UC Bearcats clinch AAC East division title with 15-13 win against Temple

Pat Brennan | Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Bearcats have a new piece of hardware to add to their trophy cabinet.

The 17th-ranked Bearcats (10-1, 7-0) defeated Temple University, 15-13, on Saturday at Nippert Stadium.

In doing so, head coach Luke Fickell's Bearcats locked up the American Athletic Conference East Division title and a berth in the conference's title game.

UC kept alive its hopes of claiming the Group of Five's berth to the Cotton Bowl Classic.

The victory also broke a four-game Temple winning streak over the Bearcats.

"Another one that, somehow, someway, we found a way," Fickell said. "It sounds repetitive each and every week, or at least the last few weeks, but the resiliency of this team and finding a new way to get it done tonight and obviously there's a lot of things that go into it.

The Owls dominated the fourth quarter, scoring touchdowns on two successive drives and out-gaining UC by a wide margin.

The late rally fell short. UC's victory was confirmed when Temple quarterback Anthony Russo was picked off by Darrick Forrest with 1:19 to play in regulation as the Owls were driving for the potential game-winning score.

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Russo was 24-for-43 passing for a touchdown and 228 yards through the air.

UC lacked crispness on offence but made good use of the few opportunities it managed to create.

Kicker Sam Crosa hit both of his second-quarter field goal attempts to install a 6-0 lead for the Bearcats going into half. UC then came out and, on the first drive of the second half, Mike Warren scampered 13 yards for the first touchdown of the contest and a 13-0 Bearcats lead.

Playing with injury concerns, UC quarterback Desmond Ridder managed the game effectively for the most part even if he seemed to lack the ability to rip off a big play.

Ridder was 9 of 25 passing for 62 yards and one interception, although he also held onto the ball during each of the three times he was sacked.

Midway through the third quarter, Temple started to get a foothold in the game. Following eight successive defensive stops by UC, the Owls managed a field goal attempt.

Kicker Will Mobley sailed his 32-yard field goal attempt wide but the narrow miss signaled the Owls scores were coming.

Temple broke up UC's shutout bid at the 11:19 mark of the fourth quarter when Re'Mahn Davis rushed seven yards for a touchdown.

UC blocked the ensuing point-after attempt and Coby Bryant took the ball 98 yards to the end zone for two points, furthering the hosts' lead at 15-6.

The next time down the first, Temple's Kenny Yeboah found the end zone with an acrobatic catch off a Russo toss.

The comeback effort ultimately stalled when Russo was picked off by Forrest on the Owls' next possession.

"We didn't play great offensively in the first half by any means. Defensively, the second half, you know, we bent a little too much and tackling probably fell by the wayside a little," Fickell said. "But another new way: Putting a hand on an extra point and picking it up and running it back for another two points. Special teams again made the difference for us."

The Bearcats close out regular-season play Friday at Memphis (3:30 p.m.). A UC win would bring the AAC title game to Nippert Stadium.

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The University of Cincinnati Bearcats host the Temple University Owls in the second-last game of the regular season in the American Athletic Conference at 7 p.m. at Nippert Stadium.

The Bearcats opened as 10-point favorites, but the line has moved to 8.5 just ahead of kickoff.

If the Bearcats win tonight, they clinch the AAC East Division and will be guaranteed a spot in the Dec. 7 AAC title game.

If the Bearcats win out, they'll host the AAC championship. If they win this week and lose next week at Memphis, they would play at either Memphis or SMU for the AAC championship.