No. 7 Cincinnati on Saturday logged one of the most impactful wins of the 2021 season, going into South Bend, Indiana, and taking down No. 9 Notre Dame, 24-13. The win will go down as one of the biggest in program history for Cincinnati, which is now poised to make the one of the best arguments for a Group of Five team to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff after beating both the Fighting Irish and Indiana on the road in nonconference play.
Saturday, however, was not just about beefing up a profile for a late-season decision by the CFP Selection Committee because beating Notre Dame, a program it had faced just once way back in 1900, in South Bend with both teams ranking in the top-10 of the polls is enough to warrant a much-deserved celebration for coach Luke Fickell’s team.
The Bearcats established their edge early with a defense that was forcing turnovers and limiting what Notre Dame could do in the first half. Cincinnati intercepted starting quarterback Jack Coan and backup QB Tyler Buchner, forced a fumble on a kickoff return and didn’t allow Notre Dame to get inside the 40-yard line but once in the first half — on the first possession of the game. The 17-0 halftime deficit felt massive given Notre Dame’s ineffectiveness on offense, but a proud Irish team that has been in tough games all year wasn’t done throwing punches.
It was the third quarterback of the game, Drew Pyne, who finally got Notre Dame on the board in the second half thanks to a short field set up by Drew White’s long fumble return. Two late touchdown drives weren’t enough to shake the confidence of a Cincinnati offense that had moved the ball well since the start of the second quarter.
Bearcats QB Desmond Ridder finished with 297 yards on 19 of 32 passing with two touchdowns and 26 rushing yards plus another score on the ground. The final margin could have been even more lopsided if not for two missed field goals from inside 40 yards. Ridder wasn’t perfect, but when the team needed a play, he was able to stand in there and deliver under pressure.
Cincinnati has a short turnaround before its playoff campaign is back on the field next week at home against Temple, which precedes arguably the toughest test in conference play with UCF visiting Nippert Stadium on Oct. 16.