Pitt Not Making Starting QB Change

PITTSBURGH - Pitt was looking for a spark when head coach Pat Narduzzi pulled Eli Holstein, but unfortunately for the Panthers, there was nothing.

There's a 24 hour rule in the program, win or lose, so the Panthers will have to flush a 34-27 loss against Louisville in the ACC opener. And as it stands entering Boston College week, Holstein is still the guy.

"Going into next week, I still say Eli is our starting quarterback, and that's what it is," Narduzzi said after the game. "You throw two picks in the second half, it's tough. ... We throw a short pass and get it picked down on the - we had the ball at the 4-yard line, I think. Maybe we should run it, keep it on the ground, whatever. I thought when we did run it, we had success. But there's times we gotta make more plays."

Holstein completed 14-of-26 pass attempts for 228 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions - both interceptions coming in the second half.

The first pick came at the Louisville 4-yard line, following a 56-yard strike to Poppi Williams down the field. Holstein floated a ball toward Juelz Goff that was snagged by Cardinals cornerback Antonio Harris.

The second pick came from his own 18-yard line. He threw a ball right to Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn, which resulted in the Cardinals' game-winning touchdown.

Backup Cole Gonzales entered the game on the next offensive possession.

"I just grabbed Eli and said, 'Hey, listen, sit out and watch this next series,'" Narduzzi said. "I think any time a quarterback throws two picks, it gets in his head, and we're playing to win. So, just wanted to see if we could get a spark.

"Eli was fine. He's a team guy; he gets it. He's hard on himself, and he understands what we expect."

Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) warms up before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Gonzales finished the game, going 3-of-6 for 31 yards and an interception. He picked up the Panthers' only third down conversion in the process. Gonzales, a transfer from Western Carolina and Oklahoma, entered the game in relief, but in the event that a new quarterback is called upon, there's a door open for true freshman Mason Heintschel, too.

"There's always consideration for both of them, but we'll look at that going forward," Narduzzi said.

Pitt is in a precarious situation now with Holstein, who has now thrown an interception in all four games this season and struggled with his decision making - especially in the red zone. Narduzzi said that both offensive coordinator Kade Bell and Holstein will need to be better. If there's one thing Narduzzi doesn't like out of his quarterbacks, it's turnovers.

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