TicketsCINCINNATI – A career night from running back Corey Kiner and a stifling defensive performance led the Cincinnati football team to statement 27-21 road victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium.
The win improved Cincinnati to 2-0 on the season and marked the Bearcats' 14th consecutive victory in a night game - 5 p.m kick or later.
Kiner rushed for career-best 153 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. He had a career-best 68-yard dash in the first quarter and recorded his second consecutive 100-yard performance.
"Everybody counted us out before the season started in games like Pitt," Kiner said. "But we took every day of practice personally, and this one was personal.
"The guys up front and the receivers and tight ends up top are doing a great job at opening up these run lanes for me. I can't be more thankful for those guys."
Quarterback Emory Jones finished 18-of-26 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. UC held a 217-83 advantage on the ground.
Cincinnati proved to be the tougher team, converting both of its fourth-down tries, including a 4th-and-inches with just under 10 minutes left in regulation, while holding a one-score lead at 27-21.
Pitt stormed back in the fourth quarter to make it a one-score contest, 27-21, scoring on back-to-back possessions. UC stopped Pitt on its third and fourth possessions of the final frame and ran out the clock behind Kiner and an impressive performance from the Bearcats' offensive line.
"It is early in the season but that was a very, very good road win for our team," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "I am proud of our coaching staff and our players for how they prepared this week and came in here and got this win."
Cincinnati's defense harassed Panthers' quarterback Phil Jurkovec all night, limiting the Panthers' signal caller to just 10 completions on 32 attempts. The all-conference defensive line tandem of Jowon Briggs (four tackles, two TFLs) and Dontay Corleone (three tackles, one sack) lived in the backfield as the defense finished with eight TFLs and five sacks.
Cincinnati raced out to a 10-0 lead thanks to explosive rushes and back-to-back three-and-outs from the defense.
A 25-yard end-around rush by wide receiver Aaron Turner on Cincinnati's second offensive play sparked the offense, and a 15-yard late hit penalty on the Panthers set up the Bearcats to score. Jones found tight end Payten Singletary for the game's first touchdown at the 13:06 mark in the first quarter.
After a sack by defensive end Eric Phillips capped another Pitt three-and-out, Kiner burst through the line for a career-long 68-yard run. A few plays later kicker Carter Brown drilled a 22-yard field goal to give Cincinnati a 10-0 lead just six minutes into the game.
The Panthers got on the board with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jurkovec to receiver Konata Mumpfield with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati answered with a seven-play 76-yard drive that included a 30-yard wide receiver pass from Braden Smith to Dee Wiggins and was capped by a 7-yard touchdown run from Kiner.
Pitt had a chance to tie the game with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter but Ben Sauls' 42-yard field goal attempt missed wide right.
Cincinnati was pinned back its own one-yard line following a perfectly placed Pitt punt, and responded with a methodical 17-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 47-yard field goal from Brown and gave the Bearcats a commanding 20-7 lead at halftime.
Kiner caught a 9-yard pass on 4th-and-three on the drive, which ate up 8:11 on the clock.
Cincinnati received the ball coming out of the break and saw its drive stalled. However, on the Pitt's first play of the second half, safety Taj Ward knocked the ball loose on Jurkovec's rush and recovered the fumble. Ward's play gave UC the ball back and Smith stretched out for a diving touchdown catch that gave Cincinnati a 28-7 lead at the 9:17 mark in the third quarter.
The Panthers fought back in the fourth quarter, closing the deficit to six.
Jurkovec found receiver Mumpfield for his second touchdown to start the fourth quarter and make the score 27-14 with 14 minutes to go.
Jurkovec then tossed a 16-yard score to tight end Gavin Bartholomew to bring the Panthers within 6, 27-21, with 11:53 left.
With Pittsburgh facing 4th-and-9 in plus territory, linebacker Jack Dingle blitzed through the line and sacked Jurkovec to preserve the lead.
Dingle tied a career-high with seven tackles, in addition to two TFLs and a sack on the night.
Kiner bounced out a 10-yard rush on a 3rd-and-3 with 1:12 left in the game to allow the Bearcats to set up in victory formation.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati will host Miami (Ohio) in the 127th Battle for the Victory Bell at 7 p.m. ET next Saturday in Nippert Stadium.
