JC French IV has 4 TD passes as Cincinnati stuns No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24
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CINCINNATI (AP) — JC French IV threw a career-high four touchdown passes and Cole Tabb rushed for a career-best 173 yards and a TD as Cincinnati stunned No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24 on Saturday.
“We just beat the No. 8 team in the country,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “That team played in the playoffs last year. I’m really proud of our program. This is one of the greatest wins I’ve been a part of.”
It was the Bearcats’ first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006, when they defeated No. 7 Rutgers 30-11. Cincinnati won at ninth-ranked Notre Dame in 2021.
The Red Raiders (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) failed go 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.
“I’m as frustrated as I’ve ever been in my 32 years of coaching,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “I’m really searching for words.”
Red Raiders QB Will Hammond lost a fumble, leading to an early field goal for the Bearcats. He then had an intentional grounding penalty that forced Texas Tech to settle for a tying field goal.
Hammond passed for 227 yards with an interception, and J’Koby Williams rushed for 81 yards on 11 carries for the Red Raiders.
The Bearcats (5-2, 2-2) scored 21 points in the second quarter.
Tabb’s four-yard TD catch put the Bearcats ahead 10-6. They extended the lead to 17-6 on a 5-yard TD catch by Malachi Henry with 1:37 remaining in the half.
Following MJ Cannon’s interception of Hammond, the Bearcats drove 75 yards in 27 seconds. Tabb’s 51-yard run set up a 2-yard TD catch by tight end Lyviel Waters, making the score 24-6 at halftime.
The Red Raiders caught a break in the third quarter after safety Peyton Morgan intercepted French’s deflected pass and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown. The play initially was negated by a targeting penalty on Brice Pollock, but then it was overturned by video review and the Bearcats’ lead was cut to 24-15 after the 2-point attempt failed.
The Bearcats responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive and French’s fourth TD pass, a 17-yarder to Larenzo Fenner that extended Cincinnati’s lead to 31-15 with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Tabb’s 58-yard touchdown run with six minutes left sealed the victory for the Bearcats.
“Those guys are ranked, they feel like they can’t be beat,” Bearcats left guard Evan Tengesdahl said. “They also have not been run on. That was our biggest motivation.”
The takeaway
Texas Tech: McGuire wanted his players to focus on the pursuit of a College Football Playoff spot this week and not lingering bad blood after quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s transfer from Cincinnati fell through when he admitted to betting on college football. Bearcats fans chanted Sorsby’s name at times during the game.
“We didn’t talk about it at all,” McGuire said. “The team that was here in the middle of June versus the team that’s here now is a totally different team. We made it about football and the football wasn’t good enough today.”
Cincinnati: The Bearcats came in averaging 231 rushing yards. After having minus-6 yards on the ground in the first quarter, aided by a couple of sacks, they finished with 252 yards and a 6.1-yards-per-carry average.
“They hadn’t given up a rushing touchdown,” Satterfield said. “We rushed for 252 (yards). Cole Tabb had a Cole Tabb day. He’s been doing it week in and week out.”
Texas Tech hindered by penalties
The Red Raiders average 5.4 penalties per game but committed a season-high 12 for 75 yards in Saturday’s loss. Their previous high was seven on Sept. 12 at Oregon State.
“We’ve been one of the least penalized teams in the country and we had 12 penalties today, you know, four pre-snap penalties,” McGuire said. “We also had three turnovers that led to points. Whenever you do that, you’re not going to win.”
Red Raiders may nave no margin for error going forward
The Red Raiders also began last season 6-0 before losing at Arizona State. They won the remainder of their games, including the Big 12 championship game, to reach the College Football Playoff. McGuire believes that will be necessary again.
“For us to get where we want to get, we’re going to have to win out,” McGuire said. “I felt the exact same way last year.”
Up next
Texas Tech hosts Arizona next Saturday.
Cincinnati hosts No. 10 Utah next Saturday.
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