2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team
American college football season
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The 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats played their home games at Nippert Stadium and competed as members of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Luke Fickell.
| 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football | |
|---|---|
 | |
AAC champion | |
AAC Championship Game, W 35–20 vs. Houston | |
Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP semifinal), L 6–27 vs. Alabama | |
| Conference | American Athletic Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 4 |
| AP | No. 4 |
| Record | 13–1 (8–0 AAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Mike Denbrock (5th season) |
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Mike Tressel (1st season) |
| Base defense | 3–3–5 |
| Home stadium | Nippert Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Cincinnati y$^ | 8 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Houston y | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 5 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulsa | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SMU | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memphis | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Florida | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coming off a 9–1 season and a Peach Bowl appearance in 2020, Cincinnati began the 2021 season ranked eight in the preseason AP Poll. The team secured a signature non-conference win by defeating then-No. 9 Notre Dame on the road, 24–13, in the fourth game of the year. The Bearcats capped an undefeated regular season by defeating Houston in the American Conference championship game. In the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season, in which the Bearcats were the last remaining undefeated team, Cincinnati was ranked No. 4, earning them a spot in the national semi-final game to be played at the Cotton Bowl. This marked the first time a team from one of the Group of Five conferences was selected for a playoff spot.[1] In that game, Cincinnati lost to first-seeded Alabama, 27–6, ending Cincinnati's season with a 13–1 record, and they were ranked fourth in the final polls. These marked the most wins and highest poll finish in Cincinnati program history.[2]
Cincinnati's offense was led by quarterback Desmond Ridder, who led the AAC in passer efficiency rating and was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year. Ridder threw for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season. Running back Jerome Ford led the conference in rushing with 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns.[3] Three Bearcat offensive lineman were named to the first team All-Conference: Lorenz Metz, Dylan O’Quinn, and Jake Renfro. On defense, the team was led by consensus All-American and AAC Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Sauce Gardner. Cornerback Coby Bryant was also named to the first-team All-Conference and several All-America teams, and was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award. Linebacker Joel Dublanko led the team in tackles, and defensive lineman Curtis Brooks led the conference in sacks. Head coach Luke Fickell was the recipient of several national and the American Conference's Coach of the Year awards. Nine Cincinnati players were selected in the 2022 NFL draft, including fourth-overall pick Sauce Gardner.
Offseason
Coaching changes
After the 2020 season, Marcus Freeman was announced as the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame.[4] Mike Tressel was hired to replace Freeman as defensive coordinator, returning Tressel to Cincinnati where he had coached from 2004 to 2006.[5][6]
Darren Paige was named the new running backs coach after the departure of Dan Enos.[7]
Players
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Wiggins | 1 | S | 6’0 | 205 |  Senior | Miami, FL | Graduated |
| Darrick Forrest | 5 | S | 6’ 0" | 200 | Senior | Columbus, OH | Graduated |
| Jarell White | 8 | LB | 5’ 10" | 205 | Senior | Cincinnati, OH | Graduated |
| Ethan Tucky | 19 | DE | 6’ 2" | 245 | Senior | Delaware, OH | Graduated |
| Gerrid Doaks | 23 | RB | 6’ 0" | 230 | Senior | Indianapolis, IN | Graduated |
| Cameron Young | 25 | RB | 5’ 11" | 230 | Senior | Columbus, OH | Graduated |
| James Smith | 37 | P | 6’ 5" | 235 | Senior | Wangaratta, Australia | Graduated |
| Michael Pitts | 43 | DE | 6’ 4" | 248 | Senior | Stone Mountain, GA | Graduated |
| James Hudson | 55 | OL | 6’ 5" | 310 | Junior | Toledo, OH | Declared for the NFL draft |
| Darius Harper | 58 | OL | 6’ 7" | 308 | Senior | Springfield, OH | Graduated |
| Bruno Labelle | 87 | TE | 6’ 4" | 248 | Senior | Montreal, Canada | Graduated |
| Elijah Ponder | 93 | DT | 6’ 3" | 275 | Senior | Atlanta, GA | Graduated |
Transfers
Outgoing
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | New School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayshon Jackson | WR | 5' 10" | 175 | Senior | Chicago, IL | Ball State |
| Zach Hummell | OL | 6' 2" | 285 | Sophomore | Hilliard, OH | Miami (OH) |
| Jakari Robinson | C | 6' 2" | 308 | Senior | Talladega, AL | Memphis |
| Ben Bryant | QB | 6' 3" | 218 | Junior | La Grange, IL | Eastern Michigan |
| Michael Lindauer | QB | 6' 3" | 218 | Sophomore | Evansville, IN | Southern Illinois |
| Dorian Holloway | LB | 6' 3" | 215 | Sophomore | Columbus, OH | Youngstown State |
| Steven Hawthorne | DE | 6' 4" | 227 | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Central State |
| Kobe McAllister | OL | 6' 6" | 293 | Sophomore | Ringgold, GA | Chattanooga |
Incoming
