Only two installments of the rivalry remain, with the all-time series knotted up.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 14 at 12:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPNU
- Location: Yager Stadium — Oxford, OH
- Spread: Cincinnati (-3.5)
- Over/under: 46.5
- All-time series: Series tied, 60-60-7
- Last meeting: Miami (OH) 31, Cincinnati 24 — September 16, 2023
- Current streak: Miami (OH), 1 (2023)
Setting the scene
Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH) is the oldest non-conference rivalry in college football, with the first meeting between the crosstown Ohio schools occurring in 1888. The Victory Bell — a bell hanging in Miami University academic building Harrison Hall — became the prize for the victor starting in the 1890s. Although the bell disappeared after roughly 40 years of serving as the traveling rivalry trophy, a replica was created and remains in existence today.
Half of the bell is painted black and lists Cincinnati’s wins in the series, while the other half is coated in white and illustrates every Miami win.
The 50-50 split in the painting of the Victory Bell is especially fitting considering the rivalry is tied all-time. Cincinnati defeated Miami 60 times. Miami defeated Cincinnati 60 times. The RedHawks pulled off a stunner on the road last September, ending the Bearcats’ series-high 16-game win streak in a 31-24 overtime thriller. For the first time since the 2006 meeting, Miami enters the rivalry in possession of the bell.
But the unfortunate reality of modern day college football, no rivalry is too sacred. This is the second-to-last scheduled meeting between two programs that have been united through division for well over a century. Only one installment of the series remains after Saturday — a 2026 neutral-site showdown at the Cincinnati Bengals’ Paycor Stadium.
Thus, establishing supremacy is more important than ever as the series is fading before our eyes.
Miami (OH) RedHawks outlook
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For the first time in 18 years, the RedHawks stroll into a meeting with Cincinnati carrying the Victory Bell. Miami’s 31-24 overtime victory under the lights at Nippert Stadium was its first significant step in a prolific 2023 season which featured a MAC championship and 11 victories — tied for its second-winningest season in program history.
This time, Miami plays host to the Bearcats after an early bye week. The RedHawks’ only action of the season transpired in Week 1 at Northwestern’s temporary stadium. Miami’s defense kept the game within reach for 60 minutes, but the lack of offensive output caused the Wildcats to emerge in 13-6 fashion. The RedHawks still search for their first touchdown of 2024, and they’ll rely on a horde of veterans to jump-start the unit Saturday.
Leading the offense is a man more than familiar with the Bearcats. Sixth-year senior quarterback Brett Gabbert first started against Cincinnati in 2019 and he was on the scene last September when the RedHawks snapped their 16-game skid in the series. He threw three touchdowns and rushed for a career-high 75 yards in that matchup. Gabbert looks to revert to that level of production after a rough opener where he took four sacks and tossed a pair of interceptions, yet he moved the ball well through the air with 227 yards, reaching midfield or beyond on six of 10 possessions.
To rebound offensively, Miami needs stellar play from its experienced offensive line, which features All-MAC tackles in Will Jados and Reid Holskey. Northwestern was able to consistently apply pressure in the backfield, forcing a slew of negative plays to put Miami into long distance situations on second and third down. Improved offensive line play also applies to the run game where the RedHawks registered just 65 yards, factoring out the four sacks Gabbert took.
The RedHawks haven’t settled on a feature back, and perhaps Chuck Martin employs a running back by committee approach this season with a stable of veterans. The 6’0”, 233 pound bruiser Jordan Brunson got the most run vs. Northwestern, and he presents a downhill running style perfect for picking up tough yardage. Keyon Mozee, the team’s leading rusher in 2021, also returns to the mix alongside Purdue transfer Dylan Downing and receiving back Kevin Davis. There’s plenty of versatile options to go around, so if Miami finds a certain matchup to exploit against the Bearcats, it can decide on which skillset it wants to utilize most.
Losing Gage Larvadain in the offseason presented one other question for the offense — who is the No. 1 receiver? However, that seems to be answered after one sample data point as Cade McDonald thrived with eight receptions and 105 yards in Week 1. Given Pitt’s ability to take down Cincinnati through the passing game, this will be an important feature of Miami’s offense Saturday afternoon, and wide receiver Reggie Virgil and tight end Jack Coldiron are among those to assist McDonald in promoting the aerial attack.
It’s hard to fault Miami for its 0-1 record on the defensive side of the ball. The RedHawks limited Northwestern to one touchdown in a 13-6 decision, shining on initial downs to force the Wildcats to an average third down distance of 10 yards. The Wildcats didn’t produce much through the air to the credit of Miami’s defensive backs, but Cincinnati is much more lethal in this department. So if there’s one area Miami must shore up before the Cincinnati game, it’s the pass rush.
