Jack Cassidy’s 35-yard field goal as time expired allowed West Virginia to snap a three-game losing streak and score its first Big 12 victory of the season by beating Cincinnati 45-42 on Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, W.Va.
The Mountaineers (4-3, 1-3) never led until the kick by Cassidy — who missed a 49-yarder late in the first half — went through the uprights. The winning drive started at the West Virginia 1-yard line after a 66-yard punt by Max Fletcher pinned the Mountaineers on their 1.
Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for a career-high 464 yards to lead the Mountaineers. While he threw for three touchdowns, his biggest passes came on the final drive. He connected with Prince Strachan for 41 yards on a third-and-9 at the Mountaineers’ 2. Hawkins later connected with Strachan for a 39-yarder to put the team in field-goal position.
Hawkins, better known for his running skills, topped his best passing day by more than 200 yards. He threw for 247 as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners against Navy on Dec. 27, 2024, in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The Bearcats (4-2, 1-2) outgained their hosts 622-598 but lost their second straight game. JC French threw for a career-high 389 yards and three touchdowns for Cincinnati. Cole Tabb ran 15 times for 118 yards and two scores and also caught a scoring pass from French.
Tabb’s 6-yard run with 5:35 remaining gave Cincinnati a 42-35 lead. The Mountaineers answered when Cam Cook broke open a screen pass from Hawkins for a 40-yard touchdown with 3:44 remaining.
West Virginia entered Saturday with the nation’s fifth-best rushing offense at an average of 295.5 yards per game. However, the Mountaineers garnered only 134 on the ground vs. Cincinnati. Cook, who had been the Big 12’s leading rusher with 793 yards, finished with a season-low 40 yards on 15 carries.
Hawkins added 77 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Cincinnati’s Malachi Henry caught two passes for 128 yards. His 59-yard reception to the West Virginia 13 with less than seven minutes to play set up the Bearcats’ last score.
–Field Level Media
