The University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team will start its 136th season by hosting Duquesne at noon on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. The matchup marks the first time in 86 years the two schools have played, with Pitt holding a 5-2 advantage in the series. Duquesne won the last meeting in 1939, by a score of 21-13.
Pitt has achieved a record of 22-1 against Football Championship Subdivision opponents. Head coach Pat Narduzzi begins his eleventh season, making him the longest-serving head coach for Pitt since John Michelosen, who led the program from 1955 through 1965. Narduzzi’s 72 victories put him second all-time among Pitt coaches behind Jock Sutherland’s total of 111 wins between 1924 and 1938.
Pitt’s history in season openers is strong, posting an overall record of 89-44-2. Since the year 2000, Pitt is 19-6 in its opening games and under Narduzzi’s tenure has won nine out of ten openers.
Quarterback Eli Holstein returns for his second year as starter after completing 62 percent of his passes for a total of 2,228 yards and recording seventeen touchdown passes in the previous season—matching the freshman touchdown mark set by Alex Van Pelt in 1989.
Desmond Reid enters his senior season after being named second team All-American in the all-purpose category by six different organizations last year. He also earned first team all-ACC recognition as both an all-purpose player and return specialist, along with an honorable mention at running back.
Redshirt junior linebacker Kyle Louis continues to lead Pitt’s defense following an All-America selection as a sophomore; he was Pitt’s first sophomore defensive player so honored by an NCAA-recognized selector since Hugh Green received that distinction in 1978.
Pitt redshirt sophomore quarterback Eli Holstein has been named to the “2025 Johnny Unitas golden arm award watch list.”
