The MAC’s only bowl game against a standalone opponent is a sleep away, so if you need to get away from the family for a bit and get a new perspective on what the GameAbove Bowl could look like, we’ve got what you need it!
David Haddad The faithful sons (formerly Capel Faithful) was kind enough to join us for a Pitt Panthers Q&A before the Toledo bowl game, and he has an interesting perspective on the game for reasons we’ll get to soon.
Without further ado: the interview!
James: Let’s address the elephant in the room right off the bat: Pitt had a bit of a slide at the end of the 2024 season, losing its final five games after getting off to a strong start. Was there a particular reason for this? What do fans think of how the season is going?
David: There are many prevailing theories as to the cause of Pitt’s collapse and I’m sure it will be the subject of much debate as the season progresses. In my opinion, it all started when Pitt played Cal in October. Sure, Pitt had a takedown against a respectable Cal team, but for the first time after a 5-0 start, All-World Freshman QB Eli Holstein looked human. I think Cal published the Holstein defense plan and every team Pitt played after copied it, because Eli didn’t look better than “putrid” at any time after that. The bottom really fell when OL lost a few starters over the next two weeks. Eli was running for his life and the entire offense was undone. Holstein didn’t finish a game healthy the rest of the season after SMU’s massacre, and the team completely turned in on itself. The fan base went from electrified to lost in a month.
James: What do fans think about drawing a MAC team in this game? Is this an insult? Is this appropriate? Is it a bit of both?
David: I’d like to start by disclosing that, although I run a Pitt media outlet, I am a proud MAC school alumnus (Ohio University class of ’18, OR OH YEAH). That’s right, I’m one of you: a certified, card-carrying MAC Respecter.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the rest of Pitt’s fan base. I could hear the groans echoing throughout Allegheny County when this game was announced. I’m sure that would have been the reaction if Pitt had drawn any MAC team (even the 11-3 2024 Mid-American Conference champion Ohio Bobcats), but the fact that they won’t play not even a particular match GOOD The MAC team is truly talking about Pitt’s downfall. This team was 7-0 and in the playoff conversation on November 1, and now it heads to Detroit to face a team that went 4-4 in a non-Power conference. So to answer your question, it doesn’t seem insulting or appropriate. Just… 0 depressing.
James: Eli Holstein, in particular, might not be available. At last check, Nate Yarnell was the Panthers backup. What does Yarnell do differently than Holstein and what could the offense look like under him?
David: The status of Holstein is currently uncertain. Yarnell hit the portal and committed to Texas State. If Holstein can’t go, it will be David Lynch (an RS Freshman replacement) under center. We lose if this happens.
James: This is obviously a Pat Narduzzi team, which means they really want to emphasize defense. This year’s numbers are about average for the ACC league, but what do they look like on the field?
David: Pitt easily has one of the best, deepest and most athletic linebacker rooms in the country, highlighted by All-American Kyle Louis and All-ACC Rasheem Biles. However, this rotation of six superhumans was unfortunately sandwiched between two inconsistent groups. Pitt’s young DL struggled to get to the QB and the veteran secondary was exploited at times. Duzz’s defense relies on pressure with four and putting his corners in position to make plays, so when those four can’t put pressure on and the corners can’t win one-on-one matchups -head, the linebackers can’t do much. To their credit, Pitt’s defense looked like one of the best in the country for a month, but it fell apart when everything else happened: Game 8 against SMU.
James: What are the X-factors to watch for on the offensive and defensive side of the ball?
David: RB Desmond Reid if he plays. WR Kenny Johnson if he plays. LBs Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles if they play. You may notice a theme developing…
James: When you look at Toledo as an opponent, what are the things about them that stand out to you that make you fear? What do you think you can benefit from?
David: All I know about this year’s Toledo team is from watching my alma mater beat that ass on November 20th. So based on what Parker Navarro and Anthony Tyus have done, I know you can throw the ball to them. Unfortunately, “running” is not in Pitt’s vocabulary this year.
Unlike most of the last few years, nothing this Toledo team can do specifically scares me. However, I have a lot of respect for Jason Candle and what he did in Glass City. While I don’t think Toledo is that talented, I’m sure Candle will watch the 20 minutes of film it takes to recognize that you can kill Holstein by changing the defensive look before the snap to confuse him and then applying pressure. So I’m waiting for a match.
James: Finally, how do you see this game playing out at Ford Field?
David: Either Holstein plays and Pitt wins, or he doesn’t play and they lose. It’s simple. Even if he plays, I think Toledo could stay close for the reasons stated above, but I also wouldn’t rule out Pitt spending 2 months of angst against an overmatched foe.
Give me Pitt 34-13 if Holstein plays and Toledo 20-17 if he doesn’t.
James: Okay, I can’t help it, I need to know this: Which is the better Michigan-based pizza chain: Little Caesars or Domino’s? (Editor’s note: GameAbove Bowl is the new name for Quick Lane Bowl, which replaced the Pizza Bowl.)
David: With all due respect to Little Caesars and their inflation-proof but incredibly adequate pies, but we have to go with Domino’s. They’ve been on fire ever since they ran that ad campaign in 2010 where they admitted their pizza was bad and changed all their recipes.
Many thanks to David for participating in a Q&A session over the holidays! You can find the work of David and his friends on The faithful sonsa Pitt-centric social media site, on Twitter and Instagram using @TheLoyalSons, or on YouTube at the following link!