Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH) Battle For The Victory Bell Winners And Losers

For the first time in Scott Satterfield’s time with the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Big 12 side is undefeated through three games.

That's not to say there weren’t moments of anxiety for Satterfield’s team as they had to claw back from down by as many as 21 points at half, but thanks to several bits of late-game heroics, UC pushed past the RedHawks, something that Satterfield failed to do in his first year with the program.

Today’s task is to review where the Bearcats prevailed versus where they fell short.

Winner: JC French IV

The Bearcats are 3-0! — Sep 19, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback JC French IV (4) drops back to pass against the Miami (OH) RedHawks in the second half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While French will be no Heisman contender, it would be a slight to call him a game manager. The Georgia Southern transfer has now attempted 81 passes and has still gone without giving the ball away in the air, and when the Bearcats needed him the most down by 21 heading into the third, he stepped up, throwing for two scores and adding another on the ground.

French finished the comeback totaling 309 yards, two touchdowns and a 72.1% completion rate.

Loser: Third Down Defense

When you give up over 30 points to a non-power side, of course there is going to be speculation over something with the defense and for the Bearcats today it is the 50% third-down rate they gave up.

Already this season, the Bearcats have given up 40% of third downs faced, good for 72nd in the nation. Considering UC has also gone up against only one power-conference side and even that was a 2-1 Boston College side in week one, means there is big work to be done.

Winner: Being Clutch When It Mattered Most

This point may come off with a bit of bold, and it should. That being said, Cincinnati’s 75% fourth-down conversion rate and steady heartbeat gave them the edge. It can be easy to forget that the third quarter started with a quick turnover on downs, and also involved a fumble in the fourth.

For most teams, that'd be game over, but the Bearcats’ defense stayed strong when it needed to, while also getting some help from two missed field goals.

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