Oct 5, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton (28) riuns with the ball as Pittsburgh Panthers defensive lineman Nate Matlack (2) defends in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Pitt upends North Carolina, 5-0 for first time since ’91

Eli Holstein completed 25 of 42 passes for 381 yards, three touchdowns and an interception to lead Pittsburgh to a 34-24 win over North Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The freshman quarterback also led the Panthers with 76 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in Pitt’s first win on North Carolina’s campus.

Desmond Reid had 11 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 55 yards as the Panthers improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1991. Raphael Williams Jr. and Censere Lee had touchdown catches for Pitt (5-0, 1-0 ACC).

Jacolby Criswell completed 24 of 45 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown for North Carolina (3-3, 0-2). Omarion Hampton rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown and Nate McCollum had 10 catches and 128 receiving yards. John Copenhaver had a touchdown catch for North Carolina, which has lost three in a row.

Pitt took the lead for good in the fourth quarter on an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by Holstein’s 3-yard touchdown run for a 31-24 lead. On the next Tar Heels possession, Pitt stopped Hampton on a fourth-and-1 attempt inside the Pitt 10-yard line and took over on downs with 9:08 left.

Pitt opened the scoring when its first drive stalled out at the UNC 6-yard line as Ben Sauls connected on a 24-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

After Pitt forced North Carolina into a three-and out, the Tar Heels took a 7-3 lead when Kaleb Cost jumped a third-down out route and returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown.

Early in the second quarter, Holstein hit Reid over the middle for a 72-yard gain to set up Lee’s 7-yard touchdown catch and put Pitt back up 10-7.

North Carolina answered on its next possession with a 34-yard field goal by Noah Burnette. On Pitt’s next drive, Holstein found Williams Jr. on a crossing route for a 30-yard touchdown and a 17-10 Pitt lead with 5:41 left in the first half.

The Tar Heels came right back with a 3-yard touchdown run by Hampton to tie the game at 17 just before halftime.

A 46-yard diving completion to Konata Mumpfield set up Reid’s 2-yard touchdown catch and gave Pitt a 24-17 lead with nine minutes left in the third.

At 2:07 in the third, Criswell hit Copenhaver on a post route for an 11-yard touchdown catch to tie the game at 24.

Sauls’ 37-yard field goal with two minutes left provided the final margin for the Panthers.

–Field Level Media

Field Level Media
Sport Writer & Editor
FLM has a North American focus while tying into regional and hyper-local resources – providing the ability to distribute compelling content through the writing of professional journalists. As the U.S. sports content provider to dozens of digital and print media publishers through strategic partnerships with the likes of Reuters and Nielsen Sports, FLM covers the nuts and bolts with a breaking news desk and game event coverage.

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