TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Mason Heintschel threw for 321 yards and connected with Desmond Reid on a pair of touchdown passes as Pittsburgh defeated No. 25 Florida State 34-31 on Saturday.
A true freshman, Heintschel completed 21 of 29 passes and tossed a pair of second-quarter interceptions. He has surpassed 300 passing yards in both of his starts, building off a rout of Boston College last week with a road upset of the Seminoles.
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“He’s a football player and he didn’t lose any faith,” Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi said. “That’s the difference. He fought back and didn’t care (about the interceptions).”
Heintschel’s job was a tough one on the road against a ranked team. But it was made easier with Reid’s return.
Reid had not played since a Sept. 13 loss to West Virginia. He admitted that his conditioning was lagging and he “threw up a couple of times” on Pittsburgh’s sideline.
“My mindset was always, ‘I got to play. This is Florida State.’ I took it day by day,” Reid said. “It was a game-time decision. I felt good today.”
A Miami native, Reid had eight catches for 155 yards and 12 carries for 45 yards for Pittsburgh (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
“He’s just an absolute stud,” Heintschel said.
Tommy Castellanos completed 16 of 23 passes for 245 yards for Florida State, including a pair of touchdowns to Micahi Danzy — 58 yards in the fourth quarter and 33 yards in the second quarter.
But after the Seminoles (3-3, 0-3) went ahead 24-21 on Jake Weinberg’s 34-yard field-goal attempt, Florida State fumbled at midfield and then went three-and-out. Later, while trailing 34-24, came Castellanos’ 58-yarder to Danzy.
The Panthers finished with a pair of field goals and then Ja’Kyrian Turner’s 3-yard touchdown run capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with 2:28 left.
Florida State opened with a win over Alabama and then grabbed a pair of payment game wins over East Texas A&M and Kent State. But since, the Seminoles have lost at Virginia in double overtime, at home to Miami and now to Pittsburgh.
“We had our opportunities,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “We didn’t do enough to overcome the negative plays.”
Poll implications
Florida State will tumble from the top 25 with its latest loss.
Reid’s return
Reid was a three-star prospect and at 5-foot-8 wasn’t highly valued by many coaches. While he took part in recruiting camps at the in-state schools, they all passed, Reid said.
“All the Florida teams, I went to camps,” Reid said. “That’s why I took this game personally. I showed my face. They didn’t recruit me. I don’t hate them. I took this game very personal.”
Seminoles shorthanded
Florida State played without starting tight end Randy Pittman and receivers Squirrel White and Jayvan Boggs. The Seminoles’ top receiver, Duce Robinson, left the game because of an injury in the second quarter.
The Takeaway
Pittsburgh didn't win the turnover margin but picked up its first road win of the season, with a true freshman at quarterback. And the Panthers received a boost from Reid, who had 200 offensive yards.
Florida State ran for 170 yards but Caziah Holmes’ fourth-quarter fumble near midfield halted a drive and took away some of the Seminoles’ momentum.
Up next
Pittsburgh plays at Syracuse on Saturday. Florida State plays at Stanford on the same day.
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