Eli Holstein already has written his name in the Pitt record books and is on the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 list (photo by pittsburghpanthers.com).

(photo by PonyFans.com).

With every passing week, the games get bigger and bigger.

That trend continues Saturday, when the No. 18/17 University of Pittsburgh Panthers (7-0 overall, 3-0 in ACC games) come to Gerald J. Ford Stadium to face the No. 20 SMU Mustangs (6-1 overall, 4-0 ACC) for a 7 p.m. game that can be seen on the ACC Network and heard on KTCK 96.7 FM/1310 AM.

Pitt is 7-0 for the first time since 1982, a year after their last 8-0 start.

The game will be Ponies’ first in more than a month at Ford Stadium, where they have gone 27-5 since 2019. SMU leads the all-time series between the programs, 3-2-1; the last meeting was Jan. 7, 2012, when the Mustangs beat Pitt, 28-7, in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Pitt probably is the best team SMU has played so far this season, Yes, BYU also is undefeated, but in many of their first seven games, the Panthers have looked as impressive as their unblemished record suggests they should. Most recently, they picked off five passes — three of which they returned for touchdowns — while crushing Syracuse, 41-13, despite having less than half the time of possession enjoyed by the Orange.

“To dismantle a team like we did, especially defensively … [the Pittsburgh defense was] on the field for 102 snaps, we lost the time of possession by 22 minutes, [but] our guys didn’t look back, don’t care,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “They were out there, eating. Our offense only had 45 snaps, so they weren’t on the field very long, just because we couldn’t. But it was an impressive performance, especially defensively.”

Now in his 10th season as Pitt’s head coach, Narduzzi has compiled a 72-50 record — the 72 wins are the second-most in program history — and has guided his team to victories over 10 top-25 teams.

Through seven games, the Panthers have enjoyed the kind of statistical edges that would be expected for a team that is undefeated more than halfway through a season. Pitt has:

• outscored its opponents by an average of 40.9 points per game (sixth-highest average in the country) to 22.0

• outrushed its opponents, 1,126 (160.9 yards per game) to 657 (93.9)

• averaged 5.5 yards per carry, compared to just 2.5 yards per carry for its opponents

Kyle Louis is one of three Pitt linebackers who returned an interception for a touchdown last week against Syracuse (photo by pittsburghpanthers.com).

• outgained its opponents through the air by a much slimmer margin (282.7-255.6 yards per game), but those numbers are skewed because the Panthers have spent a lot of time trying to close out games while nursing sizable leads

• thrown just five interceptions, while picking off 10 by opposing quarterbacks

• outgained its opponents by nearly 96 yards (443.6-349.4) yards per game

• fumbled seven times … but lost just one

• converted 39 percent (31 of 79) of its third downs

• converted 78 percent (seven of nine) of its fourth downs

• sacked opposing quarterbacks 22 times, while allowing 16

Opponent previews usually start with a look at the offense, but with Pitt, it starts with the defense. The Panthers:

• have scored four defensive touchdowns, which ties them (with SMU) for second in the nation

• have returned four interceptions for touchdowns — three in the first half against Syracuse — to tie (with Tulane and James Madison) for the national lead

• average 3.14 sacks per game, which ranks third among ACC defenses and 11th in the nation

• average 8.1 tackles per game, good for second in the ACC and seventh in the country

• has finished in the top two in the nation in sacks per game in four of the last five seasons

• has finished among the top 20 in the country in tackles for loss in each of the last five seasons

• collected 10 sacks and five interceptions in victories over Cal and Syracuse in the last two weeks

The Pitt defense is structurally and stylistically fairly similar to the SMU defense. Both teams operate largely out of a 4-3 alignment and are led statistically by exceptional linebackers. The Panthers prize speed over brawn, and are one of the few teams in the country without a single 300-pounder among its defensive starters; the only one listed on their depth chart is senior defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, and he gets third- or even fourth-string reps.

Sophomore defensive end Jimmy Scott (6-3, 260) is an absolute handful, relying on a blend of speed and power to generate a team-high four quarterback sacks. His 16 tackles are just 12th on the team, but lead the defensive linemen and spotlight the system in which linemen often are called upon to tie up would-be blockers to funnel players to the outstanding linebackers behind them. His 6.5 tackles for loss are second on the team.

If Scott is the headliner on the defensive line, he’s not the only force up front, where defensive tackles Sean Fitzsimmons (6-3, 285) and Nick James (6-2, 290) are critical to the Panthers’ plans to stop opposing running games.

“Those D-tackles are critical, and they’d better be really good this week, because SMU is going to want to run the football,” Narduzzi said. “So we’re going to talk about ‘stop the run,’ and RPOs … this is SMU and Rhett Lashlee.”

The defense is led by an extraordinary group of linebackers, each of whom is a powerful hitter and can absolutely fly. Sophomore “star” Kyle Louis (6-0, 225), senior “Mike” Brandon George (6-3, 249) are joined by a pair of sophomores who rotate at the “money” linebacker spot: Braylan Lovelace (6-2, 225) and Rasheem Biles (6-1, 215). Biles, Lewis and Lovelace each returned a first-half interception for a score against Syracuse — Louis took his back 59 yards for his score.

Louis is the team’s second-leading tackler with 60 (Biles is third with 52), including a team-leading 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. His three interceptions this season make him the only Panther defender with more than one. His stellar first half of the season earned him a spot on the midseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award (presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the college defensive player of the year). He had a game-high 13 tackles in the Panthers’ 38-34 win over West Virginia, closed out a 34-35 win at North Carolina with a fourth-down sack (to go along with nine tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss) and had eight tackles, a sack and a pair of tackles for loss in his team’s victory over Cal.

