In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the Cincinnati Bearcats saw their 21-point lead vanish as they fell 28-27 to Pittsburgh on Saturday at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats dominated much of the game, holding a 27-6 advantage late in the third quarter, but a relentless Pittsburgh rally sealed their fate, capped by a 35-yard field goal from Ben Sauls with just 17 seconds remaining.
Senior running back Corey Kiner was a bright spot for Cincinnati, tallying 149 rushing yards on 20 carries, while redshirt sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns. For three quarters, Cincinnati appeared in control, with Kiner and Sorsby leading a balanced attack. However, critical errors and a sudden collapse in all phases of the game left head coach Scott Satterfield visibly disappointed.
"I thought for three and a half quarters, our guys played outstanding," Satterfield said postgame. "But we didn’t finish, and that was in all three phases. We need to learn from this and get ready for Miami next week."
Cincinnati's defense, led by redshirt junior nose tackle Dontay Corleone in his return from a summer-long absence due to blood clots, couldn’t contain Pittsburgh's late surge. Corleone recorded six tackles and one sack, but it wasn’t enough to stop Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein, who passed for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant fourth quarter.
Holstein connected with wide receiver Konata Mumpfield for back-to-back touchdowns, including a 38-yard score on fourth down that brought the Panthers within two points. Despite failing on both two-point conversion attempts, Pittsburgh found a way to secure the win, thanks to a Cincinnati punt that was downed inside their 6-yard line and a subsequent 63-yard Pitt drive that ended with Sauls' decisive kick.
For Cincinnati, the second half was marred by missed opportunities, including a missed 25-yard field goal by junior kicker Carter Brown before halftime that could have padded their lead. Special teams' issues continued into the fourth quarter, and costly penalties, like a delay-of-game on veteran defensive end Kameron Wilson for "disconcerting calls" during Pitt’s final drive, proved devastating.
Sorsby shone in the first half, propelling Cincinnati to a 17-6 lead by halftime. An early interception by safety Josh Minkins stopped Pitt’s first drive in the red zone, while Kiner’s powerful 28-yard run set up Sorsby’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Jamoi Mayes. Sorsby followed it with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Tony Johnson, extending the lead.
Despite owning time of possession for much of the game and playing an effective, balanced offense, Cincinnati’s collapse in the final quarter, coupled with Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid racking up 254 total yards, sent the Bearcats home with a crushing loss.
Cincinnati’s defense, which gave up over 200 yards rushing without sacks, is now a point of concern heading into their next matchup against Miami (OH). The Bearcats will need to address their red zone inefficiencies, special teams miscues, and mental lapses if they hope to turn their season around.
As Cincinnati heads into their first road game, the coaching staff will be keen on fixing the errors that cost them a win this weekend. The loss marks the second straight September in which the Bearcats have dropped a regular season home game, with momentum from their opening victory halted abruptly.
