The Pittsburgh Panthers are looking to grab the top spot in the Big East tonight, after another puzzling loss by the West Virginia Mountaineers earlier today to the Louisville Cardinals. The Panthers, however, are locked in a battle with the Cincinnati Bearcats at the moment, leading 16-13 at the half.
The Bearcats struck first with a field goal just over a minute into the game. The Panthers were quick to answer, just over three minutes later, with a 52-yard Kevin Harper field goal to knot the score at 3-3. The field goal flurry continued on the next Cincinnati possession, when Tony Miliano hit another field goal to put the Bearcats up 6-3. Not to be outdone, Harper kicked another field goal to end a long drive early in the second quarter, to tie the game back up at 6-6. Then the Panthers, gifted with a Zach Collaros interception, used a 4-yd TD run by Tino Sunseri to jump out to a 13-6 lead.
Cincinnati, however, roared back with an 85-yard drive capped by Collaros TD rush from seven yards out with just under six minutes left in the first half. The Panthers wrapped up the scoring though on another field goal by Harper with just over a minute left in the half to make the halftime score 16-13 in the Panthers favor.
Aside from the performances of Harper and Miliano, both quarterbacks have been efficient despite Collaros' ill-advised throw. Isaiah Pead has topped the 100-yard mark for the Bearcats on the ground, but the Panthers have yet to get it going in that department.
Stay tuned for the second half here on SB Nation Pittsburgh.