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The University of Pittsburgh has a tradition of excellence in football that dates back to 1890. The Pitt Panthers have won Nine National Championships and many of the greatest players in the history of football are proud to call Pitt their alma mater.

Pitt boasts 99 First Team All-Americans, 25 members in the College Football Hall of Fame and ten Panthers have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

NGSC Sports provides you the ultimate Pitt Game Day Preview, where true Panther fans come to find out about Pitt and their upcoming opponent! Mike Drakulich (@PghSportsNation) brings you inside the huddle for both teams, providing all fans with The Game Scoop, Score Prediction, Broadcast and Game Day Information, and a complete breakdown of each team.

Heck, you’ll even know the weather at kickoff! The only thing you’re missing is a game uniform!

Pitt Panthers (1-0) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0)

NCAA Week 2

Game-time: Saturday, September 9th, at 6:30 PM

Vegas line: Pittsburgh -7.5

Venue: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA.

Field: Kentucky Blue Grass

The Game Scoop

Week one has come and gone, and though the appetizer was good, it’s time to move on to the main course for both the Pitt Panthers (1-0) and the Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0), who meet this Saturday evening at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is 6:30 PM.

The Panthers cruised to a 45-7 win over Wofford, only allowing a late touchdown on what should have been a push-off that resulted in a 75 yard score for the Terriers. Other than that breakdown, Pitt’s defense gave up just 51 yards on the day, and recorded four sacks.

The Pitt offense saw the debut of Phil Jurkovec at quarterback, who had a solid day going 17 of 23 with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run. Jurkovec had a few short armed throws that he should be able to improve upon this week.

Jurkovec, and later back-up Christian Veilleux, spread the ball around to 13 different receivers, including all four tight ends.

Rodney Hammond had 25 yards on five carries and scored twice, while Daniel Carter lead the team with 65 yards rushing and a touchdown. C’Bo Flemister had 27 yards on the ground, and added two catches for 35 yards.

“We have three starters,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “A lot of it will be based on practice. Daniel’s was really based on camp. He grinded it out and was there every day, didn’t miss a day at all.

“You earn your reps. If you get 10 carries, what did you do with those 10 carries? Did you make the right read? Did you hit it? Did you get hit? Did you fall down? Did you make somebody miss? Making somebody miss and being your own blocker is critical as a running back.”

Cincinnati crushed Eastern Kentucky 66-13, with quarterback Emory Jones leading the way for the Bearcats offense, going 19 for 23 for 345 yards and five touchdowns, with 26 yards rushing for two more touchdowns. Xzavier Henderson was Jones’ favorite target, grabbing seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. Nine other Bearcats caught passes in the game, including Braden Smith who was 2nd on the team with four receptions for 72 yards and a score.

Corey Kiner lead the Cincinnati rushing attack with 105 yards.

Kiner is clearly Cincinnati’s lead back, with Myles and Ryan Montgomery in the rotation. WR Aaron Turner, who had three catches for 14 yards, also rushed three times for 31 yards, so the Pitt defense will have to keep an eye on the whereabouts of him if he goes in motion.

Pitt is 8-4 vs Cincinnati, and the two teams had a nice rivalry going while both in the Big East. The Bearcats have won the last two contests.

For Pitt to improve to 2-0, the defense will have to be on it’s toes containing the very talented Jones, a dual threat quarterback, and his favorite weapon in Henderson. Kiner will have a much more difficult time getting over the century mark than he did last week.

The Bearcats, under head coach Scott Satterfield, like to play an uptempo offense, so the Pitt defense will have to be ready to rotate players in and out to keep fresh, as they did against similar offenses like Tennessee ran last year. Containing Jones will be Pitt’s main focus on defense.

The Bearcats had their fun racking up 66 points vs Eastern Kentucky, but they won’t be as fortunate this week, as Pitt boasts a far superior secondary lead by corners A.J. Woods and M.J. Devonshire, who should be able to contain Henderson.

The Pitt offense will surely open it up more than they did vs Wofford, whom they played rather conservatively against for the most part.

