With former Bearcats and NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce, Connor Barwin and Brent Celek on hand, the University of Cincinnati football squad extended its home-opening winning streak to 25 games on Sept. 5, bashing Boston College 34-15.
The game was a slow grind with UC holding leads of 3-0 after one quarter and 10-0 at halftime. It was 24-0 late in the third quarter before Boston College scored and a late touchdown pass with just over a minute to go cut the Eagles' final deficit to 19.
How were Cincinnati Enquirer's bold predictions?
In the UC vs. Boston College game preview, The Enquirer predicted 200-plus running yards.
Outcome: The Bearcats ran for 254 yards, with fifth-year player Gi'Bran Payne, who ran for 108. The last UC player to surpass 100 yards on the ground was Tawee Walker last Nov.
15 against Arizona.
We also said the Bearcats would pass for more than 200 yards.
Outcome: They only threw for 85 yards, with receiver Malachi Henry having eight of those on a fake punt pass to punter Max Fletcher. It was UC's second-longest reception of the day. Boston College's Mason McKenzie threw for 223 yards in the loss. So, a swing and a miss there.
Finally, we said UC's defense would reach its turnover goals. The Bearcats consider a turnover to be an interception, fumble recovery or a turnover on downs.
Outcome: The team goal is seven per game. The Bearcats had four sacks, an interception (with one called back), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. They also held Boston College to just 4-of-13 third-down conversions.
"This was a complementary win in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams," UC coach Scott Satterfield said. "Huge day for the defense, creating two turnovers there in the second half."
5 overreactions to Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Boston College
1. Should Cincinnati Bearcats RB Gi'Bran Payne have had more carries?
The Notre Dame transfer had 108 yards on 14 carries and averaged a robust 7.7 yards per carry with a long run of 31 yards in the first quarter. All of the UC runners vs. Boston College averaged more than five yards per carry except Zylan Perry who averaged three. Cole Tabb had 37 yards and averaged 6.2; quarterback Samaj Jones had one carry for six yards; quarterback JC French had 52 yards and averaged 5.2; and Zion Johnson had 31 yards and averaged 5.2 per run.
Overreaction? Satterfield said he would go with the "hot hand," and that seemed to be Payne. It was Payne's first 100-yard game since racking up 112 with two rushing scores and two touchdown receptions ina 53-52 thriller vs. Elder to open his junior season at La Salle High School in 2020.
Realistically, you shouldn't look for any separation in the running back room until the Big 12 schedule begins later this month.
"We were definitely pounding that rock today and were very successful," UC All-American guard Evan Tengesdahl said. "We have four great running backs. I'm excited to see these guys keep improving each week."
2. New UC defensive coordinator Nate Woody's Bearcats shut down Boston College
Not exactly. UC led 24-0 until Liberty transfer Evan Dickens scored with two minutes to go in the third quarter. That came after a Kenny Worthy interception was nullified by a roughing-the-passer call on Demaine Wilson, and McKenzie was not called for intentional grounding on a snap over his head.
Overreaction? It should have been a shutout. Well, perhaps, but BC also had a drop in the end zone earlier and a missed Luca Lombardo field goal attempt. UC's defense was good when needed, but there's room for improvement.
Antwan Peek Jr. had nine tackles to lead UC, with nose tackle Josh Hough finishing with five, including 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. Safety MJ Cannon had three tackles, a forced fumble and an interception.
"The stands were packed!" Cannon said. "It was fun out there with all the crowd energy. They helped us out there on the field on those third downs. I was comfortable out there. I felt right at home."
Cannon played against UC last year while a member of Bowling Green's squad.
3. Cincinnati Bearcats QB JC French IV could have passed more vs. BC
French was an efficient 10-for-14 but threw for just 77 yards. In his past two seasons at Georgia Southern, he was never below triple figures in passing.
Overreaction? There probably were throws to be made, but the "pancakers" up front were effective in Payne's yards and helped push French into the end zone three times. And, if you want to get snarky, his 77-yard season opener is eight more than Brendan Sorsby threw to start last season in the loss to Nebraska.
"I don't go into a game and say, 'Let's run it 40 times or let's run it 50,'" Satterfield said. "I think the flow of the game sometimes dictates that. At the end, we're pretty big, so you don't want to throw and stop the clock."
4. Where were UC's tight ends vs. Boston College?
Last season, finding tight end Joe Royer became somewhat of a mystery as after he broke Travis Kelce's single-season reception record for the position with 50 in 2024, he was held to 29 and sometimes barely targeted. This year's starter Gavin Grover was targeted once against Boston College and had an eight-yard reception matching punter Max Fletcher's receiving day.
Overreaction? Grover can be a threat, but obviously he and the other tight ends were effective in blocking which allowed UC to run for the 254 yards. Tight end teammates Lyviel Waters and Devyn Zahursky also played.
5. Cincinnati Bearcats special teams highlight opening win vs. BC
You can't find much fault with a day that features a career-tying field goal by Stephen Rusnak from 54 yards, a 70-yard punt from Fletcher, plus his 8-yard reception on the fake punt from UC's most accurate passer on the day, Malachi Henry.
Overreaction? Throw in Boston College's missed field goal and special teams coach Luke Paschall's men had quite the day. He's one of the more vocal coaches in practice and long snapper Eli Stein, holder/punter Fletcher and kicker Rusnak could be set for an award-winning year.
"Those boos went right to cheers, but that's the way it is," Satterfield said of fans booing a punt formation then cheering wildly when Fletcher caught a pass for a first down.
Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team was good luck charm
Head basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun spent time with UC AD John Cunningham at a pregame event in the Tangeman University Center and had the Bearcats at Sheakley Lawn and on the Nippert turf for the pregame.
The good news of the day came before the game whenUC added Bowling Green transfer Javontae Campbell to the roster.Campbell averaged 18.7 points per game this past season for Bowling Green, with 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He had a 47-point game against Massachusetts last December.
Night football returns to Nippert Stadium for UC Bearcats vs. Western Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 12 is the first "Nipp at Night" game as the Bearcats and Catamounts have a 7 p.m. kickoff. Where the Boston College opener was a whiteout, Western Carolina is a blackout, with fans encouraged to wear black.
The Catamounts beat Eastern Kentucky in their opener 45-21 and lost at Campbell 28-19 Sept. 6. Western Carolina will get a $475,000 guarantee for the game, up from the $300,000 guaranteed to Boston College.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 5 overreactions to Cincinnati Bearcats opening win vs. Boston College
