Pat Narduzzi Offers Update on the Pitt Quarterback Situation

LOUISVILLE — Neither Eli Holstein nor Nate Yarnell finished the game for Pitt against Louisville Saturday afternoon.

Holstein missed the Clemson game due to injury but was cleared for game action this week. But it wasn’t a head injury that knocked him out of action against Louisville.

Holstein was sacked by Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte on a first down play late in the first quarter. His leg was caught beneath Gillotte’s body during the fall and it was very quickly apparent that Holstein was in some distress. Holstein had an air cast on his left ankle as he was carted off the field, and Yarnell entered the game in relief.

Holstein completed 3-of-5 pass attempts for 51 yards and an interception before exiting the game.

“He’s obviously banged up, but he was out there on the field for I guess the second quarter as well, whole second half,” Pat Narduzzi said Saturday. “So, we’ll see.” 

Holstein was out on the sideline on crutches, so while the exact severity of his injury is unknown, it’s likely more than a single week injury.

Holstein has exited three games this season due to injury, and the apparent ankle injury against Louisville is the sort of freakish bad luck that has plagued the second-year freshman this season. It’s possible that Holstein’s season has come to an end.

Yarnell completed 11-of-23 pass attempts for 96 yards with a touchdown and an interception in relief, but he gave way to walk-on David Lynch in the fourth quarter. Yarnell entered the game banged up, and it was his lack of first-team reps in practice that gave Narduzzi some concern.

“Nate didn’t take a snap last week,” Narduzzi said. “He didn’t take a snap last week and I felt bad, I didn’t want to put him in that position. We’re gonna need him the rest of the way, I didn’t want him to get banged up — he got no reps. At that point, the game was not in a good position, and I was not going to lose another quarterback.

“So, I was protecting my players, I was protecting Nate. He was banged up a week ago, and he’s tough, he’s not gonna take himself out. We had to pull him out, he didn’t want to come out, but we needed to get him out of there. It wasn’t fair to put him out there and take some more.”

Pitt finishes the regular season against Boston College next weekend, and it remains to be seen exactly how the quarterback situation will shape up yet. But Yarnell could be more effective with a full week of practice — if he’s healthy enough.

If not, well, Pitt will have to decide between Lynch and Ty Dieffenbach.