The previous three matchups between Temple and University of Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell's Bearcats were close. The latest installment in the series was not.
Desmond Ridder had three passing touchdowns, Jerome Ford added two scores on the ground, and the Bearcats defense was suffocating as No. 5/6-ranked (Associated Press/Coaches) Cincinnati coasted to a 52-3 victory over the Owls in front of a sold-out crowd Friday night at Nippert Stadium.
The victory marked the 23rd straight at home for the Bearcats (5-0), who opened American Athletic Conference play in the win column with 37,978 fans in attendance.
Ridder completed 22 of 30 passes for 259 yards, eclipsing the 8,000-yard mark for his career. The fifth-senior now has 8,209 passing yards, trailing only UC passing game coordinator, quarterbacks coach and UC Athletics Hall of Famer Gino Guidugli's 11,453 yards.
Cincinnati's "Blackcats" defense had five sacks, seven tackles for loss and held the Owls (3-3, 1-1 AAC) to 226 yards of total offense, including 76 rushing yards.
Temple won the coin toss and elected to receive. After the Owls stalled at their onw 41-yard line, Ridder and the Cincinnati offense marched 48 yards but was forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal by kicker Cole Smith. It was a good start for Smith, who missed two kicks last week in South Bend.
But the senior missed his second attempt with 2:44 to play in the second quarter. Smith is now 3-for-8 on field-goal attempts this season. He was one of only a few blemishes on the night for Cincinnati.
Temple wide receiver Jadan Blue muffed a punt at his own 17-yard line and Ja'von Hicks recovered the ball at the 13 for the Bearcats.
Following a four-yard run by Ryan Montgomery, Ridder threw it up to Alec Pierce and the wideout caught it over Temple cornerback Cameron Ruiz in the end zone to make it 10-0 with 2:52 to play in the opening quarter.
Running back Jerome Ford trotted in nearly untouched from 8 yards out to give Cincinnati a 17-0 lead at the 9:42 mark in the second quarter.
Temple freshman kicker Rory Bell, a Wilmington, Ohio, native, blasted a 55-yard field goal to put the Owls on the board with 5:27 left in the first half.
On the first play of the second half, Ford got loose for a 75-yard score to make it 24-3. It was Ford's second touchdown of the game and eighth of the season. Ford had eight scores all of 2020. Ford finished with 149 yards on 15 carries.
Temple muffed its second punt of the game, this time by Amad Anderson.Jr. Ridder and the offense capitalized with a 38-yard score between Ridder and Tyler Scott. The sophomore wide receiver did most of the work after the catch to make it 30-3 with 11:00 to play in the third.
Cincinnati junior running back Charles McClelland, who suffered a torn ACL in each of the past two seasons, got into the action with a 28-yard scoring run. McClelland's first touchdown run since the 2018 regular-season finale gave the Bearcats a commanding 37-3 lead at the 7:45 mark in the third.
Ridder collected his third score of the game on an 11-yard strike to Michael Young Jr. at the end of the third. Young's first touchdown of the season made it 45-3.
Running back Ethan Wright capped the scoring for the Bearcats with a 58-yard scamper past the Temple defense with 10:15 to play.
Cincinnati will be at home again Oct. 16 to face UCF. Kickoff is scheduled tor noon on ABC.
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