TicketsHOUSTON – Junior running back Corey Kiner rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 23 carries to lead the Cincinnati football team to a 24-14 victory over Houston on Saturday at TDECU Stadium.
The victory marked the first Big 12 Conference win for the Bearcats, who entered the league on July 1, 2023, and snapped a seven-game losing streak. It also was the fourth straight win for Cincinnati over Houston in the series.
Cincinnati (3-7 overall, 1-6 in the Big 12) entered the game fifth in the nation in rushing (225.4 yards per game) and leaned into what it does best even adding sixth-year senior Trevor Radosevich as a sixth offensive linemen/tight end on several short-yardage situations.
"We are really proud of our guys tonight," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It has been a struggle and we all know that, but to come here and for our guys to continue to fight and practice the way they did and come out and play for each other was great.
"We had only one penalty on a pass interference, but other than that I thought we played mistake-free. We took care of the football. Corey Kiner, again, was a tough runner. He had 129 yards, two touchdowns and really ran hard trying to break tackles. Our quarterbacks were very efficient. Emory [Jones] was 13-16 and Brady [Lichtenberg] 4-7, which was good to keep the chains moving throwing the football. It took everybody tonight, including [Mason] Fletcher, on the last punt to pin them at the five-yard line to make them drive the field. Again, I'm really proud of our guys and excited to get this first Big 12 win."
The Bearcats defense did its part too, holding Houston quarterback Donovan Smith to just 32 passing yards in the first half – the third-fewest yards passing in the opening half in the FBS this season.
Overall, UC held Houston to just 241 total yards and tallied three interceptions as well as a crucial fourth down stop in the fourth quarter.
Smith threw picks to defensive back Deshawn Pace in the second quarter, to linebacker Dorian Jones on the first play of the second half and to defensive back Ken Willis late in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touch on the game.
Kiner ran through and around the Cougars, breaking more than 10 tackles, en route to his fifth 100-yard game of the season – 12th most in a single season in UC history.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native needs only 115 more yards for the 19th 1,000-yard season in Bearcats history.
He had 105 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries to stake UC to a 14-7 lead at halftime.
The Bearcats played two quarterbacks in the game, starting Emory Jones and giving redshirt sophomore Brady Lichtenberg three series of his own.
Cincinnati marched down the field with a methodical 11-play touchdown drive to open the game.
Jones completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 7-yard scoring pass to senior running back Ryan Montgomery.
Houston tied the game 7-7 with a long drive of its own. Smith used his legs and his arm on the drive, scrambling for 35 yards for a run to set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV to start the second quarter.
Despite starting from their own 7-yard line, Cincinnati answered right back. Kiner zipped past the defense for a 62-yard run and Lichtenberg tossed a 20-yard pass to Peyton Singletary before Kiner blasted through the line for a 1-yard score to put the Bearcats in front 14-7 with 8:04 left in the first half.
The Bearcats intercepted the first pass of the second half with linebacker Dorian Jones diving to snag a ball batted in the air by cornerback Jordan Young.
Soon after, Cincinnati extended its lead to 17-7 on a 31-yard field goal from Carter Brown at the 8:25 mark in the third quarter.
UC was stopped on a fourth down attempt from midfield at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats made a stop of its own on a fourth-2 pass by Smith with 12 minutes left.
Kiner's second touchdown of the night came on a 5-yard run with 8:47 left in the game and gave the Bearcats a 24-7.
Houston would add one more touchdown late in the fourth as Smith connected with Manjack IV again on a two-yard pass for his second touchdown to bring the game to its final score of 24-14.
Cincinnati would stomp out any chance of a Houston comeback as Willis showed off his tip-drill skills, intercepting Smith at the Houston 23 of a ball that bounced off a Cougar receiver to close out the game.
UP NEXT
The Bearcats travel to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers next Saturday. Game time is TBD.
-GoBearcats.com-
The victory marked the first Big 12 Conference win for the Bearcats, who entered the league on July 1, 2023, and snapped a seven-game losing streak. It also was the fourth straight win for Cincinnati over Houston in the series.
Cincinnati (3-7 overall, 1-6 in the Big 12) entered the game fifth in the nation in rushing (225.4 yards per game) and leaned into what it does best even adding sixth-year senior Trevor Radosevich as a sixth offensive linemen/tight end on several short-yardage situations.
"We are really proud of our guys tonight," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It has been a struggle and we all know that, but to come here and for our guys to continue to fight and practice the way they did and come out and play for each other was great.
"We had only one penalty on a pass interference, but other than that I thought we played mistake-free. We took care of the football. Corey Kiner, again, was a tough runner. He had 129 yards, two touchdowns and really ran hard trying to break tackles. Our quarterbacks were very efficient. Emory [Jones] was 13-16 and Brady [Lichtenberg] 4-7, which was good to keep the chains moving throwing the football. It took everybody tonight, including [Mason] Fletcher, on the last punt to pin them at the five-yard line to make them drive the field. Again, I'm really proud of our guys and excited to get this first Big 12 win."
The Bearcats defense did its part too, holding Houston quarterback Donovan Smith to just 32 passing yards in the first half – the third-fewest yards passing in the opening half in the FBS this season.
Overall, UC held Houston to just 241 total yards and tallied three interceptions as well as a crucial fourth down stop in the fourth quarter.
Smith threw picks to defensive back Deshawn Pace in the second quarter, to linebacker Dorian Jones on the first play of the second half and to defensive back Ken Willis late in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touch on the game.
Kiner ran through and around the Cougars, breaking more than 10 tackles, en route to his fifth 100-yard game of the season – 12th most in a single season in UC history.
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native needs only 115 more yards for the 19th 1,000-yard season in Bearcats history.
He had 105 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries to stake UC to a 14-7 lead at halftime.
The Bearcats played two quarterbacks in the game, starting Emory Jones and giving redshirt sophomore Brady Lichtenberg three series of his own.
Cincinnati marched down the field with a methodical 11-play touchdown drive to open the game.
Jones completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 7-yard scoring pass to senior running back Ryan Montgomery.
Houston tied the game 7-7 with a long drive of its own. Smith used his legs and his arm on the drive, scrambling for 35 yards for a run to set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV to start the second quarter.
Despite starting from their own 7-yard line, Cincinnati answered right back. Kiner zipped past the defense for a 62-yard run and Lichtenberg tossed a 20-yard pass to Peyton Singletary before Kiner blasted through the line for a 1-yard score to put the Bearcats in front 14-7 with 8:04 left in the first half.
The Bearcats intercepted the first pass of the second half with linebacker Dorian Jones diving to snag a ball batted in the air by cornerback Jordan Young.
Soon after, Cincinnati extended its lead to 17-7 on a 31-yard field goal from Carter Brown at the 8:25 mark in the third quarter.
UC was stopped on a fourth down attempt from midfield at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats made a stop of its own on a fourth-2 pass by Smith with 12 minutes left.
Kiner's second touchdown of the night came on a 5-yard run with 8:47 left in the game and gave the Bearcats a 24-7.
Houston would add one more touchdown late in the fourth as Smith connected with Manjack IV again on a two-yard pass for his second touchdown to bring the game to its final score of 24-14.
Cincinnati would stomp out any chance of a Houston comeback as Willis showed off his tip-drill skills, intercepting Smith at the Houston 23 of a ball that bounced off a Cougar receiver to close out the game.
UP NEXT
The Bearcats travel to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers next Saturday. Game time is TBD.
-GoBearcats.com-