2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football
AAC champion
AAC Championship Game, W 27–24 vs. Tulsa
Peach Bowl, L 21–24 vs. Georgia
Conference	American Athletic Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 8
AP	No. 8
Record	9–1 (6–0 AAC)
Head coach	Luke Fickell (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Denbrock (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Marcus Freeman (4th season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Nippert Stadium (Capacity: 40,000)

2020 American Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 8 Cincinnati y$		6	–	0					9	–	1
Tulsa y		6	–	0					6	–	3
Memphis		5	–	3					8	–	3
UCF		5	–	3					6	–	4
SMU		4	–	3					7	–	3
Houston		3	–	3					3	–	5
Navy		3	–	4					3	–	7
Tulane		3	–	5					6	–	6
East Carolina		3	–	5					3	–	6
Temple		1	–	6					1	–	6
South Florida		0	–	7					1	–	8
Championship: Cincinnati 27, Tulsa 24
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll.

The 2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats played their home games at Nippert Stadium and competed as members of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fourth-year head coach Luke Fickell.

Previous season

In 2019, the Bearcats finished with a 11–3 (7–1 AAC) record, and won the Birmingham Bowl against Boston College. The 2019 season was the second straight 11-win season for the Bearcats, and fourth such season in program history.

Recruits

US college sports recruiting information for 2020 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Evan Prater QB	Cincinnati, Ohio	Wyoming High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	May 2, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jadon Thompson WR	Naperville, Illinois	Marist High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Feb 4, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaheim Thomas OLB	Cincinnati, Ohio	Princeton High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	Jul 20, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Chris Scott WR	Pickerington, Ohio	Pickerington North High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jan 27, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Marquez Bell WR	Lake City, Florida	Columbia High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Feb 5, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Sammy Anderson S	Trotwood, Ohio	Trotwood-Madison High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Nov 15, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Daved Jones OLB	West Chester, Ohio	Lakota West High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	207 lb (94 kg)	Jul 2, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Gavin Gerhardt OL	Xenia, Ohio	Xenia West High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Nov 5, 2018
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Kobe McAllister OL	Ringgold, Georgia	Heritage High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	Apr 5, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
John Williams OL	Bolingbrook, Illinois	Bolingbrook High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Apr 6, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Deshawn Pace DB	Cincinnati, Ohio	Colerain High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Apr 20, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Jake Renfro OC	New Lenox, Illinois	Providence Catholic High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jun 18, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Sterling Miles DE	West Bloomfield, Michigan	West Bloomfield High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Jun 21, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Tyler Scott ATH	Norton, Ohio	Norton High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jul 4, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Justin Wodtly DT	Cleveland, Ohio	Cleveland Heights High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Jul 26, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Ethan Wright ATH	Akron, Ohio	Manchester High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Dec 5, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Payten Singletary TE	Thomasville, Georgia	Thomasville High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Aug 2, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Todd Bumphis Jr. WR	Toledo, Ohio	Saint Francis De Sales High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 22, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Dominique Perry DE	Germantown, Maryland	Northwest High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Jan 26, 2020
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Norman Love ATH	Lake Wales, Florida	Lake Wales High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jun 11, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 39  247Sports: 40
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2020 Cincinnati Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020. "2020 Players Commitments – Cincinnati". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020. "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020. "2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020.

Incoming transfers

Name	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. School
Jerome Ford	RB	5' 11"	206	Sophomore (Redshirt)	Seffner, FL	Alabama
Michael Young Jr.	WR	5' 11"	190	Junior	Destrehan, LA	Notre Dame
Jordan Jones	WR	6' 1"	185	Senior	Smackover, AR	Arkansas

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Bednarik Award	Darrick Forrest	S	Sr.
	Sauce Gardner	CB	So.
Thorpe Award	Darrick Forrest	S	Sr.
	Sauce Gardner	CB	So.
	James Wiggins	S	Sr.
Nagurski Award	Darrick Forrest	S	Sr.
	James Wiggins	S	Sr.
Ray Guy Award	James Smith	P	Sr.
Wuerffel Trophy	Blake Bacevich	DE	So.

