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Final Huddle: UC Clinches Undefeated Regular Season in 35-13 win Over ECU

Desmond Ridder and company achieved plenty of firsts in a wild game.

Russ Heltman

Final Huddle: UC Clinches Undefeated Regular Season in 35-13 win Over ECU
Final Huddle: UC Clinches Undefeated Regular Season in 35-13 win Over ECU /

CINCINNATI β€” Demons exorcised.

The Cincinnati Bearcats spoiled East Carolina's senior day in a 35-13 win at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. There were inconsistent moments, but the Bearcats mined great ones in all three phases of the game.

Desmond Ridder earned the 42nd win of his career and had another efficient day, with a few mistakes mixed in. They had a -25 point differential at ECU under head coach Luke Fickell, but reversed that on Black Friday.

Here's the Final Huddle from the Bearcats season finale.

A Scoop of Sauce, Dash of Defense

Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner showed up ready to dominate in what is likely the final true road game of his college career. His defensive teammates followed suit to notch their seventh 2021 performance holding teams to 14 points or fewer.

Gardner caused two huge pass breakups in the game, to go along with the second-most tackles on the team (eight solo) fought through bruised ribs to return a blocked kick by nickel corner Arquon Bush 60 yards for a touchdown. That marked Gardner's third touchdown of his career and first special teams touchdown. It was also the first time Cincinnati has returned a fumble for a touchdown since 2018; and the 16th time since 2000.

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He set the tone for a defense that allowed just 1.5 yards per carry on the ground and 5.8 yards per pass through the air. East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell came into the game top-12 nationally in efficiency (6.9 YPC).

Cincinnati handled him just fine, allowing 3.2 YPC to the freshman running back and 55 rushing yards overall. The Bearcats defensive front constantly outmanned the Pirates leaving Mitchell little room to run and pressured Holton Ahlers constantly.

The Pirates allowed three sacks on the day and resorted to four fourth-down attempts to keep drives alive. Senior Butkus Awards finalist Darrian Beavers intercepted his first pass of the season and had four tackles (one for loss). Defensive tackle Jubari Taylor forced a fumble that helped ice the game 35-13 on the Bearcats' ensuing possession.

The "Blackcats" defense was stellar once again in allowing just a single touchdown on the road in front of 38,000 strong.

Ridder Rides a Rollercoaster

The Bearcats quarterback played perfect football in spurts while mixing in a few head-scratching plays. Cincinnati's winningest quarterback threw for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The performance marked his sixth career 300-plus yard passing outing.

He also became the first player in AAC history with 12,000 total yards and scored his 113th career touchdown to pass South Florida's Quinton Flowers for most in conference history.

Another day at the office.

Ridder's day could've been much bigger if not for a few ill-timed drops, but all in all, he keeps showing why the NFL covets him. He worked through his progressions at a fast rate on Friday but also made two mistakes including a red-zone interception late in the game.

Ridder is normally very judicious with the football. Friday was just his fourth ever multi-interception game and first this season. He's now thrown six interceptions in his last six games, something to monitor as they match up against No. 24 Houston next week. The Cougars are t-third in the country with 1.4 INTs/game.

The team performance helped wash away Ridder's two mistakes on Black Friday.

Have a Day Alec Pierce

The Bearcats leading receiver came ready for a second helping of senior day festivities with eight catches for 136 yards and one touchdown. It marks the first eight-plus reception game by a Bearcat since 2018 (Khalil Lewis, nine catches against ECU).

He created separation downfield all afternoon and was a big reason why Ridder completed eight throws of 15-plus yards. The high-point prowess Pierce displayed was very tough to defend in the third level.

The performance fell just short of his 144 receiving yards against Notre Dame while continuing to show why he can be a playmaker at the next level. He ranks 22nd in the country among qualified players (min. 40 catches) in yards per catch (16.6 YPC).

Pierce had put up just two games over 40 receiving yards in the past six but broke through on the road. He'll try to carry the momentum into next week's AAC Championship game at Nippert Stadium.

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Russ Heltman
RUSS HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.

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