HOUSTON, Tx — No. 17 Houston found its answer when it mattered most.
After watching Cincinnati erase a 14-point deficit and tie the game in the fourth quarter, the Cougars responded with a decisive 51-yard touchdown run by Re’Shaun Sanford II to secure a 31-24 victory Saturday at TDECU Stadium.
Sanford’s touchdown came with 5:10 remaining, breaking a 24-24 tie and giving Houston the lead for good. The junior running back finished with 126 yards on 15 carries, providing the game-changing play that kept the Cougars in the Big 12 title conversation.
Houston improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while Cincinnati dropped to 5-4 and 2-4.
“Things didn’t look quite so good when they tied it up,” Houston coach Willie Fritz said. “Great job of coming down the field, getting that touchdown and putting us in control of the game.”
The Cougars established control early behind quarterback Conner Weigman, who completed 17 of 24 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score.
Weigman connected with Amare Thomas for two first-quarter touchdowns, an 8-yard reception followed by a 31-yard scoring strike, to give Houston a 14-0 advantage. Thomas finished with six catches for 78 yards.
Cincinnati answered with a touchdown and field goal in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 14-10. Houston responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive capped by Weigman’s 2-yard touchdown run to take a 21-10 lead into halftime.
The Bearcats came out of the break with momentum. JC French IV found Gavin Grover for a 34-yard touchdown, bringing Cincinnati within four. Houston added a 28-yard field goal from Jonathan Dimas to make it 24-17.
Cincinnati continued to battle, putting together a 16-play, 96-yard drive that consumed more than eight minutes. French finished the possession with a 1-yard quarterback keeper, tying the game at 24 with 6:21 remaining.
Houston needed only three plays to respond. Sanford broke through the defense and raced 51 yards for the go-ahead score, finishing a drive that covered 75 yards in just over a minute.
The Cougars’ defense then helped seal the victory. Cincinnati advanced into Houston territory on its next possession, but a swing pass to running back Zylan Perry was ruled a backward pass after review. Houston recovered the fumble with 2:11 remaining and ran out the clock.
“We talk about game of inches,” Fritz said. “When they called it a lateral on the swing pass, and we got it. It was a lateral but probably by six inches. We’ll take it.”
Houston finished with 468 yards of total offense, including 241 rushing yards, while committing no turnovers.
The Cougars will return to the road Friday for a Big 12 matchup against Colorado.