Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast
Pitt football has a quarterback problem. There’s really no way around that conclusion after watching the Panthers fall 21–17 to North Carolina on Saturday.
But the solution isn’t necessarily as simple as benching Holden Geriner and handing the offense to freshman Corey Dailey.
Geriner struggled mightily in his first career start, particularly as the game progressed and North Carolina adjusted defensively. His accuracy deteriorated, he missed open receivers, and there were moments when he appeared overwhelmed by the pressure of the situation.
It was a disappointing performance, especially considering the expectations surrounding a fifth-year senior who was supposed to bring experience, composure and a strong arm to the position.
Still, I think Geriner deserves another opportunity to start when Pitt travels to Boston College this weekend.
That opportunity, however, should come with a very short leash.
Geriner’s Performance Wasn’t All Bad
One of the reasons I’m willing to give Geriner another chance is that Pitt’s offense actually looked pretty good early against North Carolina.
The Panthers put together several sustained drives in the first half, including possessions of 12, 14 and nine plays. They moved the football efficiently, controlled the clock and largely avoided putting Geriner in situations where he needed to make difficult throws.
Offensive coordinator Kade Bell constructed a sensible game plan for a quarterback making his first start in place of the injured Mason Heintschel.
Pitt leaned on its running game, incorporated quick, high-percentage passes and asked Geriner to manage the offense rather than carry it.
And for a while, he did exactly that.
Geriner looked comfortable. He was delivering accurate passes and making the decisions necessary to keep the offense moving. His footwork and timing were dialed in, and things moved relatively smoothly.
Nobody needed him to replicate Heintschel’s production. Pitt didn’t need 300 passing yards and five touchdowns from its quarterback.
It simply needed someone capable of distributing the football, avoiding critical mistakes and allowing the talent around him to make plays.
Early in the game, Geriner looked capable of doing that.
Unfortunately, everything changed as North Carolina adjusted.
North Carolina Exposed Geriner’s Biggest Weaknesses
The Tar Heels increasingly committed resources to stopping Pitt’s rushing attack, stacking the box and forcing Geriner to make plays through the air.
That adjustment put more responsibility on the quarterback, and the results were concerning.
Geriner began missing open receivers. Some throws sailed over their intended targets. Others fell short or ended up in the dirt.
And more than anything, he looked increasingly less comfortable in the pocket as the game wore on. His mechanics deteriorated as he looked more rushed in his reads and throws.
One particularly frustrating example came on a fourth-down pass intended for Blue Hicks.
Hicks was open, but Geriner delivered a high throw that forced the receiver to jump and fully extend just to get his hands on the football. Geriner didn’t set his feet on the play, and the ball sailed on him and his receiver on arguably the most important play of the game.
It was the kind of pass that should have been relatively routine. Instead, it became an extremely difficult catch.
Those mistakes weren’t isolated.
From my vantage point inside Acrisure Stadium, I could see receivers coming open downfield throughout the second half. Kade Bell was creating opportunities within the offense, but Geriner wasn’t consistently taking advantage of them.
At times, he also appeared uncomfortable in the pocket, holding onto the football too long or scrambling when there was still room to make a throw.
The most concerning part was how dramatically his performance changed as the pressure increased.
That’s not what you want to see from a fifth-year senior.
And it’s certainly not something Pitt can afford to see repeatedly over the final six games of the regular season.
Why Geriner Deserves Another Start
Despite those struggles, I don’t think one poor start should automatically end Geriner’s opportunity.
There’s an important distinction between having five years of college football experience and having five years of experience as a starting quarterback.
Geriner may be a fifth-year senior, but Saturday was still his first career start.
He was facing an opponent that had an entire week to prepare specifically for him. North Carolina also had the opportunity to study Pitt’s early offensive approach and make adjustments throughout the game.
That’s a different challenge from entering a game in relief, as Geriner did against Virginia Tech.
It’s entirely possible that reviewing the North Carolina film with Bell will help Geriner recognize what went wrong. And it can also help Pitt identify what other teams are likely to do against Pitt until Geriner can prove he’s able to stretch the field and make throws.
In film study this week, Geriner will be able to see the receivers he missed, the reads he should have made and the opportunities that were available.
Perhaps another week of practice and preparation will allow him to play with more confidence against Boston College.
