Kent State at Pittsburgh | 2024 College Football Week 1

and he sends it deep to Kenny Johnson who was terrific on special teams last year Johnson across the 20 and he's brought down to the 25 but a flag on the play he's very athletic for his size so he can take off and go and certainly he's got a heck of an arm the first pass of 2024 is caught by Kenny Johnson not only that I mean we talked with with Coach Kade Bell this week he says Eli could throw the ball 40 times a game there's another one oh and what a grab over the middle by poppy Williams pick up and a first down like poppy Williams is a fun guy to watch you see him sit down right over the midd that is by Eli [Applause] Holstein oh and met in the back field is Reed spins out of trouble Reed breaking tackles across the 40 absolutely expect to see this guy maybe carry the ball 25 times he can catch it out of the back field as well Holstein deep shot for Kenny Johnson and it's caught at the goal line oh what a play 46 yds and really no time for a replay because they're going to hustle up to the line of scrimmage as fast as possible what a throw by Holstein looking left into the end zone and it's mfield for a touchdown there could be a more perfect start for a quarterback making his first career start than what Eli holing but it's going to take some getting used to six new coaches including the offensive coordinator and of course a new qb1 oh Reed spinning out of two tackles now he's got some space Desmond Reed there he goes inside the 40 Reed will take it to the house and and then all of a sudden Desmond Reed is out the gates Convoy down the sidelines taking this thing to the house boy all pit early 14 nothing from the Steel City defensive front particularly in the front seven but they have looked good early against Kent State swing pass out to Thomas makes a man miss across the 50 and lowering the shoulder is that's the kit Thomas you saw at Kansas breaks a tackle right there and then watch him lower the boom on Gandy number 10 definitely four down territory I think back to Thomas they won't need four downs barreling ahead for a first down for Kent State cargan over the middle and caught for a touchdown Luke Floria takes it to the house and right back in it come the golden flashes and then they sort of come back on the opposite side with Floria you know they play a lot of quarters here at Pittsburgh that's their base defense well that that is a quarters beater right there longone win last year was against Central Connecticut of the FCS back to receive pits Kenny Johnson making onean Miss Johnson out to the 30 and pit special teams have looked really good to start yesterday we found out he's rolled ineligible for the entire 2024 season holin is taken down in the back field and that's a big time sack by Naim muhamd who run the football I mean he boy he could have easily fumbled as Carol was bearing down on him Holstein lets it Fly Kenny Johnson holds it in in Midfield and a first down for the Panthers pre-season third Team all ACCC perhaps the final play of the first quarter a handoff to Desmond Reed who is just so Shifty making a couple of M Miss for a four- yd gain they sneak one more play in it's Reed side stepping a tackler there goes Reed down the sideline and he brings it inside the 15 in a great run to cap off the first quarter by Desmond Reed in this pit offense for to Davis on the ground pushing the pile no sign now it's a touchdown for Derek in the country according to the ESPN top 300 he goes to LSU to play safety in 2022 his second season LSU has a plethora of injuries in the running back room he says coach I can do it goes and plays running back transfers [Applause] here Olin under duress tucks it and has a first down and that is what his dad Dustin foxy said my kid's got some Wheels no he definitely does I mean he's not a 4-3 guy but he's not a five flat guy somewhere in between probably more around a 47 pick up a first down just like that free play free play free play for Holstein he's going to take a shot to mfield making a diving catch at the sticks for a first down this is going to be Zade hamen who's off sides but you can see I don't know that that mfield was exactly ready for the ball to and have seen more of Carter and Davis who will rotate behind him Carter again first down and more Carter spinning to the 10 and another pit first down empty set for holin goes to the end zone and connects for a touchdown with poppy Williams having himself an absolutely monster day 14 to 17 152 a couple of tutes that one pretty easy this is what all the buzz was about around Pittsburgh this off season with Cade Bell coming in and that handoff going nowhere fast Kai Thomas is brought down in the back field here with this ball game I think it was very interesting Matt is this punts going to roll and mfield Fs it it goes out of his hands still loose picked up by I can't stay there it goes for a touchdown Naim muhamed house call hello draw play on Third and 16 and then we just plan we're going to punt the ball and then we're going to get a mu and then we're going to just house it what awareness by muhamad to now 9 for 56 averaging 6.2 a carry goodness Holstein quickly out wide and it is Kenny Johnson Again by Eli Holstein quickly again Lee again shaking free for another first down quickly out wide and again sincere Lee that's the