It appears that Eli Holstein and the Pitt Panthers better get used to occupying the ACC Team of the Week.
Coming off a massive come-from-behind win against West Virginia in the 107th Backyard Brawl, three Pitt Panthers have earned Team of the Week honors.
Holstein is the Newcomer of the Week for the third straight week, and he’s added Quarterback of the Week to his resume. Kyle Louis earned Linebacker of the Week, and Donovan McMillon earned Defensive Back of the Week.
Holstein completed 21-of-30 pass attempts (70%) for 301 yards and three touchdowns — and led the Panthers with 59 hard-earned yards on the ground. But if you ask Holstein, he should yardage on the ground.
It was an incredible Backyard Brawl debut for Holstein, who was making just his third collegiate start, and he gave a lot of credit to his teammates and coaches.
“I got a lot of people that trust me and believed in me since I got here,” Holstein said after the game. “They talked about how much trust and belief that they have in me, that I’m going to be able to go out there and make the plays I need to make. They put me in a position to make those plays and I just gotta trust myself that I’m going to make those plays.”
Louis was a rocket out of the defensive backfield for Pitt, racking up 13 tackles (five solo), a half tackle for loss, a pass breakup, a quarterback hit and the game-sealing interception. His presence at linebacker has been a boon for the Panthers, and the unit as a whole will continue to gel together as the season progresses.
McMillon, who also racked up 13 tackles (five solo) — bringing his season total to 32 through three games, continued to showcase his importance as a run-stuffing safety. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass.
It was a big win for Pitt, improving to 3-0 for the first time since 2020. And the Panthers have a chance to sweep non-conference play for the first time ever with a win against Youngstown State this weekend.