The win improved Cincinnati to 2-0 on the season and marked the Bearcats' 14th consecutive victory in a night game - 5 p.m kick or later.
Kiner rushed for career-best 153 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries. He had a career-best 68-yard dash in the first quarter and recorded his second consecutive 100-yard performance.
"Everybody counted us out before the season started in games like Pitt," Kiner said. "But we took every day of practice personally, and this one was personal.
"The guys up front and the receivers and tight ends up top are doing a great job at opening up these run lanes for me. I can't be more thankful for those guys."
Quarterback Emory Jones finished 18-of-26 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. UC held a 217-83 advantage on the ground.
Cincinnati proved to be the tougher team, converting both of its fourth-down tries, including a 4th-and-inches with just under 10 minutes left in regulation, while holding a one-score lead at 27-21.
Pitt stormed back in the fourth quarter to make it a one-score contest, 27-21, scoring on back-to-back possessions. UC stopped Pitt on its third and fourth possessions of the final frame and ran out the clock behind Kiner and an impressive performance from the Bearcats' offensive line.
"It is early in the season but that was a very, very good road win for our team," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "I am proud of our coaching staff and our players for how they prepared this week and came in here and got this win."
Cincinnati's defense harassed Panthers' quarterback Phil Jurkovec all night, limiting the Panthers' signal caller to just 10 completions on 32 attempts. The all-conference defensive line tandem of Jowon Briggs (four tackles, two TFLs) and Dontay Corleone (three tackles, one sack) lived in the backfield as the defense finished with eight TFLs and five sacks.
Cincinnati raced out to a 10-0 lead thanks to explosive rushes and back-to-back three-and-outs from the defense.
A 25-yard end-around rush by wide receiver Aaron Turner on Cincinnati's second offensive play sparked the offense, and a 15-yard late hit penalty on the Panthers set up the Bearcats to score. Jones found tight end Payten Singletary for the game's first touchdown at the 13:06 mark in the first quarter.
After a sack by defensive end Eric Phillips capped another Pitt three-and-out, Kiner burst through the line for a career-long 68-yard run. A few plays later kicker Carter Brown drilled a 22-yard field goal to give Cincinnati a 10-0 lead just six minutes into the game.
The Panthers got on the board with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jurkovec to receiver Konata Mumpfield with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati answered with a seven-play 76-yard drive that included a 30-yard wide receiver pass from Braden Smith to Dee Wiggins and was capped by a 7-yard touchdown run from Kiner.
Pitt had a chance to tie the game with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter but Ben Sauls' 42-yard field goal attempt missed wide right.
Cincinnati was pinned back its own one-yard line following a perfectly placed Pitt punt, and responded with a methodical 17-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 47-yard field goal from Brown and gave the Bearcats a commanding 20-7 lead at halftime.
Kiner caught a 9-yard pass on 4th-and-three on the drive, which ate up 8:11 on the clock.
Cincinnati received the ball coming out of the break and saw its drive stalled. However, on the Pitt's first play of the second half, safety Taj Ward knocked the ball loose on Jurkovec's rush and recovered the fumble. Ward's play gave UC the ball back and Smith stretched out for a diving touchdown catch that gave Cincinnati a 28-7 lead at the 9:17 mark in the third quarter.
The Panthers fought back in the fourth quarter, closing the deficit to six.
Jurkovec found receiver Mumpfield for his second touchdown to start the fourth quarter and make the score 27-14 with 14 minutes to go.
Jurkovec then tossed a 16-yard score to tight end Gavin Bartholomew to bring the Panthers within 6, 27-21, with 11:53 left.
With Pittsburgh facing 4th-and-9 in plus territory, linebacker Jack Dingle blitzed through the line and sacked Jurkovec to preserve the lead.
Dingle tied a career-high with seven tackles, in addition to two TFLs and a sack on the night.
Kiner bounced out a 10-yard rush on a 3rd-and-3 with 1:12 left in the game to allow the Bearcats to set up in victory formation.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati will host Miami (Ohio) in the 127th Battle for the Victory Bell at 7 p.m. ET next Saturday in Nippert Stadium.