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KENTST |
PITT |
Newcomers Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid star as Pittsburgh opens with 55-24 win over Kent State
PITTSBURGH (AP) Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi wanted to wait until he saw quarterbacks Eli Holstein and Nate Yarnell play in a game before naming a full-time starter.
It took Holstein all of three quarters to make a compelling case that he's the guy, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers opened the season with a 55-24 victory over Kent State on Saturday.
Narduzzi told Holstein on Thursday he would get the start while also emphasizing Yarnell would get a chance too. Yet by the time Yarnell entered, Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, had connected on 30 of 40 passes while efficiently operating first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell's uptempo system.
Holstein hit Kenny Johnson, Konata Mumpfield and Raphael Williams for scores and had no problem getting the ball out of his hands quickly, a priority in Bell's uptempo approach.
“Overall, I would say he looked pretty darn good,” Narduzzi said of Holstein.
Still, after watching from the sideline last year at Alabama, there was part of Holstein that wondered if he belonged in big-time college football. A 95-yard opening touchdown drive highlighted by a 46-yard beauty down the sideline to Johnson put him at ease.
“It was like, ‘Hey I’m in college football and I can play,’” Holstein said. “It was a moment, ’Hey, you can do this.'”
Holstein wasn't the only one who made a quick impression.
Running back/returner Desmond Reid, who followed Bell from Western Carolina to Pitt, had 231 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Reid put together a dazzling 78-yard punt return for a score in the first quarter and sprinted up the middle for a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter that helped break it open.
Reid initially wasn't going to field the punt when it bounced in front of him. Then he saw the way the blocks were set up and figured why not?
"I saw where everyone was at and was like, ‘if I go to my right, it’s a touchdown,’” said Reid, who ran for 145 yards on 14 carries.
Pitt rolled up 554 yards of total offense, an encouraging debut coming off a 3-9 season in which the Panthers finished last in the ACC in points and yards. Those struggles led longtime Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi to hire the 31-year-old Bell to bring the Panthers into the 21st century.
The early returns were promising, something Narduzzi saw coming when Holstein, Reid and the rest of the offense wrapped up a meeting late Friday. There was a bounce among the group that had been lacking for a while. Then the group went out and backed it up.
“It's a tribute to our offensive staff, coach Bell and what he’s brought to the offense,” Narduzzi said. “It was important to come out there and put some points up like they did.”
Devin Kargman passed for 181 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Golden Flashes, who made the game uncomfortable for Pitt into the second half.
Naim Muhammad returned a fumbled punt 36 yards for a score, Alex Branch picked off Holstein in the end zone to end a Pitt scoring threat and when Kargman hit Luke Floriea with a 29-yard strike early in the third quarter, Kent State was within 28-21.
The Golden Flashes would get no closer. Pitt responded with Reid's dart up the middle, Holstein's pretty throw to the back corner of the end zone to Johnson and a 50-yard field goal by Ben Sauls to end any threat of an upset.
Kent State: There's nowhere to go but up for the Golden Flashes after finishing 1-11 in Kenni Burns' first season as head coach a year ago. There were plenty of signs of progress against Pitt, with Kargman gamely hanging in there despite getting drilled repeatedly by a Panther defense that blitzed at will.
Pitt: The Panthers appeared to take a hit on Friday when running back Rodney Hammond - the team's leading rusher a year ago - was ruled ineligible. Reid was the primary cog in a rushing attack that racked up 191 yards.
Kent State: welcomes St. Francis (PA) next Saturday in its home opener.
Pitt: travels to former Big East rival Cincinnati next Saturday.
