Pitt falters at end in 26-23 loss to Cincinnati
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Pitt and Cincinnati met at Heinz Field Saturday night for the second time in the past three years, and, just like the 2009 meeting, it was a heartbreaker for the Panthers.
That's because Kevin Harper's 50-yard field-goal attempt with 14 seconds left sailed wide right, enabling the Bearcats to hold on for a 26-23 victory against the Panthers before a crowd of 49,362.
"My heart goes out to those guys in the locker room because they laid it on the line," Pitt coach Todd Graham said. "I hated for it to come to that last field goal -- it shouldn't have. We made way too many mental errors. The second half, we went out and turned over the football twice and had a penalty that hurt us."
Graham said the snap and hold on the final field goal were not as good as they needed to be, but Harper said that was no excuse.
PG SLIDESHOW"It seemed to get off my toe a little bit and sailed a little right," Harper said. "If [the snapper and holder] get the ball down, it is my responsibility to make it."
The loss is a crushing one for the Panthers (4-5, 2-1) because it means they most likely are eliminated from the Big East Conference championship race and will have to scramble to win two of their final three be bowl-eligible.
Cincinnati (7-1, 3-0) took a huge step toward winning the conference as every other team except Louisville (5-4, 3-1) has at least two conference losses. The Bearcats already have beaten the Cardinals, so they essentially have a two-game lead.
"It is a crazy league and it isn't over yet," Graham said. "We've got to regroup, and our guys will do that."
Pitt had a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Panthers blew it thanks to consecutive turnovers by Tino Sunseri, and the Bearcats clawed their way to a 3-point lead early in the fourth.
The Panthers mounted one final drive in a bid to tie the game, driving to Cincinnati's 33, but Harper, who had made a 52-yard earlier, missed the most important one of the game, if not the season.
Both teams came out strong as the first three possessions produced solid drives for scores, but all three ended with field goals. Cincinnati got things started with a seven-play, 74-yard drive that produced a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Tony Miliano.
First Published November 6, 2011 1:18 am
