Canes living by the 1-0 mantra in prepping for Pitt
Pitt's next opponent
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Miami center Ryan Rodriguez seems unfazed about the Hurricanes being ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The rule at Miami is to keep things simple, which means focusing only on the next task.
And they take that policy very seriously.
"Don't even look to tomorrow. Just be 1-0 in the next task you have to do," Rodriguez said shortly after a morning practice session ended this week. "The next task I'm going to do is some mobility, some film and some lunch. Just go be 1-0 at that, do it at the best of my ability."
Yes, he planned to go 1-0 -- at lunch.
Players and coaches see the big picture. Fans don't have the same obligation. There might have been 500 or so Miami supporters gathered in one of the concourses of Hard Rock Stadium about a half-hour after the Hurricanes (6-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) held on to beat Florida State last weekend, sticking around to watch the end of the Notre Dame-BYU game.
And when BYU won, a few Miami fans were chanting louder than others.
"No. 1, baby!" they shouted.
Sure enough, Miami on Sunday returned to the top spot in the AP poll for the first time since 2002, as would have been expected after a weekend with then-No. 1 Georgia and then-No. 2 Notre Dame both losing -- clearing a path for the then-No. 3 Hurricanes to climb atop the rankings.
But being there in October isn't the goal, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal insists. He says some version of the same thing every week: Going 1-0 in the next game -- in this case, Saturday at home against Pitt at noon on ESPN -- is all that matters, and that messaging is crystal clear to his staff and players.
"I mean, relevance is great," Cristobal said. "I think that comes in other forms aside from the ranking. I think all of us think the rankings only matter when the last game of the season is played."
There is a greater, and obvious, goal. Miami finished No. 2 last season after losing in the College Football Playoff national championship game. That'll be the poll -- and really, the only poll -- that the Hurricanes judge themselves by this season as well.
"Right now, we're not worried about it. If we were No. 1, 30, 75, we're not trippin' about none of that," linebacker Mohamed Toure said. "We're just going out every single week and playing football -- 1-0 mentality."
Panther QB makes semifinal list
PITTSBURGH -- Pitt sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel wasnamed one of 20 semifinalists for the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, an award recognizing exemplary leadership on and off the field.
Heintschel, out for the season with a knee injury, is the only sophomore among this year's semifinalists and one of seven representatives from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Now in its 10th year, the award honors college football players who demonstrate exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship.
He opened the 2026 season by throwing for 1,304 yards on 98 completions and 14 touchdowns before suffering his season-ending injury in Week 5.
Heintschel is seeking to become the second Pitt player to receive the award. Former Panthers defensive lineman Deslin Alexandre earned the honor in 2022.
Three finalists will be announced Dec. 15. The winner will be announced on March 11, 2027.