2023 Up Next – Cincinnati at Pitt

Both the Pitt Panthers and Cincinnati Bearcats are coming off resounding wins against FCS opponents. How the different wins were perceived are striking.

To some Pitt fans, the Wofford (Southern Conference) win was mixed. Most believed the offense was vanilla. It was. Others are of the opinion that the QB play left a lot to be desired. The Oline needs work. Wofford should have been annihilated.

Now the Bearcats win was what some wanted. A complete beatdown of Eastern Kentucky (ASUN Conference) resulting in a 66-13 win. Show off your offense in a majestic fashion.

But I believe the different head coaches had different agendas.

HC Pat Narduzzi just wanted a win without showing off any new offensive tweaks. But more importantly, playing an injury free game. A side benefit would be player involvement. (74 different Pitt players saw playing time.)

HC Scott Satterfield just wanted to impress the Bearcat faithful with his new offense. It is also possible that he wanted a blowout win to help overcome the angst of replacing Luke Fickell.

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