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OU football vs. Cincinnati: Score, live updates from Oklahoma Sooners against UC Bearcats

Ryan Aber and Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman
·8 min read
OU receiver Nic Anderson celebrates scoring a touchdown during the first half of a 20-6 win at Cincinnati on Saturday.

The 14th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners travel to face the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday in Week 4 of the college football season. Here's everything you need to know about the Big 12 opener:

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How to watch Oklahoma vs. Cincinnati football

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati

TV: Fox

Radio: 107.7 FM, 1520 AM

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OU football vs. Cincinnati live updates

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FINAL: OU 20, Cincinnati 6

Dillon Gabriel passed for 322 yards and the Sooners rolled to a 20-6 road win in their Big 12 opener. Up next is a date with Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday in Norman.

Check out the five quick takeaways HERE.

Watch Billy Bowman's incredible interception grab

Fourth quarter: Sooners add on to lead

Zach Schmit makes the 30-yard field goal to give OU a 20-6 lead over Cincinnati with 10:59 left in the game.

Third quarter: Dillon Gabriel extends Sooners' lead

After a lull, OU’s offense finally came alive.

And Dillon Gabriel, who looked a hair off for much of the second and third quarters, led her way.

Gabriel bulled his way into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 17-6 late in the third.

OU’s running game finally showed signs of life, too, as Marcus Major started the drive off with an 18-yard gan and added two more carries for a combined 13 yards before Tawee Walker set up Gabriel’s touchdown run with a 6-yard gain to the 1.

The Sooners’ defense bent on the ensuing drive but did not break, as Danny Stutsman and Kani Walker closed together on Emory Jones’ fourth-down pass to give the Sooners the ball back at the OU 20.

Jeff Lebby immediately took a shot downfield, as Gabriel hit Andrel Anthony for a 49-yard gain on the final play of the third quarter to put the Sooners in scoring position once again.

Third quarter: Oklahoma 10, Cincinnati 6

OU’s defense continues to perform well, but Cincinnati’s Carter Brown still helped pull the Bearcats closer.

Brown hit a career-long 54-yard field goal, just eeking it over the crossbar, to pull Cincinnati within four, 10-6, just shy of midway through the third.

The Sooners’ offense, which struggled late in the first half after some explosive drives early, continued to struggle.

OU was forced to punt on the first drive of the second half.

Halftime: Oklahoma 10, Cincinnati 3

OU dodged a bullet late in the first half.

After Josh Plaster’s 29-yard punt gave Cincinnati the ball in Sooners’ territory in the final minute before halftime, the Bearcats quickly moved the ball down to the OU 15 in just more than 30 seconds.

But OU’s defense came up big from there, with the help of a false start on Cincinnati.

On third down, freshman Peyton Bowen broke up Emory Jones’ pass near the end zone and then Carter Brown’s 26-yard field goal try sailed wide left to preserve the Sooners’ 10-3 lead going into the half.

OU outgained Cincinnati 247-175 in the first half, though gained just 22 yards combined on their final two possessions before the break.

Second quarter: Key Lawrence interception ends UC drive

With Reggie Pearson out, Key Lawrence’s role is magnified Saturday at Cincinnati.

Lawrence took advantage of it, coming underneath an Emory Jones throw into the end zone late in the second quarter to pick off Jones’ pass and end what had been a promising drive by the Bearcats.

The interception was the seventh of the season for the Sooners’ defense and helped preserve OU’s 10-3 lead after the Bearcats used a 35-yard pass to get down to the OU 24.

Second quarter: Sooners 10, Bearcats 3

OU’s running back rotation still hasn’t settled into a routine.

After Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk were the Sooners’ top two options against Tulsa, Tawee Walker and Marcus Major returned to the head of the line Saturday at Cincinnati.

Major had what could prove to be one of the key plays of the first half, fighting for a 19-yard run on third-and-19 deep in OU territory early in the second quarter.

Major’s run keyed the drive, which continued to roll on a 35-yard completion to Drake Stoops to put the Sooners into the red zone.

But the drive stalled from there, as OU had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Zach Schmit to take a 10-3 lead.

Early on, Dillon Gabriel is 13 of 19 for 191 yards as the Sooners are outgaining Cincinnati 224-62.

First quarter: Nic Anderson puts Sooners on the board

Nic Anderson’s touchdown roll continues.

After OU turned the ball over on its previous drive, the Sooners’ defense forced a three-and-out and OU’s offense quickly moved the ball down the field.

Anderson, the redshirt freshman wide receiver who had three touchdown catches in last week’s win over Tulsa, caught a short pass over the middle and fought his way into the end zone, diving across to put the Sooners on the board for the first time.

OU leads 7-3 late in the first quarter.

The drive started with a 26-yard pass to Jalil Farooq and followed with a 16-yard catch by Tawee Walker to put the Sooners deep in Bearcats’ territory.

Four plays later, Anderson fought his way into the end zone. Six Sooners recorded receptions in the first for OU.

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First quarter: Dillon Gabriel fumble ends OU scoring threat

OU’s final Big 12 opener got off to a rocky start.

The Sooners were driving, appearing poised to answer Cincinnati’s field goal the drive before when Dillon Gabriel was not only stopped on third-and-4 from the Bearcats 12 but was stripped off the ball by safety Bryon Threats.

It was just the third turnover of the season for the Sooners.

Cincinnati leads 3-0 late in the first quarter.

First quarter: UC 3, OU 0

For the first time this season, OU trails.

Cincinnati’s Carter Brown hit a 40-yard field goal midway through the first quarter Saturday to put the Bearcats up 3-0 in their Big 12 debut.

The Sooners looked like they had a stop earlier on the drive on a third-down stop at midfield but Gentry Williams was called for pass interference, giving Cincinnati the ball at the 35.

After a 13-yard run by Ryan Montgomery put the Bearcats on the verge of the red zone, OU’s defense bowed up, stopping Braden Smith and Emory Jones at the line of scrimmage on successive runs to help the Sooners force the field goal try.

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Pregame update: OU missing several starters

CINCINNATI — OU will be without several starters Saturday when it takes on Cincinnati in its Big 12 opener at Nippert Stadium.

Starting left guard Savion Byrd, who was injured early in last week’s win over Tulsa, is the biggest absence. Either freshman Cayden Green or redshirt sophomore transfer Troy Everett will start in Byrd’s place.

Starting free safety Reggie Pearson and cheetah Justin Harrington also did not travel.

Harrington was injured in the win over SMU two weeks ago and was replaced by Peyton Bowen in the starting lineup last week, though Dasan McCullough is expected to be available after not playing since the season opener.

Reserve defensive linemen R Mason Thomas and Kelvin Gilliam also did not suit up.

Cincinnati is expected to be without starting linebacker Deshawn Pace, who will reportedly miss the game due to a violation of team rules. Pace has five career interceptions.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football vs Cincinnati score, live updates from Big 12 opener