Preview: Pitt Takes On Biggest Challenge Yet in SMU

No. 18 Pitt Panthers travels to face ACC newcomer in No. 20 SMU.

Oct 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Phillip O'Brien Jr. (5) celebrates an interception against the Syracuse Orange during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The No. 18 Pitt Panthers travel to Dallas to face off against the No. 20 SMU Mustangs in Week 10 for the pair's first matchup in the ACC.

Quarterback Uncertainties

Both teams came into the week uncertain of who would start under center. SMU starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Kevin Jennings, took a big hit to his lower body halfway through the fourth quarter of the road game vs. Duke in Week 9.

Jennings finished the 28-27 overtime victory against Duke, but the hit he sustained made SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee announce to the media early in the week that his starter is questionable to get the start against Pitt.

Pete Thamel of ESPN had sources tell him that Jennings would try to play against Pitt later in the week. He hasn't fully practiced this week, as he is limited, and will need full clearance for contact before he plays in this game.

SMU redshirt junior quarterback Preston Stone is the backup and would start for the Mustangs if Jennings isn’t cleared by game time. 

The Mustangs started the season using Jennings and Stone, but the former ultimately won the job. Stone has passed for 346 yards, thrown four touchdowns and committed one turnover, an interception against Nevada in the season opener, in 2024.

Jennings cemented himself as the Mustangs’ starter with his performances so far in 2024. He has 1,549 passing yards and 13 total touchdowns (three rushing, 10 passing).

He has committed 10 turnovers (five interceptions, five fumbles) — with five of them coming in the Mustangs' last game against the Blue Devils, including three interceptions and two fumbles.

Pitt redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein also suffered an injury in the fourth quarter last week, just like Jennings. .

Holstein bounced his head off the turf while running out of bounds, making him exit the 41-13 win over Syracuse in Week 9.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said his signal-caller was fine postgame, but didn’t confirm that Holstein would start this week during his opening press conference, creating rumors he wouldn’t suit up this weekend. 

But Narduzzi confirmed that Holstein will play against the Mustangs on his weekly radio show, ending all previous speculation.

Holstein has slowed down after his fast start to the 2024 season, with just 241 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, both against Syracuse, and two interception, both against Cal in Week 7.

But this weekend’s matchup wouldn’t showcase two top-20 teams if the Alabama transfer didn’t make clutch plays to help Pitt earn wins over West Virginia and Cincinnati early in the year. 

What to Watch From SMU

What has given SMU its top-20 ranking and 7-1 record is its ability to control the ground game on offense and defense. They rank No. 1 in the ACC in both rushing offense (No. 23 in FBS) and rushing defense (No. 5 in FBS).

Senior running back Brashard Smith leads the Mustangs ground game, with 745 yards on 117 carries along with 10 total touchdowns (nine rushing, one receiving).

His best game this season came in the 66-42 victory over rival TCU at home in Week 4, where he scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) and gained 151 total yards (127 rushing, 24 receiving) on his 20 touches. 

SMU’s second-leading rusher is its quarterback, Jennings. He has 329 rushing yards this season, good for 40.1 yards per game. His rushing upside may take a hit this week with him not at 100% because of the lower body injury he is dealing with.

Jennings, with his injury, will likely throw more than usual this weekend. Luckily for him, the Mustangs have plenty of options for him to go to with six active receivers who have gained at least 150 yards this season and three who are above the 250 threshold.

His top receiving option, junior tight end RJ Maryland, suffering a season-ending injury early in the second half against Stanford in the 40-10 victory in Week 9. Maryland’s absence from the team against Duke may explain why Jennings’ had by far his worst passing performance of the season.

Senior wide receiver Roderick Daniels finished as SMU’s leading receiver last weekend, accounting for 153 yards on just two catches. One of Daniels' catches was an 81-yard touchdown catch and the other was a 72-yard catch to put SMU on the one-yard line. But SMU couldn’t hit paydirt after this catch, as Duke forced a turnover on downs. 

The Mustangs also use Daniels in their rushing attack, as he has gained 156 yards on 40 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns this season.

With SMU boasting the best run defense in the ACC, only allowing 88.4 yards per game, Holstein needs to step up for Pitt to leave Dallas with a win. SMU ranks No. 11 in the ACC in passing defense, giving up 238.6 yards per game and the redshirt freshman gunslinger has to take advantage of that. 

But the Mustangs rank second in the ACC in interceptions, with 12 on the year.  Only the Golden Bears have more interceptions with 14 and when Holstein faced them, they took advantage of the rookie starter.

Junior safety Moses Ahmaad has three interceptions this season, leading the Mustangs. Ahmaad’s three interceptions rank second in the ACC for most interceptions tied with Pitt redshirt sophomore linebacker Kyle Louis and two others.

Leading SMU’s No. 1 in the ACC rushing defense is its defensive end corps. Juniors Cameron Robertson and Isaiah Smith have combined for nine tackles for loss and seniors Elijah Roberts and Jahfari Harvey have earned 12 tackles for loss. The 21 tackles for loss this group has tallied is 44.7% of SMU’s tackles for loss this season. 

SMU is also the most penalized team in the ACC with 79.9 penalty yards per game, compared to Pitt’s 60.4 penalty yards per game. Pitt comes into this game with the lowest time of possession in the country, holding onto the ball for a mere 23:51 of a 60-minute game. SMU is much more average in this category, possessing the ball for 28:56 per game.  

Pitt vs. SMU History

SMU and Pitt last met in 2012 when SMU defeated Pitt 28-6 in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama. Paul Chryst was the head coach of Pitt in 2012 in his first season with the team, leading Pitt to a 6-7 record. The 28-6 defeat to SMU was the last game Pitt football played in the Big East as it joined the ACC in 2013.

The most notable matchup of the Mustangs and Panthers happened in 1983. SMU defeated Pitt 7-3 in the 1983s edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, Texas. With the win, SMU declared itself a Co-national champion after finishing the season undefeated (11-0-1). For Pitt, it finished the season 9-3 in head coach Foge Fazio’s first season with the program. 

1983’s matchup included four future Pro Football Hall of Famers. The Pitt sideline boasted three with quarterback Dan Marino, offensive lineman Jimbo Covert and linebacker Chris Doleman. The SMU sideline included one, running back Eric Dickerson. The game also comprised of 14 1983 NFL draft picks on the field —Pitt with nine and SMU with five.

The pair met four other times before the 1983 and 2012 matchups, all occurring in Pittsburgh before 1950. Pitt won the first edition of the matchup in 1938 by a score of 34-7, tied the second matchup 7-7 in 1940, won the third matchup 20-7 in 1940 and suffered its first loss to SMU in 1948 33-14. This week's game is the first time that SMU has hosted Pitt.

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