Tyler Shough was born on Sept. 28, 1999. He’s 25 years old, in the midst of his seventh — and most successful — collegiate season at Louisville.
It’s safe to say he’s been around for a while. He’s in his seventh season, and if you add up the careers of Eli Holstein and Nate Yarnell, their combined experience still doesn’t quite add up.
There’s an obvious disparity in experience between Shough and whoever is starting at quarterback for the Panthers this weekend. But that’s somewhat of a norm in college football these days, and Pitt has to approach Shough like any other quarterback.
“We still gotta cover the receivers and still try to put pressure on him,” Narduzzi said Thursday at his weekly presser. “But again, a seventh year, obviously, he’s a good quarterback. This guy can sling the ball. And he’s mature. He’s an old man. I’m gonna check and see, have him take his helmet off and check and see if he’s balding or not.”
Shough has played in 40 games over seven seasons, and while he does have a serious edge in experience, it’s not as though he’s been a consistent starter over his career either — be it opportunity or injury in his way.
Shough started his college career at Oregon, sitting behind Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert for a couple of seasons before getting a chance to guide the Ducks’ offense.
He completed 106-of-167 pass attempts for 1,559 yards with 13 touchdowns and six touchdowns in 2020, helping the Ducks to the Fiesta Bowl, but he gradually lost his starting spot throughout the season and entered the transfer portal for the first time after the season.
He transferred to Texas Tech but battled injuries in all three seasons with the Red Raiders — playing in just 15 games (completing 237-of-380 pass attempts for 2,922 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions).
In his lone season at Louisville, Shough has remained healthy and put together his most successful season yet.
“He’s a football player,” Narduzzi said. “You look at a seven year of experience and a one year experience, or three or four with Nate Yarnell, so seven years, he’s played a lot of football. I think 28 career starts I think he’s had, that’s almost three years of starting experience. He’s been through it, he’s seen it, he’s smart, you can see him read coverages, you can see him look off coverages. He’s talented.
“He doesn’t run like Lamar, but he can probably throw it better than Lamar. So, if he could run like Lamar, he would be a first rounder.”
It’s pretty hard to say that Shough does anything better than former Louisville quarterback and Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson, but he has completed 218-of-343 pass attempts (63.%) for 2,774 yards with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Cardinals have a good running back in Isaac Brown and a star wideout in Ja’Corey Brooks. It’s a good trio.
Pitt, on the other hand, hasn’t determined who will start against Louisville yet. Holstein has been cleared, but Narduzzi declined to name a starter in his final media appearance before Saturday afternoon’s game.
Yarnell completed 34-of-50 pass attempts for 350 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Clemson, but he was sacked eight times and hit 10 more times in a gritty performance.
Holstein burst onto the scene as a second-year freshman this season, starting his collegiate career with a whole lot of yards and touchdowns (and back-to-back comeback wins against Cincinnati and West Virginia), but he’s struggled in his last four games and been knocked out of two of his last three games with apparent head injuries.
Holstein took a late, high hit from Virginia linebacker Trey McDonaldas he slid on a second-and-4 play midway through the third quarter. Holstein was helped off the field, went to the medical tent and left for the the locker room.
He’s completed 177-of-286 pass attempts for 2,176 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 323 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, this season.
Shough is three years older than Yarnell and five years older than Holstein, so there’s definitely a discrepancy in age and experience. But age and experience isn’t always everything.