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jowon Briggs | DT | 6' 2" | 295 | Sophomore | Cincinnati, OH | Virginia |
| Devin Hightower | LB | 6' 1" | 225 | Sophomore | Akron, OH | Michigan State |
| James Tunstall | OT | 6' 6" | 329 | Junior | Indian Head, MD | Stony Brook |
Recruits
| College recruiting information (2021) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
| Dontay Corleone DT |
Cincinnati, Ohio | Colerain High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | Oct 19, 2019 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports:  ESPN: | ||||||
| Brady Lichtenberg QB |
Toledo, Ohio | St. John's Jesuit High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Dec 16, 2019 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Myles Montgomery RB |
Neptune Beach, Florida | Duncan U. Fletcher High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Mar 6, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Luke Collinsworth OT |
Brookville, Indiana | East Central High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | Apr 3, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Jalen Monrrow DE |
Lafayette, Indiana | Jefferson High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 258 lb (117 kg) | Apr 7, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Iesa Jarmon CB |
Cincinnati, Ohio | La Salle High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Apr 10, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Leroy Bowers S |
Cincinnati, Ohio | Princeton High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 12, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Armorion Smith S |
Ecorse, Michigan | River Rouge High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Apr 17, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Mao Glynn OG |
Cincinnati, Ohio | Walnut Hills High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Apr 18, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Will Pauling WR |
Flossmoor, Illinois | Homewood-Flossmoor High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | Apr 23, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Landon Fickell OG |
Cincinnati, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Apr 24, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Jack Dingle OLB |
Louisville, Kentucky | Trinity High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Apr 25, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Mason Fletcher P |
Melbourne, Australia | ProKick Australia | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | N/A | May 14, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Malik Rainey ATH |
Bolingbrook, Illinois | Bolingbrook High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | May 15, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Caleb Schmitz ATH |
Lititz, Pennsylvania | Warwick High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 22, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Jah-mal Williams DE |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Cardinal Gibbons High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Aug 12, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Bryon Threats ATH |
Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Coffman High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Aug 14, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Chamon Metayer TE |
Miami, Florida | North Miami High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Sep 26, 2020 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Christian Lowery K |
Kennesaw, Georgia | Harrison High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 156 lb (71 kg) | Oct 13, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: ESPN: | ||||||
| Jonah Lytle CB |
Canton, Ohio | McKinley High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Oct 19, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Cameron Junior OLB |
Middletown, Ohio | Middletown High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Oct 23, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Zeiqui Lawton DE |
Charleston, West Virginia | South Charleston High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Nov 7, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Isiah Cox ATH |
Alcoa, Tennessee | Alcoa High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Nov 8, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Drew Donley WR |
Frisco, Texas | Lebanon Trail High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Dec 14, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Robert Jackson DT |
Warminster, Pennsylvania | Archbishop Wood High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Dec 15, 2020 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 34 247Sports: 44 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
Preseason
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Camp Award[8] | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. | |
| Lott Impact Trophy[9] | Coby Bryant | CB | GS |
| Dodd Trophy[10] | Luke Fickell | ||
| Maxwell Award[11] | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Bednarik Award[12] | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. | |
| Davey O'Brien Award[13] | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Mackey Award[14] | Josh Whyle | TE | Jr. |
| Thorpe Award[15] | Coby Bryant | CB | GS |
| Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. | |
| Nagurski Trophy[16] | Sauce Gardner | CB | Jr. |
| Myjai Sanders | DE | Sr. | |
| Walter Camp Award[17] | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
| Manning Award[18] | Desmond Ridder | QB | Sr. |
American Athletic Conference preseason media poll
The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.[19] Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.
