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The University of Pittsburgh has a rich history of football that dates back to 1890. The Pitt Panthers are Nine-Time National Champions and many of the greatest players in the history of football started their journey at Pitt.
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, with more to follow in the near future.
NGSC Sports provides you the ultimate Pitt GameDay Preview, where Panther fans come to learn everything there is to know about Pitt and their upcoming opponent! Mike Drakulich (@PghSportsNation) brings you inside the huddle for both teams, providing the Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Commentary, Game Prediction, Broadcast 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!
Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Commentary
Eli Holstein had one heckuva debut for the Pitt Panthers last week, throwing for 336 yards and connecting for three touchdowns. Only Alex Van Pelt, way back in 1989, had a better day as a redshirt freshman to start their career.
Now Holstein and the Panthers (1-0) travel into Ohio to face off against their former Big East rivals in Cincinnati, who took care of Towson last week 38-20.
Though the Bearcats (1-0) won by 18, their defense also surrendered 438 yards to Towson.
The Pitt offense, which pounded Kent State for 55 points and 570 total yards, now set their sights to avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of the Bearcats, who came into Acrisure and took down Pitt 27-21.
Desmond Reid looked very good as the starting running back, rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown. Reid also returned a punt to the house from 78 yards. Reid got the start when it was announced a day before the game that Rodney Hammond was declared ineligible for the entire season.
“That dude is as tough a guy as I’ve seen around. He’s explosive,” Narduzzi said. “Like anybody, you want to limit — you don’t want to do too much with him. … As you guys know, our running back position can be by committee, but he’s a special guy back there. He can handle it.”
Holstein used plenty of weapons to amass his 336 yards, including utilizing Kenny Johnson as his top target, who caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
“Me and Eli worked a lot outside of practice, especially when he first got here,” Johnson said. “We were throwing all the time, and the dude is a pro. He had papers with routes we had planned to run and stuff like that, so we had built our connection throughout the winter.”
Censere Lee added six catches for 72 yards, while Konata Mumpfield hauled in five passes for 61 yards and a score. Freshman Raphael “Poppi” Williams turned four catches into 31 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew showed that he is set for a huge year as he caught six passes for 66 yards.
Pitt’s defense has to clean up in a few areas, but for the most part, they played well against the Golden Flashes, only giving up 31 yards rushing, and 212 total yards overall. The Pitt pass rush recorded five sacks.
The Bearcats will be lead by quarterback Brendan Soresby, who had 383 yards passing and a pair of touchdown passes. He also rushed for an additional two touchdowns.
Cincinnati, which rolled up 658 yards, has plenty of offensive talent for Soresby to choose from.
Soresby’s favorite weapon via the air was Xzavier Henderson, who caught seven passes for 101 yards and a score. Sterling Berkhalter turned two catches into 70 yards and a TD. Tight end Jordan Royer, a transfer from Ohio State, caught five passes for 89 yards.
Corey Kiner was listed as #1 on the depth chart at running back, but it was Evan Pryor who torched Towson for 105 yards and a score. Kiner added 51 yards, while Victor Dawson had 54 yards as well.
This game will come down to the defense that rises to the occasion more effectively than their counterparts.
“We’re not going to trick them,” Pitt defensive line coach Tim Daoust said. “We’re going to see who can execute better. I think our kids did a solid job last week and left plenty of room for improvement. We better figure it out before this Saturday.”
The Bearcat defense will be bolstered by the return of stud nose tackle Dante Corleone, who missed most of last season when he was diagnosed with blood clots on his lungs.
“Dontay has really worked hard to get to this point, and we are excited to have him back,” Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said. “Despite being limited, he has stepped up as a team leader and maintained a steadying influence on the team. We are grateful to our medical staff for implementing a plan that will allow Dontay to play. We will continue to closely monitor him. We are thrilled he is healthy and ready to come back.”
Pitt’s defense plans to wreak havoc in their pursuit of Bearcat’s QB Soresby.
“Sorsby does a good job versus pressure,” said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi.
“We’re going to try to make him put it in a tight window, which I think he is talented enough to do,” he said. “We’ll find out.”
Both sides of the ball showed what Pitt is capable of when the plays are executed and the players rise to the challenge.