Pitt’s offensive line will be going up against a pretty good defensive line that the Bearcats employ. Jurkovec will need to eliminate the mis-throws and hit his receivers in stride, and connect on more deep shots to Bub Means, their top receiver. Konata Mumpfield, Daejon Reynolds, and Kenny Johnson should see plenty of looks, as will tight ends Gavin Bartholomew, Karter Johnson, Malcolm Epps, and Jake Renda.

Cincinnati did allow 125 yards on the ground to Eastern Kentucky, so the Pitt run game should be able to flourish.

Expect the Pitt offense to be much more aggressive in week two.

This will be a very good contest between the two teams who reside along the Ohio River, but in the end, the squad with the better talent will take control of the game, and by the 4th quarter Pitt will have this game signed, sealed and delivered in the win column, and can then begin preparations to face off vs their most bitter rival in West Virginia next week.

Prediction: Pitt 31 Cincinnati 20

Broadcast and Game Day Information

TV: KDKA+ (Channel 808 on Xfinity | Channel 19 on Dish)

Announcers: Tom Werme (play-by-play) James Bates (analyst) | Treavor Scales (reporter)

Local Radio: Pittsburgh- 93.7 The Fan

Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Pat Bostick (analyst) | Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)

Alternative Broadcasts

Online Radio: 937thefan.radio.com
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM channels 103 or 207

Tickets: Pitt Ticket Office

Weather at Kickoff: 73 with a 20% of rain. Winds out of the N at 6 mph.

ACC Links

ACC Standings | ACC Scoreboard

Scouting the Pitt Panthers

Overall Record: 1-0 | ACC Record: 0-0 | Rank: N/A

Previous Game: Pitt 45 Wofford 7

Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi

9th Season with Pitt
Lifetime Record: 63-41
ACC Division Titles: 2
ACC Championships: 1

Pitt Team Links

Pitt Offense (Pro Style)

Offensive Stats

Points per game: 45
Total offense yards per game: 491
Passing yards per game: 274
Rushing yards per game: 217

Quarterbacks

Phil Jurkovec | #5

Passing Yards: 214 | TD Passes: 1 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 1
Rushing Yards: 41 | Rushing TD’s: 1

Jurkovec had a good, but not great debut as a Panther. Will need to clean up a few short arm throws and all will be fine. Strong arm and has the ability to take off and gain yards when chased out of the pocket or on designed runs.

Back-up: Christian Veilleux | #11

Passing Yards: 60 | TD Passes: 1 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 9

Running Backs

Rodney Hammond | #6

Rushing Yards: 25 | Rushing TD’s: 2 | Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 15 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Hammond was initially the starter in 2022 before being injured. Hammond scored twice in season opener and averaged five yards a carry.

C’Bo Flemister | #24

Rushing Yards: 27 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 35 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Flemister looks to make the most of any opportunity he gets. Looked good when called upon to both run and catch passes out of the backfield vs Wofford.

Daniel Carter | #4

Rushing Yards: 65 | Rushing TD’s: 1 | Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Leads the team in rushing after the opener vs Wofford.

Derrick Davis, Jr. | #34

Rushing Yards: 8 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Davis is a hometown kid that transferred home from LSU. Could become the guy if any injuries occur to Hammond.

Montravius Lloyd | #15

Rushing Yards: 20 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 7 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Lloyd made the most of his opportunities when given the chance late vs Wofford.

Wide Receivers

Konata Mumpfield | #9

Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 34 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Mumpfield is a reliable target that Jurkovec can count on when his number is called. Nabbed three passes for 34 yards in opener.

Bub Means | #0

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 39 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Arguably the best receiver on the team with great speed. Will become Jurkovec’s deep threat and top target in the passing game when the offense really opens up this week vs Cincinnati.

Daejon Reynolds | #3

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 16 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Reynolds is a transfer from Florida looking to make his mark at Pitt. In is first game he caught two passes for 16 yards.

Jake McConnachie | #84

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 39 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Made his first catch count as he had a 39 yard touchdown reception vs Wofford.

Zion Fowler-El | #12

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

An impressive true freshman that could become part of the rotation quickly.

Kenny Johnson | #2

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 17 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Another true freshman that had camp buzzing with his play-making abilities.

Israel Polk | #18

Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

The freshman was a standout receiver for national powerhouse St. John Bosco.

