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Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein, #10, scrambles for a touchdown against Youngstown State’ s Isaiah Crozier, #0, at Acrisure Stadium Saturday, September 21, 2024.  Pitt topped Youngstown State 73-17. (Sebastian Foltz/Post-Gazette)
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Analysis: Pitt's Eli Holstein shows increasing command of offense in blowout win over Youngstown State

Sebastian Foltz/Post-Gazette

Analysis: Pitt's Eli Holstein shows increasing command of offense in blowout win over Youngstown State

If the transfer from Alabama keeps up this production, he could be in the conversation for some national awards

Pitt’s 73-17 drubbing of Youngstown State on Saturday got out of hand fast — and that was a relief for the Panthers, who had to rely on comeback wins in each of the last two weeks. It’s the first time in program history the Panthers have completed their out-of-conference regular season schedule undefeated, as the Panthers start the year 4-0 for the first time since 2000.

But at the center of the Panthers’ best offensive performance of the season was redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein being in rhythm with offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s schemes. Holstein turned in his most complete performance of the season, with 16 completions on 24 attempts for 247 yards and three touchdown passes. That was combined with him rushing nine official times for 93 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

It wasn’t just Holstein being athletic that made him a dominant leader for the Panthers offense, as his decision making was actually the most impressive part of the day.

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What worked

Holstein’s biggest problems in his first three games came from his hesitation in reading the field. He threw an interception in each of his first two contests and almost had a couple of passes intercepted against West Virginia last week. During those games, the noticeable problem was Holstein not understanding how to counter defenses dropping into max coverage. 

Pitt running back Daniel Carter 4 and tight end Gavin Bartholomew 86 celebrate the first of Carter’s two first half touchdowns agains Youngstown St on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
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During those plays, Cincinnati and West Virginia would assign double coverage on Pitt’s primary receivers — senior Konata Mumpfield and sophomore Kenny Johnson — on their deeper routes and Holstein would either throw a questionable pass or lock onto the intended receiver for too long and miss opportunities elsewhere in the play. In both games, Holstein rebounded for strong performances and led double-digit comebacks for Pitt, but Holstein would also hold himself accountable for not putting together a complete performance.

That was still the case after Saturday’s game, even though he led Pitt to build a 35-3 lead with 8:08 left in the second quarter. 

“I still left two or three touchdowns out there, to be honest with you,” Holstein said after the game. “That first drive coming out of the half, I made some mental errors trying to do too much. I wasn’t just doing the little things and trying to get the ball in the right spots. That three-and-out coming out in the second half — that was on me. That was another drive we should’ve scored a touchdown.”

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Out of the nine drives on which Holstein conducted Pitt’s offense Saturday, seven resulted in touchdowns, while one finished with a 47-yard field goal from redshirt senior kicker Ben Sauls and another in redshirt junior punter Caleb Junko’s lone action of the afternoon. While that makes Holstein’s comments seem a bit harsh on himself, it’s an approach coach Pat Narduzzi likes to hear.

“You've got to love it,” Narduzzi said of Holstein’s accountability. “He knows what he's done right or wrong. He gets to watch the videotape. He's probably watched the game once already. He'll watch it a couple more times with the iPad. He knows what he missed and didn't miss. He came out and took that sack. He's got to throw the ball away at the beginning of the third quarter. I think we went three and out and punted to start off the third quarter. Again, you've got to love a quarterback that's critical of himself. You've got to love that. He's not thinking he's all special and done everything the right way. That's what you want.”

Tthe Penguins tried a similar strategy multiple times Saturday, and Holstein didn’t blink. He rotated off of his primary reads for downfield passes and opted for checkdowns to players like redshirt junior Raphael “Poppi” Williams, sixth-year running back Daniel Carter and redshirt senior tight end Jake Overman. Those passes moved the chains, and two even scored touchdowns. 

Holstein showed the ability to not just make those quick throws but to wait for those routes to develop with matchups that favored the Panthers. For Pitt, that’s exactly what Bell designs to be available regularly in the Panthers offense.

