Inside The Panthers

Five Players Who Impressed in Pitt's Win

The Pitt Panthres have five standout players in the win vs. Kent State in the season opener.

Dominic Campbell

Aug 31, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Daniel Carter (4) gets the Panthers hyped up before a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Daniel Carter (4) gets the Panthers hyped up before a game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers defeated Kent State in a blowout, 55-24 at Acrisure Stadium to kickoff the 2024 season in a special way.

The Panthers had five players who stood out amongst the rest, making plays throughout the win over the Golden Flashes and leading the way to a fifth straight victory in a season opener.

Quarterback Eli Holstein

Redshirt freshman/Alabama transfer Eli Holstein had to battle out for that starting spot with redshirt junior Nate Yarnell, who started the final two games of 2023, which took place throughout spring and fall camps.

Holstein came out on top and after his performance against Kent State, it's not surprising to see why the coaching staff chose him as their signal caller.

He finished with 29-of-39 completed passes, 74.3%, for 330 yards and three touchdowns to one interception.

Holstein completed 6-of-6 passes on the first drive for 90 yards, including a 46-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Kenny Johnson near the goal line.

He also had good touchdown throws, with two to the back corner to redshirt senior wide receiver Raphael "Poppi" Williams and Johnson, plus his first to senior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield with defenders around him.

New offensive coordinator Kade Bell came to Pitt to install a fast paced, up-tempo spread attack and having a great quarterback is a necessity.

If Holstein continues to play well going on in the season, the Panther fans will have a chance to set their expectations higher than just a bowl game.

Running Back Desmond Reid

Junior running back Desmond Reid came along with Bell from Western Carolina in the offseason, looking to prove himself at the FBS level after starring in the FCS.

Reid also recently won the running back starting spot and will hold onto to that throughout the rest of the season, with senior running back Rodney Hammond ineligible for 2024.

He displayed his speed and quickness throuhgout and made two big plays that caught the eyes of the Pitt faithful.

Reid took his first punt return as a Panther 78 yards for a touchdown, breaking tackles to start with and then just running right through the Golden Flashes punt coverage unit.

His other highlight came with a draw play up the middle, where he just ran past every Kent State defender 46 yards for the touchdown, putting Pitt back up two scores and on their way to a victory.

Reid finished with 14 carries for 145 yards and one touchdown and also with 234 all purpose yards in his first game for Pitt.

His presence gives the Panthers a versatile option on almost every play, while forcing defenses to account for him, allowing his teammates to get open too.

Wide Receiver Kenny Johnson

Kenny Johnson excelled as a freshman, but mostly at kick returner, as he only had 15 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown.

He almost broke that against Kent State, finishing with 105 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown grab.

He showed his speed and great route running throughout, allowing Holstein to find him throughout the game, especially on the 46-yard catch near the goal line on the first drive and that toe drag in the corner of the end zone in the third quarter.

Johnson has the talent to do this against even better teams, but he'll need to show it against Power Four teams going forward if he wants to show that he truly belongs amongst the best in the ACC.

Linebacker Kyle Louis

Redshirt sophomore Kyle Louis got the start at star linebacker, or outside linebacker, where he'll reside for the rest of the season, especially if his play is akin to that as it was against Kent State.

He led the team with 10 tackles (two solo), including a sack and a tackle for loss. Louis worked all over the field, both in coverage and also on blitzes, laying big time hits on Kent State junior quarterback Devin Kargman.

Louis has the chance to improve greatly throughout this season and become the next great Pitt linebacker, but for now, he'll look to keep the winning going against upcoming rivals in Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Linebacker Brandon George

The linebackers, overall, put on a solid performance for the Panthers, with both sophomores Braylan Lovelace and Rasheem Biles making tackles and putting pressure on Kargman.

Sixth year Brandon George made his first start of his Pitt career and made the most of it, finishing with seven tackles (one solo), two tackles for loss and a strip on Kargman for a forced fumble late in the game.

Waiting until your sixth year to make your first start is difficult, but George took it in stride, as he worked hard to get to this point, with many years of patience as a reserve and on special teams.

George is also one of four captains on the team and the only one on defense. This young defensive unit, with all new starters at defensive line, linebacker and cornerback from last season, will need his voice to lead them through 2024.

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Dominic Campbell
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