Trench advantage lifts Cincinnati to 34-15 win over Boston College

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Saturday afternoon in Nippert Stadium was the setting for a rematch of the 2019 Birmingham Bowl. In that postseason contest, the Cincinnati Bearcats overwhelmed the Boston College Eagles in the trenches en route to a 38-6 victory.

Seven years later, not much changed. Cincinnati handled Boston College, 34-15, to win its 25th consecutive home opener. Cincinnati extended the second-longest home opener win streak in the FBS, only trailing Oklahoma State, whose 30-straight home opener wins will be tested by Oregon next Saturday.

Last season, the Bearcats featured one of the best offensive lines in college football. They paved the way for the third-most yards per rush in the FBS, while allowing the second-fewest sacks in the country at eight. The line returned All-American guard Evan Tengesdahl, All-Big 12 tackle Joe Cotton, and veteran guard Taran Tyo, who shifted to center for the opener. Although Boston College managed a rare sack on the unit, Cincinnati’s line handled the Eagles in the ground game.

The Bearcats totaled 254 rushing yards and three touchdowns on a 5.5 average with Notre Dame transfer Gi’Bran Payne emerging as the lead back. Payne, who only posted 53 rushing yards with the Fighting Irish last year, more than doubled that total in a Bearcat uniform with 108 yards on 14 carries. All three rushing touchdowns belonged to Georgia Southern transfer quarterback JC French IV, who wasn’t afraid to put his head down and fight for extra yardage in his Cincinnati debut.

French wasn’t tasked to pass much, finishing 10-of-14 for 77 yards. However, he produced Cincinnati’s first touchdown of the year with his arm, hitting Oklahoma transfer wide receiver JV Gibson on a slant. The collection of transfers meshed well with the incumbent offensive line as the Bearcat offense scored on all four of its red zone trips and refrained from committing a turnover.

Cincinnati held a 24-0 shutout before Boston College put a dent in the scoreboard in with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Eagles opened the game with four-straight punting drives, a missed field goal, and a fumble in Cincinnati territory — courtesy of a textbook strip by strong safety MJ Cannon. Boston College still accounted for 388 yards but regularly struggled to finish drives, as Cincinnati denied three fourth down attempts.

It was a strong showing by the Bearcat defense in coordinator Nate Woody’s first game on staff. Antwan Peek Jr., who moved roles from safety to outside linebacker due to the schematic shift, thrived in his new role with a team-high nine tackles and a pass breakup. Cincinnati also generated four sacks against an outmatched Boston College offensive line, and most importantly, Cannon secured an interception. This was a particular emphasis for Cincinnati this offseason after finishing dead-last with two interceptions during the 2025 season.

Boston College (0-1, 0-0 ACC) is now 2-12 in its last 14 games under head coach Bill O’Brien. The Eagles return home, but it will be a short week for O’Brien and Co., as they host Rutgers in a Friday night non-conference showdown.

Cincinnati (1-0, 0-0 ACC) improved to 2-1 against ACC competition under fourth-year head coach Scott Satterfield. After extending their impressive home opener streak, the Bearcats remain in the city for the rest of September. Next up in FCS opponent Western Carolina, which pays a visit to Nippert Stadium on Sept. 12.

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