No. 12 Miami races past No. 22 Pitt 38-7 for 10th win

Malachi Toney threw a touchdown pass and caught another while amassing 156 scrimmage yards to lead No. 12 Miami to a 38-7 victory over No. 22 Pitt on Saturday afternoon at Pittsburgh.

The Hurricanes (10-2, 6-2 ACC) finished their regular season on a four-game winning streak and kept their hopes of making the College Football Playoff and perhaps the ACC Championship Game as they waited for results of other games on Saturday.

Miami secured back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 2003.

The Panthers (8-4, 6-2 ACC) were eliminated from contention for both the CFP and the ACC title game.

Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 23 of 29 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The turnover snapped Beck’s streak of 15 consecutive quarters without throwing an interception. He bounced back with a 33-yard touchdown pass to CJ Daniels late in the game.

Beck completed 13 of his passes to Toney, who finished with 126 yards receiving and hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 left in the first half. Miami rushed for 140 yards overall, led by Girard Pringle’s 82 yards on 10 carries.

Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel completed 22 of 32 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Heintschel tossed his lone touchdown pass to Justin Holmes with 14:20 left in the second quarter to give the Panthers their only lead of the game at 7-3.

After Miami drove into Pitt territory, Toney lined up in shotgun, rolled to his right and lobbed a pass to Elijah Lofton from 9 yards out to put the Hurricanes ahead 10-7 with 11:07 left in the second quarter.

The score would kickstart a run of 35 consecutive Miami points.

The Hurricanes’ defense set the tone from the start when Ahmad Moten shot through and sacked Heintschel. Miami finished with four sacks overall and held Pitt to only 30 yards rushing just a week after the Panthers ran for 186 in a win over Georgia Tech.

Moten and Rueben Bain Jr. each finished with 1 1/2 sacks to lead the pass rush. Bryce Fitzgerald intercepted Heintschel on Pitt’s final drive with 37 seconds left.

–Field Level Media

No. 16 Georgia Tech targets first ACC title game since ’14, Pitt blocking path

No. 16 Georgia Tech’s Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season finale against Pitt on Saturday is one of the most important in program history.

For the Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1 ACC), the consequences for the game on Saturday in Atlanta are simple.

Should Georgia Tech defeat Pittsburgh, it is in the ACC Championship game for the first time since 2014. That would also serve as a runway for the Yellow Jackets’ first College Football Playoff appearance.

“There’s a big week in front of us now,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said. “We’re here and it’s a great opportunity in front of us. Great opportunity Saturday, and very thankful that this game is at home. We’re playing a very good football team for an opportunity to play for the conference championship. This is a championship game in its own right. That’s the way we’re viewing it.”

Georgia Tech nearly suffered a catastrophic loss last week, narrowly escaping with a 36-34 win at Boston College. The Yellow Jackets, led by Heisman hopeful Haynes King’s 371 passing yards, totaled 628 yards, their second-most all-time in an ACC game.

Also on Saturday, Georgia Tech will honor its senior class in the final scheduled home game of the year. Most notably, King will receive a deafening ovation as the leader of a team that’s been one of the stories of the college football season.

“The command he has of the team on the field, he’s special, and it’s hard to put it into words,” Key said. “The legacy that he leaves here, hopefully, will be continued with other players on the team. I’m just excited for him, excited for his family, excited for all the seniors. It’ll be a special moment on Saturday night.”

Georgia Tech will have to take care of business against Pitt (7-3, 5-1), which has plenty of reason to play on Saturday. The Panthers had their five-game winning streak snapped with a disappointing 37-15 home loss to Notre Dame last week, but they still entertain thoughts of taking a trip to Charlotte for the ACC title game on Dec. 6.

That hope will evaporate if Pitt loses Saturday, which would eliminate the Panthers from contention.

“Their quarterback is special,” Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said of Georgia Tech. “Haynes King is really good. I don’t listen to the news and I don’t know if he’s in for the Heisman, but the guy has thrown for almost 2,300 yards, rushed for 800. That guy should be talked about for the Heisman because I think he is about as tough as anybody in the country. … The No. 1 key to victory is being able to stop Haynes King.”

The Panthers are led by true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel (1,673 passing yards, 13 total touchdowns), who’s coming off his worst performance as a starter. The 18-year-old threw for just 126 passing yards and an interception against Notre Dame.

