PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – In his first couple handfuls of games, Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein has shown he’s ready for early in the season. Another huge non-conference game as the Panthers beat Central Michigan 45-17 Saturday.
The second-year starting quarterback was 21-28 for 304 yards, four touchdowns and an interception for a rating of 206.2. There were times he kept plays alive with his feet including a 32-yard connection to Desmond Reid as he moved in the pocket, but stayed behind the line of scrimmage. He also rushed four times for 36 yards.
“God has given me the ability to run, might as well use it,” Holstein said. “When stuff breaks down, I’m out there making plays.”
While not looking to run someone over, Holstein said he’s not going to slide this year, that’s what got him hurt last year. He said he will be smart and dive forward or get out of bounds, but also look to create contact at times.
Named the starter days before the season opener last year, in four non-conference games Holstein threw for 1,186 yards with 12 touchdowns and rushed for another 189 yards and two scores. Through a pair of nonconference games this year eight touchdowns and 519 yards in a pair of blowout wins
“Comfortability and scheme that’s what we’ve been doing,” Holstein said. “The amount of film that Coach Bell and I have been watching about what they are doing, we know what they are doing before they even call it.”
Holstein threw his first touchdown to a tight end in his college career, actually threw two to Justin Holmes and Josh Altsman.
“It’s just the beginning, it’s going to get better,” receiver Poppi Williams said of Holstein.
Poppi pops
A transfer from San Diego State last year, wide receiver Raphael Williams started 13 games for Pitt in 2024 with 37 receptions for 426 yards and six touchdowns. Saturday, he had his first two-touchdown game finishing with five catches for a Pitt-best 81 yards., one of 48 yards that answered a Central Michigan touchdown and gave Pitt a two-touchdown lead.
“One of the captains, Jake Overman, came up to me and said ‘Pop, we need a big play. We need that energy shift’,” Williams said. “Once I scored, we definitely used that as motivation to finish the game out.”
“I was trying to go to Kenny, boundary safety came down on him and I saw Poppi running wide open, I was like I might as well take a shot,” Holstein said. “He made a play and helped us get the momentum back and our defense was able to feed off of that.”
“One of the things going into the off-season was, Poppi, just don't catch and fall down,” Narduzzi said. “It has to be yards after the catch. He's done a great job the last two weeks. He's explosive. He runs good routes. He gets open. Gives Kade an opportunity to throw it to him. Poppi has been good all camp.”
Williams said the receiving corps is very special and they are all explosive. Narduzzi said Holstein has just been throwing it to the guy who is open.
Biles leading
Second-team All-ACC last year, linebacker Rasheem Biles had a game-high 11 tackles, with 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and quarterback hurry.
“We were just locked in on our keys,” Biles said. “We knew they were going to run the ball a lot, they were going to have bigger sets. We knew we had to get downhill.”
Biles said there is a competition after the game as to who finished first in tackles amongst the linebackers. Within the game, he says they stay focused on what they need to do, after, they let each other know who had what.
Freshman action
· Quarterback Mason Heintschel played in his first Panthers game leading a touchdown drive going 3-4 for 36 yards.
· Also a true freshman, running back Ja’Kyrian Turner scored his first touchdown, rushing for 26 yards on six carries.
· Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Zach Crothers had a sack and a half, two tackles for loss and seven tackles.
“Zach has come a long, long way,” Narduzzi said. “I told him after the game, a little bit different when your back was sore. A year ago, there were times he was crying his back hurt so bad. Zach Crothers is a football player and he’s going to keep getting better.”
“Crow is a baller, last year I know he was learning a lot,” Biles said. “This year in camp, every time he gets in, it’s a play. It’s our boy Crow. He’s a very good player, he gets better every day. I love playing with Crothers, that’s my boy.”
“I was just thinking, stop the run and then once we did that we know they would probably open up the playbook a little more,” Crothers said. “That’s when we started to get those sacks.
“I’m excited, first sack in a game. It’s a surreal feeling to be honest.”
Pitt and that
· Panthers had 11 tackles for loss
· Pitt’s defense had 26 plays where it held CMU to no gain or a TFL
· Central Michigan led the time of possession 36:52 to 23:08
· Pitt was 6 of 9 on third down
· Central Michigan was 3-5 on fourth down