ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS vs CINCINNATI BEARCATS
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Nippert Stadium 09/15/18 Cincinnati, OH.
Photos By: Toby Clark
Desmond Ridder's three touchdowns and Cincinnati's explosive offense led the Bearcats to a dominant 63-7 victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday. Ridder completed nine of his 10 passes for 199 yards and added a 22-yard run for his first career touchdown before being subbed out for the rest of the game after the first quarter. Despite a tough start to the season, Ridder's confidence never wavered, and he was ready to take on the Bulldogs, saying, "Tonight we knew we were going to throw. The weather was perfect."
The Bearcats' head coach, Luke Fickell, was pleased with his team's aggressive start but remained cautious, knowing from experience that games like this could be unpredictable. "We took a step tonight because we came out fast. We were aggressive. We respected our opponent," said Fickell.
Khalill Lewis, Josiah Deguara, and Thomas Geddis each caught touchdown passes from Ridder, with Tavion Thomas leading the way on the ground with 141 yards rushing. Freshman running back Charles McClelland also made an impact, tallying 121 yards, including a one-yard touchdown.
Hayden Moore took over at quarterback in the second quarter and led the Bearcats to their fifth touchdown. Michael Warren II added a six-yard touchdown run, and Thomas recorded an 11-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, as the Bearcats led 42-0 at halftime.
Alabama A&M struggled to find its footing and accumulate only 182 yards of offense in trying to earn a win over an FBS opponent for the first time in six tries. Despite the loss, Bulldog coach Connell Maynor praised his team's effort, saying, "We ran into a buzzsaw. We were just outmatched. I'm proud of my guys for not quitting."
Cincinnati's roster is predominantly made up of freshmen and sophomores, with the team carrying 16 juniors and 15 seniors on its 112-man roster. The Bearcats will face Ohio University in their next game at Nippert Stadium on September 22.
Review By: Todd Clark
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER
10:54 CIN Thomas Geddis 29 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith Kick) 5 plays, 79 yards, 1:41 07:46 CIN Desmond Ridder 22 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:09
05:31 CIN Kahlil Lewis 61 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith Kick) 1 play, 61 yards, 0:09
01:01 CIN Josiah Deguara 22 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith Kick) 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:03
SECOND QUARTER
11:50 CIN Michael Warren II 6 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:57
06:01 CIN Tavion Thomas 11 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:26
THIRD QUARTER
08:17 CIN Tavion Thomas 1 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 14 plays, 72 yards, 6:38
03:57 AAM Zabrian Moore 11 Yd pass from Aqeel Glass (Spencer Corey Kick) 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:10
01:02 CIN Charles McClelland 1 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:08
FOURTH QUARTER
10:01 CIN Wilson Huber 0 Yd Run (Cole Smith Kick) 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:04