CINCINNATI — One week after upsetting No. 8 Texas Tech, Cincinnati suffered a disappointing 49-25 loss to No. 6 Utah on Saturday at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats surrendered 42 first-half points, including two defensive touchdowns, and never seriously threatened at any point in the game. It was ugly.
Cincinnati's defense had another poor afternoon, allowing 534 yards of total offense, including 268 on the ground. However, two individual performances stood out despite the defeat, while a costly turnover helped Utah build its commanding lead.
HEROES
Cole Tabb — Running Back
Tabb continues to establish himself as one of the nation's best backs. Against Utah, he rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt.
His biggest play came in the third quarter when he broke free for a 48-yard touchdown run, cutting Utah's lead to 42-19. Tabb also caught three passes for 16 yards, giving him 147 yards of total offense.
It was Tabb's third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and his fourth of the season. Even with Cincinnati playing from behind for most of the afternoon, he continued producing whenever the Bearcats gave him the rock.
Jacob Finley — Cornerback
It's difficult to single out a defensive player for praise when his team allows 49 points, but Finley deserves the recognition. The cornerback led Cincinnati with a season-high 10 tackles, including seven solo stops, and recorded a tackle for loss.
His biggest contribution came midway through the third quarter when he intercepted Utah quarterback Devon Dampier and returned the ball 79 yards for a touchdown. It was Cincinnati's first touchdown of the afternoon, cutting Utah's lead to 42-13.
Finley's interception was one of the few defensive highlights for Cincinnati, and his 10 tackles led the team. Although the defense struggled badly overall, his individual performance earned him a place among this week's Heroes, which is saying something.
ZEROS
The Entire Defense
There's no avoiding this one. Cincinnati's defense was thoroughly dominated by Utah, allowing 534 yards of total offense, including 268 on the ground.
Utah scored touchdowns on each of its first two offensive possessions, moving the ball with little to no resistance. The Utes also converted seven of 11 third-down opportunities, allowing them to sustain drives and control possession.
The biggest problem was the number of explosive plays Cincinnati surrendered. Daniel Bray scored on a 30-yard run, Wayshawn Parker broke loose for 64 yards to set up another touchdown, and Hunter Andrews caught a 59-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
Utah scored 35 offensive points and added 14 more on defense. Jacob Finley had an outstanding individual performance, but Cincinnati's defense as a whole simply didn't do enough to slow the Utes. For a team coming off an impressive upset of Texas Tech, the defensive performance was a major disappointment and a return to the defense we saw against West Virginia and not the one we saw against Texas Tech.
Gi'Bran Payne — Running Back
Payne actually had a productive afternoon running the football, gaining 67 yards on nine carries for an average of 7.4 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, one mistake overshadowed that production.
Early in the second quarter, Payne lost a fumble that Utah's Rabbit Evans recovered and returned 51 yards for a touchdown. The score extended the Utes' lead to 21-3 and put Cincinnati in an even deeper hole. And in many ways, changed the game fundamentally, though it should be noted that it's not like anyone else played well enough to win anyway.
The turnover was especially damaging because Utah's offense was already moving the ball effectively against Cincinnati's defense. Giving the Utes another seven points without requiring their offense to take the field simply cannot happen.
Payne wasn't responsible for Cincinnati's defensive problems, and his rushing numbers were pretty good. However, his fumble was one of the game's biggest mistakes, earning him this week's Zero designation.
