VIDEO: Fickell Post ECU

In one spurt in the first half, Cincinnati had its offense, defense and special teams going and claimed the momentum as well. But the trick is keeping it.

Cincinnati went down 5-0, scored 21 straight, then held off East Carolina Friday night for a 27-25 win. In that spurt, the Bearcats got a 100-yard kickoff return from Jadon Thompson and touchdowns from Tyler Scott and Tre Tucker.

For Cincinnati, it was another instance of a close game when there were a few negatives that kept the game close. But there were just enough positives to pull out a win.

The Bearcats were ougained 454-310, but made some big stops when they needed, included one on fourth down by East Carolina that handed the ball back to Cincinnati in the final minutes.

For coach Luke Fickell, style points don't really matter. The Bearcats are back in second place in the AAC, with two games remaining. And if they can win out, they'll play in the AAC championship game, with the possibility to host.

“November is for champions and November is for championship teams," Fickell said. "You want to be playing for something in November. We could all say we are always playing for things, but what you do in January and what you do in that offseason is really meant for November..”