“Obviously a couple times (Heintschel) went to the wrong spot,” Narduzzi said. “But he’s going to learn from those things. There’s not a quarterback in the country that doesn’t go out there and throw it to the wrong spot, read a coverage wrong. There’s not one in the country.”

Pittsburgh needs to beat Georgia Tech and Miami (on Nov. 29) to have a chance of qualifying for the ACC Championship game.

–Field Level Media

Jeremiyah Love helps No. 9 Notre Dame cruise past No. 22 Pitt

Jeremiyah Love had 23 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, and No. 9 Notre Dame sprinted to a 37-15 win over No. 22 Pitt on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

CJ Carr completed 21 of 32 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Notre Dame (8-2), which won its eighth game in a row. Malachi Fields caught seven passes for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Mason Heintschel completed 16 of 33 passes for 126 yards and an interception for Pitt (7-3), whose five-game winning streak ended. Backup quarterback Eli Holstein took over late in the game and completed 3 of 6 passes for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Notre Dame outgained Pitt 387-219, including a 175-70 advantage on the ground.

Love opened the scoring on a 56-yard run with 8:16 remaining in the first quarter. He dodged a defender with a sudden spin move and raced the rest of the way for the score.

The Fighting Irish defense notched a touchdown to make it 14-0 only 17 seconds later. Safety Tae Johnson intercepted Heintschel and took it to the house for a 48-yard pick six.

Pitt got on the scoreboard with Sam Carpenter’s 24-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Carr put Notre Dame on top 21-3 late in the first half. He found Fields, who caught a jump ball down the left sideline for a 25-yard touchdown.

Carr and Fields connected again, this time on a 6-yard touchdown strike, to increase the Fighting Irish lead to 28-3 with 10:43 left in the third quarter.

Pitt notched its own interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Rasheem Biles picked off Carr and returned it for a 10-yard score that cut the deficit to 28-9.

On an unlikely play moments later, Fighting Irish safety Adon Shuler intercepted Pitt’s two-point conversion attempt five yards into the end zone and sprinted to the opposite end zone for what’s officially a 100-yard return. The result gave Notre Dame two points instead of Pitt, which boosted the score to 30-9.

Carr made it 37-9 with a 5-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Pitt capped the scoring on the final play of the game. Holstein completed a pass to Malachi Thomas, who sprinted into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.

-Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) passes against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt faces Stanford, careful to not overlook the Cardinal

Streaking Pittsburgh gets a final tune-up before a regular-season-ending gauntlet when the Panthers trek across the country to take on Stanford in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday afternoon in Stanford, Calif.

Led by freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, the Panthers (6-2, 4-1 ACC) have exploded for 165 points during a four-game winning streak that has allowed them to vault into the ACC title-game picture.

The Panthers will get a shot at one of the teams ahead of them — Georgia Tech — when they finish the regular season with matchups against No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 10 Miami sandwiching a showdown against the No. 8 Yellow Jackets.

But first things first, and Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi has warned his team not to overlook Stanford, which has played well at home this season.

“It’s a one-game season right now,” he insisted to reporters on Monday. “Our focus is to go 1-0 this week.”

Heintschel became the first Power Four conference freshman this season to pass for 400 yards and three touchdowns in a game when he threw for 423 yards in last week’s 53-34 home win over North Carolina State.

The ACC named the Ohio native as its Rookie of the Week.

The Panthers will see a Stanford (3-5, 2-3) team that’s looked completely different at home than on the road this season. The Cardinal has gone 3-0 at home, including a 20-13 win over Florida State in their most recent outing in front of their fans on Oct. 18, but have yet to win (0-5) on the road, the most recent defeat a 42-7 thumping at Miami last week.

The Cardinal retain a shot at making a bowl but need to beat the Panthers to keep those hopes alive.

“Everything is still in front of us,” Stanford interim head coach Frank Reich reminded reporters this week. “We’re 3-0 at home; that means something. We’re proud of that; we’re looking to build upon that. We know that’s going to be a challenge against a good team, but we’ve had some other good teams come in here and we just got to play good football. That’s what it comes down to.”

Running back Cole Tabb led the way against Florida State with 118 rushing yards and one TD on 28 carries, but he was limited by Miami to 64 yards on 19 attempts.

Micah Ford leads Stanford with 425 rushing yards, followed by Tabb at 376 in seven games. Ben Gulbranson has passed for 1,585 yards, eight TDs and seven interceptions in eight games.

– Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) warms up before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt riding with QB Eli Holstein against Boston College

It appears that Eli Holstein will remain Pitt’s starting quarterback Saturday when the Panthers host Boston College in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup.

Holstein was benched for Cole Gonzales in the fourth quarter of last week’s 34-27 loss to Louisville. Holstein completed 14 of 26 passes for 228 yards with two touchdowns and two second-half interceptions.

Holstein has been intercepted five times in four games this season. Two of those picks were in the end zone.

“We’re going to watch practice, get better and see where it goes,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday. ” … Right now, Eli is our starting quarterback.”

Pitt (2-2, 0-1 ACC) held leads of 17-0 and 27-17 against the Cardinals but failed to score in the second half. Gonzales, a transfer from Western Carolina who spent the spring at Oklahoma before quickly leaving, completed 3 of 6 passes for 31 yards and was intercepted on Pitt’s final drive.

“He did a good job like we thought he would,” Narduzzi said. “Obviously, he didn’t create a comeback. That’s what we were looking for a spark and we didn’t get that. But Cole did a nice job.”

Boston College (1-3, 0-2) is coming off a 28-24 loss to Cal and will be trying to end a three-game losing streak.

The Eagles received a career-high 171 rushing yards from Turbo Richard in the loss to Cal. Richard is averaging 5.7 yards per carry on 58 rushing attempts this season and has scored six touchdowns (four rushing, two receiving).

“We’ve been competitive,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said after Tuesday’s practice. ” … It really comes down to five or six plays in each phase of the game. You either make those plays or the other team makes them.

” … So we have to be more consistent. Right now it’s a little bit too inconsistent and that’s where it has to change.”

Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles leads the ACC in tackles per game (10.5) and tackles for loss per game (1.8).

The Panthers hold a narrow 18-16 lead in the all-time series. The Eagles won 34-23 last season in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles wide receiver Reed Harris (4) celebrates his touchdown reception with quarterback Grayson James (14) during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Ascending BC aims to stay strong against reeling Pitt

With bowl eligibility clinched for the second straight fall, Boston College looks to end its regular season with a third win in four games Saturday against Pitt in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Last week’s 41-21 triumph over North Carolina helped the Eagles (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) continue their late-season peak, while the Panthers (7-4, 3-4) have dropped four straight following a 37-9 loss at Louisville.

Boston College’s offense has continually developed in two full weeks with Grayson James taking over under center for the departed Thomas Castellanos. That has helped the Eagles extend their season beyond the task of facing a tough, physical Pitt team this week.

“For us in our first year, to be able to qualify for a bowl, says a lot about the players and the coaching staff. Those guys did a great job,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said. “We got hired in February. We’re just very proud of the fact that we’re able to go to a bowl.”

James threw for 192 yards and a touchdown while also running for a score last week. The FIU transfer targeted Lewis Bond for a career-high nine catches and 81 yards, and freshman Johnathan Montague grabbed his first career touchdown.

“He’s seeing it all (in the game),” O’Brien said of James. “That’s one of the things that you see with him — the more reps you get, the more improvement you’ll see. He works very, very hard.”

At stake is the Eagles’ first seven-win regular season since 2018.

Injuries have riddled Pitt of late, resulting in a skid dating back to an Oct. 24 win over Syracuse. Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein missed the Clemson game, a 24-20 loss, two weeks ago before being carted off with a leg injury in the first quarter against Louisville.

However, Holstein has not been ruled out moving forward.

“(The injury) is not season-ending,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “It’s not as bad as the one that he took a week ago.”

Nate Yarnell entered into both situations, producing a 350-yard game against Clemson before throwing for 96 with a touchdown versus Louisville. In the latter contest, the Panthers were outgained 507-265 and trailed 27-0 before scoring and threw three interceptions.

Attitude and effort have not wavered despite the depleted depth chart, which has also lost veteran lineman Branson Taylor.

“We’ve been unhealthy — we’ve been unable to stay healthy, really, since the Cal game (a 17-15 win on Oct. 12),” Narduzzi said. “It’s a perfect storm (at Louisville). I felt coming out, attitude was great. I think our guys played with great effort for four quarters. Our guys never quit, never gave up.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) passes against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cade Klubnik’s mad dash gets No. 20 Clemson past Pitt

Cade Klubnik broke two tackles and scrambled up the field for a 50-yard go-ahead touchdown as No. 20 Clemson kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive by escaping Pittsburgh with a 24-20 road victory on Saturday.

