catches for 32 yards in the blowout win.

Narduzzi said Saturday that he knew Reid would be available vs. FSU earlier in the week, but to what extent remained a question mark.

As a result, a sizable role remained to be filled behind Reid, who rushed 12 times for 45 yards against the Seminoles.

Goff’s role was minimal Saturday, with Turner instead rising to the occasion and looking to demonstrate lessons learned from Pitt’s other running backs.

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot from both of them, Des and Juelz,” Turner said. “We give each other great compliments on the sidelines, we help each other out and we hold each other accountable. We just raise each other to a high standard.”

About midway through the first quarter, on first-and-goal from Florida State’s 10-yard line, Turner took a handoff and got outside, juking some defenders and breaking a few tackles en route to the end zone for the game’s opening points.

Even though Desmond Reid is active, it's the true freshman Ja'Kyrian Turner that gets #Pitt on the board first.pic.twitter.com/hgVBgxphRz

— Mitch Corcoran (@MitchCorc18) October 11, 2025

Later in the first, he had a 17-yard reception.

Turner was featured heavily on Pitt’s final touchdown drive, rushing for 10 yards and catching an 11-yard pass from Heintschel after recovering the latter’s fumble.

Four straight plays to Turner culminated with his second touchdown of the day with 2:29 remaining.

There’s no denying that being without Reid for nearly three full games was detrimental to Pitt’s overall offensive efforts.

But in his absence, others had to step up.

Just like Heintschel has proven his worth after taking over for Eli Holstein under center, Turner has showcased his own abilities in backing up Reid, regardless of how Pitt decides to get him the ball.

“I feel like I can be most effective when I can get outside on the perimeter,” Turner said. “I know once I go out there, I feel like nobody’s going to catch me. I can go inside the zone and do anything up the middle.. I just feel outside, that’s where I’m going to get most of my plays.”