| Media poll | ||
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati | 262 (22) |
| 2 | UCF | 241 (2) |
| 3 | SMU | 188 |
| 4 | Houston | 181 |
| 5 | Memphis | 168 |
| 6 | Tulsa | 153 |
| 7 | Tulane | 132 |
| т-8 | East Carolina | 85 |
| т-8 | Navy | 85 |
| 10 | Temple | 46 |
| 11 | South Florida | 43 |
Schedule
The Bearcats' 2021 schedule consists of six home games and six away games. Cincinnati hosted two of its four non-conference games; Miami (OH) from the Mid-American Conference for their annual Victory Bell game and Murray State from the Ohio Valley Conference. They travelled to Indiana of the Big Ten Conference, and to Notre Dame in their first meeting against former Bearcats head coach Brian Kelly, winning both contests.[20]
With the departure of UConn before the 2020 season, the American eliminated divisions for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Bearcats 2021 schedule included eight conference games – four home games and four road games. Cincinnati hosted Temple, UCF, Tulsa and SMU. They traveled to Navy, Tulane, South Florida, and East Carolina.[21]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH)* | No. 8 | ESPN+ | W 49–14 | 37,978 | |
| September 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Murray State* | No. 7 |
| ESPN+ | W 42–7 | 33,498 |
| September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | at Indiana* | No. 8 | ESPN | W 38–24 | 52,656 | |
| October 2 | 2:30 p.m. | at No. 9 Notre Dame* | No. 7 | NBC | W 24–13 | 77,622 | |
| October 8 | 7:00 p.m. | Temple | No. 5 |
| ESPN | W 52–3 | 37,978 |
| October 16 | 12:00 p.m. | UCF | No. 3 |
| ABC | W 56–21 | 37,978 |
| October 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Navy | No. 2 | ESPN2 | W 27–20 | 32,004 | |
| October 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Tulane | No. 2 | ESPN2 | W 31–12 | 17,012 | |
| November 6 | 3:30 p.m. | Tulsa | No. 6 |
| ESPN2 | W 28–20 | 37,978 |
| November 12 | 6:00 p.m. | at South Florida | No. 5 | ESPN2 | W 45–28 | 30,780 | |
| November 20 | 3:30 p.m. | SMU | No. 5 |
| ESPN | W 48–14 | 37,978 |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | at East Carolina | No. 4 | ABC | W 35–13 | 38,014 | |
| December 4 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 21 Houston | No. 4 |
| ABC | W 35–20 | 37,978 |
| December 31 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Alabama* | No. 4 | ESPN | L 6–27 | 76,313 | |
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Schedule Source:[22]
Personnel
Roster and staff
| 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
}
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Depth chart
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Game summaries
Miami (OH)
Miami (OH) at Cincinnati
(Victory Bell)
(Victory Bell)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RedHawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • No. 8 Bearcats | 21 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 49 |
- Date: September 4, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 28 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SW 7 MPH
- Referee: Tim O'Dey
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Bobby Carpenter (analyst)
| 1 | 14:15 | CIN | Tyler Scott 81-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 84 yards, 0:45) | CIN 0–7 |
| 08:01 | CIN | Ryan Montgomery 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 97 yards, 3:36) | CIN 0–14 | |
| 02:45 | CIN | Josh Whyle 23-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 72 yards, 3:52) | CIN 0–21 | |
| 2 | 08:03 | CIN | Jerome Ford 21-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 68 yards, 2:46) | CIN 0–28 |
| 02:53 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 25-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 49 yards, 3:04) | CIN 0–35 | |
| 4 | 11:46 | CIN | Leonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 86 yards, 3:05) | CIN 0–42 |
| 03:20 | MIA | Kenny Tracy 19-yard rush (Graham Nicholson kick) (13 plays, 75 yards, 8:26) | CIN 7–42 | |
| 02:30 | MIA | John Saunders Jr. 32-yard interception return (Graham Nicholson kick) (2 plays, 1 yard, 0:50) | CIN 14–42 | |
| 00:23 | CIN | Evan Prater 14-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (7 plays, 83 yards, 2:07) | CIN 14–49 | |
| Statistics | MIA | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 27 |
| Total yards | 278 | 542 |
| Rushing yards | 169 | 247 |
| Passing yards | 109 | 295 |
| Time of possession | 34:15 | 25:45 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIA | Passing | AJ Mayer | 9/28, 109 yards |
| Rushing | Keyon Mozee | 15 carries, 80 yards | |
| Receiving | Mac Hippenhammer | 3 receptions, 64 yards | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 20/25, 295 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 12 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tyler Scott | 1 reception, 81 yards, 1 TD |
Murray State
Murray State at Cincinnati
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • No. 7 Bearcats | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 42 |
- Date: September 11, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 3:35 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 10 minutes
- Game attendance: 33,498
- Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N/A
- Referee: Tim Rich
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Bobby Carpenter (analyst)
| 2 | 13:41 | MUR | Preston Rice 1-yard run (Aaron Baum kick) (12 plays, 65 yards, 7:31) | MUR 7–0 |
| 09:41 | CIN | Noah Davis 2-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 40 yards, 2:16) | 7–7 | |
| 3 | 10:05 | CIN | Jerome Ford 13-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:50) | CIN 7–14 |
