The Pitt football program has had a lot of tough opponents throughout its history, but if you had to pick a foe that has given the Panthers and their fans actual nightmares in recent years, it would be the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Heading into Saturday afternoon’s kickoff at Kenan Stadium, Pitt had an all-time record of 5-12 vs. the Tar Heels dating back to the first meeting between the two programs in 1974. Of course, what happened 50 years ago has nothing to do with now, which is true, but what about more modern times and the fact that Pitt had lost eight of 10 vs. the Tar Heels since joining the ACC in 2013? How about the reality of never, ever winning at Kenan Stadium in seven tries?

Yes, the Panthers came into the day with a 4-0 record and one of the most explosive offenses in the country, while North Carolina was scuffling a bit at 2-2. However, boogeymen are scary for a reason, and it was hard to blame Pitt fans for being afraid that the dream start to their season would be derailed in Chapel Hill.

Case in point, after a successful first drive in which the offense collected 59 yards and a chip-shot field goal by Ben Sauls, the Panthers were back on the attack on their next possession. They made their way down to the Carolina 35 when cornerback Kaleb Cost intercepted a pass from Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein and raced 84 yards for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead for the home team.

Pitt re-took the lead two possessions later by driving 91 yards on five plays and finding paydirt when Holstein connected with receiver Censere Lee to make it 10-7 early in the second quarter. The big play on the drive was a 72-yard catch and run by dynamic running back Desmond Reid that set the offense up with a first and goal from the seven.

But the Tar Heels wouldn’t go away and immediately marched 58 yards in 10 plays and tied the game on a 34-yard field goal by Noah Burnette.

The Panthers then gained a seven-point advantage by navigating 75 yards in a five-play drive that culminated in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Holstein to receiver Raphael Williams Jr.

North Carolina responded two possessions later with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a three-yard run by Omarion Hampton to tie the score at 17 just before halftime.

Pitt’s defense came up big on the Tar Heels’ opening drive of the third quarter. Instead of punting on fourth and six from the Panthers 42, North Carolina decided to gamble and came up with snake eyes. It was the second time Pitt’s defense stopped the Tar Heels on fourth down in the game.

The Panthers took advantage of the momentum and great field position by driving 58 yards on nine plays and taking a 24-17 lead on a two-yard touchdown pass from Holstein to Reid.

Again, would the Tar Heels go away? No. Following an exchange of punts, North Carolina drove 61 yards on 11 plays and tied the score at 24 on an 11-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacolby Criswell to tight end John Copenhaver with 2:07 left in the third period.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but would these Tar Heels ever go away? Would Pitt ever win a game at Kenan Stadium? To reiterate an earlier point: These were pertinent questions to ask at this time.

Fortunately, the Panthers’ high-powered offense never backed down and quickly marched 75 yards on 11 plays and re-captured its seven-point lead on a three-yard touchdown run by Holstein. Speaking of Holstein’s legs, they were the most important factor on the drive, accounting for 47 yards–including runs of 24 and 20 yards.

But the Tar Heels were Pitt’s boogeyman for a reason, and their offense found itself at the Pitt 17 with 12-plus minutes left in regulation. North Carolina ultimately faced a fourth and one from the Panthers’ eight-yard line. Head coach Mack decided to go for it yet again, and Pat Narduzzi’s defense was up to the task for the third time, stuffing Hampton for no gain.

The Panthers’ offense then had perhaps its most impressive possession of the day, marching 73 yards on an 18-play drive that consumed over seven minutes of game clock. The drive ultimately stalled at the Carolina 19, but the dependable Sauls came on to kick a 37-yard field goal to give the visitors a two-score lead with 2:01 left.

The defense ultimately forced a fourth turnover on downs, and the Panthers prevailed by a score of 34-24.

Not only did Pitt win its first game at Kenan Stadium, but it improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1991.

Holstein obviously continued his hot freshman year by completing 25 of 42 passes for 381 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He was also Pitt’s leading rusher on the day, netting 76 yards and a score on 10 carries. Back to those 381 yards; they established a new record for a Panthers freshman quarterback, breaking the old mark set by Alex Van Pelt in 1989. Speaking of great (even greater) company, Holstein became the first Pitt quarterback to win his first five starts since the legendary Dan Marino did it in 1979.

It may have been a relatively quiet day for Reid on the ground–55 yards on 18 carries–but he more than made up for it by catching 11 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown; on the ground or through the air, he’s hard to contain and continues to be one of the most lethal weapons in the country.

Receiver Konata Mumpfield also had a big game, catching three passes for 111 yards.

All-in-all, the Panthers tallied 520 yards on the day–or 104 more than North Carolina.

No, it wasn’t the greatest day for the Panthers’ defense, but just like in huge comeback wins over Cincinnati and WVU, it stood tough late in the game.

The Panthers (5-0 and 1-0 in the ACC) now must prepare for a matchup against one of the recent additions to the ACC, California, next Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.