Weekly Pitt football column | Central Michelin

I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t watch Pitt football this weekend. 

Sandwiched between a 61-9 thrashing of Duquesne to open the season and a looming trip to Morgantown next week, this game served as that awkward break between the appetizer that was the season opener and the main course that is the Backyard Brawl. The question for this game was how focused the Panthers could stay, with the high of last week and the promise of a big-time battle the next.

But Pitt’s offense shut down those worries easily with another dominant performance, absolutely feasting on CMU’s defense in the team’s 45-17 win. 

Redshirt senior Poppi Williams’ breakout performance and another solid day on the field by senior running back Desmond Reid and redshirt sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein led the Pitt offense. 

Williams had a career-high 121 receiving yards, cutting through the CMU defense like a knife through hot butter for his first multi-touchdown game at Pitt. Reid accumulated 179 all-purpose yards, including 69 receiving yards, to finish behind only Williams in the passing game. 

Holstein, meanwhile, wheeled and dealed for 304 passing yards and four touchdowns, matching the career-high he set just last week. He hit a total of 10 different receivers, feeding nearly every weapon on the team as offensive coordinator Kade Bell and Holstein spread the offense around. The Louisiana native turned on the jets four times to add 36 yards on the ground. 

The Pitt defense had a far less prolific day, but still got the job done against an unconventional offense. 

The Chippewas are an incredibly run-heavy team, taking off with the ball the vast majority of their time in their 16-14 thriller over San Jose State the week before. That style of offense also extends to the quarterbacks, who frequently scramble. 

The Panthers had to prepare for the three different quarterbacks that Central Michigan would deploy in this game. Redshirt senior Joe Labas, junior Angel Flores and redshirt first-year Jadyn Glasser all saw action on the field in this one, splitting the snaps. 

But no matter who was carrying the ball, a Panther was usually there to maul him. Central Michigan couldn’t get anything going on the ground, particularly in the first half, where they mustered only single digits. 

But Central Michigan really gained some ground mid-game, scoring a touchdown off a Pitt turnover in the dying minutes of the second quarter and adding another less than five minutes into the third. 

Looking back, this was a great game for the Panthers to get as the season ramps up, and they now look forward to their first road matchup down in Morgantown. Unlike its first game, Central Michigan gave Pitt some genuine adversity. This was a one-score game late in the third, a fact the final score will bury quite easily. 

The Chippewas could take a moral victory for how hard they played the Panthers for the first 45 minutes, especially late in the second quarter and early in the third. If you ask me, Central Michigan could have given Pitt an even tougher challenge, but some questionable coaching got in the way. 

Their passing game wasn’t bad. Glasser and Labas were efficient, combining to go 18 of 23 for 167 yards through the air. But CMU tried to power through with the run, which proved a failing effort. 

Look, I get it — the run game is Central Michigan’s bread and butter, and some of the reason the passing game worked for the Chippewas was likely because the Panthers often sold out to stop the run. But had Central Michigan leaned more on the passing game, perhaps we’re talking about a much closer outcome. 

Labas in particular, I thought, gave Central Michigan its best chance on offense. Even if he wasn’t flashy with his completions, he was effective at moving the chains, particularly as the Chippewas dared to go for it on fourth down multiple times. 

Labas’ best moment was one that saw him convert on Central Michigan’s second fourth down attempt of the drive, where he found redshirt junior wide receiver Langston Lewis for 21 yards and a first down up the middle. On the next play, he threw one to the endzone for a touchdown. Why Labas wasn’t utilized more is beyond me — the Chippewa offense under him gave Pitt some tough work. 

Similar to Duquesne last week, though, Central Michigan kept it close but plateaued and was left behind as Pitt started to floor it late. The Panthers scored 17 points in the last 17:15 of the game, exploding their lead and sending them into the locker room with surging momentum. 

Now the Panthers have to walk the line between confident and cocky. They took care of business on Saturday — something their WVU counterparts did not do — and are off to a solid 2-0 start. But it wasn’t the steepest of competition, and many of the players conceded that they still need to clean up the little things. WVU, even at 1-1, by far represents their toughest test of the season. 

On the road against a rival school, in a hostile environment with a rowdy crowd and facing a Mountaineers team that will come out angry after last week’s loss? Oh, and it’s likely the final Backyard Brawl until 2029? Yeah, you could say the Panthers have their work cut out for them in this one.

Onto them country roads…