| 04:58 | CIN | Jerome Ford 8-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 55 yards, 3:08) | CIN 7–21 | |
| 4 | 14:13 | CIN | Tyler Scott 23-yard pass from Desmond Ritter (Cole Smith kick) (1 plays, 23 yards, 0:06) | CIN 7–28 |
| 10:50 | CIN | Jerome Ford 3-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 63 yards, 2:09) | CIN 7–35 | |
| 01:08 | CIN | Payten Singletary 18-yard pass from Evan Prater (Cole Smith kick) (1 plays, 18 yards, 0:07) | CIN 7–42 | |
| Statistics | MUR | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 17 |
| Total yards | 242 | 391 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 130 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 261 |
| Time of possession | 34:48 | 25:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUR | Passing | Preston Rice | 17/29, 149 yards, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Damonta Witherspoon | 16 carries, 52 yards | |
| Receiving | Deshun Britten | 5 receptions, 58 yards | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 14/22, 243 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 113 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Tyler Scott | 4 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD |
At Indiana
Cincinnati at Indiana
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 8 Bearcats | 0 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 38 |
| Hoosiers | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
- Date: September 18, 2021
- Location: Memorial Stadium
Bloomington, IN - Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 4 hours and 6 minutes
- Game attendance: 52,656
- Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: W 5 MPH
- Referee: Michael Cannon
- TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), and Tom Luginbill (sideline)
| 1 | 6:15 | IND | Peyton Hendershot 16-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Charles Campbell kick) (6 plays, 50 yards, 2:22) | IND 0–7 |
| 2 | 05:06 | CIN | Stephen Carr 5-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr. (Charles Campbell) (2 plays, 6 yards, 0:42) | IND 0–14 |
| 01:33 | CIN | Jerome Ford 6-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:33) | IND 7–14 | |
| 00:00 | CIN | Cole Smith 32-yard field goal (5 plays, 32 yards, 0:23) | IND 10–14 | |
| 3 | 05:47 | CIN | Jerome Ford 3-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 79 yards, 4:29) | CIN 17–14 |
| 03:52 | IND | D.J. Matthews 14-yard rush (Charles Campbell kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 1:55) | IND 17–21 | |
| 03:41 | CIN | Tre Tucker 99-yard kickoff return (Cole Smith kick missed) (0 plays, 99 yards, 0:00) | CIN 23–21 | |
| 00:41 | IND | Charles Campbell 49-yard field goal (9 plays, 44 yards, 2:58) | IND 23–24 | |
| 4 | 12:13 | CIN | Alec Pierce 19-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 03:26) | CIN 30–24 |
| 02:37 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 7-yard rush (Ridder pass to Leonard Taylor) (3 plays, 6 yards, 0:53) | CIN 38–24 | |
| Statistics | CIN | IND |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 20 |
| Total yards | 328 | 376 |
| Rushing yards | 118 | 152 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 224 |
| Time of possession | 29:43 | 29:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 20/36, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 66 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 5 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD | |
| IND | Passing | Michael Penix Jr. | 17/40, 224 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Stephen Carr | 21 carries, 52 yards | |
| Receiving | D.J. Matthews | 5 receptions, 120 yards |
At No. 9 Notre Dame
Cincinnati at Notre Dame
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 7 Bearcats | 0 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 9 Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
- Date: October 2, 2021
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium
South Bend, IN - Game start: 2:41 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 29 minutes
- Game attendance: 77,622
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SW 9 MPH
- Referee: Marcus Woods
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico (play–by–play), Drew Brees (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline)
| 2 | 12:09 | CIN | Leonard Taylor 1-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 8 yards, 1:12) | CIN 7–0 |
| 10:32 | CIN | Cole Smith 23-yard FG (5 plays, 12 yards, 1:32) | CIN 10–0 | |
| 00:40 | CIN | Tre Tucker 27-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 80 yards, 1:08) | CIN 17–0 | |
| 3 | 01:19 | ND | Kyren Williams 3-yard run (Jonathan Doerer kick) (4 plays, 38 yards, 2:01) | CIN 17–7 |
| 4 | 08:20 | ND | Braden Lenzy 32-yard pass from Drew Pyne (Jonathan Doerer kick failed) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:08) | CIN 17–13 |
| 05:08 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 3-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 3:12) | CIN 24–13 | |
| Statistics | CIN | ND |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 19 |
| Total yards | 390 | 341 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 84 |
| Passing yards | 297 | 257 |
| Time of possession | 28:10 | 31:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 19/32, 297 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 17 carries, 71 yards | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 6 receptions, 144 yards | |
| ND | Passing | Drew Pyne | 9/22, 143 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Kyren Williams | 13 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Michael Mayer | 8 receptions, 93 yards |
Temple
Temple at Cincinnati
