Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech - Orange Bowl - January 1, 2009
The Cincinnati Bearcats faced off against the Virginia Tech Hokies in their first-ever NY6 bowl game, playing in the Orange Bowl, which was held at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Bearcats at 11-3 were the No. 12-ranked team in the country, and the Hokies were ranked No. 19.
Cincinnati scored on its opening drive, leading 7-0, but ended up going scoreless for the rest of the game, losing 20-7.
Mardy Gilyard caught 7 passes, 158 yards, and one touchdown but it wasn't enough as Tony Pike threw 4 interceptions on the way to a loss.
This Cincinnati team was young and inexperienced and would return many of their starters from this game, setting them up for a bright future.
Cincinnati vs. Illinois - Regular Season - November 28, 2009
Cincinnati faced off against an out-of-conference opponent, the Illinois Fighting Illini, in their final regular-season game at Nippert Stadium to keep their undefeated season alive.
Cincinnati started the game down 7-0 and then went on to score 28 unanswered points, being up 28-7 at the start of the second quarter. The second quarter ended with a score of 35-20, the Bearcats still on top.
Cincinnati started the second half with a touchdown to go up 42-20 and never looked back, winning 49-36 on their way to the Big East Championship.
Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike passed for 399 yards and 6 touchdowns, Ben Guidugli caught 7 passes for 149 yards, and 2 touchdowns in a dominant offensive win for the Bearcats.
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh - Big East Championship - December 5, 2009
Cincinnati traveled to Pittsburgh for the 2009 Big East Championship in what many fans believe to be the game of the decade for the Bearcats. It was a ranked matchup, with the Bearcats ranked fifth in the nation and the Pitt Panthers ranked No. 15.
The Bearcats trailed 31-10 early in the second quarter and stormed back to win 45-44 behind a touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Pike to wide receiver Armon Biggs with 33 seconds left.
The Bearcats would win the Big East conference, finishing with a regular season record of 12-0, punching a ticket to the Sugar Bowl against the Florida Gators.
Cincinnati vs. Florida - Sugar Bowl - January 1, 2010
The Bearcats faced off against the Florida Gators, the SEC runner-up, in the NY6 Sugar Bowl held at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Cincinnati entered the game as the No. 3-ranked team in the country while the Gators were ranked No.5. There was a lot of controversy around the game and how it went down.
This was the Bearcats' second NY6 bowl appearance after winning back-to-back Big East titles and was supposed to be a crowning moment for Brian Kelly and the Bearcats.
However, Brian Kelly left Cincinnati to become the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish days after the regular season ended.
The Gators led the Bearcats 30-3 at halftime with 336 yards of total offense. They had 659 total yards in the game and won 51-24 behind a historic performance by Heisman Winner Tim Tebow in his final collegiate game.
Despite the blowout, Cincinnati had entered the national conversation and got the program a ton of exposure.
Cincinnati vs. UCF - AAC Regular Season - October 4, 2019
The Cincinnati Bearcats played the UCF Golden Knights as part of the second conference in game in the 2019 regular season.
UCF went into this game ranked as No. 17, and the Bearcats were unranked. UCF had a 19-game American Athletic Conference win streak and a 31-game streak of scoring 30+ points.
UCF had more total yards than the Bearcats, but because of 3 interceptions from freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel and a fumble from their running back the Bearcats would go onto to win the Game 24-21.
UCF receiver, Gabe Davis, had 13 receptions for 170 yards, while the Bearcats' running back, Michael Warren II, ran for 133 yards.
Sauce Gardner had a 16-yard pick-six in the quarter to take a tide-turning lead, 20-16.
This game seemed like the turning point for the Bearcats in the Luke Fickell era, setting the stage for the next couple of years to come.
Cincinnati vs. Georgia - 2020-21 Peach Bowl - January 1, 2021
The Cincinnati Bearcats ended the 2020 season with a 9-0 record in the regular season but missed out on the College Football playoff due to a weak schedule.
The Bearcats, ranked No. 8 in the country, were given a NY6 bowl game against the No. 9 team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs
The Bearcats started off the game with a touchdown pass from Desmond Ridder to Alec Pierce, which was then followed by a George Pickens touchdown for Georgia, tying the game at 7 one quarter in.
The Bulldogs started the second quarter with a field goal to make it a 10-7 game, which was then followed by a 9-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Josh Whyle touchdown catch with 6 seconds left in the half, making it a 14-10 Cincinnati Lead at half.
The Bearcats started the third quarter with a 79-yard touchdown run from Jerome Ford, giving the Bearcats an 11-point lead. Georgia would then go on to win off a go-ahead field goal, with 3 seconds left, giving them a 22-21 lead. The Bulldogs would get a safety in the final seconds, making it a 24-21 final score.
Cincinnati @ Notre Dame - Regular Season - October 2, 2021
The Bearcats made the trip up Route 31 to South Bend, Indiana, to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in week 5 of the 2021 college football season. After going 9-0 and losing to Georgia in the Peach Bowl the year prior, this would be the game the Bearcats needed to win if they wanted a chance at making the College Football Playoff. This was the first meeting between the two in 120 years and the first time head coach Brian Kelly would face his former team.
Behind 297 passing yards from Desmond Ridder, 144 receiving yards from Alec Pierce, and an interception from both Dewshawn Pace and Sauce Gardner, the Bearcats would win 24-13, after being up 17-0 at halftime.
Notre Dame stadium was overtaken with a sea of red Bearcat fans as Cincinnati got their first win against the Irish in program history and controlled their own destiny en route to the College Football Playoff.
Cincinnati vs. Houston - 2021 AAC Championship - December 4, 2021
The Bearcats played the Houston Cougars in the 2021 American Athletic Conference championship. If they won, they would likely have a spot in the College Football Playoffs. The game was held at Nippert Stadium and featured the No. 4 team in the country, the Bearcats, and the No. 21 team in the country, the Cougars.
Desmond Ridder passed for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns, Alec Pierce had 65 receiving yards and a touchdown, while running back Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns on the way to a 35-20 win, making the Cincinnati Bearcats the first non-power 5 team to make the College Football Playoffs
Cincinnati vs. Alabama - 2021-22 Cotton Bowl - December 31, 2021
The Cincinnati Bearcats, ranked fourth in the country, faced the defending champions and No.1 seed, Alabama Crimson Tide, in the 2021-22 College Football Playoffs.
The Bearcats' offense moved the ball in spurts but struggled in the red zone, only scoring 6 points in the entire game. Alabama's Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 204 yards but the defense held up the red zone forcing Alabama to kick two field goals.
Future No. 3 overall pick, Sauce Gardner, and Jim Thorpe award winner, Coby Bryant, held the Crimson Tide receivers to a subpar game, but it wasn't enough as the Bearcats couldn't stop the run.
Cincinnati went on to lose 27-6 and ended the 4-team College Football Playoff era as the only group of 5 school to make it to the playoff.
Cincinnati vs. Arizona State - Big 12 Regular Season - October 19, 2024
The Cincinnati Bearcats played the eventual Big 12 champions in week seven of the 2024 regular season, their first "true" Big 12 win against a team that wasn't an AAC opponent, Houston, or UCF.
Brendan Sorsby passed for 206 yards, adding two rushing touchdowns and an interception. Bearcats' running back Corey Kiner ran for 102 yards on 4.6 yards per carry.
The Bearcats led 24-7 at halftime and only allowed 7 second-half points from the Sun Devils, going on to win 24-14.
This still stands as the Bearcats' only "true" Big 12 win and their best win thus far in their Big 12 era.