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One day after Christmas, Pittsburgh and Toledo meet at Ford Field on Thursday in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, hoping to put a bow on a 2024 season that began with bigger wishes.
The Panthers (7-5) were No. 18 in the initial 2024 College Football Playoff rankings on Nov. 5, three days after suffering their first loss at SMU. However, that 48-25 defeat to the Mustangs was the start of a five-game skid that ran the rest of the regular season.
Injuries plagued Pitt in November. Quarterback Eli Holstein missed the Nov. 16 game against Clemson after suffering a head injury the week prior in the loss to Virginia. The freshman returned to start against Louisville on Nov. 23, but he didn’t make it out of the first quarter after injuring his left ankle. That caused him to miss the last game against Boston College.
Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) throws a pass in the fourth quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
Pitt ailing
Several offensive line injuries also affected the team during the skid, and an undisclosed ailment kept Desmond Reid, the Panthers’ second-team All-American all-purpose back, out against Boston College.
“I would imagine on the 26th we’re going to be a heck of a lot healthier than we were coming out of that BC game,” coach Pat Narduzzi said earlier this month. “I promise you that.”
Narduzzi hopes Holstein can play. In 10 games, the signal caller completed nearly 62 percent of his throws for 2,228 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. It could become an issue since Nate Yarnell, who threw for 1,056 yards and 10 TDs with five picks, entered the transfer portal.
David Lynch, who threw just nine passes this season, would back up, Narduzzi said.
Reid ran for 797 yards and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/toledo-pitt-wrap-season-bigger-110839288.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-12-26 11:08:00
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