GREENVILLE — Ultimately, Cincinnati was too powerful.

The nation’s fourth-ranked team rallied from an early deficit to defeat East Carolina 35-13 on Friday evening in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The Pirates, drawing their biggest crowd in their most significant home game in half, were hurt by an impotent offense in the second quarter and a special teams mishap in the fourth.

The Bearcats (12-0, 8-0 American Athletic Conference, CFP No. 4) are trying to become the first team outside of a Power Five conference to compete in the four-team CFP. They’ll face Houston at home next week in the AAC title game.

ECU (7-5, 5-3 AAC) had a four-game winning streak stopped and will finish tied for third in the league — a rousing rebound from lean years in just the third season under Mike Houston. Its bowl fate was expected to be announced over the weekend, with projections having ranging in the last two weeks from Honolulu to Fenway Park, Myrtle Beach and Washington, D.C.

ECU led 3-0 after a period and trailed 21-3 at intermission. Arquon Bush blocked a field goal and Ahmad Gardner returned the ball 60 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it 28-6.

East Carolina had closed within 21-6 and then drove to the Cincinnati 5. But after a penalty, the Pirates were ready to settle for Owen Daffer’s third field goal before Bush disrupted those plans in what seemed like a game-clinching sequence with 11:07 remaining.

The All-America cornerback Gardner grabbed the bouncing ball and was way out in front of the pack for a score.

Desmond Ridder, one of several Bearcats expected to one day play on Sundays in the NFL, threw two touchdown passes, and finished 17-for-28 for 301 yards with two interceptions. Alec Pierce caught eight passes for 136 yards. Jerome Ford rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown.

East Carolina’s winning streak marked its longest string of success in AAC play in its eight seasons as a league member.

The Pirates, facing their highest-ranked team since a 27-10 home loss in 2006 to then-No. 4 West Virginia, were held to 282 yards of total offense.

Holton Ahlers was 19-for-38 for 228 yards, an interception and a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jsi Hatfield.

This story authored by reports from the Bladen Journal and The Associated Press.