Cincinnati snatches final Victory Bell from Miami (OH), 35-31, in dramatic comeback

Not a living being on Planet Earth remembers the first meeting between Cincinnati and Miami (OH).

The rivalry is over three decades older than the NFL. It preceded both World Wars. The Wright Brothers weren’t even in the early stages of constructing their plane when Cincinnati and Miami originated their rivalry in 1888. The two programs spent the next century and change fighting over the Victory Bell.

But Saturday’s installment of the rival was maybe the most consequential in history. It was the 129th meeting, making it tied for the fourth-most played series in FBS history. However, it was the final meeting for the foreseeable future, meaning the Victory Bell would indefinitely remain in one place, unless the programs agreed to schedule each other again.

Cincinnati led the all-time series, 61-60-7. A Bearcat win would clinch the series and keep the Victory Bell grounded in Cincinnati. A RedHawk win would tie the series and return the Bell in Oxford.

All signs pointed to the underdog Miami keeping the prize for posterity, as the RedHawks claimed a 28-7 lead. But Cincinnati refused to let their crosstown rival even the series. They climbed out of the three-touchdown deficit to win the final Victory Bell matchup, 35-31, behind an inspiring comeback.

Running back Cole Tabb was unfamiliar with the rivalry prior to Saturday. But the Stanford transfer immediately cemented himself into decades of lore in a performance which featured 78 rushing yards, 43 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. Tabb was responsible for Cincinnati’s lone first half touchdown. In the third quarter, he trimmed the deficit to one score. And then in the final two minutes, Tabb snatched the bell from the talons of the RedHawks. The running back broke free for a 53-yard touchdown scamper with 1:29 remaining, handing the Bearcats their first and only lead of the game.

Miami traveled as far as the Cincinnati 33-yard line on its last-ditch effort. That’s when Bearcat outside linebacker Antwan Peek Jr. — who logged a team-high nine tackles — registered the game-sealing strip sack, which was prompty recovered by defensive end Drew Logan. Cincinnati waited all fourth quarter for that elusive fumble recovery. The RedHawks coughed up the ball four times in the final quarter alone but recovered the first three. Logan landing on the fourth fumble allowed the Bearcats to claim win No. 62 in the oldest non-conference rivalry in college football.

Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV attained a season-high 309 passing yards in the victory, delivering two touchdowns with his arm and one with his legs. However, Miami redshirt freshman quarterback David McComb — making his third collegiate start — effectively countered with 334 yards (the most by a RedHawk quarterback since the 2024 Victory Bell).

McComb and the RedHawks came out of the gate swinging… even before McComb fielded a snap. Miami claimed a 7-0 lead on the game’s first play as a 5’5″, 150-pound true freshman Scoop Smith ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The RedHawks then struck three more times in the first half — once on a Lazaro Rogers run, again on a McComb rushing touchdown, and in the final seconds of the half on a 36-yard deep ball from McComb to Maleek Huggins. Miami led 28-7 at the break, owning its largest lead in the rivalry since 2005.

The second half was full of miscues for the RedHawks, even before the fumble barrage began. The RedHawks missed a 36-yard field goal, threw an interception, kicked a field goal from the 1-yard line, and missed a 45-yard field goal in four consecutive possessions, allowing the Bearcats ample opportunities to complete the unlikely comeback. Cincinnati executed at the neutral-site TQL Stadium, recording its largest comeback since 2018, when it trailed Miami’s rival Ohio, 21-0.

The Victory Bell series is over for the foreseeable future, and the Bell will only ring within Cincinnati’s facilities. The Bearcats won 18 of the last 19 and claim a 62-60-7 series victory in the oldest non-conference rivalry — all thanks to a dramatic 21-point second half comeback that will forever be associated with the trophy.