Transfer quarterbacks Eli Holstein, Kyle McCord give different look to Pitt-Syracuse matchup

Pitt hasn’t played a game since Oct. 12, which means Pat Narduzzi, his staff and players have had nearly two weeks to prepare for the Syracuse game coming up Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium.

Part of the prep was spent watching Pitt turn the football over four times and Syracuse rush for 382 yards — much of it by a tight end running the wildcat — in a 28-13 Orange victory at Yankee Stadium last year.

Narduzzi said Thursday he was “getting upset looking at it.”

You never know for sure, but Pitt’s coach doesn’t expect the same approach from Syracuse this time. There’s a new staff led coach Fran Brown and a transfer quarterback in Kyle McCord, a four-star recruit from Philadelphia who came from Ohio State.

“They could always go wildcat (again), but I don’t think they’d do it with Kyle McCord,” Narduzzi said. “That would kind of be a waste, not having him back behind the center.”

Nonetheless, Narduzzi said they spent a day on the ’23 game “just to make sure we’re good on all ends.”

“As coaches, you over-prepare.”

Actually, Pitt’s coaching staff started laying the foundation for this game over the past three offseasons. It’s just as important for coaches to find experienced talent in the transfer portal as it is watching video from an opponent’s recent games.

“Never a dull day sitting in that seat,” Narduzzi said.

Pitt (6-0, 2-0 ACC) and Syracuse (5-1, 2-1) have reached the season’s halfway point with great hope after making ample use of transfer players.

The Panthers have scored 31 touchdowns, with 23 coming from transfers, led by running back Desmond Reid and quarterback Eli Holstein. Only six of the Orange’s 27 touchdowns have been scored by transfers, but McCord has thrown for 2,160 yards and 19 touchdowns. Plus, he’s running an offense that is second in the nation in third-down conversions (52 of 95, 54.7%).

On defense, Pitt’s leading tackler, safety Donovan McMillon, and Syracuse’s best pass rusher, Fadil Diggs (four sacks), came from other schools.

“Every year, we’ve increased the amount of guys we’re taking,” Narduzzi said. “But we’re not taking guys to take guys. It’s part of the process. You have to evolve. They’re out there. You have to go find them, and you have to dig.”

Narduzzi said Pitt has a 72% win rate on transfers, a win defined as player who makes solid contributions.

“That’s pretty good,” he said. “We’ve made some mistakes on guys, as well, but sometimes you have a need and there’s not much left. You push and press to take a guy and maybe make mistakes that way. We want them if they’re good. We don’t want them if they’re not.”

Pitt has unearthed players from different levels of the game.

Holstein (Alabama) and quarterback Nathan Peterman (Tennessee) came from successful SEC programs. Linebacker Tyler Wiltz left Missouri State of the FCS to come to Pitt and help win nine games in 2022. Offensive lineman Stefano Millin came from Kent State and started on Pitt’s ACC Coastal championship team in 2018.

“We got all the records,” Narduzzi told reporters. “Maybe I’ll share it with you after the season one day.”

Meanwhile, he’s singularly focused on figuring out how to slow down McCord.

“We have to play good coverage. That’s what scares you,” he said. “He can make every throw. He’s very accurate. Third and medium, the guy doesn’t miss.”

But he said it’s not just McCord.

“It’s the whole offense,” he said. “It’s what they do. It’s how they do it. They get guys open.”

Pitt has enjoyed similar success with Holstein, but he threw two interceptions in a 17-15 victory against California, his most recent game.

“We all forget. He’s a redshirt freshman,” Narduzzi said. “Every week he sees something different.

“He’s a student of the game. You see him grow weekly, but you may not see an improvement weekly based on what you’re seeing defensively.”

Narduzzi is careful not to demand too much from his young quarterback, who turns 20 on Saturday.

“I’m not looking for anything special. He does not need to be Superman,” the coach said. “He needs to be Eli Holstein. Just do what Eli needs to do.”