Preview: Pitt Gets Bounce Back Shot vs. Clemson

The Pitt Panthers host No. 20 Clemson for Senior Night.

Nov 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) scrambles with the ball as Virginia Cavaliers linebacker Kam Robinson (5) chases during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers look to get back to winning ways after two straight losses as they host No. 20 Clemson for Senior Day.

Injury at quarterback 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein suffered an injury in the third quarter vs. Virginia, which required him to leave the game.

Holstein rushed five yards and slid, but Cavaliers junior linebacker Trey McDonald hit him late and hard.

He jogged off the field after the hit and went straight to the medical tent and didn't return to the game. The officials also called McDonald for targeting and ejected him.

Backup quarterback redshirt junior Nate Yarnell finished the rest of the game against the Cavaliers and Panthers fans saw why the presumed starter in the spring was moved to second-string. Yarnell went 4-for-12, passing for 44 yards, throwing a touchdown pass, but tossing two interceptions — one coming on the last drive for the Pantherss.

Virginia did not have an elite defense, it ranked No. 127 in pass defense before last weekend’s matchup, but still made the Pitt quarterbacks uncomfortable. Holstein did not have a much better day than Yarnell either, completing 10-of-23 passes for, pa for 121 yards and having no touchdowns to account for.

Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said in his most recent press conference that Holstein hasn't received clearance to play vs. Clemson and that it will come down to a gametime decision if he or Yarnell plays.

Either way, whoever is under center, Pitt fans will most likely not have their utmost confidence based on last week's performance.

Injuries at Wide Receiver

Senior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield also exited last week’s game after laying out for a catch and hit his helmet off the turf hard.

Mumpfield’s absence would hurt the already struggling quarterback room, as he is currently the team-leading receiver, catching 35 passes for 560 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Daejon Reynolds exited the game against Virginia as well after suffering an injury on his lone catch of the game.

Reyolds has been primarily a depth piece for Pitt this season, but if both he and Mumpfield miss this weekend's action, either Pitt quarterback will have to put more trust in receivers that have limited action this season.

Transfer Portal Differences Between Pitt, Clemson

Pitt and Clemson are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to the NCAA Transfer Portal. This past offseason alone Pitt acquired 14 players from the Transfer Portal and Clemson acquired none. 

Since 2019, the opening season of the Transfer Portal for football, Pitt has acquired 39 transfers and Clemson has acquired two —current redshirt senior quarterback Paul Tyson and former redshirt senior quarterback Hunter Johnson. 

This season, the Panthers' leading passer, rusher and receiver have all come to the team via the transfer portal. The two transfers for Clemson, Tyson and Johnson, have thrown a combined 10 passes in their times after transferring in.

Tigers head coach Dabo Sweeney focuses on recruiting top talent out of high school and doing his best to retain those players and develop them over their college career, rather than acquiring talent from the portal.

Clemson Offensive preview 

Clemson comes in boasting the third-best scoring offense in the ACC with 37.7 points per game, with Pitt right behind them holding the fourth-best scoring offense in the ACC with 36.7 points per game.

Both teams have slowed in their offensive production recently, as Pitt has scored a total of 44 points in its last two games, losing both to then ranked No. 20 SMU in Week 10 and Virginia in Week 11, and Clemson has scored 45 in its last two matchups, a loss at home to Louisville in Week 10 and a win on the road vs. Virginia Tech.

Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik leads the Tigers' offense and has thrown for the fifth-most passing yards in the ACC this season at 2,275. He has a 63.1 completion percentage, 28 total touchdowns (24 passing, four rushing) and 300 rushing yards (second-most on the Tigers’ roster)

Klubnik has a variety of options to throw the ball to, including redshirt sophomore wide receiver Anthonio Williams, who ranks No. 18 in the ACC in receiving yards per game with 52.0, making 40 receptions for 468 yards and scoring six touchdowns in nine games.

The Tigers also have two true freshman wide receivers, who came in with five-star recognition and have showed their talent so far in 2024.

Bryant Wesco Jr. ranks second on the team and No. 24 in the ACC with 47.4 receiving yards per game. He also has made 19 receptions for 332 yards and scored two touchdowns in seven games he’s played in. T.J. Moore has caught 23 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns, playing all nine games this season. 

Senior tight end Jake Briningstool serves as Klubnik’s top target when he's under pressure, making 35 receptions for 388 yards and has scored five touchdowns.

The Clemson rushing attack is their biggest threat to opposing defenses, ranking No. 2 in the ACC and No. 25 nationally with 198.7 rushing yards per game.

Graduate student running back Phil Mafah carries the bulk of the Clemson rushing load, as he’s the only running back on Clemson’s roster with at least 32 or more carries. 

He has the second most rushing yards in the ACC with 981, only behind North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton with 1,178. Mafah has also totaled 161 carries this season, is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and has also scored eight rushing touchdowns.

Tigers Defensive preview

The Tigers’ defense isn’t the dominant defense of years past, as it has actually allowed the eighth-most points in the ACC — 23.1 points per game — this season.

They are coming off of a great defensive performance against the Hokies. The Hokies offense, which averages 29.1 points per game —No. 8 in the ACC — struggled against the Tigers, scoring just 14 points, which included a blocked field goal for a touchdown.

True freshman linebacker Sammy Brown is coming off the best game of his collegiate career against Virginia Tech last week. He had eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, earning him the recognition of both ACC Rookie of the Week and ACC Linebacker of the Week. He has 34 tackles, four sacks and nine tackles for loss this season.

The standout defender for Clemson is junior linebacker Wade Woodaz, who is the leading tackler and plays both linebacker and safety. Woodaz ranks No. 1 in the ACC with 6.8 tackles per game per game. On the season, Woodaz has 61 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (2.0 sacks), one interception and three forced fumbles —the same amount as the entire Pitt roster.

Senior safety R.J. Mickens has 44 tackles, second most on Clemson, and also has one interception and four pass breakups. Right behind Mickens in tackles is senior linebacker Barrett Carter who has 43 tackles on the year and 7.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks. 

Sophomore defensive end T.J. Parker is another stud defender for the Tigers. He has 30 tackles on the year, five sacks — most on the Tigers — three forced fumbles like Woodaz and a total of 3.5 tackles for loss.

Woodaz, Mickens, Carter and Parker are the main contributors to helping Clemson boast the No. 6 rushing defense in the ACC, where they allow 128.9 yards per game. Clemson also has the No. 6 passing defense in the ACC, allowing 207.8 passing yards per game. 

Besides Mickens and his four pass breakups and one interception, sophomore cornerback Avieon Terrell is a menace for any quarterback to deal with. The sophomore has 33 tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions and a team-high 10 pass breakups.

Terrell is also the brother of All-Pro NFL cornerback and Clemson standout, A.J. Terrell. And his season totals show that he could wind up becoming as great as his older brother.

Prediction: Clemson Defeats Pitt

With the injury concerns for Pitt and Clemson having five-stars and four-stars riddled all over the field, a win for Clemson seems inevitable.

No matter who the Pitt has under center, the Clemson defense will cause havoc against him and the Clemson offense will do more than enough to support the Clemson defense.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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