CINCINNATI (AP) - Redshirt freshman quarterback Ross Trail headed for the cooler in the corner of the room and asked his teammates if they needed a drink. Given how they’d helped him through his first collegiate start, it was a fitting gesture.
Tion Green ran for 83 yards and a late touchdown on Saturday, rallying Cincinnati to a 27-20 victory over Miami (Ohio), its 11th in a row over the regional rival.
The Bearcats (3-1) pulled it out with a field goal and Green’s 2-yard run with 5:09 to go, overcoming the loss of starting quarterback Hayden Moore. Moore suffered a sprained ankle during a 40-16 loss to Houston in the last game. Trail got into that game late and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Cincinnati didn’t reveal the quarterback change until right before kickoff. In his first start, Trail was 25 of 38 for 276 yards with two interceptions and an 11-yard touchdown run. He also fumbled on a sack.
“It was nerve-racking at first,” Trail said. “But overall, I thought I played well, not just me but the whole offense.”
Cincinnati rushed for 185 yards, taking the pressure off the passing game. Also, the defense clamped down in the fourth quarter.
“Ross made some mistakes,” coach Tommy Tuberville said. “We knew he was going to make some mistakes, but our defense showed up and made some plays.
Miami (0-4) hasn’t won at Nippert Stadium since 2002, losing six in a row in Cincinnati. The Bearcats got to keep the Victory Bell trophy for another year.
“I felt we could play toe-to-toe with Cincinnati,” coach Chuck Martin said. “We were going to grind and come close in the fourth quarter. They made some plays in that last drive so hats off to them.”
Cincinnati also had a new kicker - Andrew Gantz is recovering from a leg injury. Josh Pasley was good from 28 and 23 yards, but missed badly on a 42-yard try in the closing seconds of the first half, which ended 10-10.
THE TAKEAWAY
Miami: RedHawks failed again for a signature win during their rebuilding. They’re 5-35 over the last four seasons.
Cincinnati: Tuberville said there’s a chance that Moore could be back for the game next Saturday against South Florida. If not, Trail will start. Gunner Kiel, who was the starter the last two seasons, is third in line and didn’t get into the game on Saturday.
“He’s ahead of Gunner in terms of knowing the offense, and Ross has a good arm,” Tuberville said.
UP NEXT
Miami: Hosts Mid-American Conference rival Ohio, which has won nine of the last 10 in the series. The Bobcats won 34-3 in Athens last season.
Cincinnati: Hosts the Bulls on Saturday night. The Bearcats lost at South Florida 65-27 last season. The Bulls (3-1) lost to No. 13 Florida State 55-35 on Saturday.
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AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org
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