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By Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI - With 10:37 left and the game on the line against their local rival, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats turned to their running game Saturday.
They needed a score and they needed to run time off the clock, but they also had fresh memories of being able to gain only 30 rushing yards last week against Houston.
This time UC put together a grinding 12-play, 64-yard drive and scored the game-winning touchdown on running back Tion Green's 2-yard run with 5:38 remaining on the way to a 27-20 victory over Miami in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell before 38,112 fans at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats (3-1) have now won 11 straight over the RedHawks (0-4), the longest winning streak for either team in the rivalry that began in 1888. Miami still leads the series, though, 59-55-7.
It wasn't lost on UC coach Tommy Tuberville that nine of the plays on that game-winning drive were running plays or that the Bearcats rushed for 185 yards against the Redhawks. Or that they controlled time of possession with 36:29 to 23:31 for Miami.
"We knew we were gonna have to win the game in the fourth quarter and we were able to ball control it," Tuberville said. "At the end of the game, to win a game, you've got to learn to run the football and our players know that. We got better today running and we've got to run the ball better to have a chance to continue to win games down the road."
Tuberville pulled off a surprise by starting redshirt freshman Ross Trail at quarterback in place of Hayden Moore, who suffered a low ankle sprain in the Houston game. Just a few days earlier, Tuberville had heaped extensive praise on senior Gunner Kiel at his weekly press conference, leading to speculation that Kiel - UC's starter the last two years - would either start or see his most extensive playing time of the season.
Instead he went with the untested but promising Trail, having made the decision on Monday.
"We kept it pretty quiet and I thought that helped us," Tuberville said. "Ross made some mistakes, but he was helped by his offensive line and his running backs. And his receivers made some good catches.
"He's ahead of Gunner in terms of knowing the offense. We knew we were gonna have to start getting some help out of the running game with our quarterback and we knew that Ross could give us that more than Gunner. We'll go into this week with Ross Trail at quarterback. If Hayden comes back, they'll all compete again."
Trail has impressed his teammates with his calm confidence and it was no different as he prepared for his first career start. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 276 yards and ran for an 11-yard touchdown. He also turned the ball over three times, with a fumble on a sack and two interceptions.
"It was nerve-wracking at first," Trail said, "but after getting those first three plays out of the way I was calm. Overall I thought I played well, not just me but our whole offense. We started out pretty rocky but we stepped up in the fourth quarter. I prepared the week just like I do every week. I just tried to stay as calm as possible."
Miami gave the Bearcats all they could handle for the third straight year and led, 20-17, heading into the fourth quarter. When UC rallied to win it was the first time since 2011 over a span of 14 games that the Bearcats had come back to win after trailing as they entered the fourth quarter. They've now won 30 straight non-conference games at Nippert dating to 2003.
The score was tied, 10-10, at halftime. Miami took the lead with 9:18 left in the third quarter on a 58-yard touchdown pass from RedHawk quarterback Billy Bahl to Jared Murphy. UC answered with a 12-play, 66-yard drive that ended with Mike Boone's 2-yard touchdown run, but Miami reclaimed the lead when Nick Dowd kicked a 35-yard field goal with 3:05 left in the third quarter.
The tide began to turn for UC when defensive tackle Marquise Copeland sacked Bahl and forced a fumble that defensive end Mark Wilson recovered for UC at the Miami 34. Josh Pasley, filling in for the injured Andrew Gantz, then drilled a 23-yard field goal to tie the score at 20-20.
After the UC defense forced a three-and-out, the Bearcats took over on their own 36. That's when their running game rose to the occasion.
"I thought we could play toe-to-toe with Cincinnati," said Miami coach Chuck Martin. "We were going to grind it and come close in the fourth quarter. They made some plays on that last drive so give them credit."
Miami's Bahl completed 13 of 24 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns. UC lost the turnover battle, 3-2, but the RedHawks managed only 65 rushing yards in another close call against the Bearcats.
"It's a great thing that we can keep that bell for 11 years in a row," Green said. "Those guys always come and give us a great matchup and those guys compete 'til the final whistle."
For Trail, the whole Victory Bell rivalry is still pretty new. But he's starting to get the hang of it.
"When I got here they said we have a rivalry with Miami of Ohio," Trail said. "I was like, what is Miami of Ohio? I'm from Arkansas. But after seeing the passion over the last two years of the players in this game, it makes it clear to me how important this is to everyone and how important it is to our fans. To me now, it's huge. I'm honored to get my first start in this game and also honored that I got my first win."
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January, 2015.