The Three Stars of Cincinnati’s Victory Over Alabama A&M

Picking three stars is pretty difficult this week, but in a good way. The Cincinnati Bearcats easily topped FCS foes Alabama A&M on Saturday night and because of that, a lot of players got to make contributions, and very few played from start to finish. Still, when a team puts up 63 points and holds the opponent to seven, there are going to be some standout contributors. Here are this week’s three stars of the game.

One Star - Kahlil Lewis, WR

Finally. Lewis looked like the potential all-conference wide receiver he is, turning four receptions into 92 yards and a touchdown. He and starting quarterback Desmond Ridder set the tone early, hooking up on an 18-yard pass on the first play of UC’s opening drive. Lewis didn’t end up getting every target, as 11 players caught receptions and there was plenty of mixing and matching, but after he had all of four catches for 20 yards in the first two games, this was a welcome sign.

Two Stars - Desmond Ridder, QB

Ridder has made a habit of getting some stars after each game. He did so this week despite playing just one quarter. In the first 15 minutes of the game he managed to complete 9-of-10 pass attempts for 199 yards and three touchdowns, while also scoring on the ground himself. Obviously the defense he was facing was easier than the first two weeks, but seeing him complete passes and forge better connections with his wide receivers was another positive indication of future success.

Three Stars - Tavion Thomas, RB Charles McClelland, RB

These two freshmen running backs will share the top honor from the week. Starting running back Michael Warren was up to his usual dominance to start (six rushes, 78 yards, TD), but Thomas and McClelland got much more playing time and really gave a fun preview of the future of the UC backfield. Thomas led the team with 18 carries for 141 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. McClelland tallied 121 yards and a score on 16 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt. Warren is still going to be the lead back (until Gerrid Doaks comes back), but perhaps Thomas and McClelland earned themselves some more future playing time as backups.