Bearcats Battle To Fifth Straight Win

Gerrid Doaks scored three touchdowns, two rushing, one off a pass play to send the Cincinnati Bearcats to its fifth straight win 24-13 over Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Tulsa (2-5, 0-3) outgained the host Bearcats (6-1, 3-0) 377-319 but turned the ball over four times.

 Doaks took a short pass from Desmond Ridder and broke several tackles, stretching out to touch the corner pylon in the endzone to score from 28-yards out.

"It was like a movie," Doaks said. "When I got the ball, I saw open field and I dove over the safety. I hopped up and saw everyone cheering. It’s something everyone on the field wants to live."

"He’s an example in that locker room of what you can do when you never drop your head, you never give in," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. "The opportunity has got to come your way. He’s the reason we’re sitting here happy right now."

Doaks, a junior, has battled injuries since he arrived on campus from Indianapolis.  He had a groin injury that held him out last season.  He had a minor knee injury against UCLA, then missed the next to games.  He slowly worked his way back with a few carries against Marshall, UCF and Houston.  He finished with 91 yards on 17 carries.

"After everything I went through the past couple years, to celebrate a win, that feels good," Doaks said.  "It’s kind of hard knowing you can perform at that high ability but something is holding you back."

The Bearcats held Tulsa twice inside the 10.  Shermarr Robinson recovered Ridder's fumble at the Cincinnati at the Cincinnati eight in the third quarter.  Tulsa drove to the Cincinnati 10 early in the fourth quarter but had to settle for field goals by Jacob Rainey to pull within a touchdown at 17-13.

"We have to take advantage of our opportunities in the red zone," Tulsa coach Phil Montgomery said. "These guys (Cincinnati) is really good in the red zone so it wasn't all us."

Cincinnati went for the first down with 4:58 to play on a fourth and four play from the 12.  Tulsa stopped them on the 10.

Elijah Ponder hit Tulsa quarterback Zach Smith as he threw.  Darrick Forrest picked off the affected pass and returned it to the Tulsa 27.  Doaks ran it in on the first play to put the Bearcats ahead 24-13 with 3:31 to play

Cincinnati took a 10-0 lead up to the last minute of the first half.

Tulsa used a fluke play to retain possession after Cincinnati blocked a punt but a Bearcat touched the aborted punt and Tulsa recovered.  TK Wilkerson scored on a three-yard plunge to get within a field goal at the half.

"It was almost like we were in a little bit of shock," Fickell said. "We’re accustomed to moving the football. It was quiet in the locker room. I think they really believed they had the confidence in what they were going to do."

Cincinnati scored on a 50-yard field goal by Cole Smith and a four-yard run by Gerrid Doaks in the first quarter. The touchdown was setup by an athletic, 49-yard reception by Alec Pierce, who stepped in front of a Tulsa defensive back to make the catch.

Ja'von Hicks intercepted a pass by Zach Smith in the end zone to stop a drive by the Golden Hurricane.  It was his third interception in the last two weeks.

Brian Kelly Returns To Nippert To Honor The 2009 Team He Left Behind

Brian Kelly returned to Nippert Stadium to honor the Bearcats unbeaten 12-0 team from 2009.  The team will be honored at halftime of the game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Kelly took the head coaching job at Notre Dame before the Bearcats played Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

It was fate that caused Kelly to leave.  The team was seconds away from qualifying for the National Championship.  Texas claimed the spot with a dramatic win over Nebraska.  Colt McCoy was chased out of the pocket with seconds left in the game, trailing 12-10.  McCoy was chased out of the pocket by Ndamukong Suh.  McCoy threw the ball out of bounds and time had run out.  Cincinnati would have passed Texas to earn a bid in the National Championship game against Alabama in the Rose Bowl but replays showed that the ball hit a railing with one second left on the clock.  Texas kicked the game winning field goal and Cincinnati was chosen to play Florida in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Kelly was offered his dream job at the University of Notre Dame, who required him to start immediately.  He took the job and offensive coordinator Jeff Quinn guided the Bearcats in the 51-24 loss to Florida.  The players felt betrayed and the fans showed animosity toward Kelly for abandoning his team.

"It has really been special to get an opportunity to come back to thank them," said Kelly, as Notre Dame is on a bye week.  "I didn't get that opportunity.  It was taken away from me. The circumstances were what they were.  It was important for me to come back and thank them but more importantly what they've done to catapult this program into the position that it is today."

Kelly remembered the season started with a big win over Rutgers.