Che Nwebuko | #21

Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Rushing Yards: 24

Dynamic redshirt freshman looking to earn his keep in a talented group of Pitt receivers.

Lamar Seymour | #83

Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Another talented freshman who had 34 receptions for 596 yards (17.5 avg.) and nine touchdowns for powerhouse Miami Central.

Tight Ends

Gavin Bartholomew | #86

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 38 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Was one of four tight ends who caught passes vs Wofford. Had the most yards with 38.

Karter Johnson | #8

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 24 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Caught a touchdown pass in week one.

Malcolm Epps | #7

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Made a catch in opener but didn’t gain a yard.

Jake Renda | #88

Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 14 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Renda looked good when the ball came his way, catching two passes for 14 yards.

Offensive Line

LT: Matt Goncalves #76 | LG: Jason Collier, Jr. #50 | C: Jake Kradel #53 | RG: Blake Zubovic #68 | RT: Branson Taylor #78

*Injured/Out

Pitt Defense (Base 4-3)

Defensive Stats

Points per game allowed: 7
Total offense yards per game allowed: 127
Passing yards allowed: 126
Rushing yards allowed: -1
Sacks: 4
Interceptions: 0

Defensive Starters

DE: Dayon Hayes #50 | DT: Deandre Jules #0 or Tyler Bentley #92 | DT: Devin Danielson #95 or David Green #2 | DE: Nate Temple #6

Hayes leads the defensive line with four tackles and a sack. Bam Brima had a sack, as did Samuel Okunola.

Money: Bengally Kamara #11 | MIKE: Shayne Simon #32 | STAR: Solomon DeShields, Jr. #23

Bengally Kamara recorded four tackles and a sack vs Wofford.

CB: Marquis Williams #14 or A.J. Woods #9 | SS: Javon McIntyre #7 | FS: Phillip O’Brien, Jr. #5 | CB: M.J. Devonshire #12

A.J. Woods has three tackles after the opener.

Pitt Special Teams

Placekicker

Ben Sauls | #90

Extra Points: 5-5

Field Goals: 1-1

1-19 yards: 0-0
20-29 yards: 1-1
30-39 yards: 0-0
40-49 yards: 0-0
50+ yards: 0-0

Kickoff Returners

Bub Means | #0

Average: 0.0 | TD Returns: 0

A.J. Woods | #9

Average: 17.0 | TD Returns: 0

Punt Returners

M.J. Devonshire | #12

Average: 5.0 | TD Returns: 0

As a senior at Aliquippa High School, Devonshire had eight kickoff or punt return touchdowns, one short of the national high school record, and would’ve had five more if not for penalties. Last year, Devonshire averaged an ACC best 9.7 yards per punt return.

Scouting the Cincinnati Bearcats

Overall Record: 1-0 | Big 12 Conference Record: 0-0 | Rank: n/a

Previous Game: Cincinnati 66 Eastern Kentucky 13

Head Coach: Scott Satterfield

1st Season with Cincinnati
Lifetime Record: 77-48 | 1-0 at Cincinnati

Links

Cincinnati Offense (No Huddle)

Offensive Stats

Points per game: 66
Total offense yards per game: 667
Passing yards per game: 438
Rushing yards per game: 229

Quarterbacks

Emory Jones | #5

Passing Yards: 345 | TD Passes: 5 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 2
Rushing Yards: 26 | Rushing TD’s: 2

Very talented dual threat that Pitt will have their hands full with. Was sacked twice last week vs Eastern Kentucky, so that could spell trouble vs a much better Pitt defense that hunts QB’s.

Back-up: Brady Lichtenberg | #16

Passing Yards: 93 | TD Passes: 1 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 4 | Rushing TD’s: 1

Running Backs

Corey Kiner | #21

Rushing Yards: 105 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Kiner took control of the ground game and leads the team with 105 yards rushing.

Myles Montgomery | #26

Rushing Yards: 43 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Montgomery spelled Kiner and did well with 43 yards on the ground.

Ryan Montgomery | #22

Rushing Yards: 11 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Ethan Wright | #4

Rushing Yards: 6 | Rushing TD’s: 0 | Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 10 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Wide Receivers

Xzavier Henderson | #8

Receptions: 7 | Receiving Yards: 149 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Emory Jones’ top target, who scorched Eastern Kentucky’s defense for seven catches and 149 yards. Won’t have that much freedom vs A.J. Woods and M.J. Devonshire.

