Cincinnati had to climb out of a hole, and then some, before finally seizing the Victory Bell.
The Bearcats erased a 28-7 halftime deficit and stunned Miami (Ohio) 35-31 on Saturday at TQL Stadium in the 129th Battle for the Victory Bell. Cole Tabb’s 53-yard touchdown run with 1:29 left put the finish line in sight, and Antwan Peek Jr.’s strip sack in the final seconds sealed it after Miami reached the UC 33-yard line.
It was Cincinnati’s biggest comeback since rallying from 21-0 down against Ohio on Sept. 22, 2018.
“It was a tale of two halves. The first half, Miami played great, we did not play so great.
In the second half, our guys came out and played a really nice second half," head coach Scott Sattefield shared in his postgame press conference. "They came right out for the opening kickoff and took it all the way with the little fake reverse.
That kid can run as fast, which we knew were coming in, and they did a great job to start the first half. And I thought they just kept that momentum the whole first half.
We really didn't do anything good on offense, defense, or special teams in the first half. To our guys' credit, in the second half they regrouped, went out with a with a purpose and a plan to go out and grab the second half, take it one game or one play at a time, and we're going to be aggressive.”
Miami wasted no time taking control. Scoop Smith opened the scoring by bringing the kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown, and after a quick three-and-out, the RedHawks added another jolt when Lazaro Rogers scored on a 12-yard run. Less than five minutes into the game, Miami was up 14-0.
Cincinnati steadied itself on its second possession and finally got on the board with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Tabb finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run after setting up the chance himself with a 17-yard catch from JC French IV that was initially ruled a touchdown before review placed the ball at the Miami 1.
The RedHawks kept rolling in the second quarter. David McComb capped a 10-play, 91-yard march with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 21-7, and after Stephen Rusnak missed a 52-yard field goal late in the half, Miami struck again. McComb hit Maleek Huggins for a 36-yard touchdown to send the RedHawks into the locker room with a 28-7 lead.
From there, Cincinnati flipped the game.
Miami’s opening drive of the second half turned into a momentum swing when Kellan McLaughlin’s 36-yard field goal attempt hit the back of his lineman’s helmet and fell incomplete. Cincinnati immediately attacked, with French finding Larenzo Fenner for 38 yards down the left sideline before punching in a 1-yard quarterback sneak to cut it to 28-14.
The defense then delivered the next big punch. Kenny Worthy intercepted McComb with a diving catch at Miami’s 31, and Cincinnati turned that into another score when French hit Tabb for an 8-yard touchdown. That made it 28-21 late in the third quarter and gave the Bearcats 14 straight unanswered points.
Miami answered with a deep shot to Huggins and a roughing-the-passer penalty, but Cincinnati’s defense tightened inside the 10. Antwan Peek Jr. and Damaine Wilson forced back-to-back fumbles, though Miami recovered both to keep the RedHawks in front heading to the fourth.
The Bearcats kept grinding. Facing 3rd-and-goal from the 2, Cincinnati’s defense forced Miami to settle for an 18-yard field goal, and the RedHawks pushed the margin to 31-21 with 13:51 left.
Even then, Cincinnati had more left.
French was strip sacked at the UC 41, giving Miami another short field, but the Bearcats forced a 45-yard field-goal try after Josh Hough’s sack for a loss of 12 yards. That miss kept the door open.
French then found JV Gibson wide open in the back right corner of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown, trimming the margin to 31-28 with 6:20 remaining. It was the third straight week French and Gibson connected for a touchdown.
After a Miami third-and-long conversion, Cincinnati got the stop it needed and forced a punt. The Bearcats took over with 3:46 left, French converted a fourth-and-two to Gavin Grover over the middle, and Tabb took it from there, bursting 53 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Miami still had one last chance, but Peek’s strip sack, recovered by Drew Logan, ended it.
Cincinnati outscored Miami 28-3 after halftime and outgained the RedHawks 280-163 in the second half. Tabb finished with 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while French threw for 309 yards and two scores and also ran for a touchdown. Peek led the defense with nine tackles and two forced fumbles.
In Other News...
Bearcats Escaped A Scare But One Problem Still Looks Serious
The Bearcats survived a tense cross-town test with a 35-31 win over Miami (OH), erasing a 28-7 halftime deficit in a game that exposed some real early issues. JC French IV helped steady Cincinnati after the break, and the defense settled in enough to keep Miami out of the end zone in the second half, turning what looked like a damaging night into a comeback victory.
Still, the box score did not hide everything. Miami quarterback David McComb put together a career-best passing performance, and Cincinnatis first-half defense spent too much time on its heels before tightening up later. The rally was impressive, but the Bearcats also left with a reminder that the margin for error is thin if the early-game problems show up again. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Just Earned A New Ohio Bragging Right
The latest J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study offers a small but notable point of pride for the Cincinnati area. Among the thousands of passenger surveys behind the 2026 rankings, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport came out as the highest-rated airport in Ohio, a marker that speaks to how travelers are experiencing the airports overall service and facilities.
The study showed satisfaction rising across mega, large and medium airports in North America, with Tampa International Airport leading the large-airport category and Charleston International Airport topping medium airports. For Cincinnati, the state-level distinction is the kind of off-field bragging right that matters more than it might first seem, especially in a region where ease of travel can shape how fans, visitors and businesses move in and out of town. [Read more 🡒]
JC French Gave Bearcats Fans A Rivalry Win To Believe In
At TQL Stadium, JC French gave Cincinnati fans exactly the kind of rivalry performance they were hoping to see, and then some. The Bearcats quarterback turned in a career night with 309 passing yards, added two touchdown throws and also found the end zone on the ground as UC rallied for a 35-31 comeback win over Miami.
Miamis David McComb was nearly as sharp in a game that stayed tense into the closing minutes, piling up a career-best 334 passing yards. But the RedHawks could not overcome a late interception, and Cincinnatis defense made one final play to help seal a victory that felt especially meaningful in a game where both quarterbacks took their lumps and both offenses kept trading blows. [Read more 🡒]