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Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein (10) fumbles as he is sacked by SMU defensive end Jahfari Harvey during the first half in Dallas, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
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Pitt mailbag: What is the Panthers' biggest issue right now between OL and QB — and can they correct it?

AP Photo/Gareth Patterson

Pitt mailbag: What is the Panthers' biggest issue right now between OL and QB — and can they correct it?

Welcome to the Pitt mailbag. If you have any questions about the Panthers, send them to Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson, and they may answer them in their weekly show. You can catch the full version on YouTube, with an edited transcript below:


Cagy: What is Pitt football’s biggest issue right now? And is it correctable?

Thompson: I’d throw out a lot of what happened down at SMU. In that game alone, the biggest issue was the tackling; it was the defense giving up so many rushing yards and so many big plays. But over the past three weeks and really back towards the beginning of the season, I would say the offensive line has been the biggest concern in my mind.

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Some guys have improved. Ryan Baer really struggled to start the year and has looked better and better over the past few weeks. But the depth is a real issue. You start to think about Branson Taylor being down for the year and Terrence Enos needing to step into his place. Not enough of these guys starting are playing at elite levels or at good enough levels even, I would say, and there aren't many upgrades available elsewhere on the roster. The struggles of the line have really affected how Eli Holstein has played, which is maybe your next biggest concern. But I think Eli's struggles are more rooted in how the offensive line has played in front of him. SMU barely had to blitz to get pressure on Eli last Saturday. 

Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel watches during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Pittsburgh.
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Carter: I'll go the Eli Holstein route here. And look, the offensive line needs to be better, and the tackling needs to be better, but there are also times when I think Eli Holstein has to see the field better. Part of the problem is that teams are dropping seven into coverage, and if you're able to drop seven into coverage, then it will take a smart quarterback to see the field and dissect what's going on there when you're facing a four-man rush. Now, when the four-man rush is held back, you still need to capitalize on it. And to me, that's where the biggest problem for Pitt is. Eli Holstein has not been the big playmaker he was in the first five weeks of the season. Teams seem to be adjusting to what he does.

Pat Narduzzi talked about this at the Monday press conference. He said teams are not doing what they normally do when Pitt plays them, and it's because they're saying that the big threat in Pitt's offense right now with Eli Holstein is either when he hits a big play or uses his legs to create. They're switching to zone and mixing up coverages to force him to read where the zones are and slow down his processing, then hope that their defensive front can take advantage.

I think it can be corrected. Eli Holstein has the gusto to come out and make big plays, but it will be about getting him to read the right keys. That will be a challenge for Kade Bell, this offensive staff, Pat Narduzzi and everyone involved in ensuring that Eli Holstein is headed in the right direction moving forward. If he does not, it could make for a rough end to this season that has started out so promising.

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CMichael: How close are we to seeing Eli Holstein get benched?

Carter: Yeah, I'd say not close because they've only lost one game. And look, I don't think he's had good games for three straight appearances. However, he's a redshirt freshman quarterback. The team is 7-1. I don't think you just bench that guy for his backup at the first sign of trouble. That's not how you show strength. I believe there are a few things that he's missing in his processing, and he needs to grow past that, but he won't get better at that from the bench. 

Narduzzi is trying to back up his quarterback right now. He had a rough outing and hasn't been good for three straight games, and he's trying to put it out there that he still believes in Eli Holstein. And that's what head coaches need to do, especially in today's world of college football, where if players feel like their coaches don't have them, they can hit the transfer portal. 

Thompson: Narduzzi sees Eli as a long-term investment. As much as people want this to be kind of the special year for Pitt football, think about all the guys eligible to come back next year and, as good as they are this year, they can be even better next year. It will start and end with what Eli Holstein can do at quarterback. So, letting Eli develop and knowing his coaches believe in him is the biggest thing. If he's struggling, he's got to be able to work through those struggles with his coaches and with his teammates.

Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein (10) is hit by a group of SMU defenders as he throws during the second half in Dallas, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
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Matthew: How many players do you think Pitt basketball's rotation will be this season, assuming everyone is healthy?

Thompson: I think Jeff Capel will go as deep as 10, especially during the non-conference schedule. I can name them all for you. Obviously, Jalen Lowe, Ish Leggett, Zach Austin, Cam Corhen and Guillermo Diaz-Graham look like they’ll be your starting five that we'll see in that Radford game. But then you’ve got Damian Dunn and Brandin Cummings, Papa Kante, Amsal Delalic, and you and I would both throw Jorge Diaz Graham in there as the tenth guy. It'll get cut down as guys earn more minutes and others fall out of favor throughout the season. Then, when games get more important, they'll get even tighter than that, maybe down to seven or eight.

Carter: Yeah, I think so too. That's my number right now: 10 players. But again, 10 players in a Pitt rotation? Stephen, I don't think we've seen that too often. You think back to even the the 2022-23 season, when they made the NCAA tournament, I think they really played most that season with eight or nine guys. 

Thompson: And really, the two biggest questions are with Jorge Diaz-Graham: Can he be the shooter Jeff Capel thinks he is, and can he be a defender at 6-foot-11? And then also Brandon Cummings. You never know with a true freshman, but he's looked really good so far. That said, how does he stand up to real Division I competition in-game action? I have high expectations and so do a lot of other people, but whether or not Pitt can actually go 10 deep is based on how well those guys play.


Connor: Nelly Cummings was a big-time shot-maker two years ago. Is Brandin Cummings that person this season or is someone else?

Carter: Stephen, here's the thing. One, Nelly Cummings did make big shots, but I felt like the real big-shot guy was Jamarius Burton. That was the guy that they relied on to be more clutch that season. But for Brandin Cummings, putting that on a true freshman is a lot right away. I also think that there are some big-shot makers on this team who are carrying over from last year in Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe. I think either of those guys could be the ones who end up taking those big shots this year.

Thompson: And I'd even throw Damian Dunn in there. It could be a situation where Guillermo Diaz Graham is a starter, but Damian Dunn is in the closing lineup. Those three guards — Dunn, Lowe, and Leggett — all seem like really good clutch shot makers to me. Lowe, I think mostly back to that Duke game, which was kind of Pitt's coming out party last year. The way Lowe hit those big shots in the closing minutes and Ishmael Leggett, both in that Duke game and in a bunch of other important games in ACC play, kept Pitt afloat or halted another team's momentum with a really tough bucket, usually driving towards the rim. I would expect to find one of those three guys with the ball in their hand when the game's on the line. 

Carter: That's excellent to have multiple options as big-time shooters because then you can force defenses to honor so much and set up a play that gets a good shooter free for an open shot. If you have one playmaker like that on that final inbound, defenses can crowd one guy. If they want to be a big team, that could go a long way this season.


Noah: Pitt hoops has had the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Which Panther would give the best odds of winning that honor this year?

Thompson: I think it's Damian Dunn. Man, that guy can score. He has experience and fits the mold of both Leggett and Nike Sibande, Pitt’s past winners of this award. Even if he’s not a starter, you might still get a lot of Dunn in those final minutes when the game matters. So I'm a big fan of Dunn. I think he can do many of the same things that Sabande and Leggett did. He might be their best perimeter defender if Leggett isn't again this year, but he can also get you a tough bucket. He could carry a bench lineup with his scoring because he's been there and done that way back in his years at Temple. So my money's on Dunn if I had to pick anyone.

Carter: That's where my money is, too. Damian Dunn will be the guy they want to bring in to change the pace and be a tough guy who makes strong decisions in the right moments. They have a young guy in Jaland Lowe, a young guy in Brandin Cummings and two old guys in Dunn and Leggett that they can pace things out with. So be on the lookout for Damian Dunn as your Sixth Man of the Year in the ACC. Can they get three straight? We'll see.


First Published: November 5, 2024, 5:43 p.m.
Updated: November 5, 2024, 6:00 p.m.

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