Cincinnati QB Munchie Legaux suffers horrific leg injury

Paul Myerberg | USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux left Saturday's loss to Illinois in the fourth quarter after suffering a gruesome leg injury, perhaps ending Legaux's season before the Bearcats turn to American Athletic Conference play.

Legaux, the Bearcats' starter coming out of fall camp, was injured as he delivered an incomplete third-down pass. After the pass was thrown, Legaux was tackled below the knees by Illinois defensive lineman Tim Kynard, causing his knee to tilt in an unorthodox direction.

At the time of the injury – with Illinois ahead 31-17 – Legaux had completed 17-of-31 attempts for 237 yards and touchdown, adding another 52 yards on the ground.

With Legaux sidelined for the foreseeable future, UC will turn the offense to senior Brendon Kay, who replaced Legaux midway through last season and carried the Bearcats to a co-Big East championship under former coach Butch Jones. Kay was the projected starter entering August but was slowed by shoulder fatigue, allowing Legaux to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.

Illinois would score 14 points after Legaux's injury, beating Cincinnati 45-17 to move to 2-0. The 28-point win provided the program's largest margin of victory since beating Purdue 44-10 on Oct. 30, 2010.

Paul Myerberg, a national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @PaulMyerberg.