Notre Dame hosts Cincinnati in South Bend this afternoon in what should be a thrilling top 10 college football matchup. The Fighting Irish, ranked #9, are 4-0 to start the 2021 season after beating Purdue and Wisconsin over the last two weeks. The Irish scored 31 unanswered points last Saturday, defeating the Badgers 41-13. Brian Kelly became the winning coach in Fighting Irish history with last Saturday’s win, passing the previous record set by 1951 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Knute Rockne.
The #7 ranked Cincinnati Bearcats are 3-0 and coming off of a bye week. Fourth-year starting quarterback Desmond Ridder is coming off of a 2020 season where he won the award for AAC Offensive Player of the Year. Today’s matchup will be the first meeting between the two schools since the Irish defeated the Bearcats 58-0 in 1900.
Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati score
Live score: Cincinnati 24, Notre Dame 13
4th quarter, 5:08 (CIN) Desmond Ridder run for 6 yards for a Touchdown (Cole Smith XP)
4th quarter, 8:20 (ND): Drew Pyne pass complete to Braden Lenzy for 32 yards for a Touchdown (Jonathan Doerer PAT MISSED)
3rd quarter, 1:19 (ND): Kyren Williams run for 3 yards for a Touchdown (Jonathan Doerer XP)
2nd quarter, 0:40 (CIN): Desmond Ridder pass complete to Tre Tucker for 27 yards for a Touchdown (Cole Smith XP)
2nd quarter, 10:32 (CIN): Cole Smith 23 yd Field Goal GOOD
2nd quarter, 12:09 (CIN): Desmond Ridder pass complete to Leonard Taylor for 1 yard for a Touchdown (Cole Smith XP)
Follow live game coverage and up-to-date college football scores including this game here.
What time and channel is the Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati game on?
Coverage of Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati will start at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Viewers can also stream the game live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App. Mike Tirico and Drew Brees will call today’s game with Kathryn Tappen as the sideline reporter.
RELATED: No. 9 Notre Dame vs No. 7 Cincinnati: Time, TV, Preview & Prediction
More from the NBC Sports press release on Notre Dame on Peacock:
Notre Dame Football coverage will stream on Peacock Premium. Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers. Viewers can sign up at peacocktv.com. Peacock is widely available across devices, details here.
Click here to see the full 2021 Notre Dame football schedule.
Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati updates, live coverage
Cincinnati nips #NotreDame‘s momentum with a designed run for a Desmond Ridder touchdown.
Bearcats 24, Irish 13.
Only 5:08 left.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Braden Lenzy.
Makes up for his drop against Purdue and fulfills a few years of hypes with that catch right there.
8:20 to go in South Bend.
Cincinnati 17, #NotreDame 13. Doerer missed the PAT.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Cincinnati kicker Cole Smith misses his second FGA of the day.
As I said earlier, 53 percent on his career (less now, obviously).
Still a two-possession game, #NotreDame …— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Kyren Williams bounces it outside to get @NDFootball on the board! 🙌
Watch now on NBC and @peacockTV. pic.twitter.com/cs3Phet7TQ
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) October 2, 2021
Isaiah Foskey. Drew White. Drew Pyne.
And finally Kyren Williams gets the ball across the goal line for #NotreDame.
Cincinnati still leads 17-7, but there’s at least reason to keep watching in South Bend.
1:19 left in the third.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
FUMBLE! Huge play for the @NDFootball defense. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rwSSvTz8uw
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) October 2, 2021
#NotreDame fullback — errr, I mean linebacker Drew White scoops up a fumble (forced by Isaiah Foskey) but unlike last week, White cannot stay on his feet all the way to the end zone, reaching *only* the Cincinnati 38-yard line.
Gotta stay up, Drew.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
I understand going for that 4th-and-5.
I would have understood kicking the field goal.
Anyway, #NotreDame comes away empty.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
The world we live in: #NotreDame fans are now booing Tyler Buchner, too.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Drew Pyne takes the field to start the second half for #NotreDame.
— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Cincinnati kicker Cole Smith has made only 53 percent of his career field-goal attempts.
Now 1-of-2 today, as #NotreDame avoids the knockout punch for now. A touchdown there really may have ended this.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
The obvious question at #NotreDame right now is quarterback.
It is the question because swapping out the offensive line is far less feasible.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Jack Coan went 14-of-22 for 114 yards in that half.
I’ll do the math for you.
63.6 percent completion rate — decent.
5.18 yards per pass attempt — bad.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
We reach halftime, and statistically, the game is relatively even.
Cincinnati has 150 yards to #NotreDame‘s 144. They both have leaned on the passing game, they have both struggled on third downs.
Turnovers will doom you, especially against good opponents.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Cincinnati is on the verge of really exposing #NotreDame.
Leading 17-0 with 40 seconds to go until halftime, and the Bearcats get the ball to start the second half.
Whole lot of blown coverages on that touchdown drive.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
#NotreDame holds Cincinnati to a field goal after that turnover, so things could be worse for the Irish.
Bearcats lead 10-0.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
And Chris Tyree just gift-wrapped a muffed kickoff to Cincinnati.
Bearcats ball at the #NotreDame 17-yard-line.
Bad, meet worse. https://t.co/qXAZXzZRKU— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
That Buchner interception becomes a Cincinnati touchdown three plays later.
Bearcats 7, #NotreDame 0.
12:09 left before halftime.
“Let’s go Bearcats” chant rising from the stands.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
The pressure gets to Tyler Buchner, hit as he throws, Cincinnati intercepts him deep in #NotreDame territory.
If not for Kevin Austin and Andrew Kristofic, that’s a Bearcats touchdown.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
headed to the second #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/FvxufWsxL5
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 2, 2021
Tyler Buchner in at QB
— Irish Sports Daily (@ISDUpdate) October 2, 2021
This could — genuinely — be a very entertaining 0-0 ballgame for a long time. Both these defenses are getting after the quarterback, making plays in coverage.
Guess what I’m saying is B1G football doesn’t HAVE to be excruciating.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
defense bringin’ the heat#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/9jKv7QwrJb
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 2, 2021
#NotreDame returns the favor of varied defensive pressures. That Kyle Hamilton second-down blitz … could have gone so much worse for Cincinnati.
Strong showing from the quick-change Irish defense.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
Terrible choice by Jack Coan there, under pressure throwing a jump ball toward Michael Mayer.
Ends up in a Cincinnati interception at the goal line.
Squandered chance for #NotreDame. Was a great first drive …— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
ARE YOU READY?!@GoBearcatsFB 🆚 @NDFootball begins NOW.
📺 NBC and @peacockTV
💻 https://t.co/h0elogKew0
📱 NBC Sports App pic.twitter.com/rY8LJroN1m— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) October 2, 2021
A Top Ten Showdown in South Bend. It’s 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙮!
🆚 No. 7 Cincinnati
⏰ 2:30 p.m. ET
📺 NBC#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/oW8A7BbYGh— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 2, 2021
My official prediction is #NotreDame 20, Cincinnati 19.
I landed at that score for the fitting symmetry to the last time a red-based fanbase invaded South Bend.
An honest prediction: The Irish win by one play. Neither team cracks 30.
It’ll be a fun afternoon.— Douglas Farmer (@D_Farmer) October 2, 2021
