PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
at
CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Thursday, September 6 • 8 p.m. • ESPN
Nippert Stadium (35,000/FieldTurf)
Cincinnati, Ohio

Television
ESPN — Rece Davis, Jesse Palmer, David Pollack and Samantha Steele - WATCH LIVE

Pittsburgh Radio
KDKA-FM 93.7 (flagship)

National Radio   
BIG EAST/IMG National Radio Game of the Week - LISTEN LIVE

Cincinnati Radio
WLW-AM 700 (flagship))

THE GAME • THE RIVER CITY RIVALRY
Thursday’s game will be the 12th meeting between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in a series that dates to 1921 … The schools met four times between 1921 and 1981 before the BIG EAST series began in 2005 … Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 8-3 and holds a 4-3 edge in BIG EAST games, though Cincinnati has won three of the last four matchups, including a 26-23 decision last year at Heinz Field … The 2009 matchup stands as one of the more memorable games in BIG EAST history as the teams played in a de facto BIG EAST championship game, with Cincinnati rallying for a 45-44 win.

PITTSBURGH (0-1) - Gameday Central
Head Coach
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin ’88)
0-1, first season

NOTES
Pittsburgh heads into Thursday’s game looking to rebound from a 31-17 loss to Youngstown State last Saturday … It was the Panthers’ first loss in program history against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, snapping Pitt’s streak of 10 straight wins against FCS schools … It also ended the BIG EAST’s streak of 57 consecutive wins against FCS opponents — the BIG EAST had been the last Bowl Subdivision conference without a loss to an FCS school since Rutgers fell to New Hampshire Sept. 11, 2004 … RB Ray Graham, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in the eighth game of the 2011 season, returned to the starting lineup against Youngstown State and finished with 71 rushing yards on 14 carries … QB Tino Sunseri completed 19 of 30 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown against the Penguins … Pittsburgh’s defense did not register a sack against Youngstown State, ending a streak of 25 straight games with at least one sack.

CINCINNATI (0-0) - UCGameday.com
Head Coach
Butch Jones (Ferris State ’90)
14-11, third season at Cincinnati
41-23, sixth season as collegiate head coach

NOTES
Cincinnati was idle in Week 1, leaving Thursday’s game against Pittsburgh as the Bearcats’ season-opener … Cincinnati was 10-3 overall and 5-2 in BIG EAST play last season as the Bearcats tied for their third BIG EAST championship in four years … Cincinnati capped the year with a win against Vanderbilt in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (31-24) … The Bearcats play four of their first five games at home this season and don’t play a true road game until Oct. 20 at Toledo … Head coach Butch Jones named QB Munchie Legaux his Opening Day starter … Legaux was the backup to Zach Collaros last season and made three starts when Collaros was injured, going 2-1 in those games …RB George Winn takes over as the top man in the backfield following the departure of 2011 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead …Winn averaged 5.5 yards per carry in limited action last year … SS Drew Frey, an All-BIG EAST Team First Team choice in 2011, leads a veteran defense that has seven players with at least two years of starting experience … P Pat O’Donnell was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection last year after he led the league in punting (43.9 ypg).