Pitt vs. Toledo score at Ford Field

Pittsburgh football started the season with a record of 7-0.

It all came crashing down at the end of the regular season, with five straight losses to SMU, Virginia, Clemson, Louisville and Boston College.

The Panthers (7-5) will be without starting quarterback Eli Holstein, who suffered a lower leg injury in the second-to-last game of the regular season, in Thursday’s GameAbove Sports Bowl against Toledo Football at Ford Field in Detroit.

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Pitt is coached by Pat Narduzzi, who served as Michigan State’s football defensive coordinator from 2007 to 2014. He has been the head coach of the Panthers since December 2014.

Toledo is coached by Jason Candle, who has worked for the program since 2009 but has been the head coach since December 2015. No Mid-American Conference team won more games than Toledo during Candle’s tenure.

For the Panthers, Holstein became the first Pitt quarterback to win his first seven career starts since Dan Marino in 1979-80, but he is not healthy enough to play in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.

Backup quarterback Nate Yarnell entered the transfer portal, as did fellow quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, leaving Pitt with redshirt freshman David Lynch as the starting quarterback and true freshman Julian Dugger as the backup quarterback.

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The Rockets (7-5) are not missing any key players.

Toledo is led by junior quarterback Tucker Gleason and senior wide receiver Jerjuan Newton, but its leading rusher, sophomore running back Connor Walendzak, has just 457 yards and one touchdown.

Check out the Pitt-Toledo highlights updates below.

11:42, 1Q: Blocked PAT leads to 2 points for Pitt; The Panthers are down 6-2

After Toledo’s touchdown, Pitt linebacker Kyle Louis blocked the point-after-attempt by Toledo kicker Dylan Cunanan (who can make field goals from more than 50 yards) and returned the ball to the end zone for two scores. There was no time, but Pitt cut Toledo’s lead from 6-0 to 6-2 thanks to spectacular special teams play, all thanks to Louis.

11:42, 1Q: Toledo strikes first, Tucker Gleason passes touchdown; The Rockets lead 6-0

A 31-yard run by running back Jacquez Stuart on the first play of the game set the tone for Toledo. From then on, the combination of quarterback Tucker Gleason and running back Connor Walendzak led the Rockets down the field. The dominant drive ended when Gleason floated a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Anthony Torres. That’s how Toledo took a 6-0 lead with 11:42 left in the first quarter.

Kick-off: Toledo starts on offense

It’s kickoff time at Ford Field. Players from Pitt and Toledo met in the middle of the field for a coin toss. Pitt won the coin toss and postponed the toss. Toledo starts on offense in the first half and Pitt starts on offense in the second half.

When is the GameAbove Sports Bowl?

Date: Thursday, December 26th.
Time: 2 p.m. ET.
Where: Ford Field, Detroit.

Which channel is GameAbove Sports Bowl?

GameAbove Sports Bowl Betting Odds

Play lines and odds of BetMGM:

Spread: Pitt (-6½)
Over/Under: 42 points.
Money line: Pitt (-250), Toledo (+200).

GameAbove Sports Bowl Injury Report

Pitt will be without its starting quarterback and top wide receiver against Toledo.

Holstein, a redshirt freshman quarterback, did not play at Alabama in 2023 but assumed the starting role at Pitt when he transferred for the 2024 season. Holstein completed 62% of his passes for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns on 81 carries while rushing for 328 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, senior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield is skipping the GameAbove Sports Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft. He caught 52 passes for 813 yards and five touchdowns.

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