No. 18 Pittsburgh will have quarterback Eli Holstein for Saturday’s showdown against No. 20 SMU in Dallas, coach Pat Narduzzi said on his radio show Wednesday night.
Holstein, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, exited in the fourth quarter of a 41-13 win over Syracuse last week with an undisclosed injury. He was hurt while finishing a quarterback option run.
Narduzzi said after the game that he thought Holstein was fine and then confirmed Wednesday night that he’s been cleared to face the Mustangs in a top-25 showdown between ACC teams.
The Panthers (7-0, 3-0 ACC) are off to their first 7-0 start since 1982; SMU (7-1, 4-0) has just one loss.
“Eli Holstein is ready to go and got cleared today,” Narduzzi told 93.7 The Fan. “Eli Holstein is ready to roll. That’s excellent news.”
The Mustangs also were facing some uncertainty after their quarterback, Kevin Jennings, took a big hit to a knee in a win against Duke last weekend and has been listed as questionable by coach Rhett Lashlee.
But sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday that Jennings is expected to try and play against Pitt. He still needs to be cleared for contact, but Jennings has practiced this week in a limited capacity.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.