After going 0-5 on the road in 2005, The University of Pittsburgh football team ended its road woes Friday night by defeating the University of Cincinnati Bearcats 33-15 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati in the Big East Conference opener for both schools. Pitt senior quarterback Tyler Palko was 11 for 21 in passing for 265 yards including a couple of long touchdown tosses to junior wide receiver Derek Kinder. Freshman running back Shane Brooks was the leading rusher carrying the ball 22 times for 68 yards. The win extended Pitts season record to 2-0. In the loss the Bearcats record drops to 1-1.
The game took on a defensive tone in the first half with each team exchanging possession several times. Then with 2:13 left in the half Palko threw a strike to wide receiver Oderick Turner for the games first score. After the extra point kick, Pitt went into the locker room at the half leading 7-0.
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On the first play of the second half, Kinder caught a short pass and after avoiding a couple of defenders rambled 80 yards for a touchdown extending the Panthers lead to 14-0. Pitt then increased the score to 16-0 when Cincinnati quarterback Dustin Grutza was called for intentional grounding from the Bearcat end- zone. Before the end of the period, Palko connected with Kinder on a 55-yard pass play that ended in a touchdown. After the PAT the Panthers about put the game out of reach going up 23-0.
After being shut out all night, the Bearcats’ offense scored on a one-yard touchdown run by junior running back Bradley Glatthar to cap a 76-yard drive. Cincinnati tried to make a game of it after giving up a field goal on a 15-yard TD pass from Grutza to Bill Poland. The Bearcats were successful on a two-point conversion closing the gap to 26-15. Darrell Revis ended any Cincinnati hope of a miracle finish when he intercepted a Grutza pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game making the score 33-15.
” This sure beats a year ago,” Pitt Head Coach Dave Wannsted said.following the game. "Our defense was outstanding. We came up with a couple turnovers, the big stop at the end. We got tired out there but we found a way. That was a heck of a win for us. Our guys just never quit. The heart of this team is what you are looking for, but I told the team that if you turn it over three times next week against Michigan State, we'll get run out of the stadium."
It was the Panthers' first road win since the final regular season game of the 2004 season against South Florida. Pitt (2-0, 1-0 in the Big East) dominated Cincinnati (1-1, 0-1) most of the game and allowed the Bearcats only 35 yards rushing on 30 carries.
The Panthers' swarming defense showed off its speed to make several big plays and, for the second consecutive game, provided two scores.
