2026 MAC Football Week 1 Game Preview: Miami (OH) RedHawks at Pittsburgh Panthers

Setting the scene

Only a 300-mile journey down I-70 separates Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Oxford, Ohio, yet the two cities' universities haven't collided on the gridiron since 1949. Woody Hayes was in his first season coaching Miami (OH). Franco Harris, who later became a legend in the city of Pittsburgh, wasn't even born yet.

Fast-forward 77 years later, and the two programs reconvene at Acrisure Stadium. Miami is fresh off three-straight MAC Championship Game appearances under Chuck Martin, but the RedHawks are accustomed to early struggles, finishing 1-6 in August and September against FBS opponents since 2024.

Meanwhile, Pitt remains extremely consistent under Pat Narduzzi, who formerly served as a Miami assistant coach. The Panthers are fresh off an 8-5 season, and they've attained between six and eight wins in 12 of the last 16 seasons.

Only eight FBS head coaches have been with their program since 2015, and Martin and Narduzzi both fall into that category as two of the longest tenured names in the business.

Game notes

• Time and date: Saturday, Sept. 5th, 2026 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Network: The CW Network
• Streaming options: Earlier this year, the CW Network came to an agreement with ESPN to stream select sports on the ESPN Unlimited app. More information regarding how to access the game can be found here.
• Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Gambling considerations: Pitt (-16.5), with an over/under of 47.5-48.5 depending on book, per Covers.
• All-time series: Pittsburgh leads, 2-0
• Last meeting: Pittsburgh 35, Miami (OH) 26, on October 15, 1949.
• Current streak: Pittsburgh, 2 (1931-49)

Miami RedHawks outlook

Miami always turns on the jets in late October and November, and that's why the RedHawks have qualified for three-straight MAC title games. However, non-conference play has been a significant struggle for the program. Excluding bowl games, Miami has only defeated four non-conference FBS opponents since 2012 — 2022 Northwestern, 2023 Cincinnati, 2023 UMass, and... 2024 UMass.

The program has become a machine under Chuck Martin, who has two MAC championships and four title game appearances. But Saturday presents the opportunity to add to his résumé and collect that coveted signature non-conference win.

Miami already took one loss before the season started. Thomas Gotkowski, who was in a fall camp quarterback battle with David McComb, suffered a season-ending non-contact injury. Gotkowski started the final three games of 2025, including the MAC Championship and Arizona Bowl. But now the RedHawks turn to McComb, a Kansas transfer who has yet to take a collegiate snap.

The 6'4", 220-pound Oklahoma native will be supported by a veteran offensive line which returns four starters from 2025, headlined by All-MAC offensive tackle Eric Smith. The lone vacancy should be a seamless replacement. Two-time All-MAC selection Evan Malcore is an ideal fit for the other tackle spot after starting 32 games at Northern Illinois.

McComb will be without wide receiver in Keith Reynolds, who was assumed to be the No. 1 target this year after ranking third on the unit in receptions (36) and receiving yards (352). That forces returning receivers Braylon Isom and Lynel Billups-Williams to rise into greater roles. The RedHawks also reload with a slew of transfers — Maleek Huggins, who had 864 receiving yards at Bethune-Cookman in the FCS last year, along with Carl Jenkins (UCF), Devin Hyatt (Arizona), and Damarion Witten (Ohio State), who saw limited action at their previous schools.

The running back room doesn't have a clear No. 1 right now, but the RedHawks will test a rotation involving 2025 rushing touchdowns leader D'Shawntae Jones and transfers Rodney Nelson (FCS Monmouth), Cade Yacamelli (Wisconsin), and Lazaro Rogers (Northern Illinois).

Overall, the offense could use significant improvement. The RedHawks ranked 108th in yards per game last season, and they went 0-5 when failing to score 20 points. That said, as long as the offense showed up, the defense usually did enough damage to win.

Miami only allowed more than 30 points twice last year, and both occurrences were in September. The RedHawks return four primary starters from one of the MAC's strongest units — defensive tackle Roosevelt Andrews, middle linebacker Malcolm McCain, and cornerbacks Kaleb Martin and Mychal Yharbrough. However, there are significant losses such as defensive end Adam Trick and safeties Silas Walters and Eli Blakey that must be accounted for prior to kickoff.

Trick transferred to Texas Tech, and his replacement will be his former understudy Grant Lyons. A newly-named team captain, Lyons recorded 12 tackles and 2.0 sacks last year, and his production should exponentially rise in a defense which produced the eighth-most sacks in the FBS last year.

