TicketsThe Bearcats are heading to conference play after a decisive 45-24 victory over Indiana.
The win closes Cincinnati's final non-conference slate as a member of the American Athletic Conference, signaling the end of a very particular era. As the Bearcats move into the Big 12 Conference in July, they'll no longer be a Group of Five team trying to lure marquee non-conference foes to Clifton. They've been good at beating the brave ones, though.
Cincinnati is 7-0 against Power Five non-conference opponents at Nippert Stadium in the last 15 years. The next visitor to Clifton will bring a different power dynamic, which means a crucial part of the program's 21st-century identity is dying.
In honor of the end of this era, a look back at those seven wins:
September 6, 2007 - Cincinnati 34, Oregon State 3 In Brian Kelly's second home game as head coach of the Bearcats, his team set the tone. The 'Cats smacked an Oregon State team that was receiving votes in the AP Poll––the first signature win of the Kelly era. Freshman Marcus Barnett caught a touchdown pass from Ben Mauk and later recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. UC closed the game on a 31-0 run. "It sends the message that the University of Cincinnati needs to be looked at as a Top 25 program," said Kelly after the game. "Now, the first coat of paint is on. We're not a finished product." November 27, 2009 - Cincinnati 49, Illinois 36 In a perfect bookend to the Oregon State game, Illinois was the final home game for Brian Kelly as head coach in Cincinnati. The Illini scored first, but Mardy Gilyard took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to paydirt, and the Bearcats never looked back, making Illinois play catch-up all night as the 'Cats advanced to 11-0. It was Pike's first start since missing four games with an arm injury, and his six touchdown passes (against zero interceptions) are a single-game program record that still stands. September 22, 2011 - Cincinnati 44, NC State 14 Butch Jones and the Bearcats laid it on from all angles against the Wolfpack in 2011. Zach Collaros threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more. Isaiah Pead racked up 167 rushing yards, scoring a touchdown on the ground and catching another. The Cincinnati defense held NC State to minus-26 rushing yards. Junior Pat O'Donnell booted a 76-yard punt. "Things started snowballing," Wolfpack linebacker Audie Cole said. "Any time you lose like that, it's embarrassing." August 31, 2013 - Cincinnati 42, Purdue 7 The first game of the Tommy Tuberville era was a sweltering barnburner. Purdue scored with three minutes remaining in the first half to tie the game at seven. Then the Cincinnati offense roared as temperatures on the field climbed to near 100 degrees. In front of a then-record crowd of 36,007, Munchie Legaux, Hosey Williams, Ralph David Abernathy IV, and the Bearcats scored the final 35 points in a blowout.
October 1, 2015 - Cincinnati 34, Miami (FL) 23 Following an emotional loss in Memphis that saw the injury of starting QB Gunner Kiel, the Bearcats returned to Nippert Stadium against an undefeated, brand-name opponent. Freshman Hayden Moore, in his first career start, was tasked with avenging a 2014 blowout loss in Miami Gardens. He answered the bell, throwing for 279 yards and scoring three total touchdowns in front of an electric 40,101 fans––the third-largest crowd in Nippert Stadium history. August 29, 2019 - Cincinnati 24, UCLA 14 After a breakout 11-win season in 2018 that began with a win in Los Angeles, the Bearcats welcomed the Bruins to Cincinnati––this time entering the contest as a known commodity. In his first game as a sophomore, Desmond Ridder opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to Josiah Deguara. UCLA made it a three-point game late in the third quarter, but sturdy defense, and a 21-yard touchdown catch by Michael Warren II, sealed the first win of 11 for Cincinnati in 2019. September 24, 2022 - Cincinnati 45, Indiana 24 Ben Bryant lit up the scoreboard in the first half, throwing a career-best four touchdowns as part of a 38-10 halftime lead. Three scores went to Tyler Scott (a school record for a first half), and the Bearcats built a mountain too high for the Hoosiers to climb, locking down an early season win over Indiana for the second year in a row. Up Next The Bearcats are off to Tulsa to open the American Athletic Conference schedule. They return home on October 8 for Homecoming against South Florida. Tickets are available in an extremely limited quantity HERE. Read More
The win closes Cincinnati's final non-conference slate as a member of the American Athletic Conference, signaling the end of a very particular era. As the Bearcats move into the Big 12 Conference in July, they'll no longer be a Group of Five team trying to lure marquee non-conference foes to Clifton. They've been good at beating the brave ones, though.
