By Derek DeBurger
Louisville and Pittsburgh have a deep history and a back-and-forth series spanning multiple generations and conferences.
Here to add to the newest chapter of Louisville-Pitt are the Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor of The Pitt News, Matthew Scabilloni and Conor Hutchison.
A season ago Pitt got out to a great start and crashed and burned late; you know the story all too well. This season Pitt looked great against Duquesne and Central Michigan, then faltered against a weak West Virginia team. It’s early on in the season, but how good do you think this Panthers team really is?
[Scabilloni] I don’t think this Pitt football team is winning the ACC or anything like that, but an 8-4 record is definitely attainable; however, that is really the ceiling for this Pitt team.
Eli Holstein still has a lot of upside, but it seems as if the honeymoon phase is wearing down. Per Pro Football Focus, he threw the highest number of interceptable passes in the ACC in 2024, and he’s already thrown three picks in as many games. Tough question, but what do you think isn’t clicking and what do you think needs to be done to unlock his full potential going forward?
[Scabilloni] Holstein is very susceptible to making four or five stupid decisions per game. I thought that would go down in his second season, but it really hasn’t.
What needs to change is that he needs to take his losses and make smart decisions. Sometimes the best decision is taking the short pass right in front of him and not taking the shot.
It also doesn’t help that the offensive line is simply not good, and he doesn’t really have that much time back there to even take the shot.
The Pitt defense looks as disruptive as ever, with the team racking up a staggering 12 sacks in just three games. On the flip side, Louisville’s offensive line has struggled and Miller Moss has looked rough against pressure. How much success do you expect the Panthers defense to have against a Cardinals offense that has been limited thus far?
[Scabilloni] Pitt and Pat Narduzzi’s entire defensive philosophy is all about getting after the quarterback and stopping the run, so against a worrisome offensive line, Narduzzi will just want to get after the quarterback more. I expect a lot of success from the Pitt defense, but I still think Moss will hit a few deep shots throughout the game, making it not seem like the Pitt defense is totally dominating.
This is the first conference game for both squads, and is huge for dictating the direction of these teams’ seasons. If Pitt unfortunately loses, how hot do you think Narduzzi’s seat gets? How forgiving and patient would you be with him?
[Hutchison] I think Narduzzi’s seat is already hot after some very poor coaching decisions against West Virginia and a poor press conference. But I think it is unlikely that Narduzzi gets fired. Pitt’s former athletic director Heather Lyke gave Narduzzi a contract extension in 2022 to keep him at Pitt until 2030. Since the extension, Narduzzi and Pitt have a 21-20 record. That’s not great.
Personally, I think he deserves a lot of credit for an innovative defensive scheme that is now showing up all over the NFL. The problem is his commitment to it and how rarely he’ll switch it up, giving opposing offenses looks they’ve seen before. And, he isn’t the best coach when it comes to situational football in my opinion.
Is there anything you want to mention that I didn’t ask about?
[Hutchison] If Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis hasn’t hit Louisville fans’ radar yet, I would be prepared. He’s the real deal. And if Pitt running back Desmond Reid, who left in the first quarter against West Virginia with a lower body injury, doesn’t play, then significantly lower the expectations for Pitt’s offense.
Finally, how does this game go? Who wins and what’s your score prediction?
[Hutchison] What I saw against West Virginia was so disappointing that I have low hopes. If Reid does not play, there is next to zero chance Pitt wins. I’ll assume Reid does play and say Louisville wins 30-24.
Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal
