Takeaways: Pitt disappoints in 25-48 loss to SMU

For the first time this season, the Panthers find themselves in the loss column after a bludgeoning at the hands of the SMU Mustangs. In front of a packed Gerald J. Ford Stadium, the Mustangs exposed the Panthers, ended their undefeated start to the season and placed their ACC and College Football Playoff ambitions at stake. 

The game immediately went wrong for the Panthers as the Mustangs drove down the field on the opening drive easily, which would stand as a recurring theme throughout the contest. The offense couldn’t get into a rhythm in the first half, and combined with their porous defense, let the Mustangs race out to a 31-3 halftime lead. 

While the Panthers’ season isn’t over and there is still plenty of room for optimism, it’s clear there are some problems that Pat Narduzzi and company need to address heading into the final four games of the season. 

Sink or swim

The biggest culprit of the Panthers’ loss was a poor performance by the defense, which exposed some concerns that the unit showed throughout the season — in particular, giving up big plays. 

During the game, the Mustangs recorded touchdowns of 80 and 71 yards and a 43-yard pass early in the game. These explosive gains killed the Panthers’ defense, which had no answers for the up-tempo SMU attack. The Mustangs finished the day with 467 total yards and gained 7 yards per play. Senior running back Brashard Smith also ran wild over the Pitt defense, going for 161 total yards and two touchdowns on 7 yards per carry.

Sophomore quarterback Kevin Jennings also put in a great performance, posting an efficient 17-25 for 306 yards and two touchdowns as well. Jennings finished the contest with a 9.9 yards per attempt to add to his impressive stat line. 

The Mustangs avoided Pitt’s tendency for big defensive plays, only giving up two sacks and zero turnovers. If teams can avoid the defense’s reliance on splash plays and spread out the offense to avoid their linebacker corps, they can pick on Pitt’s weak secondary and defensive line to create explosive plays. 

Offensive questions

Ever since the UNC game, it seems that the Pitt offense that once torched everything in sight has underwhelmed. Their continued struggles came at the wrong time. 

Although the team finished with 453 yards, that statistic is highly misleading. Three hundred of those yards came after the Panthers were already behind four touchdowns. The Panthers did not find the endzone until the end of the third quarter when the game was already out of question. The offense also finished the day gaining a mere 5 yards per play. 

After his meteoric rise at the beginning of the season, Holstein has come back down to earth in his last three outings, posting a total of 489 yards and only two touchdowns to three interceptions. Defenses have sold out to stop the young quarterback, mixing coverages, taking away his first read and exposing his weaknesses at reading defenses. Teams have also improved at getting after him in the pocket, taking away his ability to extend plays like he did early in the year. 

SMU’s defense employed those same strategies and held Holstein to 248 yards, a 60% completion percentage and zero touchdowns with one interception. The Mustangs sacked Holstein three times, one of which resulted in a turnover for the Panthers. 

With Holstein struggling, other Panthers needed to step up in his absence. Unfortunately, junior running back Desmond Reid was also kept in check. Reid finished the night with only 49 yards on 13 carries, and with the Panthers falling behind early, they were forced to focus on the passing game down the stretch. 

If Holstein continues to underwhelm, skill players like running backs Reid and Rodney Hammond will have to do their best to keep the offense moving, especially if the defense can’t carry like they did against Syracuse and Cal. Coordinator Kade Bell might also have to adjust the offensive approach to make things easier for Holstein as he continues to develop.

The Panthers took their first big punch of the year, and with only four games remaining in the season, they will have to look deeply at their flaws if they want to finish the season on a good note. Pitt’s final stretch includes contests against two ranked teams, Clemson and Louisville, meaning solving their issues is of utmost importance to Narduzzi and his staff. 

The ACC, and by extension the College Football Playoffs, are still viable, but each will require a lot of help internally and externally to get there. 

Pitt faces the Virginia Cavaliers this coming Saturday at home at 8 p.m., when they will look to right the ship and get back on the winning track.