Pitt used a 13-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead with 1:36 remaining after a 47-yard field goal from Ben Sauls capped off an eight-play, 26-yard drive that burned nearly three minutes off the clock.

Clemson (8-2, 7-1 ACC) needed three plays to move back in front. Klubnik dropped back to pass and took off at midfield zig-zagging and then sprinting up the field for the longest touchdown of the game.

The Panthers (7-3, 3-3) had 76 seconds and two timeouts to respond, but their potential game-winning drive ended on fourth-and-1 at the Clemson 26-yard line when Nate Yarnell’s pass was intercepted by Khalil Barnes.

Klubnik completed 27 of 41 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished as Clemson’s leading rusher on the day with a net 41 yards after he was sacked eight times. Antonio Williams hauled in 13 of Klubniks passes for 149 yards and both of Clemson’s scores through the air.

Yarnell, starting in place of an injured Eli Holstein for Pitt, completed 34-of-54 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown. Panthers tight end Gavin Bartholomew had the TD reception during Pitt’s fourth quarter comeback.

Pitts’ offense was also boosted by running back Desmond Reid, who piled up 176 yards of total offense on 24 touches, that included 10 receptions for 108 yards

Clemson had a 17-7 lead at the end of the first half after Klubnik’s 28-yard score with Williams early in the second quarter and after Nolan Hauser kicked a 51-yard field goal.

Pitt had the ball for about nine minutes longer than Clemson, but turned the ball over twice and had 13 penalties for 100 yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) riuns with the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Nate Matlack (2) defends in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Pitt upends North Carolina, 5-0 for first time since ’91

Eli Holstein completed 25 of 42 passes for 381 yards, three touchdowns and an interception to lead Pittsburgh to a 34-24 win over North Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The freshman quarterback also led the Panthers with 76 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in Pitt’s first win on North Carolina’s campus.

Desmond Reid had 11 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 55 yards as the Panthers improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Raphael Williams Jr. and Censere Lee had touchdown catches for Pitt (5-0, 1-0 ACC).

Jacolby Criswell completed 24 of 45 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown for North Carolina (3-3, 0-2). Omarion Hampton rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown and Nate McCollum had 10 catches and 128 receiving yards. John Copenhaver had a touchdown catch for North Carolina, which has lost three in a row.

Pitt took the lead for good in the fourth quarter on an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by Holstein’s 3-yard touchdown run for a 31-24 lead. On the next Tar Heels possession, Pitt stopped Hampton on a fourth-and-1 attempt inside the Pitt 10-yard line and took over on downs with 9:08 left.

Pitt opened the scoring when its first drive stalled out at the UNC 6-yard line as Ben Sauls connected on a 24-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

After Pitt forced North Carolina into a three-and out, the Tar Heels took a 7-3 lead when Kaleb Cost jumped a third-down out route and returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, Holstein hit Reid over the middle for a 72-yard gain to set up Lee’s 7-yard touchdown catch and put Pitt back up 10-7.

North Carolina answered on its next possession with a 34-yard field goal by Noah Burnette. On Pitt’s next drive, Holstein found Williams Jr. on a crossing route for a 30-yard touchdown and a 17-10 Pitt lead with 5:41 left in the first half.

The Tar Heels came right back with a 3-yard touchdown run by Hampton to tie the game at 17 just before halftime.

A 46-yard diving completion to Konata Mumpfield set up Reid’s 2-yard touchdown catch and gave Pitt a 24-17 lead with nine minutes left in the third.

At 2:07 in the third, Criswell hit Copenhaver on a post route for an 11-yard touchdown catch to tie the game at 24.

Sauls’ 37-yard field goal with two minutes left provided the final margin for the Panthers.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA;  Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs after a catch against Kent State Golden Flashes safety Alex Branch (1) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Desmond Reid, Eli Holstein power Pitt past Kent State

Freshman quarterback Eli Holstein threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns and Desmond Reid added a pair of scores, lifting Pitt to a 55-24 victory over visiting Kent State on Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.

Holstein completed 29 of 39 passes in his first collegiate game before being replaced by Nate Yarnell, with each quarterback throwing a touchdown pass to Raphael Williams Jr.

