Newcomers Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid star as Pittsburgh opens with 55-24 win over Kent State

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi wanted to wait until he saw quarterbacks Eli Holstein and Nate Yarnell play in a game before naming a full-time starter.

It took Holstein all of three quarters to make a compelling case that he's the guy, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers opened the season with a 55-24 victory over Kent State on Saturday.

Narduzzi told Holstein on Thursday he would get the start while also emphasizing Yarnell would get a chance too. Yet by the time Yarnell entered, Holstein, a transfer from Alabama, had connected on 30 of 40 passes while efficiently operating first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell's uptempo system.

Holstein hit Kenny Johnson, Konata Mumpfield and Raphael Williams for scores and had no problem getting the ball out of his hands quickly, a priority in Bell's uptempo approach.

“Overall, I would say he looked pretty darn good,” Narduzzi said of Holstein.

Still, after watching from the sideline last year at Alabama, there was part of Holstein that wondered if he belonged in big-time college football. A 95-yard opening touchdown drive highlighted by a 46-yard beauty down the sideline to Johnson put him at ease.

“It was like, ‘Hey I’m in college football and I can play,’” Holstein said. “It was a moment, ’Hey, you can do this.'”

Reid does it all

Holstein wasn't the only one who made a quick impression.

Running back/returner Desmond Reid, who followed Bell from Western Carolina to Pitt, had 231 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Reid put together a dazzling 78-yard punt return for a score in the first quarter and sprinted up the middle for a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter that helped break it open.

Reid initially wasn't going to field the punt when it bounced in front of him. Then he saw the way the blocks were set up and figured why not?

"I saw where everyone was at and was like, ‘if I go to my right, it’s a touchdown,’” said Reid, who ran for 145 yards on 14 carries.

Pitt rolled up 554 yards of total offense, an encouraging debut coming off a 3-9 season in which the Panthers finished last in the ACC in points and yards. Those struggles led longtime Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi to hire the 31-year-old Bell to bring the Panthers into the 21st century.

The early returns were promising, something Narduzzi saw coming when Holstein, Reid and the rest of the offense wrapped up a meeting late Friday. There was a bounce among the group that had been lacking for a while. Then the group went out and backed it up.

“It's a tribute to our offensive staff, coach Bell and what he’s brought to the offense,” Narduzzi said. “It was important to come out there and put some points up like they did.”

Kent State hangs around

Devin Kargman passed for 181 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Golden Flashes, who made the game uncomfortable for Pitt into the second half.

Naim Muhammad returned a fumbled punt 36 yards for a score, Alex Branch picked off Holstein in the end zone to end a Pitt scoring threat and when Kargman hit Luke Floriea with a 29-yard strike early in the third quarter, Kent State was within 28-21.

The Golden Flashes would get no closer. Pitt responded with Reid's dart up the middle, Holstein's pretty throw to the back corner of the end zone to Johnson and a 50-yard field goal by Ben Sauls to end any threat of an upset.

The Takeaway

Kent State: There's nowhere to go but up for the Golden Flashes after finishing 1-11 in Kenni Burns' first season as head coach a year ago. There were plenty of signs of progress against Pitt, with Kargman gamely hanging in there despite getting drilled repeatedly by a Panther defense that blitzed at will.

Pitt: The Panthers appeared to take a hit on Friday when running back Rodney Hammond — the team's leading rusher a year ago — was ruled ineligible. Reid was the primary cog in a rushing attack that racked up 191 yards.

Up Next

Kent State: welcomes St. Francis (PA) next Saturday in its home opener.

Pitt: travels to former Big East rival Cincinnati next Saturday.

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Will Graves, The Associated Press