On the opening possession Gunner Kiel questionably started at quarterback. After launching a deep ball that was picked off, Munchie Legaux took over for the rest of the game, leading the Bearcats to a 38 – 14 victory against the Green Wave in front of his NOLA hometown and family.
Munchie went 16/24 for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He did throw one interception, but managed the game very well overall. Out of the backfield both Mike Boone and Rodriguez Moore eclipsed the century mark averaging over seven yards a carry. The offense was balanced with 214 passing yards and 265 rushing yards, for a total of 479 yards on the night. UC did lose the turnover battle 3 – 1, and was only 6 – 12 (50%) on third down.
At halftime, the score was 24 – ZERO all Cats/all half. Tulane scored 14 quick points in the third quarter. However, in the end the UC defense held strong despite giving up 380 yards, providing another improving performance for the third straight game. Tulane converted just three third downs all night. The Bearcats continue to be a minimally penalized team, this time with only five flags for 35 yards.
By far the highlight of the night is this ridiculous one-handed touchdown catch by #19 Shaq Washington.
UC is now one game away from bowl eligibility at 5 – 3 and 3 – 1 in the AAC.
Next up is the most important game of the year against the #23 East Carolina Pirates at Paul Brown Stadium on Thursday, November 13th at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN2. We will break down this important matchup on offense and defense in the coming days. For now suffice it to say, Gunner Kiel must rest and heal. It is quite clear his bruised ribs and apparent lower back injuries are not anywhere near 100%. He is simply not himself right now.
https://twitter.com/GunnerKiel/status/528449585619161088
Luckily, the Cats have a buy next week and plenty of time to rest and scheme for East Carolina. Munchie Legaux is also a new and improved quarterback, distributing the ball well and making positive decisions, which bodes well in light of Gunner’s lingering injuries, should he be called into action again.
By Technical Writer: Andy Smith