Kenny Johnson had seven catches for 105 yards with a touchdown and Konata Mumpfried also reeled in a scoring strike.

Holstein and Reid debuted for Pitt on Saturday and had a hand in most of the team’s highlight moments.

Reid rushed for 145 yards on 14 carries and scampered 78 yards for a touchdown on a punt return. The Panthers are expected to lean on the Western Carolina transfer after declaring last season’s leading rusher Rodney Hammond Jr. ineligible for the 2024 campaign on Friday.

Derrick Davis Jr. rushed for a touchdown for Pitt, which started off strong after limping to a 3-9 record last season.

Kent State’s Devin Kargman completed 14 of 28 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on a 36-yard scoring strike with Luke Floriea and a 29-yard catch by Chrishon McCray.

Golden Flashes starting linebacker Khalib Johns was ejected following a targeting penalty in the first half. The penalty negated an apparent stop on fourth down and allowed Davis to score a few plays later.

Holstein started strong by completing all five of his pass attempts for 80 yards on Pitt’s opening drive. He connected with Johnson on a 46-yard pass play to highlight the sequence before finding Mumpfield for an 11-yard score.

The Panthers forced Kent State to go three-and-out on the next drive. Reid thwarted an attempted tackle on the ensuing punt and followed a convoy of blockers for a 78-yard touchdown.

Kargman connected with Floriea over the middle to trim Pitt’s lead to 14-7 before the Panthers responded with a pair of scores in the second quarter. Davis bulled his way into the end zone from 2 yards out to cap a 12-play, 79-yard drive and Holstein finding a wide-open Williams from 7 yards out.

Kent State took advantage of a muffed punt for a touchdown, and Kargman found McCray over the middle for a 29-yard score to pull within 28-21 early in the third quarter.

Reid responded with a 46-yard touchdown and Johnson reeled in a pass in the corner of the end zone to push Pitt’s lead to 42-24 later in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils linebacker Tre Freeman (12) tacks Pittsburgh Panthers running back C'Bo Flemister (24) during the first half of the game at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Duke owns second half to get past Pitt 30-19

Grayson Loftis threw two touchdown passes and Duke went ahead late in the third quarter on the way to a 30-19 victory against visiting Pitt on Saturday afternoon at Durham, N.C.

The outcome clinched Duke’s second consecutive winning regular season under Mike Elko, who is gaining interest from programs with head coach openings.

Jordan Moore and Jalon Calhoun each had TD catches and combined for 15 receptions to help Loftis to 248 passing yards.

The Blue Devils (7-5, 4-4 ACC) won for only the second time in their last six games. They now await a bowl invitation.

Quarterback Nate Yarnell threw for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Pitt (3-9, 2-6), which never won back-to-back games this season.

Duke clinched the outcome on Todd Pelino’s 48-yard field goal with 1:59 left. Pelino also delivered a 25-yard field goal on the opening possession of the second half for a 13-10 lead that came at the end of a 67-yard drive.

Pitt’s Ben Sauls tied it 13-13 from a season-long 47 yards out on Pitt’s first possession of the second half.

Loftis threw 15 yards to Calhoun for the first touchdown of the second half with 3:44 to go in the third quarter, giving Duke a 20-13 lead.

On the last play of the third quarter, Calhoun had a 32-yard pickup on a short pass to become the fourth player in Duke history to reach 3,000 career receiving yards.

Duke extended its lead to 27-13 on Jaquez Moore’s 3-yard run with 11:54 remaining.

On its next possession, Pitt drove inside the Duke 15 until Yarnell was picked off by Jeremiah Lewis. The Panthers got the ball back and Yarnell threw 14 yards to Bub Means for a touchdown at the 5:17 mark, though the score stayed at 27-19 when a two-point conversion pass failed.

The teams traded first-quarter field goals with Pelino good from 47 yards and Sauls connecting from 35 yards.

Pitt went up 10-3 on a 93-yard drive that consisted of 15 plays. Karter Johnson bulled his way to the end zone to complete a 21-yard pass play from Yarnell.

The Blue Devils needed only 25 yards to go back ahead on Loftis’ 10-yard, third-down pass to Jordan Moore. After pinning Pitt inside the 5-yard line, the Panthers managed just a 15-yard punt.

–Field Level Media