Braden Smith | #00

Receptions: 4 | Receiving Yards: 72 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Smith garnered four receptions for 72 yards and a score.

Barry Jackson, Jr. | #14

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 65 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Not a bad day, recording one catch that resulted in a 65 yard TD.

Dee Wiggins | #2

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 39 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Chris Scott | #80

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 32 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Evan Prater | #3

Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 31 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Aaron Turner | #9

Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 14 | Receiving TD’s: 0

Tight Ends

Payten Singletary | #88

Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 1 | Receiving TD’s: 1

Singletary looks like Cincinnati’s only option at tight end.

Chamon Metayer | #7

Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0

*Injured/Out

Cincinnati Defense (Base 4-3)

Defensive Stats

Points per game allowed: 13
Total offense yards per game allowed: 302
Passing yards allowed: 177
Rushing yards allowed: 125
Sacks: 3
Interceptions: 2

Defensive Starters

DE: Jowon Briggs #00 | NT: Dontay Corleone #2 | DE: Eric Phillips #97

Phillips has two tackles and a sack.

DOG: Daniel Grzesiak #9 | ILB: Jack Dingle #49 | ILB: Dorian Jones #6 | OLB: Deshawn Pace #3

Grzesiak leads the team with seven tackles and has a sack. Pace has six tackles and a half sack.

CB: Sammy Anderson, Jr. #7 | SS: Taj Ward #15 | FS: Byron Threats #10 | CB: Jordan Young #1

Threats has a tackle and an interception.

Cincinnati Special Teams

Placekicker

Carter Brown | #33

Extra Points: 9-9

Field Goals: 1-1

1-19 yards: 0-0
20-29 yards: 0-0
30-39 yards: 0-0
40-49 yards: 1-1
50+ yards: 0-0

Kickoff Returners

Xzavier Henderson | #8

Average: 26.0 | TD Returns: 0

D.J. Taylor | #5

Average: 16.0 | TD Returns: 0

Punt Returners

Braden Smith | #00

Average: 7.3 | TD Returns: 0

Pitt vs Cincinnati History

Series Began: 1921

Overall Record: 8-4

At Home: 5-2
On Road: 3-2
Neutral Site: 0-0

ACC Series: N/A

Streak: Cincinnati has won the last two games.

Last Game: Sept. 6, 2012 (Cincinnati 34, Pitt 10)

Injury Report (9/7/23)

Pitt Panthers

Out: LG Ryan Jacoby
Doubtful: None
Questionable: None

Cincinnati Bearcats

Out: None
Doubtful: None
Questionable: None

About Post Author

Mike Drakulich

From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team. There's nowhere on earth that is more dedicated to its sports teams like Western Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh. The passion and pride of Pittsburgh's fan base is second to no one. From the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, to W.P.I.A.L. high school sports, "The City of Champions" has it all! As Editor of Pittsburgh SportsNation, Mike Drakulich provides top notch opinions and coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers football & basketball, Robert Morris Colonials basketball, and Duquesne Dukes basketball, as well as all sports teams that represent Western Pennsylvania, including WPIAL High School Football. For a refreshing view of sports, mixed with humor and uncensored opinions, check out Pittsburgh SportsNation today on Facebook, Twitter @PghSportsNation and videos with over 1,000,000 views on YouTube!

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http://ngscsports.com

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Mike DrakulichYour source for Pittsburgh sports!

From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.

There's nowhere on earth that is more dedicated to its sports teams like Western Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh. The passion and pride of Pittsburgh's fan base is second to no one. From the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, to W.P.I.A.L. high school sports, "The City of Champions" has it all!

As Editor of Pittsburgh SportsNation, Mike Drakulich provides top notch opinions and coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers football & basketball, Robert Morris Colonials basketball, and Duquesne Dukes basketball, as well as all sports teams that represent Western Pennsylvania, including WPIAL High School Football.

For a refreshing view of sports, mixed with humor and uncensored opinions, check out Pittsburgh SportsNation today on Facebook, Twitter @PghSportsNation and videos with over 1,000,000 views on YouTube!