Cincinnati has been trying to tie the series with Miami (Ohio) for nearly 70 years.
It took quarterback Desmond Ridder only 45 seconds to show it would finally happen as the No. 8 Bearcats scored on the second play of Saturday’s season-opening 49-14 win over the visiting RedHawks, their 15th straight victory vs. their in-state rival.
The oldest non-conference rivalry in FBS, which began in 1888, is even at 59-59-7. Miami has been tied for or held the lead since 1916 with the last tie in the series in 1953.
Cincinnati moved to 43-44-5 at home to the RedHawks.
Ridder connected on an 81-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Scott to make it 7-0 and he completed nine of his first 10 throws for 158 yards as the Bearcats led 21-0 after the first quarter.
While also adding a 25-yard TD run for the 35-0 halftime score, Ridder finished 20 for 25 for 295 yards and four TDs with an interception on Cincinnati’s first drive of the second half.
Ridder’s final TD was an 8-yard pass to Leonard Taylor early in the fourth quarter.
Cincinnati’s Jerome Ford had a game-high 121 rushing yards on 12 carries, including a 21-yard run for a 28-0 lead in the second quarter before a sellout crowd of 37, 978 at Nippert Stadium.
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Kenny Tracy scored on a 19-yard run for Miami with 3:20 left to play to make it 42-7 and John Saunders had a 32-yard pick six of backup quarterback Evan Prater for a 42-14 score.
Prater had a 14-yard TD run with 23 seconds left.
RedHawks quarterback AJ Mayer was 9 for 28 for 109 yards.
The schools did not play in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ending a streak of annual meetings since 1945.
Miami’s last win in The Battle for the Victory Bell was 44-26 in Oxford, Ohio, on Sept. 28, 2005.
— Field Level Media