An injury is the last thing any player wants to deal with during a game, but for Cincinnati’s Josh Hough, the trip off the field only made matters worse. Hough had a difficult moment during the Bearcats’ Week 7 clash against West Virginia, as an injury forced the defensive tackle to leave the field in the second quarter. What followed during his trip off the field, however, added an unexpected twist to an already concerning situation.

During the second quarter, Hough went down with an apparent injury to his left leg. The staff placed him on a cart to transport him to the locker room for further medical evaluation. The cart was positioned awkwardly, so the West Virginia staff member driving it had to reverse.

While backing up, he went too far, pushing Hough’s already injured left foot against a wall beside the field. His foot seemed to get trapped or squeezed between the cart and the wall. He appeared to be in more pain before the cart moved forward again.

A TNT broadcaster also pointed out that the incident appeared to aggravate his injury. “Hough had his left shoe and sock off; he got carted off, and, while he got carted off, it appeared the cart backed him into the wall, which may have caused even more pain. He had his face in a towel the entire time; the cart took him from the sideline into the Cincinnati locker room,” TNT broadcaster said on October 17.

Hough was injured with just over 10 minutes left in the second quarter, when Cincinnati and West Virginia were tied on the scoreboard. He was later ruled out for the rest of the game. The cart unexpectedly became one of the most talked-about things in the game, and West Virginia has not publicly commented on the incident involving the medical cart driver.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Elijah Gunn and freshman Jonathan Rulo filled in for Hough after he was ruled out of the game.

Hough has been in college football for six years, rather than the usual four or five. He was considered one of the 25 best running-back prospects in his high school recruiting class. He signed with Syracuse as part of its 2021 recruiting class. However, injury limited his game time in 2021, and he was unable to play for a second consecutive season.

Hough moved to California, where he competed in NCAA Division II football. He also switched positions, moving from running back to the defensive line. He played three seasons at the Division II school, where he developed his skills as a defensive lineman. Hough entered the transfer portal and joined head coach Scott Satterfield’s Bearcats program.

Before this game, he recorded 15 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Since injuries already disrupted the beginning of his college career, here’s hoping this one doesn’t rule him out for long.

Despite Hough’s injury, the Bearcats were leading 21-14 at the break, helped by strong performance from quarterback JC French IV. In the first half, Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV completed 9 of 13 passes for 191 yards and threw two touchdown passes. Cincinnati’s RB Cole Tabb scored a rushing touchdown with 1 minute left before halftime. 

However, West Virginia answered in the second half and clinched the game 45-42. In just the fourth quarter alone, the Mountaineers scored 24 points, sealing the win with a 35-yard field goal as the clock expired. Michael Hawkins Jr. had a career game, as he threw for 464 yards and three touchdowns on 25 of 33 completions. The quarterback also added 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

On the other side, JC French had 389 yards and three touchdowns, but the Bearcats fell short in the end. With the loss, Cincinnati are now 4-2, and West Virginia has improved to 4-3.