CINCINNATI (AP) — Nicco Marchiol threw for one touchdown and ran for another and West Virginia’s defense forced Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby into three turnovers Saturday afternoon, which led to 17 points in the Mountaineers 31-24 win over the Bearcats.
It’s the fourth-straight win for the Mountaineers (5-4, 4-2 Big 12 Conference) over the Bearcats (5-4, 3-3), and they denied the Bearcats the opportunity to clinch bowl eligibility.
“We’ve had a couple of tough weeks. We’ve had some drops all bounce the wrong way. Today, it bounced our way,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. “We got some breaks today and took advantage.”
Two of the Mountaineers takeaways were scoring plays. Early in the second quarter, West Virginia free safety Anthony Wilson Jr. intercepted Sorsby and returned the ball 79 yards to get the Mountaineers on the scoreboard. The pick-six began a run of 24 unanswered points by the Mountaineers, giving them a 24-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Cincinnati answered with two quick scores to pull within 24-21.
That’s where, though, West Virginia sealed the win with another defensive score. Tyrin Bradley Jr. scooped up a backwards pass from Sorsby and raced 14 yards for the touchdown. The play was reviewed and confirmed, giving the Mountaineers a 10-point lead with 3:30 left to play.
“I picked up the ball and didn’t hear a whistle so I just ran it in,” Bradley Jr. said. “I was asking the ref if it was a touchdown and I heard coach yell extra point.”
The Bearcats would kick a 29-yard field goal with 40 seconds left to make it a one-score game but the Mountaineers recovered the ensuing onside kick.
CRUCIAL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYS
West Virginia had two crucial special teams plays that contributed to 14 points. Midway through the second quarter, Preston Fox returned a Bearcats punt 29 yards to the Cincinnati 41-yard line. Three plays later, Marchiol found Justin Robinson for a 10-yard touchdown to stretch the Mountaineers lead to 17-7.
“Our special teams have been quietly good all year,” Brown said. “Sometimes you don’t notice them unless they make a mistake. We won the field position battle.”
Field position helped West Virginia seal the game late in the fourth quarter. After the Bearcats cut the lead to 24-21, Fox returned the ensuing kickoff to the Mountaineers 49-yard line. Despite a three-and-out, punter Oliver Straw was able to pin the Bearcats at their own six-yard line. That set up Bradley Jr.’s fumble return for a touchdown to put the Mountaineers back up by two scores.
DECEIVING STATS
Cincinnati outgained West Virginia in multiple statistical categories. The Bearcats outgained the Mountaineers 436-248 in total yards, 157-92 in rushing yards and 24-9 in first downs.
“It was a very weird game I feel like,” Bearcats defensive tackle Dontay Corleone said. “(Linebacker) Jared Bartlett gave a great speech at halftime, and I think that gave us more juice to come out there and put more points on the board and get more three-and-outs and turnovers.”
Considering the Bearcats allowed 424 rushing yards and 634 total yards last year at West Virginia, their defense deserves credit for holding the Mountaineers more than 100 yards below their rushing yards per game average this season.
West Virginia had two defensive scores but the Bearcats have not had a defensive or special teams score through 21 games in coach Scott Satterfield’s tenure in Cincinnati.
“Looking at the stats will make you sick,” Satterfield said. “We know you can’t turn the ball over and give them 17 free points. That was the difference of this game.”
UP NEXT
West Virginia: home vs. Baylor on Saturday.
Cincinnati: at Iowa State on Saturday.
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