Named the starter on Monday, Cincinnati junior quarterback Hayden Moore proved worthy of the nod in the Bearcats’ 26-14 win over visiting Austin Peay on Thursday night.

While Moore started the fire with three touchdown passes and senior running back Mike Boone put what would be the nail in Governors’ coffin on a three-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter.

However, both offenses started out slow, stalling after one first down on each of their initial drives and falling victim to fumble issues on their following possessions.

Cincinnati junior linebacker Tyrell Gilbert, a Queen City native, stripped Governors sophomore quarterback Javaughn Craig on fourth down to allow senior linebacker Jaylyin Minor to recover. Moore followed suit, recovering his own fumble on third down to bring out the punt team.

The offensive woes from both sides ultimately led to a scoreless first quarter. However, Austin Peay still outpaced the home team with 59 total offensive yards against the Bearcats’ 16.

First-year head coach Luke Fickell, though unhappy with some of the sloppiness on both sides of the ball, sees the win as a learning opportunity.

"It's not easy, winning," Fickell said. "I don't care what level, I don't care who you're playing. It's not. To come away with a win, to do the things we did, to have the adversity. I think that's probably, as we look back and go to evaluate this night, to see what we're really made of is I think what we're really gonna grow from."

In need of a spark to break a scoreless tie after one quarter of play, Cincinnati senior wide receiver Devin Gray put his team in good field position with a 17-yard punt return to kick start their opening drive of the second quarter. Moore went onto lead his offense another 53 yards down the field, capping off the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Thomas Geddis.

Craig answered.

Aided by two 15-yard penalties from Cincinnati’s defense, the Governors’ gunslinger orchestrated a 10-play, 81-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:45 left in the first half. Craig found a wide-open Kentel Williams for an easy 19-yard touchdown.

Moore answered.

Following a 25-yard scamper from Boone, Moore connected with junior wide receiver Kahlil Lewis for a six-yard touchdown with 2:06 left in the second quarter. Boone and Lewis served as two primary weapons for the Bearcats all night, as the two combined for 152 offensive yards and two touchdowns.

“I give credit to the offensive line,” Boone said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to do that. It was always on rotation. This first time was great.”

Riding Moore-made momentum, Cincinnati senior defensive end Bryan Wright slammed the gavel for a change, halting Craig and the Governors in their tracks with an interception on the Bearcats’ two-yard line to close out the first half.

The Bearcats’ defense stole the show to start the second half, limiting Austin Peay to -21 yards on their first two drives.

Moore, on the other hand, continued to have success.

Cincinnati’s premier signal caller picked up his third touchdown of the game on a six-yard pass to senior tight end Tyler Cogswell to give his team a 13-point lead heading into the final quarter. Moore finished the night having completed 17 of 28 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns.

“Far from perfect, but we took care of the ball,” Moore said. “No interceptions and everybody really took care of the ball. The three touchdowns were great routes by the receivers. Tyler Cogswell had a really good route in the end zone. We could have done a lot better. But from what had happened, the no interceptions and no turnovers was a good start.”

Austin Peay sophomore wide receiver Josh Alexander responded with a rushing touchdown on a sweep to the right side, but his 11-yard score, of course, wasn’t enough.

A combination of the Boone’s touchdown and a valiant effort from the Bearcats’ defense kept the Governors at bay.

Cincinnati junior safety Malik Clements and sophomore linebacker Perry Young stood out as two outstanding defenders for the Bearcats, finishing the contest with 18 and 17 combined tackles, respectively. Minor also played well with his fumble recovery and 10 combined tackles.

The Bearcats will carry momentum from tonight’s win over the Governors to Ann Arbor as they take on the University of Michigan on Saturday, September 9.