CINCINNATI, Ohio — It was just like old times.
As members of the American Athletic Conference, UCF and Cincinnati set themselves apart as power programs, winning at least a share of 7 conference championships, appearing in three New Year’s Six Access Bowls and one College Football Playoff semifinal.
But the transition to the Big 12 has been difficult, to say the least, with both teams winless through 5 conference games, making Saturday’s showdown as close to a must-win as possible.
As in the previous meetings in this series, this one finished on a memorable note that would leave one team heartbroken and the other euphoric.
Running back RJ Harvey capped off a career night by scoring on a 1-yard run with 2:45 left and the defense stopped a late two-point conversion to lift UCF to a 28-26 win over the Bearcats on Saturday. It was the Knights’ first Big 12 win and snapped a 5-game losing streak.
“I’m real proud of our team,” said coach Gus Malzahn. “It feels good to see those smiling faces in the locker room. I’m proud of the way that our guys won the game.
“The best feeling in winning games is when it comes down to the end and you must make those critical plays. We didn’t make those the last five games and made them tonight.”
Nothing was certain for UCF, even at the end, as Cincinnati scored with 1:15 left, setting up a two-point conversion to tie the game. But Emory Jones’s pass failed to connect with receiver Dee Wiggins and the Knights hung on.
Players and coaches celebrated on the field as fans exited Nippert Stadium.
For John Rhys Plumlee, who spent five weeks rehabbing a severe right knee injury, the moment he had special meaning, he wanted to share it with his mother, Lori.
“A lot of work goes into what we do,” said Plumlee. “Countless hours up at the facility with the coaches. We work our butts off and you try to enjoy wins because they’re fun. I saw my mom and wanted to hug her because she’s been there throughout the year.”
Plumlee put his four-turnover performance last week against West Virginia behind him and guided the offense on two crucial second-half scoring opportunities. He finished 13 of 23 for 165 passing yards and rushed for an additional 53 yards with an 8-yard touchdown run.
Plumlee’s score and Harvey’s 13-yard touchdown midway through the second gave UCF (4-5, 1-5 Big 12) an early 14-3 lead.
Cincinnati ( 2-7 0-6 Big 12) cut the lead to 14-10 on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Braden Smith with 1:56 left until halftime.
The Bearcats showcased why they were one of the best-rushing offenses in the conference, amassing 248 yards on the ground while averaging nearly 6 yards per carry. It was the fourth time in the past six games that UCF allowed more than 200 rushing yards in a game.
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Tailbacks Corey Kiner (114 yards) and Ryan Montgomery (113) powered UC’s rushing attack.
Harvey, meanwhile, put together his best performance of the season, rushing for a career-high 164 yards on 20 carries, scoring a pair of second-half touchdowns highlighted by his game-winning score late in the fourth quarter.
“He’s unbelievable,” said Plumlee. “He’s one of the best running backs I’ve ever played with. He shows it every week and comes to work every day. He was banged up this week and I don’t know if you can tell. That’s how tough he is.”
“We just needed to execute on every play,” added Harvey, who tied Latavius Murray (2012) and Marquette Smith (1994-95) with his fourth straight 100-yard rushing performance.
UCF’s defense forced two early turnovers when safety William Wells forced a fumble by Cincinnati receiver Xzavier Henderson midway through the second quarter that was recovered by linebacker Jason Johnson. The second was an interception by safety Nikai Martinez, who picked off an errant pass by Jones.
The unit also had a season-high 5 sacks, with edge rusher Tre’mon Morris-Brash totaling 2.5 to push his season total to 8.5.
Morris-Brash remembers the last time UCF played in Cincinnati, a 56-21 loss in 2021.
“Knowing that last time we came here, we lost — we lost bad and it was embarrassing,” said the 5th-year senior. “We haven’t put it all together this season and that’s something we’ve been working on throughout the week.”
The Knights need two wins over the next three games to become bowl-eligible. That includes a home game against Oklahoma State on Saturday at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
“We got one win and we’re just going take it week by week,” Malzahn said. “We’re playing another really good team [next week].”
Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
