Pitt football moves to 2-0 after taking down Central Michigan 45-17 in their second-straight home game. It’s Pitt’s second-straight game with over 100 yards rushing and 300 yards passing.
My first “key to victory” for the Panthers was to stop Central Michigan’s running game. In the first half, they did so outstandingly. The Chippewas earned seven net rushing yards on 19 attempts in the first half. Central Michigan’s offense was more productive in the second half, totaling 171 yards, but Pitt still limited their opponent’s ground game.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein knocked off some of the preseason rust in week one against Duquesne. After taking down Central Michigan, Holstein is playing as good as new. Instilling further confidence ahead of their trip to West Virginia next week, senior running back Desmond Reid was more involved and more productive in the offense than in week one.
Best moments of the game
On Pitt’s opening drive, Holstein escaped a collapsing pocket and tucked the football, looking to run. Just as he was about to pass the line of scrimmage, Holstein found Reid for a 32-yard gain with a cross-body throw. Two plays later, Holstein finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown to redshirt senior wide receiver Raphael “Poppi” Williams Jr, who ran a smooth double-move route to best his defender.
The Panthers never trailed the rest of the game.
After back-to-back fourth-down conversions by Central Michigan to cut Pitt’s lead to seven, junior wide receiver Kenny Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to just past midfield. On the second snap of the drive, Holstein escaped the pocket to his right, bought time, and gave himself an angle to see Williams Jr. for a 48-yard touchdown, extending Pitt’s lead to 31-17 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter.
“I just got open,” Williams Jr. said. “I’m always open, and [Holstein] found me.”
Who stood out
Last season, Williams Jr. led the Panthers with six receiving touchdowns. He had a two-touchdown performance in Pitt’s season-opener against Kent State and recorded a season-high in yards against Youngstown State with 71 on four catches.
Today, against the Chippewas, Williams Jr. went wild. The former Western Carolina standout made six catches for a career-best 121 yards, and two touchdowns — further enforcing how much Pitt owes WCU for all the talent on their roster and staff.
Like last week, Reid ran away as a standout player — literally. The AP pre-season All-American set the Acrisure Stadium record for longest punt return and finished with 147 all-purpose yards against Duquesne. Against Central Michigan, Reid’s speed didn’t go anywhere. He recorded 137 all-purpose yards in the first half alone. Overall, Reid finished with 179 all-purpose yards, 69 receiving yards on five catches and 46 rushing yards on 10 carries.
“You gotta pick your poison,” Williams Jr. said. “It could be me, it could be [Reid], [Johnson] … it could be any one of us.”
Holstein stuffed the stat sheet once again. Without playing the full fourth quarter, Holstein threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns on 21-for-28 passing while adding 36 yards on four carries on the ground. It’s Holstein’s second week in a row throwing for four touchdowns — a performance he didn’t give once in his first season with the Panthers.
What about the other side?
Trailing 24-10 with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter, Central Michigan head coach Matt Drinkall, coaching his second game ever with the program, elected to go for it, looking at fourth-and-four on Pitt’s 41-yard line. Drinkall and offensive coordinator Jim Chapin chose redshirt first-year quarterback Jadyn Glasser for the crucial down.
Through a collapsing pocket, Glasser bought time and found redshirt junior tight end Decorion Temple over the middle of the field for the first down.
In the next series of downs, Chapin switched in senior quarterback Joe Labas. Almost three minutes later, the Chippewas faced fourth-and-four again. Labas stepped up in the pocket and found redshirt junior wide receiver Langston Lewis for a 21-yard gain.
Completing the connections between Central Michigan’s heroes, Labas found Temple for a six-yard touchdown on the next play, cutting Pitt’s lead to 24-17 with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter.
The Chippewas would later convert on fourth-and-one at their 30-yard line to preserve the ball heading into the fourth quarter. However, their luck ran out on a fourth-and-eight attempt on the same drive where Pitt sophomore defensive tackle Francis Brewu forced a fumble and junior linebacker Kyle Louis recovered it.
Scariest moment for the Panthers
With under two minutes to play in the first half, Reid returned Central Michigan’s punt 44 yards deep into the Chippewas’ territory. But an illegal block in the back from the Panthers brought the return back.
Two plays later, Central Michigan senior linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski jumped in the middle of the field to intercept Holstein. Kwiatkowski’s 18-yard return set up a two-yard touchdown rush from Glasser a few plays later, cutting Central Michigan’s deficit to 24-10 with nine seconds left in the half.
What’s next for the Panthers
Next week, Pitt heads to Morgantown for the conclusion of the renewed Backyard Brawl series. Pitt holds a 2-1 record against the Mountaineers over the last three years, with both wins on their own turf. The 108th edition of the Backyard Brawl kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown on Sept. 13.
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