third straight catch by sincere Lee on this drive talked about a couple times 58 175 he he runs like he's about 220 here's a throw to the end zone and it's intercepted picked off by Alex Branch room to run for Kent State Branch one man to beat and shoved out of bounds by Desmond Reed Drive a pick nearly takes this to the house a poor decision I think by by Holstein a little pressure you just let that sail he throws it off his back foot so he doesn't have a lot of accuracy but I give him credit or at least get in field goal position for Andrew Glass absolutely he is hit from 48 his longest last year pressure again up the middle cgan is hit looking for Floria and intercepted picked off by Donovan McMillan on Devin kman 90 is going to be all the way up field he does a good job working against that right side that's Gandy with the tip and then McMillan with the pick and I guess it's just as good as a punt in that situation because there won't be uh most likely another drive here third and long cargan looking for McCrae somehow made the catch that's what they really lacked last season Carman a dart over the middle offensively off throws from cman going deep this one to the end zone and it is caught for a touchdown cawn McCrae over the outstretched arms of PJ Bri [Music] O'Brien take a double look at uh if he secures the football offensive Kent State they could do nothing in the first half only ran 24 offensive plays and you pointed out that drive they ran 11 on just that drive alone Kenny Johnson with some room brings it out across the 30 Eli Holstein the quarterback The Freshman quarterback here for pit how's he deal with a little bit of adversity re give it to him slashing up the middle to the end zone touchdown [Applause] pit football team than what you saw in 2023 explosive plays and you can see this guy obviously we knew coming into this game it was going to be probably a one a 1B type of deal with Rodney Hammond Jr who yesterday was ruled ineligible so all of a sudden those third down conversions and a fourth down conversion though by the way Floria far sideline spins out of a tackler across the 50 shakes a second and he's inside pit territory in a one and 11 type of a team is to go back and take a look at Floria one more time I I just think that the sky the limit now when they feel like they've got a quarterback in there and Carman to get this to maybe be a one- score game or a two-score game going to the fourth quarter they felt like they would have a chance cargan playaction over the middle tipped ball in the air and it is intercepted transfers in here to pit and and you see 36 balls batted up in the air picked off by Kei Thompson and he knocks it through to the air again and that is caught for a touchdown Kenny Johnson he said Kenny Johnson and I said why and he said because of the 50-50 balls this is exactly that it's a 50-50 ball he throws it up to his guy well all of a sudden Kade bell comes in says best opportunities right here in Pittsburgh Olstein is swallowed up Steven Dy who has been the MVP of Kent State's defense with the sack Saul's longest last year was 47 though he did tell us he hit from 56 in Fall camp this one has plenty of leg and it splits the uprights from 50 for Ben SS compete against each other but you have to support one another when you're in that quarterback room and that's what they've done a watch out Desmond Reed on the draw re looking for blockers and turns inside the 10 add on a 78- yd punt return the dude's got like 21 yards of total allpurpose yards oh this is going to the corner of the end zone to Poppy Williams touchdown Nate Yarnell touchdown [Music] pit this is a great throw by Yarnell coming in cold Off the Bench now it's a little bit easier when your uh your wide receivers running with a Defender like three yards behind him Panthers Coral him oh muffed snap and the Panthers are going to get the football inside the 10 pending this flag that came in late personal foul leaping defense 15yd penalty automatic first down well that'll change things Kent State will get the football in a fresh set of [Applause] downs wow end over end goes Kei Thompson not not have some sort of an injury first down for cgan on the slant route has his receiver there goes Deshawn Martin one man to beat and Martin wrapped down inside the 10 yd line and a flag comes in here's our referee William hedback there are fouls by each team personal foul face mask offense number 22 personal foul for caller tackle defense the fouls offet repeat the down wow wow are you kidding me putting Kent State in the red zone and the face mask or excuse me the horse collar happens here at the end got to see the face mask first right there goodness gracious Notre Dame an opportunity to get a massive top 20 win on the road as that ball is Jarred loose and scooped up a turnover for Brandon George and the pit defense [Music] fourth down and two yarell to pass he finds the other tight end Jake Overman who has plenty for a first down transferring over from Oregon State different terminology so much to learn Yarnell keeps it showing some physicality lunging ahead for a first down not only that playing Point sometimes and skny pick play well certainly not consistent right ke slov was a terrific the quarterback dealt with injuries and then last year they had three separate quarterbacks start at least one