“Our game plan was pretty simple this week,” Holstein said. “It was, ‘Hey, you’re working here. And if they roll there, you work [somewhere else]. And if that’s not there, check it down or run.’ I feel like I did that pretty much on all my plays today. That’s helpful for the team. When I do that, I’ll have big runs like I did.”

And when neither seemed readily available, the transfer from Alabama took off with his legs. He finished the game with 93 official yards because of a 17-yard sack in the third quarter that counts against college quarterbacks but would’ve otherwise been charted for 110 rushing yards on eight carries. Chief among them weren’t just his two touchdowns runs but a 49-yard scramble when he was tackled at the Youngstown State 1-yard line. He would rush for a touchdown on the next play.

“Coach Bell tells us, ‘We’re Steph Curry,’ ” Holstein said, quoting the offensive coordinator’s reference to the NBA superstar point guard. “We’re out there to facilitate the ball. When the shot’s there, we’ve got to take it. When the run’s there, I have to take off and take it. I kept the chains moving and got the offense moving, as well.”

Eventually, Holstein’s passes then opened up the rest of the field. The biggest of which was his 82-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Censere Lee late in the second quarter. It was the best example of Holstein’s ability in Bell’s offense to force defenses to account for every part of his skill set — accurate short and intermediate passing, deep throwing power and the athletic ability to make plays on the run.

But that’s part of what Holstein says is the entire goal of Bell’s offense, regardless of if it’s Holstein or redshirt junior Nate Yarnell at quarterback. Yarnell finished the game completing 8 of 11 passes for 102 passing yards and a touchdown, as well as a 7-yard rush. Yarnell conducted two drives for Pitt’s offense, and both resulted in touchdowns.

“Coach Bell has done a great job of coaching,” Narduzzi said. “Eli is very coachable. Again, taking what they're giving you as we always try to do. Just the way he ran with the ball, as well, running for [93], throwing for [247]. That was a heck of a ballgame by him. Then you watch Nate Yarnell come in and play pretty efficient, as well. Happy for both those guys. Happy to get Nate and all of those other guys in, as well.”

If Holstein continues this pace of statistical dominance into ACC play, he’ll be up for not just freshman awards but all-conference awards and potentially national ones for his quarterback play. If he can turn in some big-time performances in October and November, it could open him up to realistic conversations for the Heisman Trophy — much like Kenny Pickett did when he finished third in the award’s voting in 2021.

What didn’t work

Pitt’s defense dominated most aspects of the game, as it limited a run-heavy Youngstown State that averaged 258.7 rushing yards per contest to just 71 yards on 37 carries Saturday. Much of that had to do with Pitt’s linebackers playing downhill and leading the team in tackles. Sixth-year Mike linebacker Brandon George led the team with eight tackles, and sophomore Rasheem Biles was just behind him with seven tackles and 1½ tackles for loss. And redshirt sophomore linebacker Kyle Louis finished with six tackles, 1½ tackles for loss, an interception (his second on the year) and a forced fumble that led to a turnover.

While that group played well as a whole, Pitt’s defense still gave up some plays on a horizontal passing attack to sophomore Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard. Those plays helped Youngstown State sustain a few drives and even score a touchdown on a wide receiver screen that redshirt freshman Cyrus Traugh took 25 yards in the second quarter.

Eventually, Pitt’s defense gave up a big play in the passing game when Brungard found Traugh wide open because of a busted coverage for a 44-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

The defense played a very good game as a whole, but against more talented opponents like those in the ACC, future teams might exploit those mistakes more often and for bigger plays.

What’s next

Pitt takes its 4-0 record into a bye next weekend but then gets on the road to start ACC play the following weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C., against North Carolina. The Tar Heels picked up their first loss of the season Saturday at home when they lost 70-50 to a now 3-0 James Madison team.

First Published: September 22, 2024, 12:46 a.m.

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Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein, #10, scrambles for a touchdown against Youngstown State’ s Isaiah Crozier, #0, at Acrisure Stadium Saturday, September 21, 2024. Pitt topped Youngstown State 73-17. (Sebastian Foltz/Post-Gazette)  (Sebastian Foltz/Post-Gazette)
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