Cincinnati holds off Miami (Ohio) 35-31 to keep the Victory Bell

Cincinnati kept the Victory Bell with a 35-31 win over Miami (Ohio), surviving a rivalry game that never offered a clean break. The Bearcats needed late composure after the RedHawks produced 31 points and 410 total yards in a four-quarter fight.

Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV completed 31 of 43 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Cole Tabb added two rushing scores, and JV Gibson led the Bearcats with seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Miami’s David McComb answered with 334 passing yards and a touchdown, while Maleek Huggins caught four passes for 128 yards and a score.

The first major swing came before either passing game settled. Cincinnati’s Scoop Smith returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, and Lazaro Rogers added a 12-yard run. Miami responded with McComb’s six-yard rushing score and Huggins’ 36-yard touchdown reception, turning the game into a sequence of short fields and immediate counters.

The difference was Cincinnati’s ability to keep converting the rivalry’s high-pressure possessions. The Bearcats finished with 20 first downs and 35 points, while Miami’s offense repeatedly needed explosive plays to stay close. That made each failed stop expensive: a single Cincinnati completion or Tabb run could erase the field position Miami had worked to earn.

The four-point final carries extra weight because the Victory Bell rivalry had no room for a routine result. Miami led stretches of the game, but Cincinnati’s response after each RedHawks score kept the trophy in Cincinnati. ESPN’s event packet confirms the final score, leaders and scoring sequence, while the Bearcats’ official media center lists the game’s postgame materials.

ESPN’s native event video also captures Smith’s 98-yard kickoff return, the play that gave Cincinnati its earliest separation. Miami’s 334 passing yards show how close the RedHawks came, but Cincinnati made the final four points stand. The Bearcats leave with the rivalry win; Miami leaves with a competitive performance that still ended one possession short.

The rivalry’s statistical balance made the four-point finish credible. Cincinnati gained 433 total yards and Miami 410, while both offenses converted six third downs. French’s 309 passing yards gave Cincinnati more control through the air, but McComb’s 334-yard day kept Miami dangerous after every Bearcats score. The 98-yard kickoff return was not a footnote; it gave Cincinnati seven points without an offensive drive and helped make the late margin survivable.

Cincinnati’s win protects the rivalry’s current order, but Miami demonstrated that the gap was narrow. The RedHawks answered the opening return with their own touchdown sequence and stayed within one score after halftime. Cincinnati’s next task is to turn this escape into steadier defense. Miami can leave with evidence that its passing game travels, even though the Victory Bell remains with the Bearcats.