Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein will return for a Top 25 showdown against No. 20 SMU on Saturday after exiting last week's game against Syracuse with an undisclosed injury, coach Pat Narduzzi announced on his radio show Wednesday. Holstein was injured in the fourth quarter in the 41-13 win over Syracuse after a defender landed on him while he was running toward the sidelines.
"Eli Holstein is ready to go and got cleared today," Narduzzi said. "Eli Holstein is ready to roll. That's excellent news."
The Alabama transfer has enjoyed a terrific season thus far. Holstein has thrown for 1,805 yards and 17 touchdowns to only five interceptions and has No. 18 Pitt off to its first 7-0 start since 1982.The Panthers are one of eight FBS undefeated teams remaining.
The Panthers won't be the only team this weekend possibly getting their starting quarterback back. SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings is "preparing to start" this weekend's clash against Pitt, he told CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello. Jennings was injured last week in the fourth quarter in a 28-27 overtime win over Duke when a player's helmet hit his leg in the fourth quarter.
Jennings, a sophomore from Dallas, has thrown for 1,594 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions in eight games. He's also the team's second-leading rusher, averaging 40.1 yards per contest.
Pitt currently ranks third in the ACC in scoring offense (40.9 points per game) and fourth in yards per play (6.96), while SMU ranks fourth in scoring offense (39.1 points per game) and fifth in yards per play (6.39). And while Rhett Lashlee's team having success on offense does not come as a surprise given the way SMU has performed under his watch the renaissance for Pitt has been tremendous, with new offensive coordinator Kade Bell leading a group that is putting up its best numbers since that 2021 ACC Championship season.
