The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

Pitt football entered last weekend undefeated, nationally ranked and seemingly positioned to make something special out of the 2026 season.

One disappointing loss to North Carolina later, the Panthers are facing a difficult question that could determine where the rest of their season goes.

Who gives Pitt the best chance to win at quarterback?

With Mason Heintschel out for the season, fifth-year senior Holden Geriner appeared to be the logical answer. But after Geriner struggled mightily in his first career start against North Carolina, true freshman Corey Dailey has entered the conversation.

And based on the latest developments from Pitt’s coaching staff, the possibility of a quarterback change is becoming increasingly realistic.

The Panthers (5-1) travel to Boston College on Saturday for a game that suddenly feels much more significant than it did a week ago.

Pitt needs to get its offense back on track, and the quarterback decision will be central to making that happen.

Is Pitt Preparing to Make a Change at Quarterback?

Following the North Carolina loss, Pat Narduzzi expressed confidence in Geriner and indicated that he would remain Pitt’s starting quarterback.

At the time, that seemed reasonable.

Geriner was making his first career start, and although his performance deteriorated considerably in the second half, there was an argument to be made that he deserved an opportunity to learn from those mistakes.

But Thursday brought an interesting development.

Narduzzi revealed that Geriner and Dailey had split first-team practice repetitions throughout the week, with each quarterback receiving approximately half of the work.

That raises an obvious question.

If Pitt’s coaching staff is committed to Geriner as its starting quarterback, why wouldn’t it give him every possible opportunity to improve?

Geriner’s problems against North Carolina weren’t subtle. His footwork deteriorated, his accuracy suffered, and he repeatedly failed to identify open receivers downfield.

Those are issues that need to be addressed through film study, coaching and practice repetitions.

If the plan were simply to start Geriner again and give him the best possible opportunity to rebound, maximizing his first-team practice time would seem like the logical approach.

Instead, Pitt has apparently been dividing those repetitions between two quarterbacks.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Dailey will start Saturday. The coaching staff could simply be preparing the freshman to enter the game if Geriner struggles.

But either explanation suggests that Pitt is taking the possibility of a quarterback change seriously.

And perhaps it should.

Does Corey Dailey Deserve an Opportunity?

There are legitimate reasons to hesitate before turning to Dailey.

He’s a true freshman with zero college football experience. He hasn’t had the same opportunities to learn the offense through practice repetitions that Geriner has received, and asking him to start an ACC road game would present challenges.

However, Dailey was a highly regarded recruit coming out of Texas, and Narduzzi has praised his arm talent and ability to operate the offense.

There’s also something to be said for the potential upside of giving a talented freshman an opportunity.

Geriner is a fifth-year senior who has spent years around college football programs. Experience should be one of his biggest advantages.

Yet against North Carolina, he struggled with some of the most fundamental aspects of quarterback play.

His mechanics deteriorated as the game progressed, and he appeared increasingly uncomfortable when the Tar Heels adjusted defensively.

That raises concerns about whether another week of preparation will be enough to correct those problems.

It’s entirely possible that Geriner will bounce back and perform considerably better against Boston College.

But it’s also reasonable to wonder whether Dailey might provide the offense with a higher ceiling.

At this point, I’m not convinced there’s an obvious answer about who should start.

What has become increasingly clear is that Geriner shouldn’t have unlimited opportunities to work through his struggles if Pitt’s offense continues to suffer.

Narduzzi acknowledged as much Thursday, indicating that Geriner would have a shorter leash against Boston College.

Whether the Panthers start Geriner or Dailey, the priority must be finding a quarterback who can operate the offense effectively for four quarters.

Pitt has too much left to play for to allow another winnable game to slip away because of ineffective quarterback play.

When Boston College Has the Ball: Containing Mason McKenzie

While Pitt’s quarterback situation will dominate the headlines, Boston College has a quarterback who presents an interesting challenge of his own.

Mason McKenzie is the centerpiece of the Eagles’ offense.

Through five games, McKenzie has accumulated nearly 1,000 passing yards, eight total touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also rushed for 437 yards, making him a significant component of Boston College’s running game.

• Against Rutgers, McKenzie threw for 252 yards and rushed for another 94, accounting for two touchdowns in Boston College’s 28-21 victory.
• He also rushed for 53 yards against Maine and 74 against SMU.