Holstein was far from perfect last week, as he’ll need to tighten up his throws much better than he did against Kent State. Some of those soft throws that were just missed will be taken advantage of by a better defense with higher pedigree.
Pitt will also have to cut down on the penalties, as they saw yellow laundry on the field seven times last week.
Turnovers will be huge in this game to boot. Holstein had a bad interception, while Mumpfield coughed up a fumble on a punt return that was returned for a Kent State touchdown.
All in all, Pitt looks to have the better team overall, and the more complete team offensively and defensively.
Look for Holstein to have another big day, finding Johnson and Mumpfield for some big plays downfield, with Daejon Reynolds getting more involved this week, too. Reid could be primed to top the 100 yard rushing mark again, while Derrick Davis will surely get more carries this week to lighten the load on Reid. Unlike last week, Bartholomew will find the endzone at least once.
The Pitt offensive line will have to keep Corleone in check and protect their young quarterback to step into his throws with confidence.
The Pitt pass rush should get enough pressure to add to their sack total and to force a few turnovers by Cinci QB Soresby. Staying in their lanes and making gang tackles will be a priority.
If Pitt can limit splash plays by the Bearcats offense, the team will find themselves at 2-0 when they face off against their most fierce rival in West Virginia on September 14th at Acrisure Stadium.
Game Prediction: Pitt 34 Cincinnati 24
Pitt Panthers (1-0) at Cincinnati Bearcats (1-0)
NCAA Week 2
Vegas line: Cincinnati -2.5
Game-time: Saturday, September 7th, at 12:00 PM
Venue: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH.
Field: Motz Artificial Turf
Weather at Kickoff: 64 and sunny. Winds out of the North at 10 MPH.
Tickets: Pitt Ticket Office
Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN 2 (Xfinity: Channel 851 | DirecTV: Channel 209 | Dish: Channel 143)
- Announcers: Roy Philpott (play-by-play) Sam Acho (analyst) | Trevor Davis (reporter)
Local Radio: Pittsburgh- 93.7 The Fan
- Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Pat Bostick (analyst) | Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
National Radio: N/A
- Announcers:
Alternative Broadcasts:
- Online Radio: 937thefan.radio.com
- Satellite Radio: SiriusXM channels 162 or 194
Scouting the Pitt Panthers
Overall Record: 1-0 | ACC Record: 0-0 | Rank: N/A
Previous Game: Pitt 55 Kent State 24
Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi
- 10th Season with Pitt
- Lifetime Record: 66-50
- ACC Division Titles: 2
- ACC Championships: 1
Pitt Team Links
- Pitt Panthers Roster
- Pitt Coaching Staff
- Pitt Team/Individual Statistics
- Pitt Panthers 2024 Schedule
Pitt Offense
- Offensive Coordinator: Kade Bell
- Offensive System: Up-Tempo Pro Style
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 55
- Total offense yards per game: 560
- Passing yards per game: 369
- Rushing yards per game: 191
QUARTERBACKS
Starter: Eli Holstein | #10
Holstein was named starter a few days before the opener, and he did not disappoint, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns in his debut, and leading the Panthers to a 55-24 victory over Kent State. Holstein did have an interception, and a few other soft throws that could have resulted in disaster, so he’ll have to tighten up his throws if Pitt hopes to go on the road and take down Cincinnati.
Passing Yards: 336 | TD Passes: 3 | INT’s: 1 | Sacked: 3
Rushing Yards: 1 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Back-Up: Nate Yarnell | #19
Passing Yards: 33 | TD Passes: 1 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 1
Rushing Yards: 15 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Desmond Reid | #0
Reid, a junior transfer from Western Carolina, showed why he was a threat knowing the Kade Bell offense inside and out. All Bell did was rush for 145 yards and a touchdown in his Pitt debut, and added a 78 yard punt return to the house.
Rushing Yards: 145 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 3 | Receiving Yards: 11 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Derrick Davis, Jr. | #34
Davis, a former Gateway Gator, transferred from LSU and hopes to show off his talent in his 2nd year at Pitt, especially now that Hammond is not playing this season. Davis looked good in his few attempts vs Kent State, including having a long run wiped out by a holding call.
