Houston Beat Cincinnati 31-24 on Sanford 51-Yard Touchdown

Re'Shaun Sanford II ran 51 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 5:10 left on Saturday and No. 17 Houston beat Cincinnati 31-24 at TDECU Stadium in Houston, holding off a Bearcats comeback on Homecoming before 32,372 fans.

Sanford finished with 126 rushing yards. Houston improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12, and the Cougars bounced back from their 21-13 loss to Utah on October 24.

Quarterbacks and the ground game

Houston quarterback Conner Weigman completed 17 of 24 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns, and he added a rushing touchdown. Makhi Hughes ran for 90 yards on 12 carries, and Houston outgained Cincinnati 468 yards to 379.

Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV completed 19 of 30 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for a touchdown as well. Houston led 21-10 at halftime and still led in the fourth quarter when Cincinnati put together its best drive of the day.

The tie, the injury and the answer

French scored on a one-yard run to finish a 16-play, 96-yard drive and tie the game at 24-24 in the fourth quarter. The drive followed a serious injury to Cincinnati receiver JV Gibson, the Bearcats' top pass catcher, who was hit at the goal line and was taken to the hospital during the game. Gibson had five catches for 54 yards. Houston player Jordan Allen was called for targeting on the play and was disqualified.

Cincinnati also lost its top rusher, Cole Tabb, to injury during the game.

Houston answered five minutes after the tie. Sanford broke off the left side for 51 yards and the touchdown that put the Cougars back in front 31-24, and the defense held from there.

What it means

Cincinnati fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, and the Bearcats still need one more win to become bowl eligible for the second straight season. The Bearcats are 1-12 in November under head coach Scott Satterfield, and they remain winless on the road this season.

Cincinnati plays at Iowa State on November 14. Houston, with the win secured, stays in the upper group of the Big 12 standings with three weeks left in the regular season.

French also lost a fumble during the game, one of the mistakes that kept Cincinnati chasing a Houston team that led for most of the afternoon. The Bearcats had won the ball back and driven 96 yards to tie the score, which made the ending harder to take: the tying drive was their longest of the season, and it still was not enough once Sanford broke free on the next Houston possession that mattered.