Lewis leads Pitt over Cincinnati

Associated Press

CINCINNATI

On another blustery day, nobody was going to stop Dion Lewis — or top him, either.

The sophomore tailback ran for a career-high 261 yards and four touchdowns on a snow-covered field Saturday, leading Pittsburgh to a 28-10 victory over Cincinnati and a share of the Big East title that provided some small consolation.

The Panthers (7-5, 5-2) were on track to win the league outright a week earlier, but a home loss to West Virginia essentially scuttled their chances and put Connecticut in control with the tiebreakers. Instead, Pitt wound up playing its final regular-season game for a piece of first place.

And a little payback, too.

A steady snow buried the yard lines and reminded both teams of their matchup one year ago at Heinz Field, where the Bearcats rallied from a 31-10 deficit to a 45-44 win in the final minute. Cincinnati got its second straight Big East title and a Sugar Bowl appearance. Pittsburgh got a heartache that hasn’t gone away.

Lewis eased it a bit.

“Last year, it was for the Big East championship and they beat us on our home field,” Lewis said. “Everybody still had the sour taste in our mouths. We had a chance today to get a little revenge.”

Lewis led the way, getting his second huge game against Cincinnati (4-8, 2-5). He carried 42 times overall and scored three times in the first half — matching his previous career high — for a 21-10 lead that stood up in the blustery conditions.

“The field was slippery,” said Tino Sunseri, who completed 14 of 23 for 158 yards with an interception. “There were ice chips everywhere on the field.”

No problem for Lewis. Last year in the cold, he ran for 194 yards and three touchdowns on a school-record 47 carries against Cincinnati, a highlight to his record-setting freshman season at Pitt. That showing got overshadowed by the Bearcats’ comeback.

The conditions suited him again on Saturday.

“It got a little cold,” Lewis said. “But I don’t mind.”

The Bearcats’ young defense and high-powered offense struggled again.

“This is unacceptable,” first-year Cincinnati coach Butch Jones said. “We’re going to get this right. We can’t forget how we feel right now. I’m looking forward to next year.”