• The Pittsburgh Panthers, plagued by season-ending injuries, face the Toledo Rockets in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.

A day after Christmas, Pittsburgh and Toledo meet Thursday at Ford Field in the GameAbove Sports Bowl, hoping to put a bow on a 2024 season that began with greater aspirations.

The Panthers (7-5) were ranked No. 18 in the initial 2024 College Football Playoff rankings on Nov. 5, three days after suffering their first loss at SMU. However, that 48-25 loss to the Mustangs was the start of a five-game layoff that spanned the remainder of the regular season.

Pitt was plagued by injuries in November. Quarterback Eli Holstein missed the Nov. 16 game against Clemson after suffering a head injury in the loss to Virginia the week before. The freshman returned to the starting lineup against Louisville on November 23, but did not make it past the first quarter due to a left ankle injury. As a result, he missed the last game against Boston College.

Pitt is sickly

During the skid, the team was also hit by multiple injuries on the offensive line, and an undisclosed illness kept the Panthers’ second-team All-American All-Purpose defenseman Desmond Reid out against Boston College.

“I would imagine we’ll be a lot healthier on the 26th than we came out of that BC game,” coach Pat Narduzzi said earlier this month. “I promise you.”