2 p.m. | ESPN
Ford Field Detroit, Michigan
SERIES HISTORY
The GameAbove Sports Bowl marks the fourth meeting between Pitt and Toledo in a series that began in 2002…this is the first postseason game between the schools…the Panthers lead the series, 2-1, with both of their wins occurring in Pittsburgh…Pitt won the most recent encounter, 45-3, in 2006…the Panthers’ lone loss took place at Toledo’s Glass Bowl in 2003…behind quarterback Bruce Gradkowski’s 461 passing yards, the Rockets scored a 35-31 upset of Pitt, which entered the game ranked as high as No. 9 in the national polls…the inaugural meeting took place in 2002, a 37-19 Pitt victory…Pitt is 34-5 all-time against Mid-American Conference members, including 2-0 in bowl games…the Panthers opened the 2024 campaign with a 55-24 win over MAC member Kent State.
Series Began: 2002
Series Overall: Pitt leads 2-1
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 2-0
At Toledo: Toledo leads 1-0
At Neutral Sites: DNA
OT Games: DNA
Last Meeting (at Pitt): Sept. 30, 2006 (Pitt won, 45-3)
Last Meeting at UT: Sept. 20, 2003 (Toledo won, 35-31)
Current Series Win Streak: Pitt has won 1 (2006)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 1 game, twice (2002; 2006)
Longest Toledo Series Win Streak: 1 game (2003)
Largest Pitt Victory Margin: 42 points (45-3, 2006)
Largest Toledo Victory Margin: 4 points (35-31, 2003)
Pitt Panthers Notes
GAME STORYLINES
• The 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl marks Pitt’s 38th all-time postseason appearance and seventh under the direction of Coach Pat Narduzzi. √ Pitt and Toledo will meet for the first time in 18 years and fourth time overall. The Panthers hold a 2-1 series edge and won the most recent encounter, 45-3, in 2006. • Pitt is 34-5 all-time against Mid-American Conference foes. • Pitt is 2-0 all-time in Detroit-hosted bowl games, most recently defeating Eastern Michigan, 34-30, in 2019. Pitt also played at Ford Field in 2013 and scored a 30-27 win over Bowling Green. • A victory over the Rockets would give the Panthers an eighth victory on the year and mark a five-game improvement over 2023’s three-win campaign. • Since 1990, Pitt has won at least eight games 11 times. Among Pitt head coaches during that span, Pat Narduzzi has the most seasons with at least eight wins (five). √ All-America all-purpose back Desmond Reid ranks sixth nationally with an average of 150.90 all-purpose yards per game. • The Panthers have been fixtures in the opposing backfield. Pitt ranks third nationally in sacks (3.33 avg.) and fourth in tackles for loss (8.3 avg.). • All-America linebacker Kyle Louis paces Pitt in tackles for loss (15.5) and quarterback sacks (seven). • All-ACC safety Donovan McMillon (team-high 108 tackles) is the first Pitt player to record consecutive 100-tackle seasons since linebacker Scott McKillop in 2007-08.
SEEKING EIGHT:
• Pitt enters the final game of the season with a 7-5 record. The Panthers have an opportunity to achieve eight victories, which would mark a five-win improvement from last year’s 3-9 campaign. • Since 1990, Pitt has won at least eight games 11 times. • Among Pitt head coaches during that span, Pat Narduzzi has the most seasons with at least eight wins (five).
OFFENSIVE NOTES
DESMOND DAZZLES
• Desmond Reid was a Pitt newcomer of high impact, earning first-team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose back and return specialist. He earned second team All-America in the all-purpose category. • Reid entered the bowl season ranked sixth nationally with an average of 150.90 all-purpose yards per game. • As a punt returner, he leads the ACC with a 12.3-yard average, which ranks ninth nationally. • Despite missing two full games (Youngstown State and Boston College) due to injury, Reid netted a team-high 797 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns on 151 carries (5.3 avg.). • He additionally was Pitt’s second-leading receiver with 47 catches for 564 yards (12.0 avg.) and four TDs. • Reid leads the Panthers with nine total touchdowns: four rushing, four receiving and one on a 78-yard punt return (vs. Kent State).
IMPRESSIVE COMPANY
• Entering the bowl season, Desmond Reid is the only player in the nation this season to compile three games with at least 100 receiving yards and 50 rushing yards. • Reid is the first player to accomplish that feat since Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey in 2015.
REID IN REVIEW
• Desmond Reid compiled three 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games this season. √In the Panthers’ 28-27 win at Cincinnati (Sept. 6), he became the first Pitt player on record to compile 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game. • Against the Bearcats, Reid rushed for 148 yards on 19 carries (7.8 avg.) and caught six passes for 106 yards (17.7 avg.) and a TD. His historic performance helped the Panthers to a one-point victory after trailing 27-6 in the third quarter. • In Pitt’s 17-15 win over Cal (Oct. 12), Reid ran for both Pitt touchdowns—including a dazzling 72-yard sprint—and netted 120 yards on 16 carries (7.5 avg.). • In Pitt’s 34-24 win at North Carolina (Oct. 5), he posted game highs with 11 catches for 155 yards, including a two-yard TD reception. He rushed for 55 more, posting 210 all-purpose yards. • In the Panthers’ 24-20 loss to Clemson (Nov. 16). Reid had 10 catches for 108 yards (10.8 avg.). • In his Pitt debut against Kent State (Aug. 31), Reid compiled 234 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns, the first on a 78- yard punt return and the second on a 46-yard run. • He averaged 10.4 yards per rush against the Golden Flashes, totaling 145 yards on 14 carries.
