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Indiana had plenty of opportunities to thwart No.8 Cincinnati on Saturday, but the Hoosiers were ultimately doomed by mistakes in a disheartening 38-24 home loss.
In the loss, Indiana returned the ball four times, failed on a fourth down deep in Cincinnati territory, allowed a 99-yard punt return touchdown and committed some costly penalties. The Bearcats were more than happy to capitalize on those mistakes and came out of Bloomington with a coveted victory over an opponent from the Power Five.
We’ll find out later in the year how much of a boost that will give Cincinnati a boost, but it stays on the books as a quality win for a program with college football playoff aspirations. Last year, Cincinnati went undefeated in the regular season, but finished in 8th place in the final CFP standings. The lack of a difficult schedule was the main culprit. Entering 2021, Cincinnati had that game and the trip to Notre Dame in two weeks circled on the schedule.
After Saturday’s win, it’s one to lose, one to do for the Bearcats. Cincy now has a week off before she can take down the mighty Notre Dame in two weeks.
Indiana controlled the game early, but collapsed in the 2nd half
The Hoosiers actually took a 14-0 lead in the game, but a few of those aforementioned mistakes changed the course of the game completely.
First of all, the advance should have been greater. Indiana failed on a quarterback squeezing fourth in Cincinnati’s 10-yard line. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix later threw an interception in the end zone.
The game seemed to really change with a penalty.
At the end of the first half, with IU’s lead at 14-0, a targeting penalty on Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden on the third down gave the Cincinnati offense a first down. The Bearcats were able to capitalize on that practice with a Jerome Ford touchdown, reducing the Hoosiers’ lead to 14-7 with 1:33 remaining in the first half.
On the possession that followed, Penix threw another ugly interception to return the ball to Cincinnati near the midfield. This good position on the field allowed the Bearcats to score a basket and reduce the deficit to 14-10 at halftime.
The second half was much more remarkable.
The teams traded touchdowns late in the third quarter, making it a 21-17 advantage for Indiana. In the ensuing kickoff, UC’s Tre Tucker traveled 99 yards at home to put the Bearcats back in front, 23-21, with 3:41 left in the third.
Indiana would respond with a field goal to come back in front, 24-23, with 41 seconds left in the third. The Hoosiers would never rule again.
Desmond Ridder of Cincinnati found tight end Alec Pierce for a 19-yard touchdown early in the fourth to give Cincinnati the lead in earnest.
Indiana’s next three practices went like this: a fumble on the 2-yard line from Cincinnati, another interception from Penix and a turnover on the lows. With those mistakes, Cincinnati’s lead shot up to 38-24 and the Bearcats were able to head for victory.
What does this mean for Cincinnati?
In the era of the four-team playoffs, it will be a daunting task for a team in the Group of Five to compete for a national title.
It’s going to take an unbeaten season that includes some notable non-conference wins for a G5 team to even sniff the top four. At the start of the season, Cincinnati believed they had two non-conference opponents who could bolster a resume with Indiana and Notre Dame.
So far, Indiana looks a lot worse than last year. Notre-Dame too.
Still, getting into South Bend in two weeks is going to be a challenge and a road win over a Big Ten team has to count for something. There will also be some difficult places during the conference.
All Cincinnati can do is do their part and beat the teams on their schedule. If the Bearcats do that, they’ll at least be in the conversation at the end of the season.
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