The University of Cincinnati Bearcats squandered a 21-point lead to suffer a 28-27 loss to the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in the 14th meeting of the River City Rivals.
The Bearcats was their first loss in four meetings to put their record to 9-5 in meetings all-time. The Bearcats won a 27-21 decision last season.
Tipp City native Ben Souls kicked a 35-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to complete the comeback.
"It was a gutsy win for our guys," Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi said. "I couldn't be prouder of the effort they gave. We came out in the fourth quarter and said.'we're going to win this thing.' Our guys believed, coming back from 21 down. We made plays in the second half on offense and defense."
UC punted after four plays with 7:44 left with an eight point lead.
Pitt scored on a 56-yard pass up the middle to Desmond Reid, who had 148 yards rushing and 106 yards recieving to put them within two points at 27-25 and went for the two-point conversion for the tie but Eric Phillips sacked Holstein with 5:40 to play but the Bearcats could not run out the clock, and punted with 2:38 left.
"I'm happy with what I did," Reid said. "But I'm happier for the team to come back like that."
Reid lost two yards from the 20-yard line on the first play of the final drive but Holstein found Reid on an eight-yard pass play. Dontay Corleone stopped Derrick Davis for no gain to create a fourth and four. Cincinnati's defense was flagged for delay of game to give the Panthers a first down.
Holstein scrambled for eight. Reid ran for nine. Holstein found senior Konata Mumpfield for 34 yards to the Bearcat 19. Davis ran for six but Corleone sacked Holstein for a loss of six with the clock down to 23 seconds. Davis gained two yards and Sauls kicked the game winner.
"Eli (Holstein) had a much better second half. You could see some of that happening," Narduzzi said. "We didn't make a ton of adjustments on defense. It was just about making plays."
Holstein made amends for a tough first half.
"First half I was thinking too much, trying to do too much," freshman Holstein said. "They were dropping eight pretty much every play. I tried to do too much. Towards the end of that last drive (of first half) I was doing what the coaches were telling me to do. That's how I started playing the second half."
"The whole first half was on me. I apologized to coach Nuzz. That was on me nobody else."
Pittsburgh's drive bogged down at the Cincinnati 29. Ben Sauls kicked a 47-yard field goal for the Panthers first score.
The Bearcats used passes from Sorsby, 34 yards to Xzavier Henderson and 32 yards to Joe Royer to set up a five-yard TD pass to T,ony Johnson.
Plagued by penalties and a near interception that put the Bearcats in a 4th and 23 situation, Carter Brown kicked a 49-yard field goal with 8:11 left in the half for a 17-3 lead. The Bearcats ate seven minutes and 14 seconds off the clock on the drive.
Brown missed a 25-yard field goal attempt that would have stretched the lead to three with 23 seconds in the half.
Sauls connected for 53 yards as time expired to end the half with Cincinnati leading, 17-6.
The Bearcats ended a 10-play, 53-yard drive after 5:13 with a 16-yard TD pass to Joe Royer. It is his first career touchdown catch. The Beatcats lead expanded to 24-6 with 7:25 left in the third quarter.
Brown's 26-yard field goal with 4:50 left put Cincinnati up by three touchdowns at 27-6.
Eli Holstein answered, leading a 10-play, 75-yard drive over 4:04 with an 11-yard pass after a scramble to Konata Mumpfield to cut thre Bearcats lead to 27-13 with :46 seconds left in the third quarter.
Holstein hit Mumpfield again on a fourth and two with a 38-yard scoring pass. The Panthers were denied on a two-point conversion but cut the lead to 27-19 with 10:41 remaining.
Pittsburgh linebacker, Rasheem Biles dropped Sorsby for a loss on a 3rd and 6 to force Mason Fletcher to punt. Fletcher pinned the Panthers at their own six-yard line with 7:44 to play,
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