Bearcats Beat: Bearcats In The Absolute Pitts After Blowing 21-point Lead, Lose to Panthers, 28-27

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats did it again. And not in a good way.

Ben Sauls converted a 35-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to cap a dramatic 21-point comeback and lift the visiting Pitt Panthers to a stunning 28-27 win over the Bearcats Saturday in the “River City Rivalry”.

It was Pitt’s largest comeback since Oct. 9, 1971, when they trailed Navy 35-10 at half and rallied for a 36-35 win.

It was the second straight early-season monumental collapse in as many seasons for Scott Satterfield’s Bearcats.

The Bearcats built a 27-6 lead before holding off a furious fourth quarter charge from the Panthers, who were led by running back Desmond Reid. The back had 141 yards on 17 carries and five catches for 98 yards, including a 56-yard catch-and-run score over the middle that made it 27-25 Cincinnati with under six minutes left.

Defensive end Eric Phillips, cleared of a targeting foul by replay earlier in the second half, sacked Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein to preserve the lead.

Brendan Sorsby threw three touchdown passes and finished 22-of-38 for 298 yards while and Corey Kiner ran for 149 yards on 20 carries to lead Cincinnati.

Cincinnati had the chance to seal the game with a defensive stop on fourth-and-4 from the Pittsburgh 26 but a delay of game was called on defensive lineman Kameron Wilson, giving the Panthers new life. The Panthers went down the field and drove into position for the game-winning field goal.

The game featured the return of Cincinnati All-American nose tackle Dontay Corleone from an offseason blood clot in his lung. He alternated defensive series in the first half as his snap count and game conditioning was closely monitored.

Corleone made a big stop for a loss on third down in the fourth quarter before Pitt made it a one-score game on the next play, a 38-yard Holstein-to-Konata Mumpfield touchdown strike on fourth-and-3 with 10:41 left in the fourth.

After a Cincinnati punt on the opening series, the Panthers drove down the field to the Cincinnati 26. On second-and-7, quarterback Eli Holstein threw pass down the seam that was picked off in the end zone by Josh Minkins Jr.

Cincinnati stopped Pitt on the opening drive of the second half, allowing Sorsby to march the Bearcats 58 yards in 10 plays, capped off by a 16-yard pass over the middle to Ohio State transfer tight end Joe Royer. The Bearcats led, 24-6 and made it 27-6 with 4:50 left in the third quarter on Brown’s second field goal of the day from 26 yards.

Next up for the Bearcats is the “Victory Bell” re-match from last season, when the Bearcats lost 31-24 in overtime at Nippert.