Cincinnati Stuns No. 8 Texas Tech 37–24: Four French TD Passes Turn Homecoming Into a Statement

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | FINAL | Saturday, October 24, 2026 — Cincinnati 37, No. 8 Texas Tech 24.

Cincinnati delivered one of Saturday’s defining college-football upsets, defeating eighth-ranked Texas Tech 37–24 at Nippert Stadium during the Bearcats’ centennial homecoming celebration. The result ended the Red Raiders’ unbeaten start and gave Cincinnati its first home victory over an Associated Press top-10 opponent since 2006.

The turning point: 14 points before halftime

The Bearcats led 10–6 late in the second quarter before quarterback JC French found Malachi Henry for a touchdown. A subsequent interception by MJ Cannon gave Cincinnati another possession, and French connected with Lyviel Waters for a two-yard score with five seconds left in the half. The rapid sequence produced a 24–6 halftime advantage and forced Texas Tech to chase the game.

French finished with four touchdown passes and 172 passing yards. Running back Cole Tabb contributed 173 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 58-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that effectively put the result out of reach.

Why this upset mattered

Texas Tech did not disappear quietly. A 53-yard interception return by Peyton Morgan, upheld after a targeting flag was overturned, narrowed the deficit to 24–15 in the third quarter. But Cincinnati answered with an 80-yard scoring drive, French finding Larenzo Fenner for a 17-yard touchdown. That response mattered as much as the first-half burst: the Bearcats absorbed a potentially game-changing defensive score without losing control.

Cincinnati’s defensive plan also changed the scoring arithmetic. Texas Tech repeatedly settled for field goals instead of touchdowns; the Red Raiders did not score an offensive touchdown until the closing minute. With the win, Cincinnati improved to 5–2 overall and 2–2 in the Big 12, while Texas Tech fell to 6–1 and 3–1 in conference play.

What comes next

Cincinnati hosts No. 10 Utah on October 31. Texas Tech will have to respond to its first loss rather than protect a perfect record. The result does not decide the Big 12 race, but it immediately complicates the contenders’ margin for error.

Video: An exact-match, newly uploaded official ESPN, Big 12 or school YouTube highlight could not be independently dated and verified at publication time. No unrelated footage has been embedded. The university’s official game recap includes a detailed play-by-play account.

Featured-image disclosure: The accompanying photograph shows a different, earlier American football game in Idaho, not Cincinnati–Texas Tech on October 24, 2026. Photo by Tim Mossholder, via Unsplash; Unsplash License (commercial editorial reuse permitted).