CINCINNATI (AP) — Cole Tabb rushed for three second half touchdowns to help Cincinnati rally for a 31-26 win over Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams on Saturday night.
Cincinnati (4-0, 1-0) finished with 436 yards total offense, including 270 yards on the ground,
Gi'Bran Payne rushed for 126 yards on 16 carries, marking the third time this season he eclipsed 100 yards on the ground, and Tabb had 124 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV completed 8 of 13 pass attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown.
Kansas State (3-1, 0-1) had 447 yards total offense. Avery Johnson completed 30 of 50 pass attempts for 292 yards and one touchdown.
Cincinnati trailed 17-10 at halftime but tied the score at 17-17 early in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Tabb, and then pulled ahead 24-17 on its next possession when Tabb sprinted 30 yards for a touchdown.
Kansas State closed to within 24-20 on a 36-yard field goal by Luis Rodriguez with 9:31 remaining in the game, but Tabb increased the Cincinnati lead to 31-20 on a 14-yard touchdown run with 3:28 remaining.
Rodney Fields scored on a 1-yard run with 1:15 left to play, but Kansas State couldn't convert the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.
Kansas State got the ball back at its own 20 with 52 seconds left, but got only as far as its own 30 before time ran out.
Kansas State took the 17-10 halftime lead when Johnson threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Salley Jr. with 15 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Wildcats had built a 10-0 lead behind a 22-yard field goal by Rodriguez in the first quarter and a 19-yard touchdown run by Fields in the second quarter.
Cincinnati rallied to tie the score at 10-10 on a 39-yard touchdown pass from French to Malachi Henry and a 45-yard field goal by Stephen Rusnak.
The takeaway
Cincinnati: After losing its final four Big 12 games to end last season, this was a big win to get. They are off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2021, when they went 13-0 before losing to Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal.
Kansas State: The Wildcats entered the game ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (182.7 yards per game allowed), but that was against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent (Nicholls State) and two non-Power 4 conference opponents (Washington State and Tulane). Cincinnati had 210 yards total offense in the first half alone.
Up next
Cincinnati: will play its first road game this season at Arizona next Saturday.
Kansas State: hosts Houston on Oct. 10.