Three takeaways from Pitt’s win over Central Michigan

Since 2021, Pitt football has had a record of 1-2 against Mid-American Conference teams. With yesterday’s win, it is now 2-2 against MAC teams since Pitt’s ACC Championship-winning season. 

Pitt’s game against Central Michigan was by no means a built-in win, given its track record. Nevertheless, the Panthers made it look like a built-in win on Saturday, beating the Chippewas 45-17. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein had another four-touchdown performance, and the passing offense looked great. But not everything was perfect for the Panthers on Saturday.

Suspect rushing attack

Pitt only amounted to 124 rushing yards against Central Michigan, a team it should have had no issues finding running lanes against. Senior running back Desmond Reid should have run all over the Chippewas, but he only totalled 46 yards against them, and 19 of those yards came during one of his 10 carries.

Reid didn’t get more than 46 yards, not because of his lack of talent — he obviously has tons of that — but his offensive line gave him hardly any space. It felt as if every time Pitt handed the ball off, the offensive line was moving backwards rather than forwards. 

Pitt’s offensive line should feast when it plays a MAC school, but it felt like the opposite happened when Pitt rushed the ball against Central Michigan. 

Maybe it’s just the new offensive line getting used to playing with one another, but if it’s not, Pitt’s offense is going to become very one-dimensional against its ACC opponents. If it struggles to run the ball against Central Michigan, then it is absolutely going to struggle against Miami, which held one of the best running backs in FBS, Jeremiyah Love, to only 33 yards.

So many weapons for Holstein

The pass game for Pitt, however, doesn’t raise many concerns for me. Sure, Holstein makes some suspect throws here and there — one that allowed Central Michigan to score late in the first — but he mainly makes the correct plays for Pitt.
I mean, do you want me to sit here and complain about the quarterback who completed 75% of his passes, threw four touchdowns and amassed a total of 340 yards of offense? No, of course you don’t — he’s played really well for the Panthers through two games. 

What has made his job so easy is the fact that he has numerous options to choose from. On Saturday, he found 10 different receivers for completions. 

Redshirt senior wide receiver Poppi Williams was Holstein’s favorite target against the Chippewas. The duo combined for two touchdowns, six receptions and 121 yards. 

But what really jumped out to me was the fact that his two other touchdown passes were to tight ends — junior Josh Altsman and senior Justin Holmes. The tight end position was a concern coming into the season with Pitt losing Gavin Bartholomew to the NFL, but now, after what I saw against Central Michigan, it’s a position that won’t take any steps back. 

Another great Pitt defensive end

Redshirt first-year Zach Crothers didn’t play a single snap in his first-year season. Against Central Michigan, he showed he has arrived and is here to dominate for Pitt football. 

“Show them that I can play ball — I’m a good football player,” Crothers said on how he has been trying to prepare for his game action. “Just keep working hard, getting better every week.”

In his action on Saturday, he nabbed seven total tackles — one of which was his first-career sack — and two tackles for loss. 

Last year, redshirt junior defensive end Jimmy Scott proved he is a scary force on the edge. If both he and Crothers can consistently get to the quarterback, then Pitt just gets a little bit more frightening for teams to go against.