Breisinger: The Pitt Team of Present is Not That of the Past

What transpired over the weekend in Cincinnati is something that was incapable of happening a year ago for the Pitt Panthers.

When Cincinnati traveled to Pittsburgh last fall, the Panthers fell into the same predicament, trailing 27-7 in the third quarter. Pitt would score a pair of touchdowns in the fourth and even had an opportunity to score once more on the final drive of the game. For as close as the game seemed at the end, it was lost well before that as the Panthers fell to a team that would also compile a lowly 3-9 record.

The Pitt team of the present is not that of the past.

As poorly as the Panthers played in the first 40 or so minutes on Saturday afternoon, there was a different sense of hunger that emerged. A heightened urgency. Perhaps the Panthers are truly living by their motto ‘Prove It’ because they certainly did so in the span of nearly 20 minutes.

They backed up a lot of the off-season talk. A lot of the questions surrounding the offense were answered as well. The offense of the past would not have been able to complete a feat like Eli Holstein and company did on Saturday.

For all of those calling for Nate Yarnell to step in or those who seemingly gave up on Pitt once down by 21 points, the Panthers had a response for the ages.

For the first time in over a half-century, the Panthers pulled themselves out of one of the steepest holes possible to emerge with a historic comeback.

As hope dwindled in the late third quarter, it was hard to fathom that Pitt had any right being in that game. One touchdown here, one touchdown there and Pitt pulled within striking distance, but were the Panthers really about to pull off the improbable?

They sure did. Now it sets the tone for what’s to come, not only for the upcoming slugfest that will be the Backyard Brawl but also for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Instead of sitting at 1-1, the Panthers secured their second win – something that did not happen until mid-October last season.

Instead of the Pitt faithful groaning going into one of the best rivalries in college football, fans now have proof that this Pitt team is unlike that of last year.

Not all will be perfect, of course. Pitt still might not win more than six or seven games this season, but the belief and desire is right where it needs to be.

What’s more is when you have instant playmakers like Desmond Reid, Konata Mumpfield and still the untapped Gavin Bartholomew so far this season, mixed with Pitt’s new system, the Panthers are now a threat to score instantly.

Also, don’t overlook what the defense did in that fourth quarter as they held the Cincinnati offense to 44 yards. For the blows they took through the first three quarters, the Panthers shut the Bearcats down and gave the Pitt offense an opportunity to go out and win the game.

For all the youth and inexperience on the Pitt roster, the Panthers played like a team that was well beyond its years. A lot of credit also goes to those that are veterans on this team and that went through the pains of last year as Narduzzi has reiterated since the comeback was complete.

Like many, I watched Pitt stumble into the latter stages of that matchup this past weekend wondering what’s next for this team if it lays an egg in Week 2. Now, we sit here knowing that this Pitt team is capable of rebounding from its mistakes, adjusting over the course of a game and persevering through adversity – something that was a far cry for the 2023 team.

West Virginia comes to town this weekend looking to win its second consecutive game in a series that dates back to the late 1800s. No matter what the outcome is, Pitt fans should feel much more optimistic about the Panthers and what this year’s team brings compared to what we saw just 12 months ago in Morgantown.