The Miami University RedHawks fell 24-16 in the 128th Battle for the Victory Bell against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
The oldest non-conference rivalry ended its consecutive streak with the 2024 edition. The teams will not meet again until 2026. Until then, Cincinnati holds the advantage in the series with 61 wins.
The RedHawks won the coin toss and elected to receive. A 65-yard kickoff from redshirt-senior Nathan Hawks put Miami at its 17-yard line. On their opening drive, the RedHawks drove 62 yards down the field, but an interception by redshirt-senior safety Derrick Canteen stopped their march after 3:20.
Both teams traded possessions. On the Bearcats’ next offensive drive, redshirt-sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby passed for 25 yards. A deep pass to Aaron Turner was incomplete, bringing up third down. Sorsby scrambled out of the pocket, but senior linebacker Ty Wise sacked him for a loss of two yards, forcing the Bearcats to attempt a 55-yard field goal.
Hawks’ kick was good, putting the Bearcats ahead 3-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The RedHawks took to the field at Yager Stadium for the final scheduled home game in the Battle for the Victory Bell
On their next drive, the RedHawks found themselves at the opposing 20-yard line after a 43-yard pass from Gabbert to redshirt-senior receiver Cade McDonald (the longest reception of McDonald’s career) put Miami at the opposing 20-yard line. Senior running back Kevin Davis rushed for another 5 yards to end the first quarter.
The Bearcats forced a fourth down on Miami, setting redshirt junior Dom Dzioban up for a 30-yard field goal, tying the game 3-3 to start the second quarter.
Miami forced Cincinnati to punt on its next drive, but the Bearcats pinned McDonald down at Miami’s 13-yard line. Davis and senior running back Keyon Mozee combined for 6 yards, and an incomplete pass forced Miami to punt.
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Senior punter Alec Bevelhimer fumbled the snap, giving the Bearcats the ball at Miami’s 3-yard line. Sorsby’s pass to redshirt-junior tight-end Joe Royer brought the Bearcats up 9-3. Hawks’ extra point gave Cincinnati the lead 10-3.
The RedHawks opened their next offensive drive with a 35-yard pass to Davis on third-and-11. However, Miami couldn’t accomplish anything else, and Bevelhimer punted to Cincinnati’s 5-yard line.
The Bearcats advanced down the field and wasted the rest of the second quarter, eventually reaching Miami’s 11-yard line. A pass from Sorsby to Royer was initially called a touchdown. However, further review found that Royer fumbled the ball before crossing the endzone, making it a touchback. The RedHawks kneeled to end the half, still down 10-3.
Brett Gabbert passed for 331 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the second game of the season
Cincinnati started the third quarter with a deep pass to Xzavier Henderson for 21 yards. A fourth-and-1 conversion from a Sorsby rush brought the Bearcats to the Miami 8-yard line. A pass to redshirt-junior receiver Tony Johnson brought them to the 1.
A rush from senior running back Corey Kiner finished the drive, putting the Bearcats up two scores. Hawks’ kick brought Cincinnati up 17-3.
With 14 unanswered points on the board, the RedHawks’ offense got to work. After several short passes and incompletions, Gabbert hurled the ball 58 yards to junior receiver Reggie Virgil for Miami’s first touchdown of the game. Dzioban’s kick brought the score to 17-10.
The team’s traded possessions, and Cincinnati held the ball with a minute remaining in the third quarter. Matt Salopek sacked Sorsby (Salopek’s first sack of the season) on third down, forcing the Bearcats to punt at the start of the fourth quarter.
Miami’s drive ended with a quick four-and-out. A sack on Gabbert forced Bevelhimer to punt to the Cincinnati 35-yard line.
On the next play, redshirt-junior running back Evan Pryor found a gap on the outside to rush 65 yards to the house. The Bearcats took a 24-10 lead with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The RedHawks drove down the field on their next drive and found themselves at the 7-yard line. A pass to McDonald closed the gap once again to one score. The RedHawks attempted a two-point conversion, but Miami failed to find the endzone, keeping the score at 24-16.
Another blunder almost came for the Miami defense when Royer broke free for a 80-yard touchdown. However, redshirt-senior lineman Gavin Gerhardt was flagged as an ineligible receiver downfield, bringing the ball back.
Cincinnati failed to convert, giving Miami the ball with five minutes left in the game.
Gabbert floated the ball 51 yards to McDonald into opposing territory, but the RedHawks failed to convert a fourth-and-4. Kiner rushed for 40 yards to get the Bearcats to Miami’s 31-yard line with two minutes to go.
Hawks sealed Miami’s defeat with a 50-yard field goal to give Cincinnati the 27-16 lead.
The RedHawks were unable to comeback from being down two scores, and the Bearcats won the 128th Battle for the Victory Bell.
Gabbert finished the day with 331 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. McDonald connected for 135 of those yards and one touchdown.
Miami rushed for 24 yards compared to Cincinnati’s 215. A big component to Cincinnati’s success on the ground was the offensive line.
“They got a great team,” Salopek said. “They have a really experienced o-line that we knew going in. They got us moving around, got us out of our gaps a couple times.”
Going forward, head coach Chuck Martin said the run game needs improving.
“We got to do a better job [doing] more on-the-ground game,” Martin said at the post-game press conference.
The RedHawks are back on the road next week against the University of Notre Dame.
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