The Bearcats went down to Dallas, Texas, received a pre-game pep-talk from President Bush, and smacked the Mustangs around to the tune of 41-3. Some key statistics include:
- ZERO turnovers;
- The defense forcing FOUR turnovers, including a pair of picks and a pair of forced fumbles;
- The defense holding SMU to 276 total yards; and
- The offense being able to establish a rush attack for 240 yards at a 5.2 yard average.
Kiel, Evans, and LeGaux all received opportunities at quarterback. As expected, Kiel went for the homerun within the first few plays of the opening drive, but Chris Moore couldn’t come down with it. Kiel also rushed the ball six times for 60 yards indicating his ribs are not a concern.
Ten different receivers also caught a pass, for an average of 16 yards per reception.
Andrew Gantz at the field goal kicker position has also been a quiet surprise. Although he missed an extra point, he went 3/3 for field goals, with a long of 40 yards. The special teams unit played well. Johnny Holton even returned a kickoff for a touchdown (although a flag cancelled that out).
The Cats are now 3-3 and 1-1 in the AAC. The South Florida Bulls are up next Friday, October 24th at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.
The Bulls are 3-4 and 2-1 in the AAC. Their offense is propelled by their run game and Marlon Mack, who has rushed for nearly 600 yards, 6 TDs, and averages 5 yards a pop. The Bulls sophomore QB, Mike White, has thrown 3 TDs and 4 picks this year. Clearly, they are not getting it done through the air.
UC went down to Florida and laid an egg last year. I am sure Tubbs will have the team fired up for revenge after last year. If the Bearcats can slow down the Mack-Attack, UC’s quick-hitting offense behind Gunner Kiel should be able to outpace the Bulls and get another W. Kiel did make much better decisions yesterday, and did not turn the ball over. I expect the trend to continue. The Cats will continue the positive momentum on Friday night!
By Technical Writer: Andy Smith