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owls | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 10 | 7 | 28 | 7 | 52 |
- Date: October 8, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 7:05 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 18 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SE 2 MPH
- Referee: Edwin Lee
- TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), and Tiffany Blackmon (sideline)
| 1 | 07:15 | CIN | Cole Smith 30-yard FG (10 plays, 48 yards, 4:26) | CIN 0–3 |
| 02:52 | CIN | Alec Pierce 9-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 13 yards, 0:34) | CIN 0–10 | |
| 2 | 09:42 | CIN | Jerome Ford 8-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (11 plays, 65 yards, 5:10) | CIN 0–17 |
| 05:27 | TEM | Rory Bell 55-yard FG (9 plays, 37 yards, 4:03) | CIN 3–17 | |
| 3 | 14:50 | CIN | Jerome Ford 75-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (1 play, 75 yards, 0:10) | CIN 3–24 |
| 11:00 | CIN | Tyler Scott 38-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 54 yards, 0:41) | CIN 3–31 | |
| 07:45 | CIN | Charles McClelland 28-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 61 yards, 1:04) | CIN 3–38 | |
| 00:54 | CIN | Michael Young 11-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 76 yards, 4:03) | CIN 3–45 | |
| 4 | 10:15 | CIN | Ethan Wright 58-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 77 yards, 2:14) | CIN 3–52 |
| Statistics | TEM | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Total yards | 235 | 542 |
| Rushing yards | 85 | 279 |
| Passing yards | 150 | 263 |
| Time of possession | 31:59 | 28:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEM | Passing | D'Wan Mathis | 16/27, 120 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Justin Lynch | 3 carries, 29 yards | |
| Receiving | Jose Barbon | 5 receptions, 45 yards | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 22/30, 259 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 carries, 149 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 6 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD |
UCF
UCF at Cincinnati
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| • No. 3 Bearcats | 14 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 56 |
- Date: October 16, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 12:06 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 28 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SE 4 MPH
- Referee: Henry Johns
- TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), and Kris Budden (reporter)
| 1 | 09:30 | CIN | Jerome Ford 1-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 38 yards, 4:01) | CIN 0–7 |
| 01:30 | CIN | Jerome Ford 2-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 66 yards, 4:51) | CIN 0–14 | |
| 2 | 07:40 | CIN | Alec Pierce 19-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 64 yards, 1:23) | CIN 0–21 |
| 05:33 | CIN | Jerome Ford 79-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (1 plays, 79 yards, 0:12) | CIN 0–28 | |
| 02:53 | CIN | Jerome Ford 4-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 34 yards, 1:31) | CIN 0–35 | |
| 00:33 | UCF | Brandon Johnson 16-yard pass from Mikey Keene (Daniel Obarski kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 2:20) | CIN 7–35 | |
| 3 | 02:55 | CIN | Coby Bryant 74-yard interception (Cole Smith kick) | CIN 7–42 |
| 00:41 | UCF | Isaiah Bowser 4-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 2:14) | CIN 14–42 | |
| 4 | 10:44 | CIN | Ethan Wright 2-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 8 yards, 0:19) | CIN 14–49 |
| 05:43 | CIN | Evan Prater 6-yard run (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 49 yards, 2:30) | CIN 14–56 | |
| 01:48 | UCF | Mark-Anthony Richards 2-yard run (Daniel Obarski kick) (7 plays, 70 yards, 3:55) | CIN 21–56 | |
| Statistics | UCF | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 23 |
| Total yards | 296 | 476 |
| Rushing yards | 155 | 336 |
| Passing yards | 141 | 140 |
| Time of possession | 32:48 | 27:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCF | Passing | Mikey Keene | 16/27, 141 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Ryan O'Keefe | 1 carries, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Ryan O'Keefe | 7 receptions, 60 yards | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 13/23, 140 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 190 yards, 4 TD | |
| Receiving | Leonard Taylor | 4 receptions, 47 yards |
At Navy
Cincinnati at Navy
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 2 Bearcats | 7 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
- Date: October 23, 2021
- Location: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Annapolis, MD - Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Game attendance: 32,004
- Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: WSW 5–10 MPH
- Referee: Tim Rich
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
| 1 | 3:51 | NAVY | Tai Lavatai 2-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (13 plays, 79 yards, 7:12) | NAVY 0–7 |
| 2:50 | CIN | Josh Whyle 31-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 44 yards, 1:01) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 2 | 14:15 | NAVY | Bijan Nichols 33-yard field goal (7 plays, 35 yards, 3:35) | NAVY 7–10 |
| 4:07 | CIN | Christian Lowery 32-yard field goal (15 plays, 61 yards, 6:06) | TIE 10–10 | |
| 0:00 | CIN | Alex Bales 52-yard field goal (1 play, 0 yards, 0:01) | CIN 13–10 | |
| 3 | 7:39 | CIN | Jerome Ford 43-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (4 plays, 54 yards, 1:27) | CIN 20–10 |
| 1:13 | CIN | Josh Whyle 3-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (11 plays, 45 yards, 4:22) | CIN 27–10 | |
