TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati football team rushed for 418 yards and put up 690 yards of offense in its 62-10 win against Western Carolina on Saturday.
The Bearcats’ rushing total ranks sixth in single-game school history and marks the highest rushing output since running for 419 yards against Xavier in 1970. The 690 yards of offense are fifth-most ever in a game in program history and the most during the Scott Satterfield era.
Cincinnati saw six different players register a rushing TD on Saturday, which ties a Big 12 record. Running backs Gi’Bran Payne (two), Zylan Perry, Cole Tabb, and Zion Johnson found the end zone as well as quarterbacks Liam O’Brien and Samaj Jones. Payne posted his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance, putting up 102 yards on 12 carries.
Quarterback JC French IV was terrific, completing 21-of-24 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 13-straight passes at one point and kept the Bearcats’ offense humming all throughout the first half.
“I thought Western Carolina did a really good job offensively in the first half of attacking our defense and just trying to find some ways to move the ball,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “Our offense was outstanding in the first half. Four drives, four touchdowns, running, throwing. I thought JC [French] played an outstanding game again today. He got us in and out of some plays that we needed to get in and out of.”
Wide receiver JV Gibson was French’s top target, catching five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Johnson, who began his career at Western Carolina, caught five passes as well, his highest reception total as a Bearcat.
Western Carolina actually struck first with a field goal in the first quarter, and scored a touchdown midway through the second frame. But between the Bearcats’ rushing attack and their defensive prowess, the Catamounts found little success on either side of the ball the rest of the night. Cincinnati rushed for seven touchdowns after the WCU score and forced five three-and-outs in a display of total domination.
“We got to play a lot of guys tonight, which is awesome,” Satterfield said. “I think anytime you get to play a lot of guys, you want them to play at a high level, and I thought they executed really well. It was fun because these guys worked so hard, and I like the fact that they're able to go out and make plays for us.”
First Quarter
Western Carolina’s offense opened with an impressive first drive, marching 60 yards on 12 plays and chewing more than six minutes off the clock.
Catamounts quarterback Lex Thomas threw for 54 yards on the opening possession, but Cincinnati’s defense held strong in the red zone. Linebacker Damaine Wilson came up with a key third-down tackle, forcing Western Carolina to settle for a 33-yard field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
Cincinnati responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:23 off the clock, culminating in a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback JC French IV to wide receiver JV Gibson. Gibson's second touchdown reception in as many weeks to take the lead 7-3. Running back, Gi’Bran Payne rushed for 31 yards on the opening drive.
Second Quarter
Early in the second quarter, tight end Lyviel Waters caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from French for his first collegiate reception, extending the Bearcats' lead to 14-3. Western Carolina responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Thomas to pull within four at 14-10.
Cincinnati’s offense kept rolling, scoring on all four first-half possessions while going 6-for-6 on third-down conversions. Running back, Cole Tabb broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the game to make it 21-10. Executing a two-minute drill, French connected with Gibson deep for a 50-yard gain, the Bearcats' longest play from scrimmage this season. On the very next play, running back Zion Johnson walked in a 3-yard touchdown up the middle to send Cincinnati into halftime with a 28-10 lead.
Third Quarter
Cincinnati punted for the first time of the evening on its opening drive of the second half but quickly scored again when receiving the ball back as running back Gi’Bran Payne broke free on a cut-back run for a 40-yard touchdown run, the third Cincy running back to find paydirt. Payne found himself in the end zone again just four minutes later as he rushed 17 yards with 5:03 left on the clock for the quarter.
The Bearcats continued to dominate the quarter, as running back Zylan Perry rushed for a 40-yard score, the Bearcats seventh touchdown of the game. The Bearcats rushed an impressive 160 yards by the end of the third quarter, while leaving Western Carolina scoreless.
Fourth Quarter
In the fourth, fifth year transfer quarterback Liam O’Brien made his Bearcats debut and led a touchdown drive, finishing it himself on an 11-yard touchdown run, becoming the fifth different touchdown rusher of the night. Samaj Jones quarterbacked the final drive of the night and found the end zone from four yards out, capping the scoring and becoming the record-tying sixth Bearcat to score on the ground.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati stays in town as the Bearcats and Miami (OH) will write a new chapter in one of college football’s oldest regional rivalries when the Battle for the Victory Bell heads to TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati on Saturday, September 19 (3:30 p.m. / ESPN+).