Cincinnati Bearcats 2008 Orange Bowl team to be honored at game vs. Pitt

Brian Kelly's second squad of Cincinnati Bearcats will be honored this season for their 2008 season Sept. 7 at noon when the 2024 Bearcats host Pitt.

The 2008 campaign featured the first UC victory over Pittsburgh.

The 28-21 home win over the 20th-ranked Panthers on Nov. 22, 2008, helped propel the Bearcats to their first BIG EAST Championship and first-ever BCS Bowl appearance at the Orange Bowl. The "River City Rivalry" trophy still resides somewhere in the Richard E. Lindner Center.

UC held a 21-7 third-quarter lead over Pitt thanks to three touchdown passes from Tony Pike to Marcus Barnett, Mardy Gilyard and Dominick Goodman. The Panthers cut the lead to 28-21 with 1:22 left, but the Bearcats held on for victory as the fans rushed the field.

Goodman’s touchdown catch was the 22nd of his career, which set the school record at the time.

Cincinnati’s receivers on the 2008 team were so prolific that Goodman, Gilyard and Armon Binns all matched or exceeded the previous school record for touchdown catches (21). Goodman was a Colerain legend, Gilyard will be inducted into the James P. Kelly UC Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 20 and Binns would make history with Pike the following year hauling down a historic pass that would lead the Bearcats to the 2009 Sugar Bowl. Coach Kelly departed for Notre Dame after three seasons.

The 2008 team went on to play Virginia Tech in the 75th Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2009, outside of Miami. The team featured nine all-conference players and dozens of future NFL draft picks, including Gilyard, Pike, Jason and Travis Kelce, Connor Barwin, Kevin Huber, DeAngelo Smith, John Hughes, Derek Wolfe and Mike Mickens.

Cincinnati Bearcats sellout streak at Nippert Stadium

The Bearcats hope to keep their string of 18 consecutive Nippert Stadium sellouts with their opener Aug. 31 vs. Towson and the Sept. 7 game vs. Pitt. Single-game tickets for both games are available with the lowest ticket being $30.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats 2008 Orange Bowl team to be honored at game vs. Pitt