| 4 | 8:19 | NAVY | Bijan Nichols 27-yard field goal (9 plays, 48 yards, 4:27) | CIN 27–13 |
| 0:50 | NAVY | Tai Lavatai 1-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (16 plays, 90 yards, 4:39) | CIN 27–20 | |
| Statistics | CIN | NAVY |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Total yards | 271 | 308 |
| Rushing yards | 95 | 192 |
| Passing yards | 176 | 116 |
| Time of possession | 20:33 | 39:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 18/30, 176 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Whyle | 4 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TD | |
| NAVY | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 11/16, 116 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Isaac Ruoss | 19 carries, 80 yards | |
| Receiving | Kai Puailoa-Rojas | 2 receptions, 47 yards |
At Tulane
Cincinnati at Tulane
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 2 Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Green Wave | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
- Date: October 30, 2021
- Location: Yulman Stadium
New Orleans, LA - Game start: 11:00 a.m. CDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 11 minutes
- Game attendance: 17,012
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: NW 7 MPH
- Referee: Luke Richmond
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
| 1 | 1:14 | CIN | Josh Whyle 16-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (16 plays, 99 yards, 7:25) | CIN 7–0 |
| 2 | 10:43 | TULN | Marvin Moody 8-yard safety (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:00) | CIN 7–2 |
| 7:58 | TULN | Tyjae Spears 47-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (6 plays, 66 yards, 2:34) | TULN 7–9 | |
| 6:19 | CIN | Jerome Ford 3-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 80 yards, 1:33) | CIN 14–9 | |
| 0:00 | TULN | Merek Glover 41-yard field goal (4 plays, 26 yards, 0:30) | CIN 14–12 | |
| 3 | 3:12 | CIN | Josh Whyle 5-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (13 plays, 66 yards, 5:55) | CIN 21–12 |
| 4 | 6:16 | CIN | Christian Lowery 27-yard field goal (4 plays, 1 yard, 1:09) | CIN 24–12 |
| 4:13 | CIN | Jerome Ford 26-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (2 plays, 29 yards, 0:49) | CIN 31–12 | |
| Statistics | CIN | TULN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 17 |
| Total yards | 351 | 280 |
| Rushing yards | 124 | 187 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 93 |
| Time of possession | 28:12 | 31:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/27, 227 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Whyle | 4 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD | |
| TULN | Passing | Kai Horton | 7/16, 79 yards, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Tyjae Spears | 19 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Jha'Quan Jackson | 3 receptions, 34 yards |
Tulsa
Tulsa at Cincinnati
(College GameDay)
(College GameDay)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Hurricane | 0 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 20 |
| • No. 6 Bearcats | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
- Date: November 6, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 39 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SW 2 MPH
- Referee: Charles Lamertina
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Mike Golic Jr. (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline)
| 1 | 9:48 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 3-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (7 plays, 53 yards, 3:15) | CIN 0–7 |
| 1:21 | CIN | Jerome Ford 1-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (13 plays, 94 yards, 5:55) | CIN 0–14 | |
| 2 | 12:20 | TLSA | Zack Long 35-yard field goal (9 plays, 48 yards, 4:01) | CIN 3–14 |
| 2:44 | TLSA | Shamari Brooks 8-yard run (Zack Long missed PAT) (12 plays, 75 yards, 4:34) | CIN 9–14 | |
| 0:10 | TLSA | Zack Long 50-yard field goal (9 plays, 26 yards, 1:41) | CIN 12–14 | |
| 3 | 13:17 | CIN | Alec Pierce 12-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (4 plays, 72 yards, 1:43) | CIN 12–21 |
| 9:04 | CIN | Michael Young Jr. 31-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 44 yards, 1:04) | CIN 12–28 | |
| 4 | 8:10 | TLSA | JuanCarlos Santana 21-yard pass from Davis Brin (Davis Brin pass to Sam Crawford Jr. for two-point conversion) (10 plays, 82 yard, 4:11) | CIN 20–28 |
| Statistics | TLSA | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 18 |
| Total yards | 446 | 390 |
| Rushing yards | 297 | 116 |
| Passing yards | 149 | 274 |
| Time of possession | 34:16 | 25:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| TLSA | Passing | Davis Brin | 17/26, 149 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Shamari Brooks | 25 carries, 132 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Johnson | 7 receptions, 65 yards | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 15/23, 274 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Desmond Ridder | 12 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 5 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD |
At South Florida
Cincinnati at South Florida
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Bulls | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: November 12, 2021
- Location: Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, FL - Game start: 6:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 31 minutes
- Game attendance: 30,780
- Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 5 MPH
- Referee: Nate Black
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| 1 | 7:08 | USF | Jaren Mangham 2-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (1 play, 2 yards, 0:05) | USF 0–7 |