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D. Kargman
15 QB 181 PaYds, 2 PaTDs, INT, -22 RuYds |
|
E. Holstein
10 QB 330 PaYds, 3 PaTDs, INT, RuYd |
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
1st Downs | 15 | 28 |
Rushing | 5 | 8 |
Passing | 8 | 18 |
Penalty | 2 | 2 |
3rd Down Conv | 3-16 | 9-16 |
4th Down Conv | 2-3 | 1-1 |
Total Net Yards | 220 | 554 |
Total Plays | 66 | 78 |
Avg Gain | 3.3 | 7.1 |
Net Yards Rushing | 39 | 191 |
Rush Attempts | 38 | 32 |
Avg Rush Yards | 1.0 | 6.0 |
Yards Passing | 181 | 363 |
Comp. - Att. | 14-28 | 33-46 |
Yards Per Pass | 4.7 | 6.9 |
Penalties - Yards | 5-46 | 6-53 |
Touchdowns | 2 | 7 |
Rushing TDs | 0 | 2 |
Passing TDs | 2 | 4 |
Other | 0 | 1 |
Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
Fumbles - Lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
Int. Thrown | 1 | 1 |
Punts - Avg | 5-46.2 | 2-45.0 |
Return Yards | 60 | 85 |
Punts - Returns | 0-0 | 3-78 |
Kickoffs - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Int. - Returns | 1-60 | 1-7 |
Safeties | 0 | 0 |
|
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
D. Kargman
15 QB
|
D. Kargman | 14/28 | 181 | 2 | 1 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
K. Thomas
3 RB
|
K. Thomas | 18 | 40 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Douglas
24 RB
|
C. Douglas | 9 | 26 | 0 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Ulatowski
14 QB
|
T. Ulatowski | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Hicks
20 RB
|
M. Hicks | 3 | -5 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Kargman
15 QB
|
D. Kargman | 6 | -22 | 0 | 3 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
L. Floriea
0 WR
|
L. Floriea | 11 | 6 | 104 | 1 | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
C. McCray
2 WR
|
C. McCray | 10 | 4 | 49 | 1 | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
K. Thomas
3 RB
|
K. Thomas | 3 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
A. Fisher
19 WR
|
A. Fisher | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
C. Douglas
24 RB
|
C. Douglas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Martin
22 WR
|
D. Martin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Etheridge
25 WR
|
J. Etheridge | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT |
N. Muhammad
23 CB
|
N. Muhammad | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
S. Daley
6 DL
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S. Daley | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
N. Brown
43 LB
|
N. Brown | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
A. Branch
1 S
|
A. Branch | 0-0 | 0.0 | 1 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
A. Glass
60 K
|
A. Glass | 1/1 | 36 | 3/3 | 6 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
J. Smith
96 P
|
J. Smith | 5 | 46.2 | 0 | 52 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
L. Floriea
0 WR
|
L. Floriea | 1 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
E. Holstein
10 QB
|
E. Holstein | 29/39 | 330 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
N. Yarnell
19 QB
|
N. Yarnell | 4/7 | 33 | 1 | 0 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
D. Reid
0 RB
|
D. Reid | 14 | 145 | 1 | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Carter
4 RB
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D. Carter | 4 | 28 | 0 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||
N. Yarnell
19 QB
|
N. Yarnell | 4 | 15 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Davis Jr.
34 RB
|
D. Davis Jr. | 5 | 2 | 1 | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. Holstein
10 QB
|
E. Holstein | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
K. Johnson
2 WR
|
K. Johnson | 7 | 7 | 105 | 1 | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
C. Lee
11 WR
|
C. Lee | 9 | 6 | 72 | 0 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
G. Bartholomew
86 TE
|
G. Bartholomew | 5 | 5 | 66 | 0 | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
K. Mumpfield
9 WR
|
K. Mumpfield | 9 | 5 | 56 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
R. Williams Jr.
5 WR
|
R. Williams Jr. | 7 | 4 | 31 | 2 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Overman
87 TE
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J. Overman | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Reid
0 RB
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D. Reid | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
L. Seymore
83 WR
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L. Seymore | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Carter
4 RB
|
D. Carter | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT |
K. Louis
9 LB
|
K. Louis | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
R. Biles
31 LB
|
R. Biles | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. McMillon
3 DB
|
D. McMillon | 0-0 | 0.0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
I. Neal
97 DL
|
I. Neal | 0-1 | 0.5 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Borders
14 DL
|
C. Borders | 0-1 | 0.5 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Thompson
38 LB
|
K. Thompson | 0-0 | 0.0 | 1 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
B. Sauls
90 K
|
B. Sauls | 2/2 | 50 | 7/7 | 13 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
C. Junko
91 P
|
C. Junko | 2 | 45.0 | 0 | 47 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
K. Johnson
2 WR
|
K. Johnson | 4 | 21.5 | 30 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
K. Mumpfield 9 WR
|
K. Mumpfield | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Reid 0 RB
|
D. Reid | 1 | 78.0 | 78 | 1 |
1st | POSS | PLAYS | YDS | RESULT | |
11:56 | KENTST 25 | 1:41 | 3 | 3 | Punt |
10:15 | KENTST 25 | 3:32 | 8 | 75 | TD |
3:42 | KENTST 25 | 1:37 | 3 | 2 | Punt |
2nd | POSS | PLAYS | YDS | RESULT | |
13:10 | KENTST 25 | 2:12 | 3 | -5 | Punt |
7:50 | KENTST 35 | 2:22 | 3 | -7 | Punt |
1:05 | PITT 36 | 0:23 | 3 | -3 | INT |
0:02 | KENTST 27 | 0:02 | 1 | -2 | Half |
3rd | POSS | PLAYS | YDS | RESULT |