Cincinnati Bearcats lose heartbreaker at West Virginia in scorefest
· Yahoo Sports
MORGANTOWN, WV – It came down to who would make the final stop and that team was West Virginia in front of 48,106 fans at Milan Puskar Stadium as Jack Cassidy's 35-yard field goal won the game for the Mountaineers 45-42.
West Virginia stopped UC's last drive, then was able to go from their own 1-yard line to get Cassidy in position for the game-winning kick. UC had three straight scoring drives until West Virginia finally stopped them late in the fourth. The final drive was the WVU's fourth straight scoring drive.
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After a 4-0 September, the Cincinnati Bearcats are still looking for their first win of October.
JC French IV was 22-for-30 for 389 yards and three touchdowns, while Cole Tabb had 118 yards with two rushing scores and a scoring reception. UC had 622 yards of total offense to 598 for WVU and they outrushed the Mountaineers 233-134 but still lost.
Michael Hawkins Jr. was 25-for 33 for 464 yards and three touchdowns for WVU in the Homecoming victory.
West Virginia now takes a 19-3-1 lead in the all-time series and has won the last five straight. UC’s last win over WVU goes back to 2009 with Brian Kelly’s Bearcats had a perfect regular season and won the Big East.
UC now drops to 4-2 (1-2 Big 12) while West Virginia improves to 4-3 (1-3 Big 12)
Who would make last stop in UC, WVU game?
If you took the over of 63.5, you were more than correct.
Cincinnati Bearcats suffer big injuries at WVU
Defensive lineman Josh Hough had to be helped off the field in Morgantown and was lost for the game in the first quarter. To add insult to injury, the truck taking Hough off the field rammed him into the wall. Hough was replaced by several defensive linemen, including Elijah Gunn and freshman Jonathan Rulo.
They also lost starting running back Gi'Bran Payne. Payne was UC's top ground-gainer coming into the game, but left after carrying seven times for 26 yards. Cole Tabb and Zylan Perry picked up the ground game minus Payne.
Both UC Bearcats, WVU Mountaineers took to the air
UC came in averaging nearly 231 yards per game on the ground, with West Virginia at 295. UC's first play from scrimmage was a deep ball from JC French to JV Gibson. It went incomplete, but it showed what some of the game plan was going to be in the day game.
UC's run game was hurt by Payne leaving the game, but Tabb filled in admirably. On the Mountaineers' side, Michael Hawkins Jr. had four 100-yard rushing games and Cam Cook had five. Into the fourth quarter, neither were close to those running numbers.
French and WVU's Michael Hawkins Jr. both had multiple touchdown passes. JV Gibson, who went without a catch at Arizona, was UC's top receiver with seven catches in the loss.
UC Bearcats QB JC French throws for over 300 yards in duel with WVU's Hawkins
It was French's second 300-plus-yard game for the Bearcats and sixth overall. He completed passes to nine different receivers and again had no interceptions. It was the first 300-yard passing game by WVU's Hawkins.
Cincinnati Bearcats return to Nippert Stadium Saturday, Oct. 24
UC hosts Texas Tech next Saturday, Oct. 24. Kickoff time has not yet been announced. It is UC's Homecoming.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bearcats lose heartbreaker at West Virginia in scorefest