The Three Stars of Cincinnati’s Shutout Win Against Navy

For four quarters on Saturday, the Cincinnati Bearcats dominated the Navy Midshipmen. A lopsided game was expected, but a 42-0 final score was still quite an impressive feat. Shutting out an opponent is difficult, although the Bearcats have done it twice this season. UConn and Alabama A&M were able to put at least a few points on the board against the Bearcats this season. Navy (and Miami-Ohio previously) weren’t even able to do that, which speaks to just how well UC played on defense. UC’s offense also did its part, easily finding the end zone to put the game out of reach before the halftime whistle even went off. In this largely flawless game, a few players stood out the most.

Honorable Mention: As noted, this was a game when the defense really shown brightly. There were still some offensive stars, however, including quarterback Desmond Ridder (13-for-17, 178 yards, 66 yards rushing, 2 total TDs), Michael Warren (68 yards, 2 TDs) and Rashad Medaris (four receptions, 82 yards, TD).

One Star - Michael Pitts, DE

Pitts plays out of the JACK position and he played it as well as he has all season against Navy. Since the Midshipmen’s option offense lends itself to lots of opportunities for the guys up front, Pitts was always going to be involved. He took advantage, with six tackles, including two for a loss and even a sack. The Bearcats held the Midshipmen to a season-low 124 rushing yards and Pitts played a major role.

Two Stars - Kimoni Fitz, DE

As did Fitz. As you might be noticing, the three stars this week were all from one positional group and its just because the defensive line was so good. It needed to be after Navy rushed for more than 500 yards against an overwhelmed UC defense a year ago. Fitz tied for second on the team with eight tackles and also netted himself 1.5 sacks. The Bearcats had five total sacks and are now tied for the fifth-most in the AAC (20).

Three Stars - Cortez Broughton, DT

If Broughton hadn’t already sewn up first-team all-conference honors, he did so on Saturday. The senior defensive tackle needed to be active against Navy’s constant rushing attack and he certainly was. He had 10 tackles by himself, including 1.5 for loss. When Navyn ball carriers reached the line of scrimmage, Broughton was often there, shedding a blocker and ready to stop the play before it even got going. Broughton now has 15.5 tackles for loss in 2018, which is 5.5 more than he had in the first 38 games of his career combined.