Rushing Yards: 2 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Daniel Carter | #4
Senior Daniel Carter has nice size at 5’10, 220 lbs, and will look to make the most of his opportunities when called upon.
Rushing Yards: 28 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 5 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Konata Mumpfield | #9
Mumpfield established himself as a top target under Eli Holstein, nabbing five catches for 56 yards and a score.
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 56 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Daejon Reynolds | #3
Reynolds, a junior, is listed as a starter, and looks to build off of a 2023 year where he caught 28 passes for 316 yards. Unfortunately, he did not record a catch in the season opener.
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Kenny Johnson | #2
Johnson, as mentioned here, looks as if he will be a game breaker in the Pitt offense, leading the team with seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Receptions: 7 | Receiving Yards: 105 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Raphael “Poppi” Williams, Jr. | #5
Williams was one of the few players that coach Pat Narduzzi raved about a few days before the game, and we see why, with “Poppi” snagging four catches for 31 yards, and finding the end-zone twice.
Receptions: 4 | Receiving Yards: 31 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Lamar Seymore | #83
Seymore is a 6’1, 190 lb redshirt freshman who has impressed the coaching staff enough to be listed right below the starters on the depth chart.
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 5 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Censere Lee | #11
Lee is a junior transfer from Western Carolina, and could become a big threat as evidenced by his 82 receptions for 1,426 yards and 14 touchdowns in two years as a Catamount. In week one, Lee caught six passes for 72 yards.
Receptions: 6 | Receiving Yards: 72 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Zion Fowler-El | #23
Fowler-El, a redshirt freshman, is ready to show off his skills and become a big name in the passing attack if given the opportunity.
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Gavin Bartholomew | #86
Bartholomew is set to have a huge year as a senior, and will be a major factor in the Pitt passing attack. Week one witnessed the star tight end catching six passes for 66 yards.
Receptions: 6 | Receiving Yards: 66 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Jake Overman | #87
Overman is a redshirt senior transfer from Oregon State.
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 15 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Malachi Thomas | #82
Thomas is a freshman with good size at 6’4, 225 lbs. He caught 30 receptions for 542 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior for Thomas County Central high school.
Renda is a 6’4, 240 lb redshirt junior, who caught two passes for 14 yards in 2023.
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
OFFENSIVE LINE
LT: Branson Taylor | #78
LG: Ryan Jacoby | #61
C: Lyndon Cooper | #56
RG: B.J. Williams | #55
RT: Ryan Baer | #70
*Injured/Out
Pitt Defense
- Defensive Coordinator: Randy Bates
- Defensive Scheme: 4-3
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 24
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 212
- Passing yards allowed: 181
- Rushing yards allowed: 31
- Sacks: 5
- Interceptions: 1
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE: Nate Matlack | #2
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 1
DT: Nahki Johnson | #4 OR Francis Brewu | #95
Tackles: 3 | Sacks: 0
DT: Nick James | #11 OR Isaiah Neal | #97
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 0
DE: Jimmy Scott | #44
Tackles: 2 | Sacks: 0
LINEBACKERS
Money: Braylon Lovelace | #11 OR Raheem Biles | #31
Tackles: 5 | Sacks: 0
MIKE: Brandon George | #30
Tackles: 7 | Sacks: 1
STAR: Kyle Louis |#9
Tackles: 10 | Sacks: 1
SECONDARY
CB: Ryland Gandy | #10
Tackles: 4 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SS: Donovan McMillon | #3
Tackles: 4 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
FS: Javon McIntyre | #7 OR Phillip O’Brien, Jr. | #5
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
CB: Rashad Battle | #15
Tackles: 3 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
Pitt Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Ben Sauls | #90
Extra Points: 7-7
Field Goals: 2-2
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 0-0
- 30-39 yards: 1-1
- 40-49 yards: 0-0
- 50+ yards: 1-1
KICKOFF RETURNERS
Kenny Johnson | #2
Average: 21.5 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Desmond Reid | #0
Average: 78.0 | TD Returns: 1
Scouting the Cincinnati Bearcats
Overall Record: 1-0 | Big 12 Conference Record: 0-0 | Rank: N/A
Previous Game: Cincinnati 38 Towson 20
Head Coach: Scott Satterfield
- 2nd Season with Cincinnati
- Lifetime Record: 80-57 | 4-9 at Cincinnati
Links
Cincinnati Offense
- Offensive System: Multiple
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 38
- Total offense yards per game: 658
- Passing yards per game: 383
- Rushing yards per game: 275
QUARTERBACKS
Starter: Brendan Sorsby | #2
Sorsby lit up Towson for 383 yards and two touchdowns, but faces a much tougher task this week with Pitt defense visiting Nippert Stadium.
