Cincinnati upsets No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24 as JC French IV throws four touchdowns

Bearcats stun No. 8 Red Raiders at home

Cincinnati beat No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday. Quarterback JC French IV threw four touchdown passes, the most of his career, and running back Cole Tabb rushed for 173 yards and a score, the best rushing day of his career, as the Bearcats improved to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12. Texas Tech dropped to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big 12.

The first quarter stayed tight. Stephen Rusnak's 47-yard field goal gave Texas Tech an early 3-0 lead, and Stone Harrington answered with field goals of 32 and 48 yards to put Cincinnati up 6-3 after one.

A 21-point second quarter breaks it open

Cincinnati scored 21 points in the second quarter. Tabb caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from French to make it 10-6. Malachi Henry added a 5-yard touchdown catch with 1:37 left in the half, and after French's defense picked off Will Hammond, the Bearcats drove the field and scored again with five seconds showing, a 2-yard touchdown pass to Lyviel Waters. Cincinnati led 24-6 at halftime.

Texas Tech answers, Tabb finishes it

Texas Tech got back into it in the third quarter when safety Peyton Morgan returned a deflected, intercepted French pass 53 yards for a touchdown, a play that was flagged for targeting before being overturned on review. The two-point try failed, and Cincinnati answered with an 80-yard drive that ended in French's fourth touchdown pass, a 17-yarder to Larenzo Fenner, making it 31-15 with 50 seconds left in the third.

Texas Tech's Harrington kicked his third field goal of the day early in the fourth quarter to cut it to 31-18, but Tabb's 58-yard touchdown run with six minutes left put Cincinnati up 37-18. Texas Tech's Quinten Joyner scored on a 3-yard run with under a minute to go, setting the final score at 37-24.

By the numbers

Cincinnati out-gained Texas Tech 427 yards to 400, with Tabb's 173 yards leading a 255-yard rushing attack. Texas Tech turned the ball over three times to Cincinnati's two and was penalized 13 times for 85 yards against Cincinnati's five penalties for 55 yards. French finished 19 of 30 for 172 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Hammond went 24 of 37 for 227 yards with an interception, and J'Koby Williams ran 12 times for 81 yards for Texas Tech.

It was Cincinnati's first win over a top-10 opponent at home since beating No. 7 Rutgers in 2006. Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said, "I'm really proud of our program." Texas Tech also failed to reach 7-0 for the first time since 2013.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.