TicketsIf you've been a Cincinnati Bearcats fan for any period, you know certain moments are particularly special. Maybe it's Nippert At Night—our secret thunder dome that's beaten the odds for a century and survived the changing tides of college football long enough to host 21st century nights of mayhem on ESPN. Maybe it's those explosive Fifth Third Arena moments—a capacity crowd pleading for a cathartic release of energy that only a perfectly timed dunk or three-pointer can satisfy. When it comes, it feels like it might knock the walls down. Another of these moments is Down The Drive in enemy territory—the Bearcats in a hostile environment and the fans who dared to travel rallying behind the 'Cats with a time-honored cheer that washes over opposing fans who aren't sure what just hit them.
Analysts will tell you that, on the generous end, home-field advantage is only worth a few points. That's not just crowd noise, either. Consider travel time, altitude, weather, field conditions, etc. What I'm saying is that our individual impact on the teams we watch is extraordinarily negligible, even on days we're in the stands to scream and holler. This makes sports fandom sort of illogical. How have we all become so emotionally dependent on something we have no control over?
In Saturday's first half, the Bearcats were in trouble. Through six offensive drives, UC punted four times and turned the ball over twice. Indiana put 14 points on the board. Fans that had been treating the game as an appetizer to October's trip to South Bend were starting to wonder if someone was going to shut down the party early and considering how that long drive back to Cincinnati might feel.
But then the tides started to turn. An extended drive led to seven points. A timely interception led to three more. Suddenly the Bearcats were running into the locker room down four at the half. Through a volley of scoring and turnovers after the break, UC faithful who made the trip to Bloomington started to rumble as the Bearcats traded blows with a good Hoosiers team. In the third quarter, the lead changed hands four times before closing with Indiana up a single point headed to the fourth.
THESE 'CATS TRAVEL! 🚌🚗✈️
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) September 18, 2021
Thanks for coming, Cincinnati. ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/CaoXA9w5VK
It's somewhere during this phase of the game—as your heart rate is skyrocketing and you're on the edge of your sofa or pasted to a hot metal bleacher in Bloomington, sick with anxiety—when the thought crosses your mind: "Why do I do this? How is this what I do in my free time? This can't be healthy."
With less than four minutes remaining and the 'Cats sitting on a six-point lead, Malik Vann and Myjai Sanders flush Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. out of the pocket. Looking for something downfield on 3rd and 16, Penix throws across his body into traffic near midfield. Sophomore LB Deshawn Pace lurches in front of the throw, immediately headed full speed in the opposite direction, weaving through crimson jerseys before being forced out of bounds inside the Hoosier 10-yard line, just below the end of Memorial Stadium holding thousands of sweaty and suddenly jubilant Bearcats fans. Two plays later, Desmond Ridder tucks it and dives into the south end zone, putting Cincinnati ahead by two touchdowns.
Deshawn Pace (The Joker) (@Deshawn_pac3) is the @American_FB defensive player of the week after his 10 tackles and game-sealing INT in @GoBearcatsFB's win at Indiana. #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/1VeDa0tH5e
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) September 20, 2021
And that's when it happened: Down The Drive, clear as crystal, a party re-ignited in Bloomington. That's why we watch sports. That's why we drive two and a half hours into Indiana. That's why we sweat in the bleachers, or on our couch.
For a special moment only felt by those of us illogical enough to care.
UP NEXT The Bearcats are off this weekend before making their long-awaited trip to South Bend to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 2. They're back in Cincinnati on Friday, October 8 for a sold-out date with Temple under the lights.there were a LOT of Bearcats in Bloomington today pic.twitter.com/1O0PMW22AH
— actioncookbook (@actioncookbook) September 18, 2021
UCF comes to town on October 16. Tickets to that game are still available HERE.