The Pitt Panthers will open up their 2026 football season with a home game against the Miami (OH) RedHawks on Sept 5. Pitt is the favorite, but Miami (OH) is still a tougher team than previous season openers for Pitt.
Since Pitt played West Virginia to open the 2022 season, their season openers have been two FCS schools and Kent State in a season where the Golden Flashes went on to finish 0-12.
While Miami is a MAC school, they've been at the top of their conference for the past few seasons. The RedHawks made the MAC Championship game three seasons in a row and haven't had a losing season since 2022.
It'll also be a rare game where Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi isn't the longest tenured coach on the field. Miami head coach Chuck Martin has been at the helm since 2014, one year longer than Narduzzi.
This isn't a game that Pitt can walk into and expect to cruise to a win, and that might be good for the team's season overall.
The headline for Miami is their quarterback situation. Their redshirt-sophomore starting quarterback Thomas Gotkowski suffered an injury in a preseason practice. Miami will be relying on their backup David McComb, a transfer from Kansas who hasn't seen a single snap of action.
This is likely Pitt's biggest advantage in the game: making McComb feel the moment. Pitt definitely has a new-look defense, so this is the perfect time to test an inexperienced quarterback into making mistakes. Braylan Lovelace and the new linebacker group should have plenty of oppurtunities to make big plays.
One of the biggest challenges for Pitt's defense will be stopping the running backs in returning sophomore D'Shawntae Jones and Rodney Nelson, a transfer from Monmouth. While he may have played for an FCS school, Nelson put up 2,614 yards and 24 touchdowns over two seasons.
Miami also has a good offensive line, which can help their running backs even more and mitigate their quarterback situation.
On the other side, Pitt is debuting a mix of old and new offensive linemen against an even fresher Miami defensive line. The RedHawks lost some talented players on their defensive line to the transfer portal, bringing in inexperienced players from bigger programs to replace them.
While Miami may be Pitt's hardest season opener in some years, they are still arguably the second-easiest game on the schedule behind Bucknell. Now more than ever is the time to test Pitt's wide receiver room, which has been one of their more questionable parts of the roster.
Cataurus "Blue" Hicks is the reliable starting wide receiver returning this season, being joined by fellow returnee Censere Lee, Western Carolina transfer Malik Knight and freshman Tony Kinsler. It's not the most experienced group, but quarterback Mason Heintschel should have enough time in the pocket to make plays happen.
Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Cataurus Hicks (3 ) returns the opening kick-off against the Louisville Cardinals during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's obvious that any football team should show up ready to play, but it does matter for a Pitt team full of young players and new transfers to be prepared against a team that's better than their typical season-opening opponent.
Taking care of business against the RedHawks could do a good job of preparing the Panthers for the rest of the season.
Last year, Pitt opened their season by crushing FCS school Duquesne and then Central Michigan the following week. When they faced West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl in Week 3, Pitt clearly did not look ready for the competition or the moment.
This season, Pitt will face Big 12 team UCF after Miami (OH). UCF isn't one of the top Power Four conference teams, but they do make for better competition that can set Pitt on the right track.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pittsburgh as Pitt's Keys to Victory in Season Opener Against Miami (OH) .
