The Pitt Panthers defeated the Bucknell Bison 59-0 to move to 4-0 on the season before ACC play ramps up.
The offense looked as good as it did in Week 1 against Miami (OH) , which was a good sign as the passing game hadn't been as good in the previous two games.
What has helped Pitt reach 4-0 is their variety of options on offense. The Panthers relied a lot on running back Damon Ferguson Jr. against UCF and Syracuse, but they also have had a lot of different targets for quarterback Mason Heintschel to throw to.
The offense put up 766 yards in total, breaking a program record.
Fifth-year senior Censere Lee demonstrated how deep Pitt's wide receiver room is with his performance against Bucknell. Lee only had 47 receiving yards, but he put up a hat trick with three receiving touchdowns.
In his postgame press conference, Lee talked about how the wide receiver room put in extra effort post-practice this past week after two straight games of not great receiving play.
Not counting quarterbacks, Lee is now tied with Damon Ferguson Jr. for most touchdowns scored for the Panthers on the season with four.
Another wide receiver that made big plays was Demetrice 'Meatshop' McCray. The true freshman only had three receptions, but two of those went for touchdowns. McCray had 73 receiving yards and averaged 24.3 yards per reception.
"[McCray] is fast, I think the number 87 makes him look slow, but the guy can run," head coach Pat Narduzzi said postgame.
Sep 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Demetrice McCray (87) scores a touchdown past Bucknell Bison cornerback England Allen (19) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After a poor passing game by sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel against Syracuse, who had not thrown for a touchdown since Week 1, he was able to bounce back by delivering six touchdown passes vs. Bucknell.
Through just 2 1/2 quarters, Heintschel had 403 passing yards and six touchdown passes to three different players. He is the first quarterback in program history to have two games passing for six or more touchdowns in a single season.
Cataurus 'Blue' Hicks stood out, but for not the best reasons. Hicks, originally a transfer from Louisville, was one of the most trusted returning wide receivers coming into this season.
While Hicks had good games against Miami (OH) and UCF, these past two games haven't been his best. Heintschel and Hicks have struggled to connect, despite still clearly having the potential to make big plays.
When Hicks did make a great catch in the third quarter of this game, it ended up as a fumble that Pitt couldn't recover.
Hicks is clearly still a talented player, but the depth of the wide receiving room is competitive enough to not have his starting spot secure.
Sep 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Censere Lee (10) congratulates tight end Carson Kent (86) on his touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Oklahoma transfer tight end Carson Kent got more receptions for himself against Bucknell than he had in the previous three games combined.
Kent finished with six receptions for 57 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Pitt's offense hasn't always relied on tight ends to make big plays, but both Kent and Elijah Lagg have proven they're able to make any play necessary to score.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pittsburgh as Standout Players from Pitt's Win Over Bucknell .
