Scott Satterfield and the Bearcats are coming off a huge 66-13 victory over Eastern Kentucky as the inaugural Big XII season is now officially underway. However, now for the Bearcats they quickly turn their focus towards a familiar face, in Pat Narduzzi and the Pittsburgh Panthers. A rivalry that has so much history dating to the program’s tenure in the Big East. If you ask any Bearcats fan, what their favorite memory is between these two programs, one specific play comes to mind, and that is the historic Pike to Binns touchdown play, that would then clinch a spot in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.
Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi has a lot of familiarity with the University of Cincinnati after spending three years as defensive coordinator under former head coach Mark Dantonio. Like Narduzzi, Pittsburgh linebacker coach Ryan Manalac was also a former Bearcat during his collegiate career, racking up nearly 200 career tackles from 2005-2008, helping the Bearcats claim a Big East title.
Scott Satterfield has faced off with Pittsburgh twice during his tenure at Louisville, where the Cardinals went 1-1 in those two matchups, including a 24-10 victory over the Panthers last October. However, the Panthers enter this one leading the all-time series 8-4 with the last meeting coming back on September 6th, 2012, where the Bearcats defeated the Panthers 34-10. The Bearcats enter this Saturday’s matchup 4-1 in the team’s last five meetings.
“We know Pittsburgh is a really good football team. We played them last year at Louisville. I think they do a really good job. They’re really well coached, it’s an NFL styled offense with zone and play action,” said Satterfield. “Defensively they have been playing this defense for a long time. Coach Narduzzi and his staff know what they are doing, they are very aggressive, play very hard. Pittsburgh is a hardnosed football team and that is what you are going to get anytime you play Pittsburgh.”
Key offensive players for Pittsburgh
It all starts at the quarterback position for Pittsburgh, who is coming off a 45-7 victory over Wofford over the weekend. Phil Jurkovich who enters his first season at the University of Pittsburgh after spending the last three seasons at Boston College. Jurkovich, followed offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr, to Pittsburgh after spending the last three seasons together at Boston College. Jurkovich, a bigger quarterback who is listed at 6’5″, 235 pounds can really do a lot of things to throw teams off as we have seen in the past. Coming off a weekend where he went 17-of-23 for 214 yards and touchdown, Jurkovich also rushed for 41 yards and a score on seven attempts in the Panthers dominant victory over Wofford.
Experience up front in the trenches
Pittsburgh, is returning a very experience offensive line, led by super senior center Jake Kradel. Kradel has started 39 of the 44 games he’s played in throughout his career at Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, this is an offensive line that features Matt Goncalves (36) and guard Blake Zubovic (34) who also have started a combined 70 games up from for the Panthers.
An offensive line that will have their hands full on Saturday, as Narduzzi really emphasized on what Bearcats defensive lineman Dontay Corleone and Jowon Briggs bring to the table. “They’ve got this nose tackle, Dontay Corleone, I believe, nicknamed “The Godfather.” It starts with him and that defensive end, Briggs, are two really good players for them,” said Narduzzi.
The Panthers offensive line will look to find ways to contain Briggs, and Corleone up front, but if they do decide to send a double team on either of those guys, look for the Bearcats defensive ends to have a big day between Eric Phillips and Daniel Grzesiak. However, a Bearcats defensive line that returns a lot of veteran presence up front could throw a lot of pressure onto that experience Pittsburgh offensive line come Saturday.
Corleone has already drawn a lot of attention from Pittsburgh heading into this Saturday’s matchup, which respectfully so after being named a preseason All-American. “He lines up over the center in a zero technique and he just causes havoc in the backfield. He’s explosive. He’s only about 6’2″, maybe 6’2½”. He just causes havoc in the backfield. It starts with him. You’ve got to control the line of scrimmage, and it’s really a key to victory every week is really just to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, and that’ll be a lot of focus on what he’s done in there,” said Narduzzi.
Running back Rodney Hammond, Jr.
Junior running back Rodney Hammond, Jr. takes over the backfield for the Panthers this year after a huge 2022 season for the Tigers. Hammond, Jr., rushed for 459 yards and five touchdowns on 109 carries a season ago to help Pittsburgh to a 9-4 record a season ago. Hammond, Jr. rushed for just 25 yards in the Panthers 45-7 victory over Wofford on Saturday, but found the end zone twice along the way.
