Cincinnati didn’t waste much time turning Saturday night into a showcase. The Bearcats blasted Western Carolina 62-10 on Sept. 12, 2026, at Nippert Stadium in their “Nipp at Night” game, and the final margin barely captured how lopsided it became once the offense hit its stride.
The start was a little choppy, though. Western Carolina opened with a 12-play, 60-yard march that burned more than six minutes and ended with a 33-yard field goal, as Cincinnati’s defense settled in. But once the Bearcats got the ball, fifth-year quarterback JC French IV took over.
French guided a 13-play, 75-yard drive that finished with a five-yard touchdown pass to fifth-year receiver JV Gibson, and that was only the beginning of his first-half rhythm. He went 21 of 24 for 245 yards and two touchdowns before the break, at one point stringing together 13 straight completions. Gibson was a major part of that surge, finishing with five catches for 79 yards and a score.
French also found third-year tight end Lyviel Waters for the first collegiate reception and touchdown of Waters’ career, a 2-yard strike that kept the Bearcats moving. Western Carolina briefly tightened things up, trimming the lead to 14-10 midway through the second quarter, but Cincinnati answered immediately and decisively.
Third-year running back Cole Tabb broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run, then French hit Gibson for a 50-yard gain - Cincinnati’s longest play from scrimmage this season - before second-year running back Zion Johnson scored on the next snap. That burst sent the Bearcats into halftime with a 28-10 edge.
From there, the ground game took over completely. Fifth-year running back Gi’Bran Payne found the end zone on runs of 40 and 17 yards, and fifth-year running back Zylan Perry added a 40-yard touchdown as Cincinnati kept widening the gap. Payne finished with 102 yards on 12 carries, his second straight 100-yard rushing game.
By the end, the numbers were staggering: 418 rushing yards and 690 total yards, both good for top-six marks in program history for a single game. Cincinnati also piled up seven rushing touchdowns after Western Carolina’s second-quarter score.
The fourth quarter became a chance to get more bodies on the field, and the Bearcats still found more points. Fifth-year transfer Liam O’Brien made his Cincinnati debut and scored on an 11-yard run, and third-year quarterback Samaj Jones closed things out with a 4-yard rushing touchdown on the final drive.
Cincinnati’s defense did its part after halftime, shutting out the Catamounts and forcing five three-and-outs. The crowd at Nippert Stadium made life even harder for Western Carolina, with the noise causing issues throughout the night.
The win keeps Cincinnati unbeaten as nonconference play continues. The Bearcats are back Sept. 19 against Miami (Ohio) in the Battle for the Victory Bell at TQL Stadium, a 3:30 p.m. kickoff and the first football game to be played at the venue.
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J.C. French May Have Just Answered Cincinnatis Biggest Early Question
The late first-half stretch was the kind Cincinnati had been waiting to see from J.C. French. A 14-yard completion followed by a 50-yarder helped open things up before halftime, and the Bearcats kept rolling from there in a 62-10 win that offered a much cleaner look at the offense than the seasons early uncertainty had provided. French finished 21 of 24 for 245 yards and two touchdowns, a sharp outing that gave the passing game some needed credibility.
Just as important for Cincinnati, the quarterback did not have to carry the load alone. The backfield was active throughout, with Zylan Perry, Cole Tabb, Gi'Bran Payne and Zion Johnson all chipping in meaningful rushing production and scores. For a team trying to settle its identity, that kind of balance can matter as much as any single throw, even if the bigger test of what it all means is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]