Pitt will have to finish its season without Eli Holstein.
When the Panthers take on Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl today, it will not be Holstein under center. With Holstein ruled out due to injury, walk-on David Lynch will receive the first start of his Pitt career.
As Nate Yarnell and Ty Dieffenbach have entered the transfer portal, it’s fallen upon Lynch to shoulder the load in the final game of the season.
He’s completed 6-of-9 pass attempts for 46 yards and an interception this season, receiving action against Louisville and Boston College. It’s an opportunity for Lynch to show there’s more than meets the eye.
It’s disappointing for the Panthers, considering Holstein has just one more chance to play this season. And Pat Narduzzi, as recently as the bowl game press conference, felt like Holstein had a good chance to play in the season finale.
“We’re hoping,” Narduzzi said. “I went to church at 7:30 on Sunday morning; I pray every morning when I’m driving to work. So, we’re hoping. I think there’s a good shot. I’m no doctor — our trainers make that call — but I would imagine on the 26th, we’re going to be a heckuva lot healthier than we were coming out of the BC game.”
He said that walk-on David Lynch would be the backup if Holstein is able to play against Toledo — a role he held when Nate Yarnell was forced into the Louisville game following Holstein’s injury.
Holstein left the Louisville game in the first quarter, following a sack by Cardinals defensive end Ashton Gillotte. Holstein’s leg was caught beneath Gillotte’s body during the fall, which Narduzzi identified as a leg-drop tackle.
Holstein had an air cast on his left ankle as he was carted off the field, but he returned to the sideline on crutches in the second quarter.
It was the third injury in about a month for Holstein. He left the Syracuse and Virginia games with apparent head injuries and didn’t play against Clemson. He returned against Louisville but didn’t last the whole game.
The injuries, defensive adjustments and a general offensive collapse tanked the second half of Holstein’s season, but it doesn’t take away from the season he put together.
Eli Holstein completed 180-of-291 pass attempts (61.9%) for 2,228 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 328 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on the ground, in 10 games. 10 incomplete games.
He showed flashes of brilliance in leading double-digit fourth quarter comebacks against Cincinnati and West Virginia and racking 450 total yards and four touchdowns in the first win in Chapel Hill, N.C. in program history.
Pitt and Toledo are scheduled to kick off at 2 p.m. at Ford Field, capping off the 2024 season.
