2012 Cincinnati Bearcats Football: A Lambert Trophy Season

Season Overview

The 2012 Cincinnati Bearcats were a rare story in the 2010s, and to date are the last team outside of the true East to win the Lambert Trophy. For context, when the Big East football conference existed, teams outside of the geographical East were eligible to win the Lambert Trophy provided at least half of their schedule was played against Eastern teams. Cincinnati played 7 of their 13 games in 2012 against Eastern schools, earning them the right to contend for the championship. Interestingly, two of the 7 games were against FCS opponents (Delaware State and Fordham).

The Bearcats were a true beast against Eastern opponents, though, going 6-1 against schools within the traditional Lambert Trophy footprint. They finished 10-3 and concluded their campaign in the Belk Bowl. Louisville, which represented the Big East in the BCS, did not play an eligible number of teams in 2012.

Regular Season Success

The Bearcats were a strong, balanced team that was as dominant on defense as they were on the offensive side of the ball. They would win using two quarterbacks during the season, with Munchie Legeaux eventually giving way to Anthony Kay. The true star power for the Bearcats lied (and, as of 2024, remains) with their tight end, Travis Kelce.

The Bearcats would finish 6-2 in conference, which placed them squarely within the logjam that characterized the Big East so often in football. Their lwo losses to Louisville and Rutgers were both within one score. This was also true of their non-conference loss to Toledo; the 10-3 Bearcats could have easily entered the postseason at 12-0.

Following the season, the Big East conference would become the American Athletic Conference. While there is an avenue for Cincinnati to achieve eligibility, they have not been since. As a result, the Bearcats were the second consecutive team to win the Lambert Trophy in their final year of eligibility (West Virginia won in 2011 and was ineligible prior to the Lambert Trophy Championship Association renewing their eligibility).

Game-by-Game Recap

September 6, 2012: Cincinnati 34, Pittsburgh 10 – The Bearcats opened up the season after many schools had already played a game. The late start didn’t hurt the Bearcats, though, as they easily dispatched Pittsburgh to keep the River City Rivalry trophy after the Panthers left for the ACC.
September 15, 2012: Cincinnati 23, Delaware State 7 - In their first Saturday contest, Cincinnati easily handled the FCS Hornets.
September 29, 2012: Cincinnati 27, Virginia Tech 24 – With their second power win of the season, the Bearcats took down a Virginia Tech team that was reeling after dropping from the rankings the week prior.
October 6, 2012: Cincinnati 52, Miami (OH) 14 - In the Battle for the Victory Bell, Cincinnati upended their closest rival in a contest that was never close.
October 13, 2012: Cincinnati 49, Fordham 17 - The Bearcats beat Fordham soundly for their second FCS win.
October 20, 2012: Cincinnati 23, Toledo 29 – A tough loss against a perennial MAC power knocked Cincinnati off of their 5 game winning streak and into the L column for the first time all season.
October 26, 2012: Cincinnati 31, Louisville 34 - In the Keg of Nails rivalry game, Louisville emerged with a Friday night win over the Bearcats for their second straight loss. This win would eventually be what sent Louisville to represent the Big East in the BCS.
November 3, 2012: Cincinnati 35, Syracuse 24 – Cincinnati returned to the winning column by defeating Syracuse convincingly at home.
November 10, 2012: Cincinnati 34, Temple 10 - The Bearcats secured an easy victory on the road in Philadelphia.
November 17, 2012: Cincinnati 3, Rutgers 10 - In their only loss at home during the 2012 campaign, a ranked Rutgers squad was able to contain the Bearcats offense in e defensive battle.
November 23, 2012: Cincinnati 27, South Florida 10 - The Bearcats handled the southern wing of the Big East with a convincing bounce back win over the Bulls.
Dec 1, 2012: Cincinnati 34, Connecticut 17 - Despite a strong win over Connecticut, this win only gave Cincinnati a share of the Big East championship, although it was their 9th win and provided an exclamation point on a strong conference season.
December 30, 2004: Cincinnati 48, Duke 34 - Cincinnati managed a win in the Belk Bowl over a hometown Duke squad playing just 2 hours away from home. Travis Kelce’s last second touchdown catch helped the Bearcats to win their 10th game of the season despite the loss of their head coach and both coordinators after the regular season.

Legacy

Cincinnati’s Lambert Trophy win in their last year of eligibility provided a strong close to their chapter in the Big East. While they have not since been eligible and do not currently have an easy path to becoming eligible again while in the Big 12 Conference, they were able to etch their name permanently on the list of Lambert Trophy winners before the dissolution of the Big East football conference. It was their first and, unless dramatic changes happen, their final Lambert Trophy victory.

The era of teams from outside of the true geographic East is an interesting quirk in the Lambert Trophy’s history that is unique among major college football championships. Under the current structure, it is unlikely to occur again. Cincinnati’s win provided a closing chapter both for the Bearcats and the Lambert Trophy’s Big East era.

Media

Anthony McClung scores in the Belk Bowl, a last-minute win over Duke. The Bearcats won without their head coach and both coordinators.