Pitt wins in big fashion for coach Pat Narduzzi, 73-17 against Youngstown State

Pitt's 73-17 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday – which was more like a suffocation – was the result of superior athletes succeeding against inferior ones.

Also, don't underestimate the aggressive nature of the Pitt offense, which scored nine touchdowns – the defense added a tenth – and totaled 644 yards on offense, fifth-best all-time. Pitt scored at will in the first half and the second half.

“We wanted to go full throttle and show who we are,” said coach Pat Narduzzi.

“You feel like it's working no matter what you call,” said quarterback Eli Holstein, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. “It's a great feeling.”

But Pitt's fourth win in four games was more than just numbers on the scoreboard or a stat sheet. The victory was personal for Narduzzi and his players knew it.

“There are 12 games in a season,” he said, “11 of which are for you. Give me this one. (I) just challenged you to do it.”

Narduzzi's father, Bill, was head coach at Youngstown State from 1975 to 1985 and coached his son, Pat, an all-conference linebacker as a freshman.

“I asked them on Tuesday to get one for my dad. I just wanted to make it personal. They took the challenge and went out and got the tattoos done pretty well. I was proud of the way those guys went out there and played.

“My father was thrilled watching from up there,” he said, looking up at the sky.

Narduzzi was a little overwhelmed recently when his brother showed up with photos of his father standing on the sidelines at Youngstown State wearing his signature short-sleeved shirt and tie. To honor his father, who passed away in 1988, Narduzzi decided to wear the same outfit.

But why this game? Narduzzi's Pitt team had played YSU in the previous two seasons.

“I don't know. It just came to me,” he said. “My brother came over last week and brought me a bunch of photos, and I saw him in that shirt and the cut-off shirt. So that was one of the reasons why, out of the blue, I opened a box in the basement and found some photos.”

And when Narduzzi spoke to his players during the offseason – he called them “mentor meetings” – he told them about his hero, his father.

“We talked about who your hero was, the struggles you've had in life and the high points in your life… the struggles I went through as a child and losing your father at 51, six kids and all that. I just thought my father would want to get this right.”

Pitt did almost everything right in front of 48,437 spectators on Saturday, scoring a win that gave the Panthers their first undefeated non-conference record in history and their first 4-0 record since 2000. The 73 points were Pitt's highest point total since its 77th win against New Hampshire in 2021.

Pitt built a 42-10 lead by halftime with touchdowns on its first six possessions. In the first half, Pitt had 14 more points than offensive points (28) and scored five points at the end of possessions that each lasted no longer than seven plays, including two that took two plays and another that required only one.

In the second half, Youngstown State (1-3) struck back on a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Beau Brungard to wide receiver Cyrus Traugh. Pitt responded with five more points:

• 49-yard field goal by Ben Sauls

• Quarterback Eli Holstein's second 2-yard touchdown run

• Running back Daniel Carter's 13-yard pass reception

• Cornerback Tamarion Crumpley's 22-yard interception return

• Running back Che Nwabuko, 57 yards rushing

Carter, a sixth-year senior, was Pitt's leading runner with seven carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

“I feel like I've been trying to get to this point for six years now. Now I've finally got my chance,” he said.

Derrick Davis started at running back in place of Desmond Reid, the ACC's second-leading runner who also sat out last week's final drive against West Virginia. Davis left the game in the third quarter due to injury after completing six attempts for 21 yards.

Holstein, who was replaced by Nate Yarnell in the third quarter, also ran for 93 yards, missing Pitt's 51-year-old milestone by seven yards. No Pitt player had passed and run for at least 100 yards since quarterback Billy Daniels (121/165) did so against Syracuse on November 3, 1973.

Pitt built a 21-0 lead before the end of the first quarter, and in the second quarter the Panthers went four-for-four, five-for-five and six-for-six in touchdowns and possessions.

Holstein caught 10- and 82-yard touchdowns from Kenny Johnson and Censere Lee, interspersed with Carter's 43-yard touchdown run, his second career first-half run. The pass to Lee was Pitt's longest touchdown reception in nearly five years, since Kenny Pickett and Maurice Ffrench combined for a 96-yard touchdown on Dec. 26, 2019, in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Pitt was in control from start to finish and finally stopped the opponent's running game – YSU averaged just 1.9 yards per run – and managed two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Tamarion Crumpley scored an interception for a 22-yard touchdown.

But the Panthers went the entire game without a single sack, which will be a concern next week as Pitt prepares to visit North Carolina on Oct. 5.

“We did pretty well,” said linebacker Rasheem Biles. “We can improve a lot more.”