Defensive coordinator Randy Bates said that while his defense has played well, especially in recent weeks, he wants more.

Running back Desmond Reid is small in stature but huge in production ... as a runner and as a receiver, and in the return game (photo by pittsburghpanthers.com).

“I think we’ve got to be more physical against the run,” Bates said. “We prepared for the pass, obviously, against [Syracuse], but you know, this week, [SMU is] what … in the top 10 in the country [actually No. 23] in rushing, so it will be a challenge.”

As good as they have been this season, Narduzzi resisted when asked if the linebackers are “the heartbeat” of the team, and said the Panthers can not rely on them to lead the way in every game.

“I hope not,” he said. “They bring energy all the time, they’ve got swag, they’re certainly confident. Linebackers like to talk a lot, so that’s good. You could say they’re the heartbeat — people are going to feed off of them — but you know, they had one of those games (against Syracuse) … [now] do it again. If you get three more pick-sixes, maybe they’re the ‘heartbeat.’ But we’d better have a lot of heartbeats. If that’s all we’re waiting for, for the linebackers to make a play, we’re in deep trouble here for the next five games — three of which are on the road.

The main schematic difference between the Pitt defense and the one employed by the Mustangs is in the secondary. Whereas the Ponies often utilize three safeties with a pair of cornerbacks, the Panthers usually rely on a more traditional set with two of each.

Leading the secondary — and the entire defense — in tackles is senior strong safety Donovan McMillon, who has a team-high 62 stops and an interception. He is a powerful tackler who eagerly engages in run defense from his spot in the defensive backfield.

One reason the Panthers are so aggressive up front is because they have talented corners who the trust to win one-on-one battles with opposing outside receivers: sophomore Ryland Gandy (6-0, 180) and senior Rashad Battle, who at 6-3, 200, is one of the biggest corners in the conference and the country.

So scoring on Pitt means a win, right?

Wrong.

The Pitt offense is led by redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein (6-4, 225), who is one of 35 passers in the country to earn a spot on the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2024 list. Holstein has completed 138 of 215 passes (64 percent) for 1,808 yards and 17 touchdowns (14th in the nation) with just five interceptions, and also is his team’s second-leading rusher with 62 carries for 286 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and three rushing touchdowns, thanks to speed most players his size can not match. His 17 touchdown passes and four games with at least 300 passing yards already have tied Pitt freshman records with marks set by former star Alex Van Pelt. His 299.1 yards of total offense per game rank him 15th nationally. He has the arm strength to fling the ball 50-plus yards with the flip of a wrist and accuracy and touch of players with years more maturity, and the size and strength to stand tall in the pocket and shrug off would-be tacklers.

Junior tailback Desmond Reid is not big (5-8, 175), but he is exceptionally quick and very productive — he leads the team with 89 carries for 541 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. He has the balance and change of direction to make tacklers miss (and often look silly in the process). Like many smaller backs, he is at his best on the perimeter, or when he gets into space, but he does not shy away from running between the tackles … and if that were not enough, he is a more-than-capable receiving target out of the backfield: his 25 receptions, 341 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns all are the second-most on the team.

Holstein’s top target is senior wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (6-1, 185), who leads the passing offense with 27 catches and 473 receiving yards. His average of 17.5 yards per catch is second on the team, but the leader, junior Daejon Reynolds (6-2, 21), has built his average of 19.0 yards per catch on just three receptions. Three other Panthers, wideouts Kenny Johnson (6-1, 200) and Raphael “Poppi” Williams, Jr., (5-10, 165) and tight end Gavin Bartholomew (6-5, 250), have at least 20 receptions — Johnson has 24, while the others have 20 each. Bartholomew is huge, and a very effective blocker, but make no mistake: he runs exceptional routes and has remarkable body control, hurdling defenders and twisting around to adjust to the ball in mid-flight. He is a prime example of a tight end who can block like an extra offensive lineman while also presenting a outstanding target in the passing game.

So Pitt brings a fierce defense and explosive offense to Dallas … but that isn’t all. Senior kicker Ben Sauls is perfect on 45 kicks this season and was named the “Midseason Lou Groza Award winner” by Pro Football Focus. Sauls is perfect on 33 extra points and has nailed all 12 field goals he has attempted, a dozen kicks that feature four from at least 50 yards, including a 58-yard bomb that tied the record for the longest in program history.

When asked about Saturday’s game, Narduzzi sounded genuinely excited about the trip to Dallas, where he acknowledged the magnitude of the showdown between two of the ACC’s best teams. But he was quick to point out that the Ponies don’t represent the final challenge his team will face this season.

“I think every week is a big game,” Narduzzi said. “Syracuse was … 5-1. I don’t care — ranked, unranked — whoever ranks them … who cares? Last week was a big game. Every game is big… This is the next one in line. It’s a road trip, it’s a night game, we’re fired up to be on the ACC Network — finally. It’s a big game — it’s just the next game. Guess what: next week, Virginia will be a big game — a big one.”

Some Pitt fans have expressed displeasure with the fact that their undefeated team deserves to be ranked higher than it is. Not surprisingly, however, Narduzzi said his team’s ranking doesn’t exactly cause him any sleepless nights.

“Let’s just be 1-0 every week,” Narduzzi said. “I guess I started off [the press conference] by saying I don’t care about the rankings. Tell them not to get caught up in the numbers — the stats don’t matter. The only thing that matters is wins and losses. If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll be in good shape at the end.”

Defensive end Jimmy Scott leads the Panther defense with four sacks through seven games (photo by pittsburghpanthers.com).