PASSING IMPROVEMENT
• Pitt’s passing game made dramatic improvement this season. The Panthers are averaging 277.8 yards per game through the air, which ranks 15th nationally (third in the ACC). • During the 2023 campaign, Pitt averaged just 216 passing yards per contest. That passing average ranked 75th nationally (eighth in the ACC).
ELI’S DANDY DEBUT
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein established himself as one of college football’s top newcomers in 2024 and was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. • On the season, Holstein completed 62% of his passes (180 of 291) for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He is also Pitt’s second-leading rusher with 328 yards and three TDs on 81 carries (4.0 avg.). • Holstein’s 17 TD passes are tied with Alex Van Pelt (1989) for the most by a Pitt freshman. • Among all FBS freshmen, Holstein ranks third in passing yards per game (222.8 avg.) and total offense per game (255.6 avg.). He is fifth in touchdown passes (17). • Among Power 4 freshmen, he ranks first in passing yards and total offense per game and third in TD passes. • In leading the Panthers to a 7-0 record, Holstein became the first Pitt quarterback to win his initial seven career starts since Dan Marino accomplished the feat over the 1979-80 seasons. Marino won his first nine starts spanning the 1979 (five) and 1980 (four) seasons.
DEFENSIVE NOTES OFFENSIVE DEFENSE:
• Pitt ranks fifth nationally in defensive touchdowns with an ACC-high four (tied with SMU). √ Pitt ranks third nationally in pick sixes with an ACC-best four. • Pitt has scored 27 defensive touchdowns during Pat Narduzzi’s tenure. Pitt is 18-6 under Narduzzi when scoring at least one defensive TD in a game. • Pitt has scored 51 defensive TDs since the 2000 season. The Panthers are 40-6 when scoring at least one defensive TD in a game since 2000. • Pitt’s 41-13 victory over Syracuse (Oct. 24) was sparked by three first-half interception returns for touchdowns, each by linebackers: Rasheem Biles (35 yards), Kyle Louis (59) and Braylan Lovelace (33). • Per @OptaStats, Pitt became the only FBS team in the last 25 years with three pick sixes in the first half of a game. • Pitt became the first FBS team with three pick sixes in a game overall since USC achieved the feat against Rice on Sept. 3, 2022.
CAT BURGLAR:
• All-America linebacker Kyle Louis has a team-high four interceptions this season. That total does not include his interception of a 2-point conversion pass at Boston College (Nov. 30). • Louis ranks 17th nationally in total interceptions among all defenders. Among FBS linebackers he ranks second (tied for first among Power 4 linebackers). • Louis is one of only four Pitt linebackers since 1980 to intercept at least four passes in a season, joining Malcolm Postell (four in 2004), Troy Benson (four in 1983) and Sal Sunseri (five in 1980).
SACK MASTERS:
• Pitt has finished in the top two nationally in sacks per game in four of the past five seasons (2019-23). • Pitt has 40 total sacks this season. Its average of 3.33 sacks per game ranks third nationally (first in the ACC). Linebacker Kyle Louis has a team-high seven sacks.
TFL TRACKING:
• Pitt has finished among the national top 20 in team tackles for loss each of the past five seasons (2019-23). • This season, Pitt has 99 TFLs. The Panthers’ average of 8.3 TFLs per game ranks fourth nationally and second in the ACC. • Linebackers Kyle Louis (15.5) and Rasheem Biles (14.5) lead the Panthers in that category.
GROUND DEFENSE:
• From 2019-23, the Panthers finished in the nation’s top 12 in rushing defense four times. • This year, Pitt is surrendering 115.5 rush yards per game to rank 25th nationally (fifth in the ACC).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES BETTER CALL SAULS:
• Ben Sauls has a team-high 95 points, converting 18-of-21 field goals and each of his 41 extra-point tries. • His 18 made field goals this season averaged an impressive 44.7 yards in distance. √Sauls’ five field goals of 50-plus yards in 2024 is a Pitt season record, while his 58-yarder matches the longest in school annals (tied with Alex Kessman, 2020). • Sauls has made 20 of his last 23 field goal attempts dating back to last year. He made a Pitt-record 15 consecutive over that span, eclipsing the school mark of 12 previously held by Chris Ferencik (1995) and Conor Lee (2007). • Each of his three misses were from long-range: 59 yards, 47 yards and a blocked 45-yarder.
