By MITCHELL NORTHAM Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Eli Holstein threw for a career-best 381 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score as Pittsburgh beat North Carolina 34-24 on Saturday for its first 5-0 start since 1991.

Holstein completed 25-of-42 passes, while also rushing for a team-high 76 yards to lead the Panthers (5-0, 1-0 ACC). Running back Desmond Reid complimented Pitt’s offensive attack on the ground and in the air as he racked up 210 yards of total offense on 29 touches.

It’s the third consecutive loss for UNC (3-3, 0-2). Omarion Hampton paced the offense with 106 yards rushing and a score.

Pitt drove deep into UNC territory midway through the first quarter with the aim of taking a two-possession lead, but an errant pass from Holstein was picked off by Tar Heels’ sophomore defensive back Kaleb Cost, who ran it back 84 yards for a touchdown.

The turning point proved to be in the fourth quarter when – after the Panthers took a seven-point lead on a 3-yard rush from Holstein – Pitt stopped UNC on a fourth-and-1 in the redzone and responded with an 18-play, 73-yard drive that chewed 7:07 off the clock. A 37-yard field goal from Ben Sauls gave the Panthers a double-digit advantage with 2:01 to play.

To seal the win, Pitt’s Kyle Louis sacked UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell on a fourth-and-2.

THE TAKEAWAY

Pitt: The Panthers won in Chapel Hill’s Kenan Stadium for the first time. Fueling the Panthers is an explosive offensive attack that entered the game ranked fifth nationally in scoring with 48.5 points per game.

UNC: After the pick-6 – which was UNC’s first since 2019 – the Tar Heels’ defense failed to turn the Panthers over for the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the unit continued to give up big chunk plays to Pitt, allowing Holstein to connect with receivers for pickups of 43, 72, 30 and 46 yards.

UP NEXT

Pitt: Cal visits the undefeated Panthers next Saturday.

UNC: The Tar Heels host Georgia Tech next Saturday.