At safety, Miami welcomes Notre Dame transfer Ben Minich and former Michigan State and Northwestern starter Dillon Tatum to complement a returning piece in Eli Coppess. Tatum offers 79 tackles of experience, while Minich played in all four of the Fighting Irish's 2024 College Football Playoff contests. The secondary also adds another CFP alum in Indiana cornerback Amariyun Knighten, a former Northern Illinois starter who could see valuable reps on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Panthers outlook

Pitt hasn't always emerged triumphant over the MAC in recent history. The Panthers are 3-2 in the 2020s decade against the league, dropping the historic six-overtime 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl to Toledo and a September home game to Western Michigan during their 2021 ACC title season.

However, this year's Panthers team opens with a strong foundation, especially on offense. They return Mason Heintschel at quarterback, and once he was inserted into the lineup last October, the Panthers flourished with a five-game win streak. Heintschel eclipsed 300 passing yards in four of his first five starts and concluded his true freshman season with 16 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 63.8 completion percentage.

Heintschel was an ideal fit for offensive coordinator Kade Bell's up-tempo spread offense, and Bell's system really hit its stride last season. Pitt ranked 20th nationally in both points per game and passing offense, scoring 30+ points eight times and finishing 8-0 in those games. However, there were glaring areas for improvement. Pitt surrendered the fifth-most sacks in the FBS, tied for the eighth-most turnovers committed, and ranked 120th nationally in third down conversion rate.

Offensive line improvement will be essential to fixing some of these issues, namely the sack problem. Heintschel took 4+ sacks in six of his eight starts, including a high of seven at Syracuse. The Panthers retain four primary starters from the o-line, led by right tackle Ryan Baer, and the increased levels of experience and chemistry could help.

The skill position talent sees much less continuity.

Cataurus Hicks is the team's returning receiving leader, contributing 422 receiving yards and four touchdowns a year ago. Malik Knight, who played under Bell at Western Carolina, is the top transfer, and he rises into a starting role after an explosive 774-yard season at the FCS ranks. Pitt has also relied heavily on tight ends in the receiving game under Narduzzi, and Oklahoma transfer Carson Kent could be a name to monitor this season.

The ground game retains its top running back Ja'Kyrian Turner, who posted 745 rushing yards in an offense that preferred to attack through the air. Turner played a significant role in the receiving game as well, corralling 25 receptions to rank fourth on the team. He'll receive support from WKU transfer La'Vell Wright, who takes on the RB2 role after 471 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a Hilltopper in 2025.

Pitt's defense ranked 32nd in yards allowed per game last season, and the Panthers will build around five returning starters. However, both components of the dominant linebacker tandem of Rasheem Biles and Kyle Louis are gone, leaving major vacancies at that position group.

The defensive line is almost identical to last year's. Defensive ends Isaiah Neal and Jimmy Scott are back in the Steel City, along with defensive tackle Sean FitzSimmons. Scott tied for the team-lead with 4.5 sacks, while Neal checked in at third with 3.5, on a unit that finished fifth in the FBS in tackles for loss per game.

Braylan Lovelace (80 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions) brings experience to the linebacking corps, while strong safety Bruce Crookins returns to the secondary after registering 53 stops and a pair of interceptions.

Pitt only listed two transfers as defensive starters on its initial depth chart. One is Alex Sanford Jr., who started nine games at Purdue and takes over the money backer position from Biles. The other is Raion Strader, who fills a starting cornerback spot for the Panthers after a season at Auburn. Prior to Auburn, Strader played for the RedHawks from 2023-24, where he earned Freshman All-American and All-MAC honors — most notably breaking up an FBS-best 18 passes in 2024.

Prediction

Pitt's offense is the most superior unit in this matchup, but Miami has a history of mucking up these types of games and turning them into low-scoring, unaesthetically-pleasing struggles. Ask Wisconsin about last year's 17-0 opener. Or Northwestern about the 13-6 opener in 2024.

Miami's defense typically shows up in these non-conference matchups, but the offense rarely contributes. The 2026 RedHawks could continue this trend. The defense enters as one of the stronger units in the MAC, while the offense features a freshman quarterback who has yet to log in-game experience. Facing a veteran Pitt defensive line renowned for creating havoc in the backfield isn't the best recipe for McComb and the Miami offense to thrive out of the gate.

This one features a low-scoring first half, but Pitt silences the upset bid in the third quarter, courtesy of Mason Heintschel and his receivers.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 26, Miami (OH) 10