I don’t know that I’m particularly confident he’ll make those improvements. His struggles against North Carolina were significant enough to create legitimate doubts.
But I also don’t think we should dismiss the possibility. Oftentimes teams make their biggest improvements from Game 1 to Game 2 in a season, and it’s fair to wonder if Geriner can make his biggest improvements from Start 1 to Start 2.
The best-case scenario for Pitt is that Geriner learns from a difficult experience, settles into the starting role and provides the consistent quarterback play this team needs.
That would be a much simpler solution than turning to a true freshman.
Corey Dailey Needs to Be Ready
While Geriner should get another start, I also believe Pitt needs to spend this week preparing Corey Dailey for the possibility of playing against Boston College.
Pat Narduzzi publicly backed Geriner following the North Carolina loss, identifying him as the team’s starting quarterback.
I wouldn’t read too much into that declaration.
Narduzzi has never been particularly interested in publicly throwing his players under the bus. Supporting Geriner after a difficult performance doesn’t necessarily mean the coaching staff won’t consider other options.
And despite the criticism Narduzzi sometimes receives for being overly loyal to experienced players, there’s recent evidence that Pitt is willing to make changes at quarterback.
Just look at last season.
The Panthers moved on from Eli Holstein and turned to Heintschel, a freshman who ultimately gave the offense a significant spark. Narduzzi and Bell could have opted for their fifth-year senior option, Cole Gonzales, but went with the freshman instead.
That doesn’t guarantee Dailey would produce similar results to Heintschel.
In fact, I think it’s important to recognize that Heintschel had reportedly been making considerable noise in practice before getting his opportunity.
We haven’t heard nearly as much about Dailey.
He’s a talented young quarterback, but asking a freshman to step into a starting role in the ACC is a significant challenge.
There’s no guarantee he’s currently a better option than Geriner.
Still, the coaching staff needs to be prepared to find out if circumstances demand it.
I’d be surprised if Dailey doesn’t receive additional opportunities to work with the first-team offense this week.
Not necessarily because he’s going to start, but because Pitt needs another option ready if Geriner struggles again.
Pitt Can’t Afford to Waste This Season
Here’s why the quarterback decision is so important.
Pitt is 5–1.
The Panthers have one of the most impressive rushing defenses in college football, allowing just 2.1 yards per carry through six games.
Against North Carolina, the defense surrendered only 20 rushing yards on 25 attempts and forced two turnovers.
That should have been more than enough to win.
Pitt also has an experienced offensive line, capable playmakers at wide receiver, a talented group of running backs and special teams that can help win close games.
There are plenty of reasons to believe this is still a good football team.
And when you look at the remaining schedule, there are opportunities to win games.
Boston College, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Cal all represent matchups Pitt should believe it can compete in. Louisville presents a difficult challenge, and Miami looks particularly daunting, but a nine-win season remains a realistic goal if the Panthers can stabilize their offense.
That’s why Pitt cannot afford to spend multiple games waiting for Geriner to figure things out if he continues making the same mistakes.
He doesn’t need to be spectacular.
He doesn’t need to be Mason Heintschel.
He just needs to identify open receivers, deliver reasonably accurate passes and avoid putting the football in harm’s way.
If he can do those things, Pitt has enough talent elsewhere to win football games.
If he can’t, the Panthers have to explore their alternatives.
Boston College Should Be Geriner’s Proving Ground
My expectation is that Holden Geriner will start Saturday against Boston College.
And I think that’s a reasonable decision.
He deserves an opportunity to learn from what happened against North Carolina and demonstrate that he can make the necessary adjustments.
But if we see the same problems that plagued him in the second half against UNC — inaccurate passes, missed reads, unnecessary scrambling, poor footwork, and costly turnovers — Pitt needs to be prepared to make a change.
Quickly.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Dailey is the answer. It means the coaching staff has an obligation to determine whether someone else can provide better quarterback play.
Pitt’s season isn’t over because of one loss to North Carolina.
Far from it.
The Panthers still have a strong defense, plenty of talent and a schedule that offers opportunities to build on their 5–1 start.
But the quarterback position has become the biggest obstacle standing between Pitt and a successful season.
Geriner should get another chance to prove he can be the solution.
He just shouldn’t get so many chances that Pitt runs out of time to find another one.
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