You need both hands to count the number of issues Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein and offensive coordinator Kade Bell must overcome.

• Some that are of the team’s own doing: poor throws, problems running the ball, too many penalties and meager gains on first down.

• Some that are unavoidable: The kid can’t help that he’s barely 20 years old.

• Some simply caused by the nature of the game he plays: injuries to him and others.

• Some created by the respect he’s earned: Opponents are changing coverages on him regularly.

• Some he didn’t expect: wide receivers whose hands suddenly betrayed them.

It can add up to a feeling of distress that players are trying to avoid while the regular season enters it final three weeks.

And there’s no timeout. The schedule says No. 20 Clemson (7-2, 6-1 ACC) is coming to Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, and Pitt must visit No. 19 Louisville (6-3, 4-2) next week in an attempt to reverse the two-game losing streak that has erased the Panthers’ best chance to reach the ACC championship game. Don’t forget SMU (8-1, 5-0) and you realize Pitt will have played three of the four best teams in the conference in a span of 21 days.

What’s even more frustrating for the Panthers is Bell said Holstein had his best week of practice in the past month before the loss last week to Virginia (5-4, 3-3), a team that is not yet bowl eligible.

Bell said Holstein was consistent and committed to every throw in practice, but the good feelings disappeared when the game started.

“Little frustrating when you’re getting penalties and you’re getting backed up,” Bell said. “Now, you’re putting the ball in his hands a little bit earlier (as a passer) as a young guy.

“He was prepared. I thought he made a lot of great reads. Some throws he has to step into it and trust it and let it rip. That’s what’s frustrating. He knows he can make those throws. He’s made them all early in the year. If he makes two or three of those throws, it can change the game.”

Holstein was playing behind a rebuilt offensive line that hasn’t been the same since the left side was hit by injuries to tackle Branson Taylor and guard Ryan Jacoby four games ago. Bell said they were Pitt’s best offensive linemen during training camp.

“Ever since we lost the left side in the Cal game in the first quarter, we’ve been just trying to find our five best guys,” he said. “We struggled running it. Just trying to get that part of the offense going and also him knowing we’re going to have to run him a little bit more, too, just to help out with the run game, try to create an advantage.”

Bell said Jacoby was held out of the Virginia game with an ankle injury “just to try and get him 100% healthy.” Jacoby had been trying to gut it out and stay in the lineup, but he ended up reinjuring the ankle.

It’s been a struggle to rebuild the bond the offensive line enjoyed before the injuries.

“We’re not going to just keep playing the same guys,” Bell said. “If we just keep doing the same things over and over again, we’re not going to get any better. We’re giving some guys some chances who haven’t played a lot of football.

“They have to grow up fast.”

Holstein’s inexperience has caused the opponent to try even harder to confuse him.

“He’s still a young kid. He didn’t go through the whole offseason as the guy who’s getting all the reps in spring, all the reps in summer, reps with the starting receivers,” Bell said. “As a young kid, defenses are always going to try and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are.

“The one thing that they usually do to young quarterbacks — and I thought he handled it awesome early in the year — is they blitz you. So now he has a whole different mindset of how do I beat the defense when they’re playing a million different coverages and dropping eight? Now, he has to take his mental game to another level.

“He works on it every day. Last game, I thought he played that way, but, obviously, you have to make the throws.”

And the throws need to be caught.

“The receiver stuff is not acceptable,” he said. “We weren’t doing that early in the year. That’s just focus. We had more drops last game than we’ve had the whole year combined. We can’t have that, not with the group that we have. They’re too talented, and they work too hard. Those guys who dropped balls, they stay after practice every day and catch balls.”

Of course, the one issue that no one wants to talk about is the injury to Holstein. He has left two of the past three games with an apparent head injury. Coach Pat Narduzzi shed no light on the situation at his weekly news conference Monday, but he’ll speak publicly twice more before Saturday: Wednesday on his radio show on 93.7 FM and Thursday to reporters.

Meanwhile, Bell has the most difficult job in the building.

“We have to focus and we have to start faster. We have to make plays early in the game and give ourselves confidence,” he said. “I have to find ways, whether it’s easy throws or easy ways to get positive plays so we can get confidence.”

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