CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats responded to last Saturday’s road loss with a 20-10 victory over Navy on Saturday at Nippert Stadium, extending the program’s home winning streak to 31 games. Cincinnati improved to 7-2 (4-1 AAC) to stay in the hunt for the American Athletic Conference championship game while keeping the Midshipmen’s triple-option attack from running wild.
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Here are six takeaways from the Bearcats getting back in the win column.
1. Bounce-back opportunity: It wasn’t exactly the most impressive or inspiring victory for Cincinnati over Navy (3-6, 3-4 AAC), but it was a much-needed tally in the win column following a stinging loss to UCF. Playing against the triple-option is always a difficult lesson in discipline for a defense facing a unique look and an offense with limited possessions, but head coach Luke Fickell was proud of his team’s ability to get points early and hold its ground over the course of the game.
“Our backs were against the wall a little bit this past week after taking a gut punch and what we went through last weekend,” Fickell said.
Cincinnati had to settle for a pair of early field goals in plus-field position, which has become a nagging issue in recent weeks but still managed to score points on its first three drives of the game. Compared to an opening three-and-out by Navy and a blocked field goal by Cincinnati’s Jowon Briggs that nixed a 13-play drive, it gave the Bearcats some early momentum.
“We got some red-zone stops tonight that were really big for us,” Fickell said. “Those were critical.”
2. The Godfather and the defense hold steady: A Navy team that came in averaging 244.5 rushing yards per game was held to 176 on Saturday, just 3.3 yards per carry. Aside from a pair of first-half runs that went for 27 and 32 yards, Cincinnati kept the Midshipmen in check.
Navy’s game plan is to grind the clock and limit opposing possessions, but the Bearcats did well to get its defense off the field. The Midshipmen had only two drives that chewed up more than six minutes of game clock (one touchdown, one blocked field goal), and on Navy’s seven true offensive possessions, Cincinnati forced three three-and-outs. Backup quarterback Massai Maynor was able to connect on a couple of long throws, but they still only racked up 84 passing yards on six completions.
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Fickell praised the look his defense got from the scout team in practice all week, calling out safety Will Adams who ran scout-team quarterback.
“When we go out and play the way we did defensively, it’s not just because of the scheme, the play, it’s because of the preparation,” Fickell said.
He also praised the interior of UC’s defensive line, including redshirt freshman defensive tackle Dontay Corleone and his career-high 11 tackles.
“When we prepare for Navy, we have a lot of respect for them. We try to stay disciplined,” said Corleone, who planned to celebrate his big win with a tamed-down Skyline Chili order.
#Bearcats DL Dontay Corelone on how many @Skyline_Chili chilitos he'll have to celebrate a career-high 11 tackles in today's win over Navy: "High-school Dontay might have had 8 or 9. Right now, I'm thinking two. (Strength coach) Brady Collins might be around here looking at me."
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) November 5, 2022
3. Scott feeling good again: A sprained ankle for leading receiver Tyler Scott kept him sidelined against SMU and left him rusty against UCF, but he looked back to his old self with 10 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday. The pair of scoring plays went for 38 and 27 yards, with the 38-yarder coming via a nice read-and-react improvisation between him and quarterback Ben Bryant on a clutch fourth-and-1.
Ben Bryant ➡️ Tyler Scott on 4th and 1 🔥🔥#AmericanFB x @GoBearcatsFB
— American Football (@American_FB) November 5, 2022
It continued Scott’s streak of 13 career touchdown catches, all for 20-plus yards. Fickell credited the all-around development of Scott’s route-running and defensive recognition for the junior wide receiver’s ability to dominate opposing defenses.
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“That’s where Tyler has grown so much, his ability to continue to grow and be not just a track speed guy down the field,” Fickell said. “It gives us a lot of options and is going to make him play this game for a long time.”
4. Bryant gets back to slinging it: The outside heat directed at Bryant — and calls for backup quarterback Evan Prater — has only intensified over the past couple of weeks as Bryant’s completion percentage dropped to a combined 54 percent the past two games. Bryant looked far more locked in and comfortable against Navy, completing 25 of 35 (71 percent) for 299 yards, the two touchdowns to Scott and zero turnovers.
“He did a phenomenal job,” Fickell said. “(Navy) does a great job at junking things up and making it difficult to run the football. They make it difficult with their ability to all-out pressure you and challenge you. He answered the bell with everything today. He made some really huge throws. The fourth down touchdown to Tyler Scott is as gutsy a throw (as you’ll see).”
Navy has been one of the worst defenses in college football this season, averaging 6.12 yards per play allowed (111 out of 131). That, combined with scoring only 20 points, won’t do enough to appease the Prater hive, and Bryant did have a rough drive in the second half that included two delay-of-game penalties and two sacks. But it was a clear improvement over recent weeks and a return to Bryant’s form early in the season, and the offense had a much better rhythm as a result. Cincinnati had just one three-and-out, and it came on the offense’s final, time-wasting possession of the game.
5. More run-game struggles but a new starter up front: On the heels of just 35 rushing yards against UCF, the Bearcats had only 55 yards on 20 attempts (2.8 yards per carry) against Navy. It’s a discouraging trend, as is the lack of use for running back Corey Kiner. After not playing a snap as a healthy scratch against UCF, Kiner had only one late carry for two yards, suddenly and curiously on the outside of a ground attack that continued to struggle.
Fickell on why RB Corey Kiner didn't play vs UCF (again): "He's in the game plan, he's a big part of it. Sometimes plans change. We weren't running the ball very well, throwing it a bit more. Our older guys, we probably do feel more comfortable with the protections…" #Bearcats
— Justin Williams (@Williams_Justin) November 1, 2022
“We also have to do what people give us, but we have to get back to running the football,” Fickell said. “We need to have that balance, we need to be physical, to grind some things out.”
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Cincinnati did make a change to its starting offensive line, inserting Lorenz Metz at right guard for the first time this season after Metz earned first-team all-conference honors last year. Metz moved Dylan O’Quinn to left guard, replacing Jeremy Cooper.
“He’s healthy,” Fickell said of Metz. “Maybe it was a week or so ago he came in asking about when he could get another opportunity. He had really been battling his ankle, it’s been difficult for him. I’m happy, proud of him.”
6. Short week ahead: Cincinnati will have to rest up quickly from the physicality and discipline of facing the triple-option to battle East Carolina on Friday, Nov. 11. The Pirates (6-3, 3-2 AAC), who were idle this weekend, will bring a top-25 offense averaging 467.2 yards per game to Nippert on 13 days rest.
(Top photo of Ivan Pace Jr.: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
