Oct. 1, 2011
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OXFORD, Ohio--Miami University sophomore wide receiver Nick Harwell recorded his third straight 100-yard receiving game Saturday against the University of Cincinnati, just the third such streak in program history. It was not enough to reclaim the Victory Bell, however, as Miami (0-4, 0-1 MAC) fell to Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0 Big East) by a score of 27-0 at Yager Stadium.
Harwell led all receivers with 149 yards on six catches. Junior quarterback Zac Dysert also found himself in elite company after today's game. His 252 yards helped him pass Sam Ricketts for fourth place all-time among Miami quarterbacks for passing yards. Dysert now has 6,053 career passing yards.
Miami caught a couple of breaks in the first half in the form of timely turnovers by the Bearcats' offense.
With Cincinnati threatening deep in Miami territory in the first quarter with first down on the 7-yard line, the RedHawk defense stood strong. The Bearcats were dropped for a 5-yard loss on first down on a tackle in the backfield by junior defensive lineman Austin Brown. Cincinnati had a pass in the end zone go in and out the out-stretched arms of the receiver before senior linebacker Ryan Kennedy came up with his first career interception in the end zone on third down to give Miami the ball with 11:30 remaining in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bearcats fumbled a rush on first-and-ten from the Miami 14-yard line that was recovered by junior defensive lineman Jason Semmes on the 12 yard-line. By forcing two red zone turnovers, Miami halted two early scoring opportunities for Cincinnati.
With 6:08 left in the half, Cincinnati put the first points on the board with a 30-yard strike from quarterback Zach Collaros to Travis Kelce. The extra point went wide right, giving the Bearcats a 6-0 lead.
Miami caught a another big break on its next drive; after punting on fourth down and five, Cincinnati's Camerron Cheatham fumbled the kick and the ball was recovered by junior D.J. Brown. The RedHawks again were unable to find any momentum following the turnover as the Bearcats forced a three-and-out series.
The first half ended with a score of 6-0 in favor of Cincinnati. This was the second time this season Miami had been held scoreless in the first half, the first coming in the opening game at Missouri. The six total points scored was the fewest in a half by the Bearcats this season.
Miami started the second half with a bang, as Dysert connected with Harwell on a 66-yard pass on the Red and White's first play from scrimmage to get the RedHawks to the 1-yard line. After having a touchdown catch to Harwell negated by an offensive pass interference penalty, sophomore Mason Krysinski missed a 34-yard field goal wide right.
Cincinnati answered with a four-play, 80-yard drive highlighted by a 72-yard pass to get the Bearcats to the 3-yard line. Isaiah Pead ran it in for Cincinnati's second touchdown of the game and the successful extra point made it 13-0 with 11:40 left in the third quarter.
With 2:02 left in the quarter, Pead scored his second rushing touchdown of the day, capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive. The extra point split the uprights, giving Cincinnati a 20-0 lead. On Miami's very next drive, senior Anthony Kokal fumbled a punt on fourth down and it was recovered by Cincinnati's JK Schaffer, who ran it in for a 17-yard touchdown. The score plus the PAT extended Cincinnati's lead to 27-0, which held up as the game's final score.
It was the 116th meeting in the Battle for the Victory Bell with Cincinnati winning its sixth straight in the series against the RedHawks. Miami continues to hold a 59-50-7 edge in the series. Saturday's meeting was the first time since 1976 that Miami was shutout by Cincinnati when it fell by a score of 17-0. It was also the first time Miami was shutout at home since Northern Illinois defeated the Red and White, 17-0, in 1983.
Miami hosts Army next Saturday, Oct. 8, with kickoff at 1 p.m. Four members of Miami's Cradle of Coaches will be honored with statues outside of Yager Stadium prior to the game. The honorees include: Earl Blaik, Ara Parseghian, John Pont and Bo Schembechler.
