PITTSBURGH — The 2024 season is still rather young, but Pitt is looking like it may have found its identity.
It may not be the course of action Pitt wants to take every single game, but the Panthers are winning games that are seemingly out of reach.
In fact, since 2005, Pitt has never won when trailing by double digits entering the fourth quarter. In 2024, the Panthers are 2-0 in those games, according to David Hale of ESPN.
Saturday’s comeback win over West Virginia was another example of Pitt’s never-say-die approach.
“I love that locker room to death,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said following the win. “Our players never gave up. I’m sure some of the fans kind of gave up, and I thought, oh, there’s no way. But our guys didn’t give up. And if you didn’t learn that from last week, then hopefully you learned it from this week. ”
Trailing by 10 points with 4:55 to go in the Backyard Brawl, it looked like the Panthers were down and out. Students and Pitt fans alike started to head towards the exits at Acrisure Stadium. However, it was not as many as it would have been in the past. Perhaps that’s because the 21-point come-from-behind win a week ago was still fresh on the minds of the Panther faithful.
The new offense under Kade Bell and quarterback Eli Holstein can take a bulk of that credit, too, with its ability to move quick and score points.
Down by 10, the Panthers drove 75 yards in less than two minutes. Holstein delivered a ball to the end zone where wide receiver Daejon Reynolds hauled in his first reception and touchdown of the season. The 40-yard touchdown brought the Panthers within three.
Pitt’s defense had an even tougher task in the fourth quarter trying to bottle up the Mountaineer offense that totaled 401 yards in the loss. The defense had answers and then some with Jimmy Scott dropping Garrett Greene for an 11-yard loss to return the ball back to the anxious and determined offense.
With 1:59 to go, Holstein and the offense trotted out on the field. The redshirt freshman quarterback connected with Gavin Bartholomew and Konata Mumpfield for gains of 17 and 23, respectively. Holstein picked up larger gains with his feet to ultimately set up an opportunity at the goal line.
Running back Derrick Davis Jr. was then called upon to punch in the touchdown to give Pitt the lead and he did so with a one-yard score.
West Virginia’s offense had no hope with Greene firing the ball all over the field in one last effort before Kyle Louis sealed it with an interception for the 38-34 victory.
“I’m so damn proud of our football team,” linebacker Brandon George said. “The way we fight, the way we show fight through all four quarters, never wavering, never showing any down emotions, always cheering each other on, that’s what a Pitt football team’s supposed to look like.”
The nail-bitting performance comes on the heels of a victory in which Pitt trailed by 21 points in Cincinnati. In an even deeper hole, Pitt climbed out behind Holstein’s play to a 28-27 win that was cemented after a Ben Sauls 35-yard field goal. It sits as the largest come-from-behind win in Pitt history since 1971.
The last two weeks, Pitt dug deep and found ways to win. The Panthers made adjustments on both sides of the ball and buckled down when it mattered the most.
Holstein and the Panthers have held themselves accountable for putting themselves in those precarious positions. However, they have righted those wrongs in the best way imaginable by coming out on the winning end.
“Eli has done an unbelievable job in the three games and he’s 3-0 as a starter. He goes from playing his first home game as a starter to being on the road in a different environment, and coming home, playing in a Backyard Brawl, which is not an easy one to play in, and finds a way to get it done,” Narduzzi said.
It’s a true testament to what this Pitt team has been so far this season and what it can be moving forward following a year that left a sour taste in the mouths of the Panther players and fans everywhere.
50/50 ball to D.Reynolds for TD with two WRs in same constituting triple coverage … QB or OC looking for Jump Ball is high-schoolish. Routes in all thirds, flats relief flare with backfield TE, RB would result in less QB hurries. Dude is legit QB but OL sieves and play calling has him looking like Happy Feet penguin. Seeing the scoring rate hindsight 20/20 Brennan Marion Go-Go in December 2021 would have been better hire than Cavanaugh 2.0 .. Cignetti (ProStyle play-action). Duzz apparently did not like an additional Alpha as OC that Marion would have been like Whipple was,… Read more »
In defense of coach Bell, Holstein was not seeing absolutely WIDE open receivers on numerous plays. Not criticizing Eli (it’s only he third game) but rather defending the OC’s offense.
WOW .. congrats to the team on another great comeback win. Not sure I want to keep relying on them though.
Still plenty of things to clean up and I am a little worried about our front lines. WVU seemed much bigger and stronger than us on O and D. Maybe it was the schemes, maybe it’s more than that. We’ll see.
In any case, I predicted us at 7-5 but from what i’ve seen so far and expecting some improvements, I now think 8-4 is in the cards. H2P !
Shut down Holstein early against YSU so we don’t end up with a FSU Jordan Travis meaningless game outcome