Pitt has an opportunity against Youngstown State to do what has never been accomplished before.
Pitt can secure an undefeated non-conference schedule for the first time in program history with a win against Youngstown State, and it comes at home.
Pitt will be on ACC Network Extra, and ESPN+, for its non-conference finale against YSU. Doug Sherman will handle play-by-play duties and Forrest Conoly will serve as his analyst. A sideline reporter hasn’t been announced.
Bill Hillgrove — in his 51st season as the voice of the Pitt Panthers — will handle play-by-play duties on 93.7 the Fan and the Pitt Radio Network, with Pat Bostick serving as his analyst and Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson reporting from the field at Acrisure Stadium.
“We need to go out and empty our tanks and go 1-0 for the week,” Pat Narduzzi said Thursday at his weekly roundtable. “We got a good football team coming in Youngstown State, a lot of memories back there and should be a ball game. They got a good football team, they’ll be ready to go. Coming off last week’s game, they’ll give us their best shot, guaranteed.”
Pitt will look to avoid a monumental slip-up against Youngstown State this weekend, coming off one of the biggest wins of the young college football season, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Pitt is 4-1 all-time against Youngstown State, dating back to an inaugural 41-0 win against the Penguins at Heinz Field in 2005. The Panthers took down the Penguins rather easily in 2009, but the last three contests have been much closer.
Youngstown State earned its first and only win of the series in 2012, spoiling the first game of the Paul Chryst era. The Penguins outgained the Panthers, won the turnover battle and dominated time of possession.
Pitt won each of its last two matchups by just one score, a 45-37 victory in 2015 and a 28-21 overtime win in 2017.
Youngstown State hasn’t had a strong start to the 2024 season, dropping early games against Villanova and Duquesne. The lone win this season came against Valparaiso in Week 2, but despite the early struggles, the Penguins are still ranked 25th in the most recent FCS Coaches Poll.
Pitt is coming off its second straight fourth quarter comeback, but with all due respect to Cincinnati, the 38-34 win against West Virginia meant just a little bit more.
“I love that locker room to death,” Pat Narduzzi said Saturday in his postgame presser. “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. And we’ll move on to the next.
Pitt erased a 10-point deficit with just under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter as WVU wasn’t able to stop Eli Holstein and the Pitt offense — after limiting the Panthers to just four yards in the second half prior. Holstein threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns — and added 59 rushing yards — in another incredible performance.
A 1-yard touchdown dive by Derrick Davis Jr. with just over 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, as Holstein was on the sideline after having his helmet ripped off, clinched the massive win for the Panthers.
Television — ACC Network Extra
Doug Sherman (play-by-play)
Forrest Conoly (analyst)
Radio — 93.7 The Fan, Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Channels 98 or 194 or on the SiriusXM app
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) — 92.1 FM
I have Comcast but can’t find either one of these channels. How can I get them to watch the game?