The Three Stars of Cincinnati’s Win Over Tulane

No matter what happens the rest of the season, the Cincinnati Bearcats will be playing in the postseason. Whether that’s in the College Football Playoff (unlikely) or the Dunder Mifflin Paper Bowl (imaginary) remains to be seen, but after blasting past Tulane 37-21 on Saturday, the Bearcats are now 6-0 and, even more importantly, 2-0 in American Athletic Conference play.

Obviously the Bearcats are no longer just a team with a few good players who are carrying a weak roster. This team is just really good from top to bottom. Each week, a few players still stand out, and we’re going to to point out those guys now.

Honorable Mention - We only have three stars to give out, but when you win a game by 16 points, more than a few players deserve some credit. Kimoni Fitz just missed the cut this week, but he had a great game during a solid defensive performance from the Bearcats. He had one of UC’s four sacks in the game, as well as one of its eight tackles for loss.

One Star - Kahlil Lewis, WR

Talk about getting a good return on your investment. Lewis only had three receptions against Tulane, but two of those went for touchdowns. His first was a 25-yard connection with Desmond Ridder late in the second quarter which extended UC’s lead to 17-7. The second was a 15-yard strike from Ridder in the beginning of the third quarter that gave UC a 30-14 advantage. Lewis managed 40 yards total in receiving, but the fact that he caught two touchdowns gives him a spot on this list.

After accumulating only 20 total yards in the first two games of the season combined, Lewis has had at least 30 receiving yards in the last four games. That may not be all that incredible, but as the No. 1 wideout on the team, he is ranked second on the roster in receptions (18), receiving yards (233) and is tied with tight end Josiah Deugara for the most touchdown catches (3).

Two Stars - Desmond Ridder

It would be tough to score 37 points without your quarterback having a pretty solid game and Ridder delivered one yet again. He didn’t throw for a ton of yards, but that wasn’t necessary anyway. He still completed 15-of-25 pass attempts for 174 yards and those two scores to Lewis. In addition, he was the second-leading rusher on the team (65 yards) and his 28-yard touchdown scamper right before halftime gave the Bearcats a sizable cushion (24-14) at the break. All of that production outweighed an interception and is why is quarterback efficiency rate to this point is still at an impressive 160.2.

Three Stars - Michael Warren

Do you think Warren ever tires of scoring touchdowns and rushing for 100 yards? It certainly doesn’t seem like it. Warren scored on an 81-yard run in the beginning of the second quarter, accounting for UC’s first touchdown of the game and effectively putting them ahead both at the time (10-7) and for good. Warren finished the game with 18 carries for 123 yards, so his non-touchdown scoring running was a little less effective (17 carries, 42 yards), but the fact that he can break out for such big gains makes him a star. He has now surpassed 100 yards rushing in four of six games this season and his 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most in the country.