No. 25 Cincinnati holds off Houston late to win 38-23
Desmond Ridder passed for 263 yards and three touchdowns and No. 25 Cincinnati held off Houston's late surge to beat the Cougars 38-23 on Saturday.
NCAA - Football
FINAL
Cincinnati Bearcats
38
Houston Cougars
23
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | 14 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 38 |
| HOU | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
TDECU Stadium · 25,716 att.
Match Report
Last five matches
| Date | Opp | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/7/26 | @ Houston Cougars | L 24-31 | NCAAF |
| 10/31/26 | vs Utah Utes | L 25-49 | NCAAF |
| 10/24/26 | vs Texas Tech Red Raiders | W 37-24 | NCAAF |
| 10/17/26 | @ West Virginia Mountaineers | L 42-45 | NCAAF |
| 10/3/26 | @ Arizona Wildcats | L 7-34 | NCAAF |
| Full Schedule | |||
Play by Play
-
Touchdown 3:28 38-23
Perry Young 2 Yd Interception Return (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
Field Goal 4:27 31-23
Sam Crosa 32 Yd Field Goal
-
Touchdown 9:09 28-23
Christian Trahan 6 Yd pass from Clayton Tune (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
-
Touchdown 13:41 28-17
Michael Warren II 11 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
Touchdown 12:40 21-17
Marquez Stevenson 69 Yd pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon Kick)
-
Touchdown 8:33 21-10
Josiah Deguara 15 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
Touchdown 11:36 14-10
Jeremy Singleton 50 Yd pass from Bryson Smith (Dalton Witherspoon Kick)
-
Touchdown 7:13 14-3
Rashad Medaris 75 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
Field Goal 7:24 7-3
Dalton Witherspoon 31 Yd Field Goal
-
Touchdown 12:44 7-0
Desmond Ridder 13 Yd Run (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
CIN
1 play, -2 yards, 0:30 · End of Game
-
HOU 0:30
11 plays, 65 yards, 2:58 · Interception
-
HOU 3:28
3 plays, 2 yards, 0:59 · Interception Touchdown
-
Touchdown 3:28 38-23
Perry Young 2 Yd Interception Return (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
CIN 4:27
10 plays, 48 yards, 4:42 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 4:27 31-23
Sam Crosa 32 Yd Field Goal
-
HOU 9:09
9 plays, 72 yards, 4:32 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 9:09 28-23
Christian Trahan 6 Yd pass from Clayton Tune (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
-
CIN 13:41
7 plays, 34 yards, 3:43 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 13:41 28-17
Michael Warren II 11 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
HOU 2:24
4 plays, 13 yards, 2:14 · Fumble
-
CIN 4:38
9 plays, 48 yards, 4:01 · Missed FG
-
HOU 8:39
3 plays, 6 yards, 1:30 · Punt
-
CIN 10:09
4 plays, 18 yards, 2:31 · Punt
-
HOU 12:40
4 plays, 85 yards, 2:20 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 12:40 21-17
Marquez Stevenson 69 Yd pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon Kick)
-
HOU
7 plays, 46 yards, 2:27 · Interception
-
CIN 2:27
6 plays, 16 yards, 3:53 · Punt
-
HOU 6:20
5 plays, 39 yards, 2:13 · Downs
-
CIN 8:33
3 plays, 35 yards, 1:28 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 8:33 21-10
Josiah Deguara 15 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
HOU 10:01
1 play, 0 yards, 0:06 · Interception
-
CIN 10:07
3 plays, 1 yard, 1:29 · Punt
-
HOU 11:36
6 plays, 66 yards, 3:13 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 11:36 14-10
Jeremy Singleton 50 Yd pass from Bryson Smith (Dalton Witherspoon Kick)
-
CIN 14:49
3 plays, 8 yards, 1:45 · Punt
-
HOU 1:34
3 plays, 2 yards, 1:55 · Punt
-
CIN 3:29
5 plays, 14 yards, 2:02 · Punt
-
HOU 5:31
3 plays, -3 yards, 1:42 · Punt
-
CIN 7:13
1 play, 75 yards, 0:11 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 7:13 14-3
Rashad Medaris 75 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Sam Crosa Kick)
-
HOU 7:24
4 plays, 6 yards, 1:32 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 7:24 7-3
Dalton Witherspoon 31 Yd Field Goal
-
CIN 8:56
3 plays, 13 yards, 1:09 · Interception
-
HOU 10:05
5 plays, 19 yards, 2:39 · Punt
-
CIN 12:44
5 plays, 75 yards, 2:16 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 12:44 7-0
Desmond Ridder 13 Yd Run (Sam Crosa Kick)
Showing the last 37 of 37 events.
Team Stats
CIN
HOU
17
1st Downs
16
5-13
3rd down efficiency
5-15
0-0
4th down efficiency
2-3
394
Total Yards
424
263
Passing
234
14/24
Comp/Att
10/30
11.0
Yards per pass
7.8
131
Rushing
190
34
Rushing Attempts
37
3.9
Yards per rush
5.1
12-84
Penalties
7-69
1
Turnovers
5
0
Fumbles lost
1
1
Interceptions thrown
4
29:40
Possession
30:20
Highlights
NCAAF News
All news
ESPN
2027 NFL draft Big Board rankings: Mel Kiper's top 25 prospects, best by position
Seven quarterbacks ranked in the top 25? This NFL draft class could be fun. Mel Kiper Jr. stacks the best players on the board as of mid-November.
ESPN
Top 25 betting lines: LSU favored over Texas, and Indiana over USC
This week's odds and FPI predictions for LSU-Texas, Indiana-USC and every top-25 matchup.
News
Wake Forest awards second-year coach Dickert with extension
Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert has agreed to a new contract, which includes an extension, the school announced Thursday.
ESPN
Where is 'College GameDay'? 2026 schedule, locations, recaps
What is the "College GameDay" schedule? Find out more about where the program will be each week of the 2026 college football season.