CINCINNATI — There are no more lay-up games for the Bearcats. Cincinnati now enters the meat of its schedule with the next 11 games all carrying some form of significance.
The Bearcats welcome the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday afternoon for a Power Four matchup at Nippert Stadium. The Panthers come in after beating Kent State at home last week 55-24 last week.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
The Bearcats want to show they can be competitive in the Power Four and here comes an ACC opponent. Pitt wants to show it has improved from a 3-9 season last year. The Panthers won their opener 55-24 over a MAC team, Kent State. Cincinnati has more to prove after beating FCS squad Towson 38-20 in their opener. Cincinnati is still searching for its first Big 12 home win. They can win back-to-back home games for the first time since November 2022.
KEY MATCHUP
Pitt's receiving corps vs. the Bearcats secondary. The Panthers had four players with five or more receptions in their win over Kent State as redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein looked right at home in new coordinator Kade Bell's up-tempo offense. Kenny Johnson led the way with seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Pitt's plethora of targets will test the Bearcats' unproven secondary. The Bearcats struggled last year in limiting explosive plays, something Pitt excelled at last week.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Pitt: RB/KR Desmond Reid. The Western Carolina transfer made an immediate impact in his FBS debut, running for 145 yards and a touchdown and returning a punt 78 yards for a score. Reid is generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, though Narduzzi said he is not concerned about giving Reid a big workload if necessary.
Cincinnati: Linebacker Jared Bartlett made his first start as a Bearcat last week and tied for the team lead in tackles. He also added two tackles for loss and a sack. If DL Dontay Corleone misses Saturday’s game, Bartlett will play a key role in stopping Pittsburgh’s running game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Cincinnati beat Pittsburgh 27-21 in their last meeting in 2023. … The Bearcats have won the last three meetings in The “River City Rivalry” going back to 2011. … Narduzzi was the Bearcats defensive coordinator from 2004-2006. … Holstein became the first first-year quarterback to start a season-opener since Luke Getsy in 2003. … Pitt's 570 total yards last week marked the program's highest total since the 2021 ACC title game. ...Pitt linebackers coach, Ryan Manalac, played linebacker for the Bearcats from 2005-2008 and had nearly 200 tackles in those four years. … Pittsburgh had five sacks and 12 tackles for loss in Week 1, and they are 27-2 under Narduzzi when they have five or more sacks in a game.
