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No. 19/20 Football Takes On No. 20/19 Pittsburgh In BIG EAST Showdown Saturday

No. 19/20 Football Takes On No. 20/19 Pittsburgh In BIG EAST Showdown SaturdayNo. 19/20 Football Takes On No. 20/19 Pittsburgh In BIG EAST Showdown Saturday

Nov. 18, 2008

Game Notes | Season Statistics | Live Video | | Listen


PREVIEWING THE RIVER CITY RIVALRY

GAME 11: No. 19/20 CINCINNATI vs. No. 20/19 PITTSBURGH

Saturday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. EST | Nippert Stadium (35,000) | Cincinnati, Ohio

Series: Pittsburgh leads 7-0
Last Meeting: Pitt 24, UC 17 (Oct. 20, 2007 - Heinz Field)
Television: ESPN2: Mark Jones (PXP), Bob Davie (ANA), Erin Andrews (SL)
Streaming: www.ESPN360.com
Radio: 700 WLW & XM Channel 173: Dan Hoard (PXP), Jim Kelley, Jr. (ANA) Tom Gelehrter (SL), & Mo Egger (Host/ENG)
Radio: ESPN Radio: Dave Lamont (PXP), Andre Ware (ANA)

SETTING THE MATCHUP
NO. 19 FOOTBALL TAKES ON NO. 20 PITTSBURGH FOR RIVER CITY RIVALRY TROPHY
The No. 19/20 University of Cincinnati football team faces No. 20/19 Pittsburgh, Saturday at 7:15 p.m. in Nippert Stadium with the winner taking possession of the 46-inch tall, 96 pound River City Rivalry Trophy. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

RING OF RED GAME
Cincinnati will don red jerseys for the first time since 2003 in celebration of Ring of Red Day. Fans are encouraged to come early, be loud, and wear RED.

THE SERIES
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh meet for the eighth time Saturday, with the Panthers taking the win in each of the past seven meetings. Pittsburgh is 2-0 in Nippert Stadium in a rivalry that dates back to 1921.

THE COACHES
Brian Kelly, the 2007 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, is in his second full season at the helm of the Cincinnati football program with a 19-5 record and an 18-year career mark of 156-56-2. Kelly led the Bearcats to a school-record-tying 10 wins in 2007 and a victory in the Papajohns.com Bowl. He won two NCAA Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State and led Central Michigan to the 2006 Mid-American Conference Championship. He is the leader in victories among active BIG EAST coaches and is the only current BIG EAST coach with 150 or more career wins.

Dave Wannstedt is 23-21 in his fourth season at Pittsburgh. He is 3-0 against the Bearcats.

STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS

  • UC is ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll, no. 20 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and No. 19 in the BCS Standings.
  • UC went 3-1 in its recent stretch of playing four BIG EAST games in 21 days with three coming on the road.
  • The Bearcats played one of the first games of the 2008 season on Aug. 28 and UC will play the last game of the regular season with its 11:30 p.m. EST kickoff at Hawai'i on Dec. 6.
  • UC is bowl eligible for the seventh time in the past nine years.
  • UC has used five quarterbacks this season, Chazz Anderson, Zach Collaros, Dustin Grutza, Demetrius Jones, and Tony Pike.
  • Despite the different signal callers, UC leads the BIG EAST in passing offense (253.9) and passing efficiency (137.5).
  • Pike ranks second in the league in passing efficiency (140.1).
  • The UC defense has produced 17 sacks in its last six games after recording three in the first three games of the season.
  • Cornerback Mike Mickens grabbed his 14th career interception at Louisville. Mickens holds the UC career marks for interceptions (14) and interception return yards (296).