Boston College relies heavily on McKenzie to generate offense, both through the air and on the ground.

However, Pitt’s defense should match up favorably against his skill set.

The Panthers have been outstanding against the run this season, allowing approximately 2.1 yards per carry entering the matchup.

Pitt has also demonstrated an ability to contain dual-threat quarterbacks under Pat Narduzzi.

A few that stand out from previous seasons:

• Hendon Hooker rushed for 49 yards against Pitt in 2021 and just 27 yards in 2022.
• Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones finished with 41 rushing yards against the Panthers in 2023.
• Even Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who broke a memorable 50-yard game-winning touchdown run against Pitt in 2024, finished that game with only 41 net rushing yards.

Those performances offer some encouraging examples, although they don’t establish a complete statistical trend.

The bigger concern might be preventing explosive passing plays.

North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. didn’t consistently move the football against Pitt last weekend, but two explosive completions proved costly.

One was a 50-yard pass that helped set up a touchdown. The other was a 75-yard touchdown following a coverage breakdown in the fourth quarter.

Pitt cannot allow similar mistakes against Boston College.

The Eagles haven’t been particularly efficient offensively, converting approximately 31% of their third downs while struggling to consistently finish drives.

If Pitt can contain McKenzie on the ground, force him into predictable passing situations and avoid coverage breakdowns, the Panthers should be able to limit Boston College’s scoring opportunities.

When Pitt Has the Ball: The Panthers Must Establish Offensive Balance

Boston College has produced some respectable defensive performances this season, although evaluating the Eagles is complicated by the weather conditions surrounding their two most recent games.

Boston College lost to Virginia Tech and SMU in games played during significant rainstorms, which affected both teams’ offensive approaches.

The Eagles held SMU to just 218 total yards, an impressive statistical performance that needs to be considered in the context of those conditions.

Boston College also demonstrated an ability to create turnovers earlier in the season, particularly against Rutgers and Maine.

But Saturday’s matchup will likely be determined more by Pitt’s offensive execution than anything Boston College does defensively.

Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Panthers need to establish their running game without becoming overly reliant on it.

North Carolina provided a blueprint for defending Pitt in the second half last weekend.

After Pitt successfully leaned on its rushing attack and manageable passing situations early, the Tar Heels loaded the box, limited rushing opportunities and forced Geriner to make more difficult throws.

He struggled to respond.

Boston College will almost certainly attempt to create similar situations.

That’s why Pitt needs to demonstrate that it can stretch the field through the passing game.

Wide receiver Malik Knight could be particularly important.

Knight returned from a shoulder injury against North Carolina and appeared to provide a spark when he was on the field.

His speed and ability to threaten defenses vertically could help Pitt establish offensive balance while forcing Boston College to respect the passing game.

If Pitt can connect on a few intermediate or deep throws, it should create additional running opportunities and make the entire offense more effective.

The Panthers will also have to adjust without running back Ja’Kyrian Turner, who has been ruled out for Saturday’s game.

That places additional pressure on Pitt’s remaining running backs and offensive line to generate consistent production.

Ultimately, the Panthers need a balanced offense that doesn’t allow Boston College to focus exclusively on stopping the run.

And they need a quarterback capable of making the throws that will create that balance.

Prediction…

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Pitt’s quarterback situation, the Panthers should have enough talent to win this football game.

Boston College hasn’t demonstrated the offensive firepower to consistently challenge strong defenses, and Pitt should be able to contain McKenzie if it executes its assignments and avoids explosive plays.

The bigger uncertainty is whether Pitt can get enough production from its offense.

Perhaps Geriner takes a meaningful step forward after reviewing his mistakes against North Carolina.

Perhaps Dailey gets an opportunity and provides the spark Pitt desperately needs.

Either way, the Panthers need more from the quarterback position than they received last weekend.

Pitt doesn’t need spectacular quarterback play to beat Boston College.

It needs sound decision-making, accurate throws, offensive balance and the ability to finish drives.

If the Panthers can accomplish those things, their defense should be capable of doing the rest.

A victory would move Pitt to 6-1 and provide some much-needed momentum heading into a difficult matchup against Miami.

More importantly, it would give the Panthers an opportunity to regain confidence that this season can still become something special.

Prediction: Pitt 24, Boston College 13.