The West Virgina Mountaineers (4-3) (1-3 Big 12) beat the Cincinnatti Bearcats (4-2) (1-2 Big 12) in a thriller at Mountaineer Field on Saturday. It was a back-and-forth contest with 1220 yards of total offense. The Mountaineers never led until the clock hit zeros in the contest.
The Bearcats received the game's opening kick and immediately asserted their dominance over the Mountaineers' defense. Cincinnati converted three third downs on their 13-play, 75-yard drive en route to a four-yard touchdown pass from fifth-year senior quarterback JC French to fourth-year receiver JV Gibson. With 8:53 left to play in the opening quarter, the Bearcats led 7-0.
After a punt by the Mountaineers on their first drive, senior receiver Malachi Henry took a crossing route for a gain of 69, immediately putting the Bearcats deep in Mountaineers territory. After the offense stayed out on the field for the Bearcats in a 4th-and-1 situation, it was senior defensive back Geimere Latimer II who made a big-time stop. Despite the chunk gain, the Mountaineers kept it a 7-0 game.
After punts by each team, the Mountaineers got the ball back and finally showed some offensive firepower. The 10-play, 81-yard drive was capped off by a highlight-reel run by junior quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr., who leaped over the outstretched arms of a Bearcats defender on his way to the end zone from 12 yards out. Hawkins Jr.'s run knotted the game up at 7-7.
West Virginia University quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI
The Mountaineers defense was showing some serious signs of life in the first half, getting back-to-back stops in the second quarter. Eventually, it was junior wide receiver Isaiah Johnson who took a short pass 51 yards to the house untouched. Although the WVU defense had not been giving up as many points as we have seen in recent weeks to this point, this was the second pass play of over 50 yards that the Bearcats offense had produced in the first half. This one broke the tie and made it 14-7 in favor of Cincinnati with 4:55 left to play in the first half.
The Mountaineers found themselves in a fourth-and-three situation on the Bearcats ' 47-yard line. Hawkins Jr. rolled to his left and seemed to be running out of options before he threw a pass downfield into the waiting arms of fifth-year senior DJ Epps. The speedy receiver ducked and dodged several Bearcats defenders on his 43-yard catch to set the Mountaineers up with a first-and-goal. Two plays later, Hawkins Jr. took it into the end zone himself for his second rushing touchdown of the first half to tie the game once again at 14 all.
West Virginia University receiver DJ Epps | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI
It did not take long for the Bearcats offense to answer, as they walked down the field in four plays as junior running back Cole Tabb took it home from 28 yards out. With 1:22 left to play in the first half, it was 21-14 Cincinnati.
The Mountaineers moved the ball into Cincinnati territory, but kicker Jack Cassidy's 49-yard field goal attempt was no good. After two quarters of play, West Virginia went into the locker room trailing by a touchdown.
West Virginia received the kick to start the second half and came out with something to prove. It was a swift 7-play march down the field that ended with Hawkins Jr. finding fifth-year tight end Josh Sapp for the four-yard touchdown. Hawkins Jr. was noticeably fired up after the drive, pumping his fist in the air and screaming as the Mountaineers tied the game back up at 21 to open up the second half of play.
After a punt by each team, the Bearcats took their time moving down the field as they retook the lead off of a 1-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback JC French. The 13-play, 78-yard drive took nearly seven minutes off the third-quarter clock.
On the opening play of the fourth quarter, DJ Epps brought the house down. Epps was on the receiving end of a pass over the middle where he sidestepped and made an incredible spin move, moving towards the sideline, as he raced past everyone on his way to the end zone. The display of speed and body control tied the game once again at 28 all with 14:51 left to play in the contest.
Once again, the Bearcats responded quickly after the Mountaineers tied the game. After a personal foul for unnecessary roughness after a late hit out of bounds, the Bearcats scored from 11 yards out as Tabb scored again for Cincinnati. With just 11:23 left to play, the visiting team once again had the lead over Rich Rodriguez and company.
The crowd got into it as the Bearcats were called for consecutive offside penalties. After that sequence, Hawkins Jr.'s magic was on full display. Rolling out to his left, he reversed field going right and found Epps downfield wide open for a chunk gain of 32 yards. Freshman running back Amari Latimer punched it in from 3 yards out. The Mountaineers refused to go away quietly as the game was tied again at 28 all with 7:29 left to play.
It was the same old story for the Bearcats' offense when the Mountaineers tied the game. French rifled a pass downfield to senior receiver Malachi Henry for a gain of 59 yards. Just a few plays later, it was Tabb once again for the Bearcats, who broke the tie. The scoreboard read 42-35 Bearcats with just 5:35 left to play in Morgantown.
It was at this point that I realized we were in true instant classic territory. Cam Cook took the halfback screen into the end zone from 40 yards out to tie the game once again. With 3:44 left on the clock, it was again a tied game at 42 all.
The Mountaineers' defense came up with a huge stop, forcing the Bearcats to punt the ball back to the red-hot Mountaineers offense with over two minutes left to play and three timeouts. After a 66-yard punt that was nearly blocked, the Mountaineers were pinned back at their own one-yard line.
Hawkins Jr. let it rip from his own end zone and found junior wideout Prince Strachan downfield, who used his 6-foot-5 frame to haul it in for a gain of 41. Just two plays later, it was Strachan again who took an in-breaking route 40 yards, setting WVU up inside the red zone with just seconds left to play.
Jack Cassidy was the hero, as he nailed a 35-yard field goal as time expired to give the Mountaineers their first Big 12 win of the 2026 season, as they improved to 4-3 overall.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/westvirginia as WVU Outlasts Cincinnati 45-42 in Instant Classic At Mountaineer Field .
