Cincinnati Bearcats upset the Pitt Panthers

Photo TJ Chapman

Corey Kiner rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown as the Cincinnati Bearcats upset the Pitt Panthers 27-21 at Acrisure Stadium Saturday night. Quarterback Emory Jones passed for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the win for the Bearcats. Jack Dingle led the Cincinnati defense with seven tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec could not find a rhythm as he was sacked five times and completed only 10 of 32 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns. The Pitt defense gave up 371 yards and only sacked Jones twice for the day. Senior Free Safety Phillip O’Brien, Jr. led the Panthers with nine tackles.

The Bearcats run game dominated Pitt in the first half, gaining 180 yards on the ground. Kiner busted through the Pitt defensive front for a 68 yard run early in the first quarter. With 20 carries in the first half, Cincinnati’s rushing attack averaged an eye-popping 9 yards per carry! Cincinnati finished the game with 216 rushing yards.

The Bearcats MVP was running back Corey Kiner. The 5-foot 9-inch junior averaged 7.6 yards per carry.

The Pitt MVP was wide receiver Konata Mumpfield. The 6-foot-1-inch junior had four catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

For Cincinnati, this upset not only gives the Bearcats a win over their former Big East rivals but also their fourth 2-0 start in the last six seasons.

For Pitt, the loss exposed a few problems for the Panthers, both on the offensive line and with quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The senior was clearly not on the same page with his receivers, particularly senior Bub Means who was targeted 10 times and finished the game with zero catches.

Cincinnati next plays host to Miami (OH) in Week 3 while the Panthers will try and rebound in the Backyard Brawl in Morgantown against West Virginia.