TJ Chapman
Editor
Pitt QB Eli Holstein threw 4 TD passes as the Panthers beat Central Michigan 45-17 on Saturday. The Pitt defense, led by LB Rasheem Biles, limited the Chippewas to 40 rushing yards. Head coach Matt Drinkall’s squad rushed for 236 yards a week ago against San Jose State.
Expecting a heavy dose of the Chippewas’ run game, Pitt’s defense not only limited CMU to 40 rushing yards, but to 217 yards overall. CMU won the time of possession battle, 36:52 to 23:08. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi made clear after the game that the time of possession battle was not his primary concern.
“Time of possession we lost last week, too,” Narduzzi said. “It’s about who puts the points on the board.”
The Pitt offense finished with 464 total yards, 124 on the ground. RB Desmond Reid led the way with 46 yards. Reid led the Panthers in all-purpose yards with 141.
Central Michigan LB Jordan Kwiatkowski finished with 8 tackles and 1 INT. The INT came with 0:38 left in the first half and led to a CMU touchdown.
Offense: Pitt QB Holstein completed 21-28 passes for 304 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT. He also rushed for 36 yards, which included a 31-yard run in the 1st quarter.
Defense: Pitt LB Biles led Pitt with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1 pass broken up. Biles said in the post-game press conference that the Panthers were ready for the 3 QBs Central Michigan was going to use today.
“We break down a lot of film, so we know what every quarterback likes to do,” Biles said. “What their strength is, what their weakness is. Going into the week, it may look challenging, but once you get to breaking down stuff, it all just becomes simple.”
In the 3rd quarter, CMU pulled to within 7 points at 24-17. Pitt WR Kenny Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the CMU 48-yard line. Two plays later, Holstein hit WR Poppi Williams with a 48-yard TD pass, and the Panthers never looked back.
The win gets Pitt to 2-0 for the second straight season. The Panthers next week travel to Morgantown, WV to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Backyard Brawl.
The loss drops the Chippewas to 1-1 on the season. Central Michigan travels to Ann Arbor, MI, next week to take on the Michigan Wolverines to end their three-game road trip to start the 2025 season.
Broadcast Information No. 12 Clemson (1-1, 0-0) (-9.5) at Georgia Tech (2-0, 0-0) Time: noon EST Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025 Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia TV: ESPN Georgia Tech welcomes in the Clemson Tigers to kick off ACC play. This match-up will set the pace for both teams. Both teams seek to make […]
TJ Chapman
Editor
Broadcast Information The Pitt Panthers host the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday in a matchup between the MAC and ACC. First-year Chippewas head coach Matt Drinkall got a win in his first game at the helm, defeating San Jose State 16-14. Pitt opened the 2025 season with a win in the first City Game since […]
Tony Thomas
Writer
Miami gets first win over Top Ten opponent since 2017
