Freshman quarterback Eli Holstein threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns and Desmond Reid added a pair of scores, lifting Pitt to a 55-24 victory over visiting Kent State on Saturday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.
Holstein completed 29 of 39 passes in his first collegiate game before being replaced by Nate Yarnell, with each quarterback throwing a touchdown pass to Raphael Williams Jr.
Kenny Johnson had seven catches for 105 yards with a touchdown and Konata Mumpfried also reeled in a scoring strike.
Holstein and Reid debuted for Pitt on Saturday and had a hand in most of the team’s highlight moments.
Reid rushed for 145 yards on 14 carries and scampered 78 yards for a touchdown on a punt return. The Panthers are expected to lean on the Western Carolina transfer after declaring last season’s leading rusher Rodney Hammond Jr. ineligible for the 2024 campaign on Friday.
Derrick Davis Jr. rushed for a touchdown for Pitt, which started strong after limping to a 3-9 record last season.
Kent State’s Devin Kargman completed 14 of 28 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on a 36-yard scoring strike with Luke Floriea and a 29-yard catch by Chrishon McCray.
Golden Flashes starting linebacker Khalib Johns was ejected following a targeting penalty in the first half. The penalty negated an apparent stop on fourth down and allowed Davis to score a few plays later.
Holstein started strong by completing all five of his pass attempts for 80 yards on Pitt’s opening drive. He connected with Johnson on a 46-yard pass play to highlight the sequence before finding Mumpfield for an 11-yard score.
The Panthers forced Kent State to go three-and-out on the next drive. Reid thwarted an attempted tackle on the ensuing punt and followed a convoy of blockers for a 78-yard touchdown.
Kargman connected with Floriea over the middle to trim Pitt’s lead to 14-7 before the Panthers responded with a pair of scores in the second quarter. Davis bulled his way into the end zone from 2 yards out to cap a 12-play, 79-yard drive and Holstein found a wide-open Williams from 7 yards out.
Kent State took advantage of a muffed punt for a touchdown, and Kargman found McCray over the middle for a 29-yard score to pull within 28-21 early in the third quarter.
Reid responded with a 46-yard touchdown and Johnson reeled in a pass in the corner of the end zone to push Pitt’s lead to 42-24 later in the third quarter.
–Field Level Media
