September 10, 2022
Cincinnati extends its active home-winning streak to 28 games
CINCINNATI – Senior quarterback Ben Bryant tossed three touchdowns and Cincinnati’s vaunted Blackcats defense added two more, while holding Kennesaw State’s triple-option offense to only 142 rushing yards in a 63-10 home opener win on Saturday.
The Bearcats snapped the Owls’ 73-game streak of 150 or more rushing yards, which started on Nov. 17, 2015. Kennesaw State averaged 278 rushing yards per game in 2021.
“Across the board, all in all, we played well,” head coach Luke Fickell said. “It’s only game two but that is the most together football that we’ve had. Like I said, in game two, the complimentary football that you have to be able to do if we’re going to continue to grow to be as good as we can be. And we did it today. I am happy and excited about that.
“I think we answered some questions that maybe we had from last week, the maturity and how we can handle things. To me, more than anything, that’s what I’m most proud of is our ability to be mature to handle the preparation and all that we had to do and to come out and play as we did.”
Cincinnati has now won 21 consecutive home openers, a streak that started with a 36-29 overtime win over TCU in 2002. The Bearcats are now 29-4 at home under Fickell.
The 63 points scored ties the most since a 63-7 win over Alabama A&M on Sept. 15, 2018.
In the third quarter, senior Ja’Von Hicks had a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown and fellow senior Jabari Taylor, a defensive lineman, caught a fumble in the air and rumbled 23 yards to paydirt after linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr. collided with Owls’ quarterback Jonathan Murphy on the pitch attempt to force the fumble.
Cincinnati quickly jumped out to a 21-3 lead on three touchdown passes from Bryant and three fourth-down stops by the defense, including a 49-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by junior linebacker Deshawn Pace, the second of his career.
Bryant found senior tight end Josh Whyle for the first touchdown of the game with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. It marked the 13th career touchdown for the Cincinnati native and the third straight home opener he has recorded a touchdown.
On the Bearcats’ next offensive possession, Bryant found redshirt freshman receiver Will Pauling for a 30-yard catch before he zipped a pass up the middle to tight end Leonard Taylor for a nine-yard score to extend the lead to 14-0 two minutes into the second quarter.
The defense made a crucial 4th-and-1 stop at the 11-minute mark in the second quarter after nose tackle Jowon Briggs and linebacker Wilson Huber combined for the stop on a fumbled snap from Murphy.
A few plays later, Cincinnati moved in front, 21-0, when Bryant found Tyler Scott on a simple out route. The junior receiver left the Owl defender flat footed with a stutter step move to race into the end zone. Owls’ kicker Nathan Robertson added a 30-yard field goal to make the score 21-3 at halftime.
Bryant exited the game at the end of the third quarter after boasting a competition percentage of 85 percent, completing 17-20 for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
After Taylor’s defensive score placed the Bearcats ahead 28-3, redshirt senior running back Charles McClelland found the endzone for the first time this season on a five-yard touchdown run seven minutes into the second half.
Kennesaw State scored its first touchdown of the game five minutes into the fourth quarter on a four-yard run by quarterback Preston Daniels.
Redshirt sophomore Evan Prater kept an option read and outran the defense to the endzone for a 44-yard touchdown run at the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 56-10. It was the longest rushing touchdown of his career.
Redshirt freshman running back Myles Montgomery added the final tally of the game when he found space in the second level and raced to a 76-yard touchdown. He finished with 104 rushing yards on five carries.
Cincinnati had 525 total offensive yards for the game.
COURTESY UC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
