Pitt Shocking College Football Early

The Pitt Panthers are one of the biggest surprises so far in college football in 2024.

Sep 14, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis celebrates with Brandon George (30) after intercepting West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) in the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Image Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have had a much better season that people anticipated, as they finished non-conference play with a perfect 4-0 record.

The Panthers finished undefeated in non-conference play for the first time in program history, after they first joined the Big East Conference in 1991, spending the prior 100 years playing as an independent. They are also 4-0 for the first time since 2000, as well.

Pitt has already exceeded their win total from last season when they finished 3-9, their worst record since 1998, when they ended 2-9.

David Ubben of The Athletic rated the top 10 most suprising teams in college football and put Pitt at No. 3.

The only two schools ahead of Pitt were Indiana, who are 5-0 under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, and BYU, who are also 5-0 in the second season in the Big 12 and head coach Kalani Sitake.

Ubben praised the change for the Panthers, particularly on their offense, as they finished No. 97 in the FBS last season in overall passer rating, with both quarterbacks Phil Jurkovec and Christian Veilleux struggling.

Pitt was the worst team in the ACC in 2023 in a number of categories, including 20.2 points per game, 317.9 yards per game and 101.9 rushing yards per game. They also had the least time of possession, 27.37 minutes per game, least first downs at 16.3 per game, worst third down convesrion at 31.3% second most penalties per game at 64.4 yards and third worst with 119.8 offensive efficiency.

Switching from the slower, pro-style, NFL approach of former offfensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., that led to that poor attack, to new offensive coordinator Kade Bell has shown a massive change to the Panthers prowess on that side of the ball.

Bell, who arrived from Western Carolina, brought with him a fast-paced, spread attack that gives many players a chance to excel.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein, who transferred in from Alabama, is a big reason for the recent success.

He has completed 87-of-129 passes for 1,186 yards, 12 touchdowns to two interceptions and 189 rushing yards plus two touchdowns on the ground. He ranks third in the ACC with both passing touchdowns and passing yards per game and fifth with total passing yards.

Ubben also mentioned that the Pitt offfense ranks sixth nationally in offense per play and that Holstein himself ranks No. 15 in the country with a 172.7 passer efficiency rating.

He also praised Holstein for his play in the fourth quarter, where he has a passer rating of 268.5 and is completing about 85% of his passes in the period.

Holstein completed 10-of-11 passses for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the 28-27 comeback win vs. Cincinnati on the road on Sept. 7.

He led another comeback vs. rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl at home on Sept. 14. Holstein completed five passes for 100 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown to redshirt junior wide receiver Daejon Reynolds to cut the lead to three. He also used his legs, five rushes for 67 yards, including a five-yard carry to get the team at the one-yard line, allowing redshirt junior running back Derrick Davis Jr. to punch it in for the game-winning touchdown.

With Holstein, a great offense by Kade Bell, star junior running back Desmond Reid returning and a defense that improves each week, Pitt has a great chance to continue their winning ways into ACC play and prove more doubters wrong.

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