| 2:57 | CIN | Ryan Montgomery 12-yard run (Alex Bales kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:11) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 2 | 9:36 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 13-yard run (Alex Bales kick) (11 plays, 73 yards, 5:31) | CIN 14–7 |
| 5:30 | CIN | Tre Tucker 1-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick) (6 plays, 34 yards, 2:51) | CIN 21–7 | |
| 0:00 | CIN | Alex Bales 27-yard field goal (10 plays, 46 yards, 2:11) | CIN 24–7 | |
| 3 | 11:48 | CIN | Josh Whyle 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick) (8 plays, 66 yards, 3:12) | CIN 31–7 |
| 6:39 | USF | Jaren Mangham 1-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (12 plays, 75 yards, 5:09) | CIN 31–14 | |
| 3:48 | USF | Jimmy Horn Jr. 80-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick) (1 play, 80 yards, 0:13) | CIN 31–21 | |
| 4 | 14:00 | CIN | Ethan Wright 1-yard run (Alex Bales kick) (10 plays, 73 yards, 4:48) | CIN 38–21 |
| 6:14 | USF | Timmy McClain 2-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (16 plays, 98 yards, 5:13) | CIN 38–28 | |
| 1:22 | CIN | Ryan Montgomery 55-yard run (Alex Bales kick) (1 play, 55 yards, 0:11) | CIN 45–28 | |
| Statistics | CIN | USF |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 30 | 21 |
| Total yards | 506 | 346 |
| Rushing yards | 202 | 101 |
| Passing yards | 304 | 245 |
| Time of possession | 32:30 | 27:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 31/39, 304 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Ryan Montgomery | 6 carries, 72 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Josh Whyle | 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD | |
| USF | Passing | Timmy McClain | 16/30, 245 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Jaren Mangham | 16 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Jimmy Horn Jr. | 5 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD |
SMU
SMU at Cincinnati
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • No. 5 Bearcats | 14 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
- Date: November 20
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 3:40 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SW 8 MPH
- Referee: Charles Lamertina
- TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline)
| 1 | 12:54 | CIN | Tyler Scott 53-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick) (1 play, 53 yards, 0:07) | CIN 7–0 |
| 5:32 | CIN | Jerome Ford 4-yard run (Alex Bales kick) (6 plays, 25 yards, 2:58) | CIN 14–0 | |
| 2 | 13:37 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 40-yard run (Alex Bales missed PAT) (6 plays, 78 yards, 3:02) | CIN 20–0 |
| 8:19 | CIN | Alec Pierce 17-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick) (8 plays, 71 yards, 3:40) | CIN 27–0 | |
| 3 | 10:59 | CIN | Desmond Ridder 5-yard pass from Jordan Jones (Alex Bales kick) (7 plays, 92 yards, 4:01) | CIN 34–0 |
| 5:44 | CIN | Alec Pierce 17-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Alex Bales kick) (8 plays, 42 yards, 3:59) | CIN 41–0 | |
| 4 | 11:06 | CIN | Jordan Jones 11-yard pass from Evan Prater (Alex Bales kick) (12 plays, 74 yards, 6:22) | CIN 48–0 |
| 8:32 | SMU | Tre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 2:34) | CIN 48–7 | |
| 1:17 | SMU | Rashee Rice 3-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (9 plays, 46 yards, 3:43) | CIN 48–14 | |
| Statistics | SMU | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 24 |
| Total yards | 199 | 544 |
| Rushing yards | 133 | 249 |
| Passing yards | 66 | 295 |
| Time of possession | 24:39 | 35:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMU | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 15/26, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Ulysses Bentley IV | 11 carries, 68 yards | |
| Receiving | Rashee Rice | 7 receptions, 21 yards, 1 TD | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/23, 274 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 19 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Tre Tucker | 7 receptions, 114 yards |
At East Carolina
Cincinnati at East Carolina
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 4 Bearcats | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Pirates | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
- Date: November 26, 2021
- Location: Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium
Greenville, NC - Game start: 3:50 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes
- Game attendance: 38,014
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 20 MPH
- Referee: Hank Johns
- TV announcers (ABC): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| 1 | 5:29 | ECU | Owen Daffer 35-yard field goal (12 plays, 56 yards, 4:37) | ECU 0–3 |
| 2 | 13:48 | CIN | Leonard Taylor 44-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 76 yards, 1:31) | CIN 7–3 |
| 10:32 | CIN | Jerome Ford 2-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 58 yards, 1:09) | CIN 14–3 | |
| 4:40 | CIN | Alec Pierce 28-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (7 plays, 88 yards, 3:19) | CIN 21–3 | |
| 3 | 2:18 | ECU | Owen Daffer 44-yard field goal (11 plays, 51 yards, 5:58) | CIN 21–6 |
| 4 | 11:17 | CIN | Sauce Gardner 60-yard return of blocked field goal (Christian Lowery kick) (9 plays, 30 yards, 4:04) | CIN 28–6 |
| 9:38 | ECU | Jai Hatfield 12-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 1:39) | CIN 28–13 | |
| 1:44 | CIN | Ryan Montgomery 2-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 39 yards, 1:35) | CIN 35–13 | |
| Statistics | CIN | ECU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 19 |
| Total yards | 444 | 282 |
| Rushing yards | 143 | 54 |
| Passing yards | 301 | 228 |
