With Mason Heintschel lost for the season, Pitt hands its offense to first-time starter Corey Dailey at Boston College
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Pitt's quarterback depth chart has turned over twice in two weeks.
Mason Heintschel, who threw 14 touchdowns against one interception, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Holden Geriner started last week's 21-17 loss to North Carolina. Now Pitt's official game-day report names true freshman Corey Dailey, who has no career starts, as the starter at Boston College at noon ET on ESPN2.
The Panthers (5-1, 2-1 ACC) still bring the steadier team to Alumni Stadium. ESPN's Football Power Index ranks Pitt's defense 30th in the country, and Boston College's offense ranks 123rd. Cataurus Hicks leads Pitt with 365 receiving yards, so expect Dailey to look his way.
Boston College (2-3, 0-2) is rested after an open week that followed a 25-16 loss at SMU. Bill O'Brien, in his third season, calls the offense himself, and almost everything runs through quarterback Mason McKenzie. He has 967 passing yards and also leads the Eagles with 437 rushing yards. The Eagles are without Cameron Martinez.
Weather could be the biggest story of the day. ESPN's forecast has gusts near 39 mph with a chance of rain, which could keep both teams on the ground and make this a field-position game. That would help no team more than the one with the better defense, and on paper that is Pitt.
The series is close. Pitt leads 19-16 in 35 meetings dating to 1959, according to Pitt's official records. The Panthers won the most recent game 48-7 in Pittsburgh last season, but Boston College won 34-23 the year before in Chestnut Hill.
Both programs have rich pasts. Pitt claims nine national championships, the latest in 1976, the same year Tony Dorsett won the Heisman Trophy. Boston College's Doug Flutie won the Heisman in 1984, and the Eagles claim a 1940 national title under Frank Leahy.
Pat Narduzzi's Panthers head to No. 3 Miami next week, so this is a chance to bank a road win before a hard stretch. Boston College visits Georgia Tech.
Our score was set with Geriner expected to start. With Geriner, we have Pittsburgh 24, Boston College 15. With Dailey now confirmed as the starter, it tightens to Pittsburgh 22, Boston College 17, so the second score is the one to watch.
Our call: Pittsburgh 24, Boston College 15.