Panthers sink Cincy to move to 2-4

Pitt expected to win this football game. Few, however, expected things to be this ugly.

In… Pitt expected to win this football game. Few, however, expected things to be this ugly.

In cold and rainy conditions, Pitt blew past newly minted Big East rival Cincinnati, 38-20, on a Saturday afternoon where the offensive play mirrored the dismal weather in Pittsburgh.

An offensive pillow fight from the get-go, the Panthers pounced on the Bearcats early and held on to give first-year head coach Dave Wannstedt his first Big East win – one he isn’t getting too excited about, however.

“We’ve got a long way to go before we feel good about ourselves around here,” he said after the game. “We’re glad to get a win, don’t get me wrong, but now is not the time to get silly. We have a lot of work to do and we know where we have to get better and [what] we have to get done. We should have won this game today, no disrespect to Cincinnati and its coaches.

“But we’re the University of Pittsburgh and we expect to win these games. And I expect to win these games,” he said. “There have been a couple of games where we have gotten beat that we should win. That’s the attitude this football team has, that we should have and that we will have as long as I am here.”

Pitt’s biggest advantage was a steady ground game, fueled by true freshman tailback Rasahd Jennings. His 13-yard touchdown scamper, the first score of his career, put the Panthers up 23-7 in the third quarter and also took the wind out of the sails of the Bearcats as Pitt claimed the first meeting in the recently anointed “River City Rivalry.”

“Other teams know we have a great passing game,” said sophomore receiver Darrell Strong, who caught three balls for 37 yards during the game. “Other teams can just come out with four or five deep, [so] we are going to have to come out and run the football.”

“That’s how you win games,” Wannstedt said. “You throw the ball to score points, but you run the ball to win. Today, we went out there and closed the door, and that was the end of it.”

Pitt controlled this game even with the vertical passing game absent, as quarterback Tyler Palko struggled, going 14-of-32 for 175 yards on the afternoon. Despite his struggles, though, this Bearcat team simply didn’t have enough offensive might to keep up. Screen and swing passes were consistently dropped; the ones that weren’t dropped were either under or overthrown and players frequently bit the turf quickly, slipping before even getting to the line. When the dust finally cleared, the Bearcats had gained only 312 yards on 73 plays.

Pitt wasn’t much better, however, gaining only nine yards more on the same number of plays. The Panthers (2-4 overall, 1-1 Big East) gained two fewer first downs than the Bearcats (2-3, 0-1), were out-gained through the air (199-175) and lost the battle of time of possession, things Palko knows will have to improve if the team is to make a run at defending its 2004 Big East title.

“It always can be better, I’ve never come out of a game thinking that things went well,” the junior said. “We got the win, which is great, but we need to get better in a lot of areas. There were some good things to come out of this. We had a 100-yard rusher, and we hadn’t had that all season. And that is a big, big feat for us as we continue to try and achieve balance. We got better in the run game, which was positive.”

One area not exhibiting weakness Saturday was the special teams unit, which even provided an insurance touchdown to push the score to 30-7 with 4:04 left in the third quarter. Reigning freshman All-American corner Darrelle Revis fielded a punt at his own 21-yard line and quickly looked upfield. The sophomore looked right, sprinted left and made a cut down the left sideline. A huge block freed the way, and he coasted 79 yards to his first career touchdown.

“How good is he?” Wannstedt said with a smile on his face. “He’s special. I remember saying that last week. I think I say that every week.”

His return wasn’t the only big play from the unit on the day, however, as reserve wideout Terrell Allen had a big play of his own on the game’s opening kickoff. The redshirt sophomore started at Pitt’s one-yard line before jetting down the right sideline. He evaded a number of defenders and made a quick move to break free, but he was tripped up at the Cincinnati 29, still giving Pitt stellar field position to open the game.

While the Panthers only mustered a field goal out of this trip, they did their part on the defensive end, forcing the Bearcats to punt on their first four possessions. The next time Cincinnati touched the ball, it was already a 10-0 game.

With just over 11 minutes left in the half, Pitt’s Adam Gunn shot through Cincinnati’s punt formation and slapped one of Chet Ervin’s game-high nine punts on its way up. The block on fourth down set Pitt up with a first-and-goal from the six-yard line. Two plays later, Palko scored on a quarterback keeper to the left.

The only other Panther touchdown on the day came on a short pass from Palko to Greg Lee on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Lee’s 77 receiving yards, although a team-best, came only after the junior dropped several passes. Pitt also committed six penalties and lost two fumbles, but the Bearcats seldom capitalized.

Pitt next welcomes another former Conference USA team next Saturday when South Florida comes to town. The Panthers, who need at least four wins in their final five games to become bowl-eligible, know that while a 3-2 USF squad will provide a stiffer challenge, expectations are to remain the same.

“I expect to win every game, I don’t really care who we are playing, whether it is Notre Dame at the beginning of the season or Cincinnati today, I expect to win every time I lace them up,” Palko said. “I’m not scared to play anybody, and I think that is a great mentality and a good thought. Expect to win.”