Headlined by an intriguing quarterback battle, the Cincinnati Bearcats are preparing to face a challenge against the Pittsburgh Panthers tomorrow.
Pittsburgh senior quarterback Phil Jurkovec compiled 214 passing yards and two touchdowns during a 45-7 win over Wofford in the season opener.
The Bearcats blew past Eastern Kentucky 66-13 last week as star signal caller Emory Jones posted 345 total yards and seven total touchdowns.
With a chance to secure a third straight win over the Panthers, Scott Satterfield’s team is attempting to contain Jurkovec and pull off an upset.
Emory Jones impressed in his debut with 371 yards and a school record-tying seven total touchdowns. #Bearcatshttps://t.co/QdZBogkBEe pic.twitter.com/oDdrlDgv5e
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) September 3, 2023
Cincinnati Football: Quarterback battle headlines the Bearcats matchup against Pittsburgh
- Date: Saturday, September 9 at 6:30 PM
- Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh
- Series History: Panthers lead 8-4
- TV Broadcast: The CW and fuboTV
Check out our preview including players to watch, pregame odds and more as Cincinnati gets ready to face Pittsburgh on Saturday evening!
Even though putting pressure on Jurkovec will be key, the Bearcats have to bottle up Panthers receiving duo Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield.
Players to watch in the upcoming matchup include Cincinnati defensive linemen Jowon Briggs and Dontay Corleone, and linebacker Daniel Grzesiak.
The Bearcats opened as 7-point underdogs at Pittsburgh with the over/under currently projected at 46.5 total points per FanDuel Sportsbook.
#Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec could cause issues for the #Bearcats because of his dual-threat ability.https://t.co/fnWvwZBRam pic.twitter.com/RW51LrjM1n
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) September 6, 2023
Cincinnati Football: Bearcats must make Pittsburgh quarterback Phil Jurkovec uncomfortable
Bearcats first-year defensive coordinator Bryan Brown needs to limit Jurkovec by making him uncomfortable in the pocket throughout the day.
Highlighted by an overtime win over Pittsburgh, Jurkovec put up a career-best 358 passing yards and three touchdowns at Boston College in 2020.
Jurkovec became the first quarterback in Eagles history to throw for 300+ passing yards in their first five starts after doing so as a sophomore.
The Pittsburgh product started his career at Notre Dame and spent three years with Boston College before joining the Panthers this season.