Gunner Kiel Out Guns Pirates Shane Carden

Gunner Kiel and Shane Carden both threw for more than 400 yards in a shoot out at Paul Brown Stadium but it was Andrew Gantz and a fumble return by Terrell Hartsfield that sealed a 54-46 Cincinnati victory over East Carolina.

With 4:47 left Kiel threw his fourth touchdown to seemingly ice the game for the Bearcats but Carden passed the Pirates down the field in 57 seconds to bring East Carolina to within a score. Carden missed a two-point conversion attempt.

Cincinnati needed to run out the last 3:34 to ice a 45-40 victory.  That didn't happen.

Kiel fumbled on a fourth and two play from the Bearcats' 33.  Lamar Ivey recovered on the Cincinnati 27.

"It was a stupid call," Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville admitted.  The Bearcats were setting up a pooch kick by Kiel unless the Pirates gave them a certain look on defense.  They got the look they wanted but not the results.

The Pirates had 2:03 to score the go-ahead touchdown.  They ran eight plays, two of which Cincinnati was called for pass interference.  The Bearcats thought they had a stop on a fourth and goal from the seven but Howard Wilder was flagged, giving Carden a chance to run it in from the two.  The second two-point try fell incomplete.

The quick score left Kiel with 57 seconds to get the Bearcats into field goal range from his own 35.

Kiel found Casey Gladney for 15 yards.  He found Mekale for four and 16 yards on the next two plays to put the ball on the East Carolina 30 with a timeout left.

A clock play and two incompletions left Cincinnati with a fourth down and 19 seconds in the game.

Gantz kicked a career-high 47 yard field goal with nine ticks left on the clock to give the Bearcats a 48-46 lead.  The freshman from Centerville, Ohio had never kicked a game winner before at any level.

"It is something everybody dreams of.  I can't describe the feeling," Gantz said.

East Carolina tried a hook and lateral play but the last lateral fell loose at the Pirates 20.  Hartsfield scooped it and jogged into the end zone for the final six points of the game.  UC celebrated its sixth win of the season rather than tacking on the extra point.

Though Carden had just two touchdowns throw in the game, he set up rushing touchdowns by Breon Allen, Marquez Grayson and Justin Hardy in addition to his own running score.

Cincinnati improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the American Athletic Conference to tie Memphis, who beat the Bearcats 41-14 on October 4.

East Carolina suffered its second straight conference loss.  The Pirates are 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the AAC.