Cincinnati is 7-0 against Power Five non-conference opponents at Nippert Stadium in the last 15 years. The next visitor to Clifton will bring a different power dynamic, which means a crucial part of the program's 21st-century identity is dying.
In honor of the end of this era, a look back at those seven wins:
September 6, 2007 - Cincinnati 34, Oregon State 3 In Brian Kelly's second home game as head coach of the Bearcats, his team set the tone. The 'Cats smacked an Oregon State team that was receiving votes in the AP Poll––the first signature win of the Kelly era. Freshman Marcus Barnett caught a touchdown pass from Ben Mauk and later recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. UC closed the game on a 31-0 run. "It sends the message that the University of Cincinnati needs to be looked at as a Top 25 program," said Kelly after the game. "Now, the first coat of paint is on. We're not a finished product." November 27, 2009 - Cincinnati 49, Illinois 36 In a perfect bookend to the Oregon State game, Illinois was the final home game for Brian Kelly as head coach in Cincinnati. The Illini scored first, but Mardy Gilyard took the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to paydirt, and the Bearcats never looked back, making Illinois play catch-up all night as the 'Cats advanced to 11-0. It was Pike's first start since missing four games with an arm injury, and his six touchdown passes (against zero interceptions) are a single-game program record that still stands. September 22, 2011 - Cincinnati 44, NC State 14 Butch Jones and the Bearcats laid it on from all angles against the Wolfpack in 2011. Zach Collaros threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more. Isaiah Pead racked up 167 rushing yards, scoring a touchdown on the ground and catching another. The Cincinnati defense held NC State to minus-26 rushing yards. Junior Pat O'Donnell booted a 76-yard punt. "Things started snowballing," Wolfpack linebacker Audie Cole said. "Any time you lose like that, it's embarrassing." August 31, 2013 - Cincinnati 42, Purdue 7 The first game of the Tommy Tuberville era was a sweltering barnburner. Purdue scored with three minutes remaining in the first half to tie the game at seven. Then the Cincinnati offense roared as temperatures on the field climbed to near 100 degrees. In front of a then-record crowd of 36,007, Munchie Legaux, Hosey Williams, Ralph David Abernathy IV, and the Bearcats scored the final 35 points in a blowout.
October 1, 2015 - Cincinnati 34, Miami (FL) 23 Following an emotional loss in Memphis that saw the injury of starting QB Gunner Kiel, the Bearcats returned to Nippert Stadium against an undefeated, brand-name opponent. Freshman Hayden Moore, in his first career start, was tasked with avenging a 2014 blowout loss in Miami Gardens. He answered the bell, throwing for 279 yards and scoring three total touchdowns in front of an electric 40,101 fans––the third-largest crowd in Nippert Stadium history. August 29, 2019 - Cincinnati 24, UCLA 14 After a breakout 11-win season in 2018 that began with a win in Los Angeles, the Bearcats welcomed the Bruins to Cincinnati––this time entering the contest as a known commodity. In his first game as a sophomore, Desmond Ridder opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to Josiah Deguara. UCLA made it a three-point game late in the third quarter, but sturdy defense, and a 21-yard touchdown catch by Michael Warren II, sealed the first win of 11 for Cincinnati in 2019. September 24, 2022 - Cincinnati 45, Indiana 24 Ben Bryant lit up the scoreboard in the first half, throwing a career-best four touchdowns as part of a 38-10 halftime lead. Three scores went to Tyler Scott (a school record for a first half), and the Bearcats built a mountain too high for the Hoosiers to climb, locking down an early season win over Indiana for the second year in a row. Up Next The Bearcats are off to Tulsa to open the American Athletic Conference schedule. They return home on October 8 for Homecoming against South Florida. Tickets are available in an extremely limited quantity HERE. Read More