The Cincinnati Bearcats return to Morgantown on Saturday as they take on the West Virginia Mountaineers for the first time in 13 years.
West Virginia holds a long history of dominance over the Bearcats.
WVU held the series advantage 16-3-1 over the Bearcats before leaving the Big East Conference in 2012. Though the teams have played each other in 13 non-conference games, the conference move meant a long break in the one-sided rivalry.
With Cincinnati joining the Big 12 this season, though, the matchup resumes, and the Mountaineers will look to retain their upper-hand status. Here is a look at the history that, for the first time this season, heavily favors West Virginia.
1921 and 1922: The shut-outs that started it all
In the second game of both teams’ 1921 season schedule, the Bearcats traveled to Morgantown for an Oct. 1 football game, and the result was heavy foreshadowing of things to come between the two schools. The Mountaineers, under new head coach Clarence Spears, dominated the Bearcats 50-0.
The win started early, as WVU Hall of Fame fullback Homer Matin rushed 80 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Martin would end the game with a touchdown in each of the first three quarters. West Virginia scored 20 points in the third quarter after leading 24-0 at halftime, and Cincinnati never gained any momentum back- even in the next season.
1922 saw the same story play out, as the undefeated Mountaineers stopped in Cincinnati after the Bearcats’ first win of the year against Case. The Mountaineers took down the Bearcats newly gained momentum in a 34-0 shut-out. The win brought West Virginia to a 5-0-1 record that would remain undefeated at the season’s end, while Cincinnati never saw another victory after the loss.
1969-2002: Life after the tie
In 1940, after scoring a combined six points in four previous games compared to the Mountaineers’ 131, Cincinnati traveled to Morgantown and left for the first time without a loss.
The Mountaineers, 3-3, and Bearcats, 4-3, shared a near identical season entering the matchup, and they produced identical results when they faced off in November. Both teams scored one touchdown in the third quarter of the 7-7 tie. After the game, Cincinnati won their final game of the season, giving them a better season record than West Virginia.
After this tie, the Mountaineers reset the trend of high-scoring, wide-margined victories over Cincinnati. From the years of 1969 to 2002, WVU won all seven matchups against the Bearcats, including five wins at home. The victories included a 57-11 win in 1969, a 51-13 win in 1988, and a 69-3 triumph in 1989.
The final win of the streak saw just a 35-32 win for the Mountaineers in 2002, as the Bearcats won the fourth quarter 15-0 after trailing 35-17 and going completely scoreless for the second and third quarters. The near-comeback did not faze West Virginia, though, as they completed the win and continued to a 9-4 season record and 25th ranking from the Associated Press. Cincinnati went 7-7 for the season and were co-champions of Conference USA with TCU.
2005-2011: Conference Rivalry
The Bearcats joined West Virginia’s Big East Conference in 2005, opening the gates for a seven-year conference rivalry.
In 2005, the Mountaineers welcomed the Bearcats the same way they welcomed them to Morgantown in 1921: with a shut-out win, 38-0. West Virginia traveled to Ohio as the No. 16 in the nation with a 7-1 record while Cincinnati stood 4-4. Freshman running back and future NFL player Steve Slaton rushed for 129 yards and four touchdowns in 25 carries, more than doubling the yardage of Cincinnati’s entire run game.
In 2006, the Bearcats gave the Mountaineers a tougher time, but the No. 10 Mountaineers, once again entering the game 7-1, scored three touchdowns in each of the second and third quarters to win 42-24 despite a 14-0 run from Cincinnati in the final quarter. Slaton carried the ball just 12 times in the game but outdid his yard gains from the previous season with 148 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Pat White returned from the last season as well and rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns in 10 carries. He completed 7 of 13 passes in the game for 98 yards and a touchdown.
2007 completed the three year run for West Virginia, as the team triumphed 28-3 as Cincinnati began to bridge the gap between the two schools. Cincinnati entered the game 8-2 and ranked 21st entering the matchup while West Virginia barely stood on top with an 8-1 record and No. 6 national ranking. After the win, the Mountaineers would end the season No. 6 and 11-2 overall while the Bearcats stood just behind at 10-3 and No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The next season, Cincinnati did what they could to prove this was a rivalry, as they stole West Virginia’s title as the best team in the Big East, ranked No. 17 and 11-3 on the season compared to No. 23 West Virginia’s 9-4 record. Most importantly, though, the Bearcats defeated West Virginia 26-23 in overtime. Pat White took a much greater role in the loss, throwing 20/38 for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, but without Slaton, West Virginia lacked the scoring they needed to complete the fourth quarter comeback, sending the game to overtime, where Cincinnati won. The Bearcats won again in 2009, 24-21, as Cincinnati did not lose a single game until the Sugar Bowl against Florida.
In 2010, the Bearcats took a massive hit, falling from a place of royalty in the Big East to a 4-8 record and 2-5 conference record. West Virginia stayed consistent at 9-4 to become co-champions of the conference with Connecticut. The Mountaineers defeated the Bearcats 37-10 in 2010. Cincinnati resurged in 2011 to a 10-3 record to become co-champions of the conference with WVU, but West Virginia completed the conference matchups with a victory, 24-21. Geno Smith shined for his second and final win over the Bearcats, throwing 29/43 for 372 yards and a touchdown. Cincinnati fumbled in the second quarter, resulting in a touchdown off the recovery for WVU in the 10-0 quarter run.
Now, as conference foes again, the Mountaineers stand in a familiar position above Cincinnati in the standings, with a 6-4 record and 4-3 conference record compared to the Bearcats’ 3-7 overall record and 1-6 Big 12 record. As the years progress, though, it seems destined that this game will start another regional rivalry between the two teams.
Photo from WVU Football
