After 263 days of anticipation, Central Michigan football head coach Matt Drinkall earned his first win on Friday against San Jose State. Now, the Chippewas face a far steeper climb, a Saturday road trip to face the University of Pittsburgh, their first-ever meeting with the Panthers.

“I've seen how these guys, all the hard stuff that they do, that no one else sees and they don't get credit for it,” Drinkall said. “They're waking up in the dark every single day, in the offseason, all that stuff. So, to watch them, and then the way the game enfolded, to battle through a ton of adversity, all three phases to the very last snap, it was a very rewarding experience now that you get a chance to look back on it.”

Meet the opponent

Pitt enters the game fresh off a 61–9 victory over Duquesne, a reminder of the talent head coach Pat Narduzzi’s program consistently fields. The Panthers went 7–6 a year ago but started 2024 with seven straight wins before fading down the stretch.

Quarterback Eli Holstein headlines Pitt’s offense, tossing four touchdowns in the opener while adding 41 yards on the ground. Running back Desmond Reid and wide receiver Cataurus Hicks bring explosiveness to the backfield and receiving corps, while linebacker Kyle Louis anchors a defense that allowed just 37 rushing yards last week.

For CMU, the challenge is clear: this is a program that thrives on shutting down the run and overwhelming opponents with speed and physicality on defense.

Keys to victory

Central Michigan leaned on its ground game to beat San Jose State, rushing for 236 yards and controlling time of possession. That formula must carry over if the Chippewas want to hang with Pitt.

Running back Trey Cornist set the tone in his CMU debut, breaking off a 27-yard gain on his first carry and finishing with 99 yards and a touchdown. He and running back Nahree Biggins, who added 102 yards, formed a dynamic one-two punch that averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry. Establishing that rhythm against Pitt’s top-10 ranked run defense will be essential.

“After getting a big win like that, ... we had a lot of mistakes in the game and we were trying to clean up all our mistakes,” Cornist said. “We’ve been harping on the details and just trying to go up a notch and just been working a lot harder.”

The quarterback position remains fluid. Drinkall used a three-man rotation in the opener, with Angel Flores, Jadyn Glasser and Joe Labas all taking snaps.

“I got in on important downs, third and one, fourth and one, (I) just needed to go get the first down, and I put my head down,” Glasser said. “That's what I did…we had great guys up front blocking, and they led the way for me, so, (I) can't do without them.”

Flores was the most efficient, completing all three of his passes for 59 yards and adding 30 on the ground. Glasser and Labas both provided steady management, showing that CMU is committed to versatility over a single starter.

Against Pitt, consistency on downs will matter more than creativity. Against San Jose, the Chippewas converted just two of 13 third downs last week, an area they must improve to keep drives alive.

Defensively, CMU showed discipline by winning the turnover battle and limiting explosive plays. That opportunistic style will be vital again, as Pitt scored touchdowns on four of its first five drives last week and rarely wastes trips into the red zone.

“In the first half, we really stopped ourselves in a bad snapper, or a penalty here there, but they're gonna be the engine that runs it in our back,” Drinkall said. “We love our back, so we want to block our butts off for those guys. Those guys are great players."

The odds are against Central Michigan as Pitt is a heavy favorite, backed by one of the ACC’s deepest rosters and a defense designed to suffocate the run. If the Chippewas establish Cornist and Biggins early, manage the quarterback rotation wisely and win the turnover battle, CMU will keep its head above water.

“It's hard to seriously put into words, because…the game gets over, and it's 2:30 in the morning, our time," Drinkall said. "I have over 400 text messages, phone calls, people watching on TV. It is so neat to see all of Central Michigan and Chippewa Nation excited and embracing what we're doing and how we're doing it. It feels like something pretty cool is building here, so we want to keep that momentum going for sure.”

Central Michigan (1-0) vs. University of Pittsburgh (1-0)

Time: Noon

Date: Saturday, Sep. 6

Stadium: Acrisure Stadium

Location: Pittsburgh

TV: ESPNU