“We wanted to ring the bell,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “We just put a huge emphasis on it. In our heads before we even got (to Oxford), we were getting that bell back. It was a complete team win.”
The Bearcats kicked off to Miami to commence the 128th Battle for the Victory Bell, and Miami started with a bang. The RedHawks’ first drive included multiple catches by fifth-year senior receiver Cade McDonald but ended when fifth-year quarterback Brett Gabbert threw an interception in the endzone.
Miami head coach Chuck Martin said the first drive changed the game from the beginning.
“We should have had an easy score,” Martin said. “That’s a different game.”
Cincinnati went up 3-0 when Nathan Hawks hit a 55-yard field goal.
Miami answered on a 30-yard field goal from Dom Dzioban.
Cincinnati took the lead for good with 10:37 left in the second on Brendan Sorsby’s 3-yard TD pass to Joe Royer.
The Bearcats made it 17-3 with a 1-yard TD run from Cincy native Corey Kiner, who finished with 126 yards on the ground.
Credit: Kasey Turman
Credit: Kasey Turman
Although Kiner had an explosive day on the ground, Martin said he was “ecstatic” with how the defense contained him.
The RedHawks responded with a four-play, 75-yard drive. Junior receiver Reggie Virgil hauled in a 58-yard touchdown launched by Gabbert to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 17-10.
Evan Pryor upped the Bearcats’ lead to 24-10 on a 65-yard TD jaunt with 13:01 to play.
Gabbert then capped off a five-minute drive with a 7-yard TD pass to Cade McDonald. The RedHawks’ two-point conversion attempt came up short.
Miami (0-2) got the ball back and drove into UC territory but came up short on a fourth-down play.
The Bearcats (2-1) clinched the win with Hawks’ 50-yard field goal with 59 seconds left.
Hawks, making his first collegiate start, became the first Bearcats kicker to make two field goals of 50-plus yards in a game.
“(Special teams) were a huge thing this week, a lot of attention to detail,” Hawks said. I like to watch Justin Tucker. On his longer field goals, he’ll take a step back and get himself back into it. I feel like I’m going to get through the ball a little better when I do that.”
Hawks started his college career at Wittenburg in Ohio, and he transferred to Cincinnati after getting connected with Bearcats special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs.
Gabbert finished 23-of-35 for 339 yards, two TDs and an interception. McDonald caught eight passes for 135 yards.
Xzavier Henderson had 10 receptions for 108 yards for UC.
Miami travels to No. 18 Notre Dame next Saturday. UC hosts Houston.
(The Associated Press contributed)
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