LOUISVILLE — There are losses, there are bad losses and there’s whatever the hell happened to Pitt Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
Pitt was — once again — outcoached, outplayed and outworked in a 37-9 loss to Louisville, dropping the fourth straight game of the season in embarrassing fashion. Pitt turned to walk-on David Lynch early in the fourth quarter.
Eli Holstein barely finished a drive before he left with an injury — on a cart. Nate Yarnell once again entered the game in relief and completed 11-of-23 pass attempts for 96 yards with a touchdown and interception. Not even Reid, who was hit hard, and often, was able to get going.
It’s hard — nearly impossible — to take any positives from a performance that was thoroughly dominated by the Cardinals.
Louisville won the opening coin toss, deferred to the second half and let Holstein and the Pitt offense trot out for its first crack at the end zone.
It was a promising drive until it reached the red zone — yet again. A steady dose of Desmond Reid, a nice catch-and-run by Konata Mumpfield and even a Holstein scramble moved Pitt to the Louisville 7. Holstein followed it up with a lob toward Mumpfield in the end zone, which was picked off by Cardinals linebacker Stanquan Clark at the goal line.
Louisville wasn’t able to find the end zone on its first possession either, but a 41-yard Brock Travelstead field goal sailed through the uprights to break the scoreless tie.
But any and all momentum that Panthers had off a good first possession (despite the bad result) evaporated as Holstein was dragged down by Clark. Clark fell on Holstein’s ankle during the tackle, a hip-drop tackle, and Holstein was immediately in distress. He was eventually carted off the field with an air cast on his left ankle.
Yarnell entered the game, again, but the Panthers’ drive stalled out. Louisville responded with a quick 5-play, 82-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 1-yard dive by Cards running back Isaac Brown.
Pitt gifted Louisville two chances with a short field in the second quarter, and credit to the defense, it only allowed a touchdown. A fourth-and-1 run stuff of Derrick Davis Jr. gave the Cardinals a first-and-10 at midfield. It resulted in a 15-yard strike to Cards wideout Ja’Corey Brooks. A failed fourth-and-2 attempt to Juelz Goff gave the Cards the ball at their 47. It resulted in a punt.
It went from bad to worse, though, after a goal line stand (three straight stops at the 1) set the Panthers up at their 1.
Yarnell stood at the back of his end zone, tried to make a play over the middle of the field and Clark recorded his second interception of the game. Brown walked into the end zone on the next play, 24-0, Cardinals. Another field, 36 yards this time, made it 27-0 at the half.
Louisville did just about whatever it wanted in the first half, and that didn’t change in the second half.
Louisville wideout Chris Bell caught a quick ball from Shough in the flat, evaded a half-hearted tackle attempt by Ryland Gandy and raced 68 yards to the end zone to kick off the second half.
It took until the 3:58 mark of the third quarter to find the end zone — a high, arcing fade to Mumpfield in the corner of the end zone from eight yards out.
The Cardinals tacked on a 37-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, and while the Panthers added a safety (courtesy of Shadarian Harrison downing a punt at the 1, and a Braylan Lovelace tackle for loss in the end zone), but it was just a footnote in the end.
Pitt (7-4, 3-4 ACC) will conclude its regular season on the road next weekend against Boston College. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on The CW Network.
This team has quit! Someone needs fired, it’s completely unacceptable to start 7-0 and then lose out the rest of the way! They don’t deserve to go to a bowl game after this epic failure!
Agree. The OC and several assistants need to be fired. Bates needs to retire. Promote Sanders to DC and hire a legit OC.
If we don’t get a decent OC / QB coach, then Holstein will leave.
I was at the 2020 game where Notre Dame destroyed Pitt. This game had the same feel.
Unprepared, undisciplined, lazy and uninterested.
At least twice a season Pitt does this and gets destroyed.
The common thread every year?
Narduzzi.
He’s gotta go.
Biggest collapse of a college football team I can remember. Absolutely destroyed in every phase of the game. Narduzzi has lost the team just like last year.
Right if they are 9-1 with Wins over UVA and Clemson the SMU game and tonight still has y’all crying.
You do see what is going on at FSU this year, right? They were 12-1 last Fall.
Illinois collapse of 2011 is very similar
I agree!!!!
Give thanks to their 7-0 Start. Many of em’ getting injured giving it their all. Easily 4-7 but four Ls in a row is rough. Eat some turkey dudes and come out nd take it to BC.
You want a mediocre team year after year continue to support Pat Narduzzi or as I like to know him Fred Flinstone. He stabilized the program and gets credit for winning an acc championship even tho that was largely because of Pickett and Wipple but this ship sailed. He makes a ton of money it’s time to cut our loses he’s just not a good coach and won’t ever take us to the top tier of college football.
How many teams have won 7 in a row and then lost 5? None. History in the making
Our OL is terrible. Worst in NCAA and our WRs can’t catch when we finally do get the ball to them. We lead the NCAA in sacks allowed and drops – Not a good combination.
*Give Narduzzi one more year and then cut him loose.
H2P!!!
Definitely going to lose next game against BC. The loss against Clemson completely demoralized them. Yes they should’ve beat Virginia too but a lot of things gotta change in the off-season and gotta pump more NIL money. I’ll always support them! H2P 4-Life!!