Pitt’s Comeback Falls Short: Cincinnati 27 Pitt 21

Last night at Acrisure Stadium, Pitt hosted the Cincinnati Bearcats in a renewal of the River City Rivalry. Early in the game, Cincinnati dominated, jumping out to an early 10-0 lead. They never looked back after their early start. Behind a dominant and athletic defensive line, Cincinnati stifled the Pitt offense. The Pitt offense was anemic early in the game, and Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec was not able to get into a rhythm. The offensive line was completely overmatched, especially on the inside. Pitt Center Jake Kradel could not handle Cincinnati’s dominant nose tackle Dontay Corleone. However, Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti did his offensive line no favors. Like last week against Wofford, Pitt inexplicably started and played most of the game in a shotgun spread formation. Not surprisingly, Pitt struggled. They did not have enough blockers to help the offensive lineman in passing situations, and they did not commit to the running game. In fact, the running game was the only bright spot early in the game. Astoundingly, Pitt running back C’Bo Flemister only had 6 carries despite averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

The Pitt defense struggled early, but overall helped keep Pitt in the game. In the first half, the Pitt red zone defense held the Bearcats to field goals, which kept the halftime deficit to 20-7. Pitt’s defense struggled early against the run, as Cincinnati running back Corey Kiner, muscled through Pitt tacklers. Kiner finished the game with 153 yards on 20 carries. In the second half, Pitt turned the tide. They forced several three and outs and got a late interception. Overall, Pitt played reasonably well, certainly well enough to win.

This game was about the disjointed and puzzling Pitt offense. Just look at Phil Jurkovec’s numbers: 10-32 179 yds, 3 TDs 0 INT, 1 fumble. I do not recall ever seeing that type of stat line by a quarterback. It is indicative of how he played. Mostly, Jurkovec was inaccurate, slow to process the defense, and largely uninspiring. However, he made some nice throws late and showed some fight as he led Pitt to a couple of late TD scores. Tight End Gavin Bartholomew and Wide Receiver Konata Mumpfield made several spectacular catches to help their struggling quarterback. Both players were the bright spots to an overall poor performance. It was too little too late. Pitt’s last drive was a turnover on downs, where the offensive showed no creativity and did not capitalize on the momentum they had created to get to that point. Jurkovec and Wide Receiver Bub Means were not on the same page all game. Means was targeted 11 times but had no catches, despite beating opposing corners on most plays. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi mostly blamed his receivers, suggesting they need to come down with those balls. He is wrong. On nearly every occasion, Means was 2 or 3 steps behind the defender. Jurkovec showed a lack of arm strength by badly missing his targets. Also, his throws were wobbly and did not have any zip.

Key Takeaways:

The Pitt offense needs to rely on the run 

Despite Jurkovec being a Senior, the offense needs to be built around the running game. It is obvious that Jurkovec is not an NFL quarterback prospect, and they need to reduce their reliance on his passing. Also, Pitt is a good running team. Against a stout Cincinnati defensive line, Pitt was able to run the ball. Unfortunately, they did not run the ball enough. Like last year, I expect Pitt to use more 12 personnel next week against West Virginia, and focus on running the ball. This should be the approach, especially on the road against their top rival.

Pressure was effective on defense

In the second half, Pitt ramped up its pressure and their blitzes were quite effective. Their defense did not quit, which is an encouraging sign for the rest of the season. Dayon Hayes generated consistent pressure, and the linebackers were more active in the second half. Bengally Kamara’s blitz off the edge in the second half led to a Marquis Williams interception late in the game. Pitt will need to generate pressure against the rest of the teams on their schedule.

Notes: Ben Sauls missed a makeable field goal in the first half. On the next drive, Cincinnati scored a touchdown. Those are hidden points that could have helped Pitt. Pitt punter Caleb Junko was terrific, averaging 47.4 yards per punt.

Looking Ahead:



Rivalry games usually bring out the best in teams. Next week is the backyard brawl and I expect it to be a close game. Expect Pitt to run the ball and use play action to take deep shots. The Pitt passing game needs to rely on Gavin Bartholomew and Konata Mumpfield.