"It started with the win over Rutgers over the Labor Day weekend," Kelly said.  "It was so decisive. It created a confidence in the group that was very palatable. It carried over into a resounding win over Illinois, a Big 10 team and finishing it off obviously with the come-from-behind win against Pittsburgh.  Those three games standout to me."

The Bearcats arranged the dtribut around Kelly's open week.

"It was a matter of saying yes and getting off the recruiting schedule to be here," Kelly said. "I was excited because I wanted to be with these guys."

Kelly reflected on how close the Bearcats came to playing in the National Championship game.

"I probably wouldn't be at Notre Dame," Kelly said.  "You guys would be sick and tired of me in Cincinnati.  It's fate and these things happen. That's what college football is today.  There's one game that can dictate and change the season and can change the trajectory of careers."

There was a moment of silence before the game for Bob Goin, who was the Athletic Director at UC that season.  Goin passed away this week, October 12 at the age of 83.

Cincinnati Found Its Lucky Number While Upsetting Central Florida

The Cincinnati Bearcats played the dozens in a 27-24 upset win over number 18 University of Central Florida.

Cincinnati finished a disappointing possession when a true freshman wearing number 12, Ahmad Gardner stepped in front of UCF receiver at the 16-yard line. Gardner dashed into the endzone to give the Bearcats a 20-16 lead.

"I knew he was going to throw it. I knew if I jumped it, it was going to be there," Gardner said. ".He’s a freshman (UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel). We were going to try to get into his head, too. That’s what the adjustment was. It worked.

Michael Warren rambled 61 yards to become the third Bearcat to have a 2,000 yards rushing in a career.  The play at the end of the third quarter set up an 11-yard scoring pass to number 12, Alec Pierce from Desmond Ridder, who finished with 17-31 for 149 yards passing and one interception. He carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards

The Cincinnati (4-1, 1-0 AAC) defense held Central Florida (4-1, 0-1 AAC) to 16 points.  The Knights entered the game after a 56-21 win over Connecticut and scored 245 points. They scored their fewest points in a 35-34 loss to Pittsburgh.

The Knights use a hurry-up offense to prevent situational substitutions for the opposing defensre.  The Bearcats rotated the corner backs to start defensive series.

"we can limit the big plays, we’ve got our opportunity. We eliminated the big plays, Luke Fickell said.

"I have to look myself in the mirror," Gabriel said.  "Three turnovers are unacceptable."

Central Florida took a punt at its own seven and drove 93 yards in five plays, scoring on a 45-yard pass from Gabriel to Tre Nixon and a two-point conversion pass to Adrian Killins to put the Knights within a field goal with 3:09 to play.  UCF was out of time outs.

The Knights stopped Warren on a third and one, inches from a first down with 1:42 left.  Cincinnati let the clock run down then got the first down on Ridders quarterback sneak.  The clock ran out.

"I guess there’s no sweeter way to seal the deal against a team that’s the best in the league, been the best the last two times," Fickell said. "The only way you’re going to knock off the best is to continue to be aggressive. The only way to beat the best is to take chances."

Warren rushed for 133 yards on 23 carries.

Turnovers did a lot to shape the first half between number 18 Central Florida snd Cincinnati in a sold out Nippert Stadium.

Greg McCrae scored on a one-yard run with 58 seconds left in the first half to allow the Knights to take a 16-10 lead into the locker room at the half.

Dylan Barnas kicked three field goals of 22,24 and 31 yards but Cincinnati got a 38-yard field goal by Sam Crosa and a five-yard touchdown pass from Desmond Ridder to Trent Cloud.  It was setup by a fumble recovery at the UCF 19 by Michael Pitts off a fumble by Knights quarterback, Dillon Gabriel.

It gave Cincinnati a 10-6 lead but after Barnas third field goal, Tay Gowan intercepted a Ridder pass at the Cincinnati 41 and returned to the Cincinnati 23.  A Cincinnati personal foul call but the ball at the 12.  McCrae picked up the yardage on four runs.

A pair of holding penalties by Cincinnati defensive backs allowed the Knights to sustain a first quarter drive to a field goal.  Cincinnati's defense was betrayed by a roughing the kicker penalty by Joah Whyle allowed Central Florida to drive into Cincinnati territory but Cam Jeffries intercepted a Gabriel pass at the two.   Jeffries returned it to the Knights 41 but the ball popped loose.  It took a replay review to confirm that Jeffries was down before the ball came loose.

Cincinnati netted eight yards wasting a scoring chance.