The Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to Provo, Utah to face Big 12 foe BYU Cougars. Cincinnati comes into the game 2-2 (0-1 in the Big 12) and BYU comes in 3-1 (0-1 in the Big 12) they both lost their first in-conference games. Who will get their first Big 12 win in school history?
Star Deshawn Pace made his return to the lineup and cornerback Sammy Anderson, Jr. missed his fourth consecutive game.
On Cincinnati’s first offensive drive Emory Jones threw a pick six to Jakob Robinson. Robinson scored from 42 yards out to give BYU a 7-0 lead. Cincinnati moved the rock on the next drive with Corey Kiner, but on 4th and 1, Payton Singletary dropped an easy 1st down to give BYU the ball back on their side of the field. Cincinnati finally stuck gold after 17 drives without a touchdown with Chamon Metayer scoring from 27 yards out for his first touchdown of the season and his college career, Jones made a nice throw to tie up the game. Carter Brown hit a 33 yard field goal after the Bearcats drive stalled out in the red zone to take a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter. After slumping the whole half Kedon Slovis hit Darius Lassiter from 22 yards to get the lead 14-10. Cincinnati allowed BYU to score in 38 seconds, they made a field goal with 44 seconds left.
Cincinnati outgained BYU 254 to 107, but still found themselves down 4, because of the pick six, being held to a field goal and a dropped pass on 4th down. Will they be able to pull off a road victory?
BYU forced a three and out, and the next drive on 3rd and 13, LJ Martin scored on a 29 yard run to take a 21-10 lead. BYU has Cincinnati on the ropes early in the third quarter. Next drive, Cincinnati drove it all the way to the 3 yard line, but on third down they stalled out as Corey Kiner dropped a Jones pass to force a 22 yard field goal by Carter Brown to cut the lead to 8, 21-13. On 2nd and 20, Slovis found Chase Roberts for a 59 yard touchdown to take a 28-13 lead. Cincinnati is in the danger zone and BYU has found something can they adjust? Cincinnati went five plays for 75 yards, capped by an amazing Metayer 23 yard touchdown from Jones from 23 yards out, to cut the BYU lead to 8, 28-20. After forcing a three and out, Braden Smith muffed a punt that BYU recovered. BYU ended up scoring on a 1 yard run by LJ Martin, which was his second on the night capping a five play, 16 yard drive to give BYU a 35-20 lead. BYU threatened to score again, but Will Ferrin missed a 44 yard field goal with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati ran the ball four times in a row, one was a pass that was a scramble, but on 4th and 1, Kiner was stopped short with a little less than 3 minutes left in the game. The defense stopped BYU and Jones hit Smith for a 31 yard touchdown before the end of the game to make the game closer, but BYU secured the offside kick to get the win 35-27.
It was another game they out gained their opponent but loss. Now Cincinnati has lost three games in a row for the first time since 2017. 498 yards to 295, but it didn’t matter as Cincinnati is now 2-3 and 0-2 in the Big 12. Slovis went 13-of-24, for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Jones went 23-of-37, for 256 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 94 yards. Metayer had a great game with three catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
Of the three games they have lost, two of them they have out-gained their opponent. They will have a bye against their Homecoming game against Iowa State October 14th.
