It was a tale of two halves at TQL Stadium on Saturday between the two oldest non-conference opponents in college football. Since 1888, these two programs have battled, and the final scheduled game of the rivalry came at TQL Stadium, where Cincinnati battled back down 28-7 to win 35-31.
“Miami played great, we did not play so great, and in the second half, our guys came out and played a really nice second half,” said Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield
Remiscent of 2023, Miami scored on the first play of the game; this time Scoop Smith shocked the predominantly Cincinnati-favored crowd when he took the opening kickoff all the way to the house.
Miami then tacked on seven more points after they forced a three-and-out, which made it 14-0 not even five minutes into the game.
Cincinnati finally responded when they took it down the field and scored, capped off on a Cole Tabb touchdown run.
Cincinnati couldn’t get out of their own way throughout the first half and allowed Miami chance after chance.
Near the end of the first half, Miami committed three consecutive penalties and was up against a 2nd-and-23, yet somehow converted a first down on a 3rd-and-long. Later, McComb took it 6 yards into the house for a 21-7 lead.
Miami then extended to a 28-7 lead to end the half, then chorused by Fire Satterfield chants and boos as Cincinnati went to the locker room.
“It deserved some boos. I was booing, I was booing too. I was booing myself,” said Satterfield.
Nothing changed to open the second half – French was sacked on 4th down in their own end and continued his abysmal game behind a struggling offensive line, supposedly deemed to have all-Americans.
After a blocked Miami field goal on a bad hold, Cincinnati drove 80 yards down the field that was finished off by a French QB sneak, which made it 28-14.
“I felt the momentum switching there in the 3rd quarter after we scored a couple touchdowns,” said Satterfield.
Cincinnati’s Kenny Worthy later picked it off on Miami’s 31 and put the offense in perfect field position. Tabb then took a short pass from French in for a touchdown, which put Cincinnati down seven late in the third quarter.
French was later strip sacked and gave Miami perfect field position, and the RedHawks failed to capitalize after missing a 45-yard field goal.
Cincinnati took advantage, and French found JV Gibson all alone in the end zone to trim the deficit to three, 31-28, late in the fourth quarter.
Tabb later broke it wide open down the field for a 53-yard touchdown to give Cincinnati their first lead of the night, and they later sealed it.
McComb was later sacked and fumbled, which ended it.
Give credit where credit is due. Cincinnati showed a lot of grit after being at half like that, but it’s concerning seeing how the first half because that can’t happen against BIG 12 opponents.
French had a rough first half along with the offensive line but showed toughness in the second. He finished 31-43, 309 yards, and two TDs with a 72% completion rate, and gave up a sack fumble but recovered after that. Tabb finished with three touchdowns, two rushing and one caught, and 121 total yards.
The turning points Miami squandered away were two critical ones: a missed field goal and the decision to kick a field goal on fourth and goal at the one. Miami also recovered multiple of their own fumbles, all the more giving credit to the way Cincinnati came back in this game despite some tough luck.
Miami head coach Chuck Martin wants this rivalry to continue yearly as a buy game at Nippert. “Play Cincinnati, on the road, at Nippert, every year, have them pay us…they’re going to pay somebody, pay us, and we get an unbelievable opportunity that’s really, really important. I don’t know if I can’t speak for the Cincinnati fan base. I assume it’s very important to them. I know it’s important for our fan base.”
Whether it was the final victory bell game or not, the Victory Bells remains in Clifton for at least a few years to come.
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