Miami RedHawks fall to Cincinnati in perhaps final Victory Bell

Miami receiver Scoop Smith said, despite his small stature, he had "big confidence" in himself ahead of the Victory Bell rivalry.

That confidence was validated just 14 seconds into the 129th Victory Bell game between Miami and Cincinnati, as the 5-foot-5 freshman took the opening kickoff 98-yards for a touchdown.

Smith is the smallest player in Division I football but provided massive energy for the RedHawks, whose defense and offense followed the special team's lead in the first half.

Unfortunately for Miami, Cincinnati remembered that the game lasts 60 minutes. The Bearcats overcame a three-touchdown halftime deficit for a 35-31 win over the RedHawks.

"I can't think of a harder loss," Miami head coach Chuck Martin said.

The RedHawks fall in the Battle for the Victory Bell for the 18th time in 20 meetings. Cincinnati now controls the all-time series at 62-60-7, with no future meetings in the country's longest running non-conference rivalry.

Freshman quarterback David McComb had a monster first half, throwing for 179 yards on 9-of-12 passing. He hit passes of 16, 27, 34, 35 and 36 yards as the aerial attack was in overdrive, passing for one score. He also kept it himself for his second rushing touchdown of the season.

Defensively, the RedHawks were more than a match for Cincinnati's power-conference physicality. Miami limited the Bearcats to just 1.4 yards per carry in the first half. Cincinnati had been averaging over 336 yards this season. Unfortunately, on Cincinnati's critical final possession, they allowed a 53-yard breakaway by UC running back Cole Tabb for the go-ahead score.

The RedHawks fall to 1-2 on the season, but still have a lot of reason for excitement as they host UConn next week. Here's what we learned about Miami in their loss against Cincinnati.

RedHawks hit on quarterback David McComb

Miami head coach Chuck Martin knew he had talent in the quarterback room this fall, but wasn't sure what to expect on the field from an inexperienced redshirt-freshman transfer.

As it turns out, Martin can expect a lot from Kansas transfer David McComb. After an inconsistent but promising start against Pitt, McComb has been red-hot. In one half of dominance against Holy Cross, he was a perfect 13-for-13 for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Against the vastly more talented Bearcats defense, McComb once again torched the secondary.

The redshirt freshman went 13-for-18 for a career high 253 yards, connecting on bomb after bomb. His average completion went for 19.5 yards as he slung the ball downfield with pinpoint accuracy.

"He loves to be in the arena," Martin said of his quarterback.

He did throw one interception, which came on an avoidable coverage misread, and had a fumble to mar an otherwise tremendous game. Even in a loss, though, McComb turned heads at TQL Stadium and had the Bearcats on the ropes.

With McComb's ascent, the RedHawks should have a decisive advantage at the quarterback position in Mid-American Conference play.

Miami front seven solid, secondary less so

Cincinnati's running game came into a matchup with Miami averaging over 300 yards per game, making the Bearcats one of the most dangerous ground attacks in the country.

Miami held Cincinnati to just 74 yards on 2.3 yards per carry up until the final possession, when the Bearcats finally ripped a 53-yard score. Against a formidable opponent in hostile territory, it was a show of strength for the Miami defensive front.

"Our defense is designed to stop the run," Martin said. "And they (Cincinnati) have three draftable NFL offensive lineman, they have really good backs."

In the passing game, the RedHawks were notably less efficient. Cincinnati's JC French put up 309 passing yards, going 31-of-43 and tossing two touchdowns as he orchestrated the Bearcats comeback. Cincinnati receivers regularly had lots of green space when to make uncontested catches.

The aerial defense is a recurring problem for Miami in their power-conference games. Against Pitt, Miami allowed 480 yards and seven passing touchdowns as the RedHawks got run off the field. While Miami shouldn't see any quarterbacks nearly as talented as Pitt's Mason Heintschel in conference play, it's a concerning trend in the first three weeks of Miami's season.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Miami RedHawks fall to Cincinnati in perhaps final Victory Bell