SAULS SUPER SCORING:
• Ben Sauls ranks as one of the most prolific scorers in the history of Pitt football. • With 266 career points, he currently ranks fourth in kick scoring and sixth in overall scoring at Pitt.
BIG FOOT:
• There are only 30 field goals of 50 yards or more on record at Pitt. √Ben Sauls accounts for six of those kicks having converted field goals of 58 (tied for longest in Pitt history), 57 (twice), 53, 51 and 50 yards during his career.
Toledo Rockets Notes
THE STORY
Toledo will go bowling for the fourth consecutive season and eighth time under Head Coach Jason Candle when it faces Pittsburgh at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 26 (2:00 p.m./ESPN). Toledo (7-5, 4-4 MAC) is looking to win a bowl game for the 13th time in its history. The Rockets are 12-9 in bowl games, going back to their first bowl win in the Tangerine Bowl in 1969. Among Toledo’s seven wins this season are a 41- 17 trouncing of Mississippi State on the road and a 30-20 home-field victory over regular-season MAC co-champion Miami. Toledo is led by junior quarterback Tucker Gleason, who has thrown for 2,457 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing 61.8% of his passes. Gleason has a pair of first-team All-MAC wide receivers to target, Jerjuan Newton (64 receptions, 949 yards, 11 TDs) and Junior Vandeross III (73 receptions, 763 yards, 4 TDs). Defensively, first-team All-MAC safety Maxen Hook leads the Rockets with 107 tackles to go with two interceptions and four pass breakups. Defensive tackle Darius Alexander (34 tackles, 6.5 TFLs) and cornerback Avery Smith (13 breakups, 2 interceptions) made second-team All-MAC, while linebacker Daniel Bolden (91 tackles) made the third team. Pittsburgh is 7-5 with victories over Syracuse, North Carolina, Cal and West Virginia. The Panthers were ranked as high as No. 18 this year before falling out of the Top 25.
Rocket Launches
• Toledo is playing in its fourth-straight bowl game and eighth under Head Coach Jason Candle. • Toledo has been bowl-eligible for 15 straight years, the sixth-longest streak in the country. • Toledo is 12-9 all-time in bowl games. • Toledo has clinched its 15th consecutive season without a losing record, the fourth-longest streak in the FBS. • Jason Candle (72-39) needs one win to tie Gary Pinkel (73-37-3 from 1991-2000) as Toledo’s all-time leader. • Toledo trails the all-time series with Pitt, 2-1. • A win over Pitt would give Toledo two wins over power conference opponents in the same year for only the second time in its history. The Rockets defeated Arkansas and Iowa State in 2015. • Toledo leads the MAC in passing offense (246.17) and is second in passing efficiency (141.42). • Toledo has four seniors who have been invited to post-season all-star games: DL Darius Alexander (Senior Bowl), safety Maxen Hook (Senior Bowl), WR Jerjuan Newton (Hula Bowl), TE Anthony Torres (Hula Bowl).
ROCKETS CONTINUE BOWL ELIGIBILITY STREAK IN 2024
With its win over Eastern Michigan on Nov. 2, Toledo became bowl eligible for the 15th consecutive season, the eighth-longest streak in the FBS and the second-longest among “Group of Five” schools.
TOLEDO BOWL HISTORY
The GameAbove Sports Bowl will be the 22nd bowl game for the Toledo Rockets. Toledo is 12-9 all-time in bowl games. The Rockets’ first bowl was the Tangerine Bowl in 1969. Toledo defeated Davison, 56-33, in that contest in Orlando, Fla., the first of three consecutive victories in the Tangerine Bowl. While Toledo has never played in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, the Rockets have played in three bowl games in Detroit and another in nearby Pontiac. The Rockets played in the Motor City Bowl at the Pontiac Silverdome in 2001 and played in the same bowl at Ford Field in 2002 and 2004. Their last bowl trip to Detroit came in 2010 in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
HISTORY OF GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL
This is the first year of the bowl sponsorship for GameAbove Sports for the bowl played at Ford Field. From 2014-23 it was known as the Quick Lane Bowl.
SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE BEEN SPECIAL
Toledo’s special teams have made a difference this season. Special Teams Coordinator Stanton Weber’s squad has made its mark in almost every area. • Punt returner Bryson Hammer leads the MAC and is fourth in the country with an 14.6 punt return average. He has had punt returns of 43, 41, 32, 22 and 18 among his 17 returns this season. • Toledo is averaging 24.2 yards per kick return, which is second in the MAC and 21st in the nation. Jacquez Stuart is averaging 32.5 yards per return on 12 attempts, including a 98-yard TD vs. UMass. That figure would be second in the country, but Stuart does not have enough attempts to qualify. • Of punter Emilio Duran’s 55 punts, 37 have either been fair caught or downed inside the 20-yard line. • Toledo is 3-of-3 in recovering onside kicks. • Toledo has blocked one punt and one field goal and has not had any kicks blocked. • Freshman placekicker Dylan Cunanan boomed a 54-yard field goal vs. BGSU on Oct. 26, the second-longest field goal in Toledo history. He has also made 36-of-36 extra points.