Miami struggled getting to the quarterback in Week 1 and finished empty-handed in the sack department. Veteran defensive end Brian Ugwu and middle linebacker Ty Wise both collected eight sacks last year and will be instrumental in guiding the RedHawks to stops in the backfield. Reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year Matt Salopek is another name to watch when it comes to containing the run. Coming off three-straight 100+ tackle seasons, Salopek remains on track after totaling 10 in the opener, and he’ll battle a Cincinnati offense which saw a 149-yard rusher last Saturday.
Cincinnati Bearcats outlook
Everything about the 2023 season for Cincinnati was uncharacteristic. The Bearcats were two years removed from the College Football Playoff and a program that became accustomed to winning AAC championships, registering double-digit wins, and residing in the AP Top 25. But everything changed. Head coach Luke Fickell left and Scott Satterfield entered as his replacement. The Bearcats switched out their AAC affiliation for the Big 12. And the Victory Bell finally disappeared from campus after Cincinnati claimed the rivalry trophy for 16 straight meetings. The result was a 3-9 record, and now the Bearcats are aiming for a bounce-back.
An imminent improvement looked perfectly on schedule through roughly seven quarters of their season. Cincinnati breezed by its Week 1 FCS opponent and then established a commanding 27-6 home lead over Pittsburgh. But everything suddenly collapsed. Pitt scored a touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter. Then the Panthers struck again with two touchdowns in the fourth and a game-winning field goal in the waning seconds. Bridging the gap between every Pitt possession was a Cincinnati punt, as the offense suddenly hit a wall after a spectacular start. Now the Bearcats are 1-1, hoping to reclaim the Victory Bell after a gut-wrenching finish in Week 2.
Despite the loss, it’s clear Cincinnati features a potent quarterback in Brendan Sorsby. The Indiana transfer looks to be a seamless fit in the offense, and he’s currently eighth in the country in passing with 681 yards through two games. Sorsby has delivered five touchdowns and zero interceptions on a somewhat efficient 64 percent completion rate, which is especially impressive considering his tendency to air it out deep.
So far the passing game has been spearheaded by two primary receiving threats. One comes as no surprise in Xzavier Henderson who led the Bearcats in receiving yards in 2023. Henderson is back with a vengeance, ranking first among the group with 13 receptions and 184 yards. But two transfers have also impressed early on. One is former FCS standout Jamoi Mayes, who proved to be a speedy deep threat in the loss to Pitt with 72 yards on three catches. The other is Ohio State transfer tight end Joe Royer, who ranks seventh at the position nationally in receiving yards with 138. Cincinnati is no stranger to tight end usage in its recent history, and he’ll look to exploit mismatches against linebackers after averaging over 17 yards per reception so far.
Cincinnati’s run game was quietly elite in 2023, finishing sixth in the country with 217 yards per game. The Bearcats remain effective on that side of the ball with 1,000-yard rusher Corey Kiner back in the mix. While Kiner didn’t post his best outing vs. Miami last year, the Bearcats still produced two 100-yard rushers on the night. Kiner is fresh off a 149-yard outburst vs. Pitt and he looks to sustain those numbers, pitted against a talented Miami linebacking group and assisted by an experienced offensive line led by star right guard Luke Kandra.
Defensively, the Bearcats triumphantly returned star defensive tackle Dontay Corleone last Saturday. Nicknamed “The Godfather,” the AP All-American was held out of much of fall camp and the opener due to blood clots in his lungs. He was finally cleared to play and unsurprisingly tallied six tackles and a sack in his return to the gridiron.
Despite the return of one of the best defensive linemen in the country, Cincinnati’s defense did not enjoy a strong outing vs. Pitt. The Bearcats yielded 498 yards, allowing significant gains to the Panthers through both the air and ground, primarily in the second half. Better coverage and tackling are musts going forward for a group which currently ranks 12th-to-last in total defense. When Miami tests the run game, outside linebacker Jack Dingle is the name to watch when it comes to generating stops. Through the air, Virginia Tech transfer strong safety Derrick Canteen plays a significant role, having 10 tackles and three pass breakups on his résumé thus far.
Prediction
This is one of those “something’s gotta give” games. Cincinnati’s offense looks spectacular early with Brendan Sorsby’s brilliance through the air and a strong run game supported by one of the Big 12’s best offensive lines. Miami (OH)’s defense is a monster as well, and scoring isn’t going to be easy on Matt Salopek and that MAC championship-caliber unit wielding vast experience.
The other units are still working out the kinks, and it’s going to be the Miami offense vs. Cincinnati defense which decides this one. Having Dontay Corleone back in the lineup is essential for Cincinnati considering Miami’s offensive line didn’t hold up well in the opener against Northwestern. Sending out a defensive tackle which commands significant attention can free up lanes for other members of the front seven and create immense pressure in Miami’s backfield.
This one plays out on the lower scoring side of things, as most Miami games typically do, but Cincinnati’s eighth-ranked offense has demonstrated a greater ability to finish drives with six points instead of three, and finishing those drives is the difference at Yager Stadium on Saturday.
Prediction: Cincinnati 21, Miami (OH) 16