| Time of possession | 27:42 | 32:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/28, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 20 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 8 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD | |
| ECU | Passing | Holton Ahlers | 19/38, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Keaton Mitchell | 17 carries, 55 yards | |
| Receiving | Tyler Snead | 6 receptions, 91 yards |
No. 21 Houston (AAC Championship game)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 21 Cougars | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| • No. 4 Bearcats | 14 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 35 |
- Date: December 4, 2021
- Location: Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, OH - Game start: 4:08 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes
- Game attendance: 37,978
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N 6 MPH
- Referee: Hank Johns
- TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Katie George (sideline)
| 1 | 11:55 | HOU | Dalton Witherspoon 37-yard field goal (7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57) | HOU 3–0 |
| 9:38 | CIN | Tyler Scott 25-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 82 yards, 2:11) | CIN 7–3 | |
| 4:23 | HOU | Tank Dell 16-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07) | HOU 10–7 | |
| 4:06 | CIN | Jerome Ford 79-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (1 play, 79 yards, 0:11) | CIN 14–10 | |
| 2 | 11:40 | HOU | Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal (13 plays, 44 yards, 7:21) | CIN 14–13 |
| 3 | 12:02 | CIN | Leonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58) | CIN 21–13 |
| 11:04 | CIN | Alec Pierce 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (2 plays, 23 yards, 0:41) | CIN 28–13 | |
| 7:38 | CIN | Jerome Ford 42-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 62 yards, 1:18) | CIN 35–13 | |
| 4 | 6:06 | HOU | Jake Herslow 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (13 plays, 90 yards, 7:28) | CIN 35–20 |
| Statistics | HOU | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 14 |
| Total yards | 336 | 400 |
| Rushing yards | 86 | 210 |
| Passing yards | 250 | 190 |
| Time of possession | 40:19 | 19:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | Passing | Clayton Tune | 17/26, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Alton McCaskill | 13 carries, 39 yards | |
| Receiving | Tank Dell | 9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD | |
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 11/17, 190 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 18 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Alec Pierce | 2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD |
Vs. No. 1 Alabama
Cotton Bowl – CFP Semifinal
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Bearcats | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| • No. 1 Crimson Tide | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
- Date: December 31, 2021
- Location: AT&T Stadium
Arlington, TX - Game start: 2:40 p.m. CST
- Elapsed time: 3:18
- Game attendance: 76,313
- Game weather: Indoors
- Referee: Steve Strimling
- TV announcers (ESPN/ESPN Radio): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Molly McGrath, and Laura Rutledge (sidelines)/Shawn Kelley (play-by-play), Barrett Jones (analyst), and Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| Statistics | CIN | ALA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 13 | 27 |
| Total yards | 218 | 482 |
| Rushing yards | 74 | 301 |
| Passing yards | 144 | 181 |
| Time of possession | 26:19 | 33:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | Passing | Desmond Ridder | 17/32 144 yards |
| Rushing | Jerome Ford | 15 rushes, 77 yards | |
| Receiving | Michael Young Jr. | 4 receptions, 55 yards | |
| ALA | Passing | Bryce Young | 17/28, 181 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Brian Robinson Jr. | 26 rushes, 204 yards | |
| Receiving | Ja'Corey Brooks | 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD |
Rankings
After the season
Awards and AAC honors
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All-Americans
| Player | AFCA[37] | AP[38] | FWAA[39] | TSN[40] | WCFF[41] | Designation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coby Bryant | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | ||
| Sauce Gardner | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | Consensus |
| The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. |
| Player | Athletic[42] | Athlon | BR | CBS Sports[43] | CFN | ESPN[44] | FOX Sports | Phil Steele | SI | USA Today[45] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coby Bryant | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||
| Sauce Gardner | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
All Star games
NFL draft
The NFL draft was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 28–30, 2022. The nine picks are a school record and were the third most of any school in this year's draft.[46]
Bearcats picked in the 2022 NFL Draft:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Sauce Gardner | CB | New York Jets |
| 2 | 53 | Alec Pierce | WR | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2 | 62 | Bryan Cook | S | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3 | 74 | Desmond Ridder | QB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 3 | 100 | Myjai Sanders | DE | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4 | 109 | Coby Bryant | CB | Seattle Seahawks |
| 5 | 156 | Jerome Ford | RB | Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | 182 | Darrian Beavers | LB | New York Giants |
| 6 | 216 | Curtis Brooks | DT | Indianapolis Colts |