POSTGAME NOTES: Cincinnati 49, UConn 7

CINCINNATI POSTGAME NOTES

CINCINNATI 49, UCONN 7
SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 | 3:30 PM | CINCINNATI, OH | PRATT & WHITNEY STADIUM AT RENTSCHLER FIELD 
ATTENDANCE: 20,322

Captains: 72 Garrett Campbell, 96 Cortez Broughton, 44 Marquise Campbell, 8 Hayden Moore
Coin Toss: Cincinnati won the toss and deferred its option to the second half. UConn will receive and defend the 

UC lost five-straight American Athletic Conference openers entering this game and last won a September league game in in 2012 (Sept. 6 vs. Pittsburgh). Last road win in a league opener was 2011 at USF.

UC's (49) points was its most in an American Athletic Conference game since scoring 49 against Tulsa on Nov. 14, 2015. It's UC's most points in a conference road game since scoring 46 at Memphis on Sept. 24, 2015.

UC has rung up 400 or more yards of total offense in three straight games (659 at UConn, 424 vs. Ohio, 741 vs. Alabama A&M).

Cincinnati got on the board on its first drive on a QB run by Desmond Ridder from the 1-yard line to cap an 11 play, 74-yard drive which took 5:38 off the clock. It was Ridder's third rushing TD of the season and the third straight game he has scampered for a score. RB Michael Warren II rushed on eight straight plays for 32 yards to help set up the TD.

Ridder completed his first 7 passes of the game before an incompletion, extending his streak of consecutive completions to 17, dating to the fourth quarter of the Ohio game. 

Ridder had a 41-yard run in the second quarter, a career-long rush and the longest rush by a UC signal-caller since Hayden Moore had a 46-yard rush at Michigan in 2017.

Ridder finished 20-of-26 for 270 yards and 2 TDs, adding 41 yards rushing and another TD on the ground. He has thrown for 270 or more yards in UC's last two games and has thrown 7 TDs in the last three games.

TE Josiah Deguara had a 22-yard reception in the first quarter, tying his season-long catch. He has a reception in each of UC's five games in 2018. Deguara's 15th catch of the season was a 38-yard toss from Ridder for his third receiving TD of the season. It marked a career-long catch for Deguara. His 15 receptions on the season equals his mark from the previous two seasons, where he combined for 15 catches. He finished with a career best 112 yards receiving on 5 receptions along with a TD. 

Warren found the end zone on a 3-yard plunge to start the second quarter and give UC a 14-7 lead. It was Warren's ninth rushing TD of the season. He has found the end zone in each of UC's five games this year. The Bearcats had only 11 total rushing TDs in 2017 and Warren's nine is the most for UC player since Mike Boone had nine in 2014 and 2015.

Warren opened the second half with a 37-yard run and went over the 100-yard mark for the second-straight game and third time on the season on a 14-yard TD run in the third quarter. It was his 10th rushing TD of the year. He finished with 106 yards and 2 TDs on the ground and made four catches for 41 yards through the air. 

OL Garrett Campbell suffered a leg injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game. 

PR Aulden Knight had a season-long 14-yard return in the second quarter.

WR Thomas Geddis had three receptions for for 25 yards in the first half, setting a season high for receptions in a game.

UC lost a fumble on a QB-RB exchange on the UConn 15 in the second quarter, marking the Bearcats first failure to score in the red zone this season. UC was 17-of-17 on red-zone attempts prior to the fumble.

WR Rashad Medaris hauled in a 15-yard pass from Ridder with 23 seconds left in the first half for a TD, his second in as many games.

RB Tavion Thomas scored his third career TD on a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter.

WR Malick Mbodj had his first career reception on a 51-yard toss from QB Hayden Moore in the fourth quarter. 

Moore had his first TD of the season, an 11-yard scamper in the fourth quarter set up by Mbodj's third-down catch. It was Moore's ninth career rushing TD.