Kevin Mouhon Season in Review

The Numbers

• 50 tackles
• 9.5 tackles for loss
• 1.0 sack
• 2 passes defended
• 1 forced fumble

Playing in the shadow of your brother can be daunting. It automatically gives people a comparison. Peyton and Eli Manning. Justin and B.J. Upton. Serena and Venus Williams. Marc and Pau Gasol. The list goes on. Kevin Mouhon may have been a four-star recruit out of high school but he came onto a team that featured his older brother Silverberry in a prominent role.

Kevin did a great job of supporting his case as the “best Mouhon” this past season. After recording a total of 23 tackles in his first two years at Cincinnati, he racked up 50 in 2016, proving to be an important player for the defense on the edge. A player with the ability to line up at linebacker or defensive end, Mouhon was also the best player on the roster when it came to creating negative plays. His 9.5 tackles for loss were the most by any Bearcat in 2016 and tied for 19th in the American Athletic Conference.

Unfortunately, Mouhon was unable to make many of those TFLs impact the quarterback, as he finished the season with just a single sack, doing so in the win against Miami (Ohio). It was an odd outcome for a player that was so adept at getting into the backfield, but is hopefully something he can improve under the tutelage of new head coach Luke Fickell and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman.

As far as extras go, Mouhon got his hands up a few times, deflecting a pair of passes and he is also forced a fumble, although he did not collect any turnovers of his own.

The Best of the Best

Sept. 15 vs. Houston

UC hung with Houston for three quarters and Mouhon played a big role in that, recording five tackles, including one for loss and a pass defended.

Oct. 1 vs. USF

Even though Cincinnati didn’t come very close to beating USF when you look at the final score, Mouhon was on a warpath in this one, making three tackles for loss.

Oct. 29 at Temple

Despite the loss, Mouhon had five tackles, marking one of five times during the year he would reach at least that many in a game. He also tallied 1.5 tackles for loss in the setback.

Nov. 5 vs. BYU

Mouhon didn’t bring anyone down behind the line of scrimmage but he had a season-high seven tackles and also deflected a pass.

For Next Year

Mouhon’s ability to play more than one position should serve him well as Fickell and Freeman build the defense for 2017. He may be asked to rush the passer from the edge of the line or continue playing on the outside at linebacker. Either way, he needs to continue to be aggressive and get in there and stop ball carriers before they can pick up steam. He also needs to add some more success in chasing down opposing quarterbacks to really become the impact player that his brother was.