Desmond Ridder threw touchdown passes to Josiah Deguera and Michael Warren II to lead the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 24-14 win over the UCLA Bruins. Warren II also scored on a 12-yard run for the Bearcats.
“Desmond did a good job of managing the game,” said third-year coach Luke Fickell, who led Cincinnati to an 11-2 record last season. “He was slinging and the throwing the ball well early.”
Ja'von Hicks had a mixed night on defense. The sophomore from Colerain High School in Cincinnati. Recovered a fumble to stop the Bruins first scoring threat and came up with a fourth quarter interception against Bruins' quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Hicks returned it 15 yards to the 35-yard line. The game was not kind to Hicks at times. He missed a tackle that led to the Bruins first score, a 75-yard toss on a third and 10 to Demetric Felton. Hicks had a critical face mask penalty that led to a the Bruins second touchdown. The foul gave UCLA a first and goal at the Cincinnati eight.
"Everybody was very proud of Ja'von," said senior linebacker Perry Young, who also had an interception. "He got a little emotional when he got the game ball in the locker room."
Thompson-Robinson found Chase Cota in the flat for a seven-yard score.
The Bearcats scored first with Ridder threw a 16-yard pass to Deguara with 7:09 left in the first quarter. Sam Cosa missed a 32-yard field goal but kicked one from 44-yards out in the second quarter.
On the Bruins' first possession of the second half, Perry Young picked off Thompson-Robinson's pass at the Bruin 30. Warren II ran it into the endzone from 12-yards out. Warren II caught Riddings 21-yard pass early in the fourth quarter.
UCLA was driving and converted a fourth and two when Cincinnati was offside but Thompson-Ridder second fumble of the game was recovered at the Cincinnati 40 by Curtis Brooks with 4:17 left.
Cincinnati was running out the clock when the ball came loose. It was recovered and returned to the endzone by Krys Barnes but the officials ruled that Warren II was down before the ball came loose. The call stood after video replay scrutiny.
The Bearcats had to punt with 3:11 left. The Bruins got the ball needing to score twice. Ethan Tucky who forced Thompson-Robinson's first fumble, sacked Thompson-Robinson on a fourth and 10 play to seal the Bruins fate.
"It wasn't very clean," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. "To get this under our belt is huge."
Ridder completed 18 of 26 passes for 242 yards. He had an interception near the Bruins' goal line. Warren II had 26 carries for 92 yards.
Thompson-Robinson threw 26 passes and completed eight of them for 152 yards. Demetric Felton, who is listed as a wide receiver, played running back in place of injured senior Joshua Kelley. He led the Bruins with 71 yards on 23 carries.
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