At this point, the University of Cincinnati football team has to expect to get every opponent's best shot, particularly in conference play. The two-time defending American Athletic Conference champion Bearcats certainly got South Florida's on Saturday.
Cincinnati, which entered the day as a 27.5-point favorite against USF, needed every second to avoid being the team that allowed the streak to end. The Bearcats outlasted the Bulls for a 28-24 victory in front of a sold-out crowd at Nippert Stadium, extending the program-record home winning streak to 30 games.
"I take a lot of pride in that because since I've been here, we haven't lost at home, and I don't plan on it," Cincinnati senior offensive lineman and team captain Dylan O'Quinn said. "That's something that we put a big emphasis on every time we step in Nippert."
The Bearcats (5-1, 2-0 AAC) have a bye next week followed by a road test Oct. 22 at SMU (2-3, 0-1).
What we learned from Saturday's win:
Bearcats bit by injury bug
A bye week couldn't be more timely for Cincinnati. The Bearcats left with the win but limped back into the locker room.
Starting quarterback Ben Bryant left the game early in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return.
Cincinnati was already playing without Bryant's top target, Tyler Scott. The Bearcats played the entire second half without the standout junior wide receiver. Scott, who entered the game with an AAC-high six receiving touchdowns (one in each of the last four games), suffered a game-ending ankle injury in the first quarter.
"Those hurt, obviously," Bearcats coach Luke Fickell said of the two injuries. "But we've always got to be ready for that. We’ve had a lot of these things this year that we've been very fortunate not to have had the last two years. We've almost gone unscathed a little bit in the last two years. And this year, there's been a lot more of those situations, whether it's in the Jake Renfros of the world (starting center Jake Renfro suffered a knee injury prior to the season opener at Arkansas). But it is what it is.
"I tell you what, that just shows you what your team is made of. Other guys have got to step up. Chris (Scott) went down and obviously was able to come back. Jadon (Thompson) went down and was able to come back in. So, I don't know if the bye week ever comes at a really good time, but right now, after a win, it's going to come at a really good time.”
Cincinnati already began the day shorthanded. The Bearcats took the field without running back Corey Kiner, who was inactive with a hand injury. The LSU transfer and former Roger Bacon High School standout entered Saturday with a rushing touchdown in each of his first five games with the Bearcats.
"Obviously, Corey Kiner couldn't go this week," Fickell said. "He had a little situation. That threw a lot more on the plate for Chuck (senior running back Charles McClelland). Charles hasn't been maybe 100% either, but he showed today that he is a gamer. We were a little thinner. Ryan Montgomery being back is a great help for us, and I don't think Myles (Montgomery) was in there much today, but when you get a hot hand and Chuck's kind of feeling the way he is, you keep riding him.”
Fickell had no update on Bryant or Scott after the game. The sixth-year Cincinnati coach said he expects Kiner to be available after the bye.
McClelland can carry the load
Without Kiner, Cincinnati struggled to get anything going on the ground in the first half. The Bulls (1-5, 0-2) outgained the Bearcats 127-60 in rushing yards before the break. But McClelland got it going after halftime.
McClelland finished the game with career-highs in carries (21) and yards (179) and had two touchdowns, including the go-ahead, 35-yard score with 9:24 to play. McClelland said he felt like he was in a good rhythm in the second half after posting 46 yards on six carries before halftime.
"I definitely felt it," he said. "I felt like I was seeing everything perfect, just running good."
McClelland, who's overcome two torn ACLs in his Bearcats career, had the second 100-yard rushing game of the season and the fourth 100-yard rushing game of his career. He also scored Cincinnati's last two touchdowns on Saturday.
"He's probably the guy who I've seen go through the most adversity here," O'Quinn said. "He's had two season-ending knee injuries. To see him get a career-high today is awesome. He was just so excited in the locker room. It's good to see a smile on his face."
Prater closes well
When Bryant left the game, the Bearcats trailed 24-21. Cincinnati then called on sophomore backup Evan Prater to lead the team to the come-from-behind victory.
After sitting for three quarters, Prater entered the game and handed the ball to McClelland who rushed for a first down. After going down on a 9-yard sack on second-and-5 and throwing an incompletion to tight end Josh Whyle on third-and-long, Prater stalled. But the 2019 Ohio Mr. Football (Wyoming High School) did exactly what he needed to do with his next opportunity at the helm of the Cincinnati offense
After the Bearcats defense got a stop, Prater led the offense back onto the field, hit Whyle on a crossing route for a 15-yard gain, and then fed the hot hand, McClelland, who scored the game's deciding touchdown.
"It's go time," Prater said on what he was thinking in the moment. "Seeing Ben out there (hurt), it sucks. But you know you've got to step up when you're number gets called. I've been preparing. I've been ready. Day in and day out, going into practice, trying to do everything I can just to stay ready for those moments. That moment finally came today."
Prater is a faster, more effective runner than Bryant. Opposing defenses know that. So the Bulls had to respect the threat of Prater's legs, which created more running room for McClelland.
"I think it has a big effect on the defense," Prater said of his dual-threat ability. "Just having to be responsible for another guy that can really take off and go get yards. At the end of the game, they kind of were eyeing in on that, keying in on that, and that let Chuck do his thing. And the O-line was playing phenomenal in that fourth quarter. Chuck and the O-line, they just kind of took it over in the end."
Van Fossen steps up for defense
While the offense was shorthanded, the Cincinnati defense was also reeling. Senior safety Jacob Dingle made his first career start for the Bearcats. The regular starter, sophomore Bryon Threats, missed the first half after being ejected for targeting in the second half of last week's win at Tulsa.
With an inexperienced safety in the Cincinnati backfield, and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. playing but still "dinged up from last week," according to Fickell, South Florida opened the game with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ate up 5:36 of game clock.
Dingle drew a flag for a late hit out of bounds on the next USF drive, and the Bulls jumped out to an early 10-0 lead after connecting on a 21-yard field goal.
Cincinnati trialed 17-14 at the break. It marked the first time the Bearcats trailed at halftime of a home game since Oct. 4, 2019 (against UCF). But like that game, UC rallied to victory.
Linebacker Ty Van Fossen played a integral role in the rally. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound senior recorded a career-high 16 tackles (seven solo), including combining with safety Ja'Von HIcks for a late stop to give the Bearcats the ball back with a little over five minutes left.
Van Fossen's 16 stops are the most by a Bearcats player in a single game since Joel Dublanko had 17 against Tulsa last season.
"I was just playing my role and doing what I've been trying to do all season," he said. "Just be there when I need to be there. Today, I was able to make a few more tackles, so that was nice."
Cincinnati struggled heavily against the run
A win is a win, and the Bearcats got one Saturday. But their rush defense left a lot to be desired.
South Florida carried the ball 43 times for 224 yards. While USF running back Brian Battie had 82 of those yards on 23 carries and a touchdown, the Bulls' dual-threat quarterback, Gerry Bohanon, had 117 yards on 14 rushes.
The two ran all over the Cincinnati defense.
"I mean, they're a good team," Van Fossen said. "Their record doesn't really show it, but watching them on film, you're like, this isn't your typical (1-5) team. We've got to go in and correct ourselves. ... We'll see what we need to do."