The highly anticipated early-season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) and the Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) may not have had the pre-game vitriol or in-game bad blood with Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict missing due to a suspension, but that didn't stop the game from being another tight contest where victory wasn't seized until the final moments. A controversial ruling on a fumble by Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd when Cincinnati was attempting to drive for a tying score late in ... Read More
Archives for September 2016
Pirates can’t secure four-game sweep of Reds
Pitcher Ivan Nova entered Sunday's game with a 5-0 record as a Pittsburgh Pirate, but after a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, an ‘L’ was placed next to his name for the first time since July 29 with the New York Yankees. Not only did Nova lose, the Pirates missed out on a chance to earn a second consecutive four-game road series sweep. Just 10 days prior, Nova (12-7) fired a complete game one-run shutout, but, Sunday, the former New York Yankee made it through just three innings and tied ... Read More
Riverhounds, Steel FC draw at 1-1
With their playoffs hopes dashed, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds are focused on ending their season on a high note. For the Riverhounds, that’s all about ending the season without losing a game. After a scoreless draw Wednesday against FC Cincinnati, the Riverhounds continued their draw streak with a 1-1 draw against the Bethlehem Steel FC. The Riverhounds got on the board first, as striker Corey Hertzog netted his 13th goal of the season in the 9’ minute. Hertzog’s goal came off a penalty ... Read More
Pirates sweep doubleheader
Taking both games of a doubleheader is a tough feat to accomplish, but with 10-4 and 7-3 wins, the Pittsburgh Pirates did so over the Cincinnati Reds. These two victories bring the Pirates to 74-74 and put them on a four-game winning streak. The Pirates never trailed in either game and, Sunday, will be going for their seventh series sweep and second consecutive four-game road series sweep of the season. The other came Aug. 25-28 against the Milwaukee Brewers. In Game 1, the Pirates ... Read More
10 momentum-swinging plays from Pitt-Oklahoma State
It was a wild shootout of a game, but, despite things clicking offensively, the Pitt Panthers couldn't overcome the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the Cowboys won, 45-38, in wild fashion. While the game had a ton of key moments, here are the 10 plays that had the biggest impact on the game's momentum. 1. Oklahoma State came out flying right out of the shoot. After a botched kickoff return, the Cowboys were pinned at their own 9-yard line. No matter, they launched a long ball on their first play. ... Read More
Next-man-up mindset helps push Penn State over Temple
Depth has been a recurring issue for the Penn State Nittany Lions football in each of James Franklin's first two seasons at the helm. This year, in Saturday afternoon's game, the Nittany Lions overcame losing four defensive starters to defeat Temple 34-27 at Beaver Stadium. “At one point, we had seven starters out on defense,” Franklin said of his depleted defense. “I love how the defense handled it. It was next-man-up. Very proud of that.” Next-man-up: Defense The next-man-up mantra ... Read More
Cheers and Jeers: Aerial attack pushes Penn State past Temple
Penn State withstood a strong second half from the Temple, and the Nittany Lions beat the Owls 34-27 in front of 100,420 fans at Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Here are the game's “Cheers and Jeers.” Cheers Special teams stand out— Throughout Penn State's first three games, no unit has shown as much improvement as special teams, which was especially evident in the successes Penn State had against the Owls. Blake Gillikin continued his masterful punting, kicker Joe Julius put multiple ... Read More
Column: Don’t sleep on wide reciever Eli Rogers
The Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves a diamond in the rough with wide receiver Eli Rogers. The Steelers found Rogers last year and signed him as undrafted free agent out of Louisville, but he was placed on the team’s injured reserve last August and spent the whole 2015 season on IR. This year, Rogers appeared in his first NFL regular season game, which he even started. In his first game, he recorded six receptions for 59 yards. He even earned his first NFL touchdown after it bobbled ... Read More
Pirates win in Cincinnati in extra innings
It took extra innings, but the Pittsburgh Pirates took the first of a three-game road series by a 9-7 score Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds. The game was tied at six heading into the 10th inning, when the Reds brought in closer Tony Cingrani. A total of eight Pirates batters would step up to face him. Cingrani (2-5) started the inning with a four-pitch walk to Jung Ho Kang, which was followed by a Sean Rodriguez single and a Francisco Cervelli bunt single that was upheld after a ... Read More
Column: Why Steelers-Bengals rivalry is best in football
When it comes to putting a finger on the pulse of what it is people love about sports, one of the first things that comes to mind is rivalries. There are plenty of cities that can boast about having the best rivalries, but few hold a candle to the city of Pittsburgh. Especially when it comes to football. Did you happen to experience the renewal of the Pitt-Penn State football rivalry last weekend in front of the largest crowd for a Pittsburgh sports event ever? Or what about the famous ... Read More