Passing Yards: 383 | TD Passes: 2 | INT’s: 0| Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 5 | Rushing TD’s: 2
Back-up: Brady Lichtenburg | #16
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Corey Kiner | #21
Kiner, listed as the starter, rushed for just 51 yards in the Bearcats opener vs Towson.
Rushing Yards: 51 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Evan Pryor | #6
Pryor may be the #2 back on Cincinnati’s depth chart, but he showed off his skills vs Towson eclipsing the century mark with 105 yards and a score.
Rushing Yards: 105 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 13 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Chance Williams | #7
Rushing Yards: 23 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Manny Covey | #29
Rushing Yards: 26 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 7 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Jamoi Mayes | #10
Mayes works the outside and caught just two passes in the season opener.
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 16 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Xzavier Henderson | #8
Henderson was Brendan Sorsby’s favorite target, catching seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Receptions: 7 | Receiving Yards: 101 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Tyrin Smith | #4
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Stanley King | #80
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0| Receiving TD’s: 0
Tony Johnson | #0
Receptions: 0 | Receiving Yards: 0 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Sterling Berkhalter | #84
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 70 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Aaron Turner | #9
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 68 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Joe Royer | #11
Royer has nice size at 6’5, 255 lbs, and utilized that frame to catch five passes for 89 yards in week one.
Receptions: 5 | Receiving Yards: 89 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Francis Sherman | #44
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 14 | Receiving TD’s: 0
*Injured/Out
Cincinnati Defense
Defensive Scheme: Multiple
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 20
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 438
- Passing yards allowed: 244
- Rushing yards allowed: 194
- Sacks: 3
- Interceptions: 0
DEFENSIVE LINE
LDE: Darian Varner | #24
Tackles: 2 | Sacks: 0
NT: Donte Corleone | #2
Tackles: 0 | Sacks: 0
RDE: Eric Phillips | #97
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 1
LINEBACKERS
WLB: Jack Dingle | #49
Tackles: 4 | Sacks: 0
MLB: Jared Bartlett | #7
Tackles: 6 | Sacks: 1
SLB: Jonathan Thompson | #22
Tackles: 3 | Sacks: 0
Star: Mehki Miller | #20
Tackles: 4 | Sacks: 0
SECONDARY
LCB: Kalen Carroll | #21
Tackles: 1 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SS: Derrick Canteen | #10
Tackles: 2 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
FS: Josh Minkins | #0
Tackles: 6 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
BCB: Jordan Young | #1
Tackles: 5 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
Cincinnati Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Carter Brown | #33
Extra Points: 5-5
Field Goals: 1-2
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 0-0
- 30-39 yards: 1-2
- 40-49 yards: 0-0
- 50+ yards: 0-0
KICKOFF RETURNER
Logan Wilson | #13
Average: 14.5 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Michael Mussari | #81
Average: 4.0 | TD Returns: 0
Pitt vs Cincinnati History
Series Began: 1921
Overall Record: 8-5
- At Home: 5-3
- On Road: 3-2
- Neutral Site: 0-0
ACC Series: N/A
Streak: Cincinnati won the last two games.
Last Game: Sept. 9, 2023 (Cincinnati 27 Pitt 21)
Injury Report (9/6/24)
Pitt Panthers
Out: RB Rodney Hammond
Doubtful: None
Questionable: RB Derrick Davis, RB Juelz Goff, DB Nigel Maynard
Cincinnati Bearcats
Out: DE Mikah Coleman, DT Jalen Hunt
Doubtful: None
Questionable: TE Joey Beljan, DT Dante Corleone
ACC Standings
Pitt Schedule
Author Profile
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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.
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