National Football League

No. 23 Cincinnati remembers stinging loss to Pitt

Published Nov. 3, 2011 9:40 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The 23rd-ranked Bearcats can't get that song out of their heads.

Rival Pittsburgh came to town last December and beat Cincinnati 28-10 on a snowy day. Then, the Panthers celebrated on the field and sang their fight song in the locker room so loudly that the Bearcats could hear it in their adjacent room.

In some ways, it was the worst moment in their 4-8 season.

''They were doing snow angels on our field, dancing with the trophy, they stormed the field,'' running back Isaiah Pead said. ''And hearing them in the locker room singing their fight song - that hurt. Everything hurt. Losing that game, going 4-8, not going to a bowl game, it was just a bad feeling all around.

''There were tears shed by some players. You could see in everybody's eyes that that was going to be a statement in all of our football lives and as we go on. When you get another chance to get that title back and play that team that did this to you, you've got to be at your tiptop effort.''

The chance is here.

The Bearcats (6-1, 2-0 Big East) have made a turnaround as they get ready to the rematch at Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-1). Cincinnati can put itself in position for a third Big East title in four years by winning at Pitt on Saturday, then beating No. 24 West Virginia at Paul Brown Stadium a week later.

''It's set up great for us,'' quarterback Zach Collaros said. ''We control our own destiny.''

They've come a long way since Dec. 4, when Pittsburgh flattened them 28-10 at Nippert Stadium, then celebrated a share of the Big East title. The Bearcats had won the last two titles under Brian Kelly, who then left for Notre Dame. Cincinnati struggled in a transition year under coach Butch Jones, who had one of the nation's youngest defenses - no senior starters.

The Bearcats are more comfortable with Jones' system, and they've got a lot more seniors to lead, including Collaros and Pead.

''They've got tremendous leadership,'' Pitt coach Todd Graham said. ''I think leadership is what changes that.''

And motivation. Collaros can still recall hearing the Panthers sing their victory song -which ends with the chorus of ''Da da da da da-da Fight, Pitt, fight! V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!'' - after the last game.

''They were pretty excited and we'd just come off one of the worst seasons in all of our lives,'' Collaros said. ''It was a pretty depressing feeling for us. But it's something we've kept in the back of our heads for a long time.''

Pitt forced out coach Dave Wannstedt following the win in Cincinnati, then hired Miami of Ohio coach Mike Haywood. He resigned on New Year's Eve after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge. Graham was hired from Tulsa in January.

Jones thinks the Panthers are going through some of the same transition pains that he experienced last season in Cincinnati. He likes the way his team has recovered in his second year running the program.

''It's better to be sitting here at 6-1 than 3-4,'' he said. ''Again, it's all about playing meaningful games in November. From here on out, every game is a championship game.

''For us, it's focusing on the task at hand. We've managed our business well to date and we haven't gotten ahead of ourselves.''

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League