AAC preseason media poll

The preseason Poll was released September 1

Media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	UCF	204 (10)
2	Cincinnati	201 (7)
3	Memphis	192 (2)
4	SMU	146
5	Navy	125 (1)
6	Tulane	118
7	Houston	114
8	Temple	88
9	Tulsa	49
10	East Carolina	42
11	South Florida	41

Schedule

The Bearcats' 2020 schedule consisted of six home games and four away games. with the departure of UConn, the American eliminated divisions for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Bearcats 2020 schedule will include eight conference games – four home games and four road games. Cincinnati hosted East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, and South Florida. They will travel to UCF, SMU, Temple, and Tulsa.

The Bearcats' hosted their opening non-conference game against Austin Peay (FCS). Cincinnati had a sixth home game against Western Michigan and two away games scheduled against Nebraska and Miami (OH), which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first season since 1944 that the Bearcats did not play Miami (OH) in the battle for the Victory Bell. To replace the canceled games, Cincinnati added a series against Army with a return game at Army scheduled for 2031.

The game between Tulsa and Cincinnati was originally scheduled to take place on October 17, however, due to COVID-19 management requirements in response to positive tests and subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Cincinnati program, the game was eventually rescheduled for December 12.

A COVID-19 outbreak within the Cincinnati program lead to the cancellation of the game between Temple and Cincinnati, scheduled for November 28, and the rescheduled game between Tulsa and Cincinnati, scheduled for December 12. In lieu of a head-to-head result against Tulsa, Cincinnati was granted hosting rights for the American Championship based upon conference tiebreakers.

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 19	12:00 p.m.	Austin Peay*	No. 13	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN+	W 55–20	0
September 26	3:30 p.m.	No. 22 Army*	No. 14	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN	W 24–10	0
October 3	3:30 p.m.	South Florida	No. 15	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN+	W 28–7	0
October 24	9:00 p.m.	at No. 16 SMU	No. 9	Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX	ESPN2	W 42–13	7,898
October 31	12:00 p.m.	Memphis	No. 7	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (rivalry)	ESPN	W 49–10	0
November 7	3:30 p.m.	Houston	No. 6	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ABC	W 38–10	0
November 13	7:30 p.m.	East Carolina	No. 7	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH	ESPN2	W 55–17	0
November 21	3:30 p.m.	at UCF	No. 7	Bounce House Orlando, FL (rivalry)	ESPN	W 36–33	10,668
December 19	8:00 p.m.	No. 23 Tulsa	No. 9	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (American Championship)	ABC	W 27–24	5,831
January 1, 2021	12:30 p.m.	vs. No. 9 Georgia*	No. 8	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA (Peach Bowl)	ESPN	L 21–24	15,301
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 24 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Schedule Source:

Game summaries

Austin Peay

Austin Peay at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total Governors 3 0 3 14 20 • No. 13 Bearcats 14 14 14 13 55 Date: September 19 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 12:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 09 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: ENE 10 mph Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPN+): David Saltzman and Keith Moreland

Scoring summary 1 13:31 CIN Tre Tucker 29-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 74 yards, 1:39) CIN 0–7 06:21 APSU Grant Paulette 30-yard field goal (14 plays, 62 yards, 6:53) CIN 3–7 00:33 CIN Gerrid Doaks 1-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (13 plays, 81 yards, 5:43) CIN 3–14 2 12:01 CIN Gerrid Doaks 1-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 55 yards, 2:04) CIN 3–21 03:39 CIN Gerrid Doaks 2-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 71 yards, 4:33) CIN 3–28 3 09:02 APSU Grant Paulette 29-yard field goal (15 plays, 63 yards, 5:58) CIN 6–28 03:55 CIN Gerrid Doaks 32-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (7 plays, 51 yards, 3:03) CIN 6–35 01:13 CIN Jerome Ford 2-yard rush, (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 15 yards, 0:37) CIN 6–42 4 13:39 CIN Ben Bryant 40-yard rush, (Cole Smith kick failed) (4 plays, 67 yards, 1:12) CIN 6–48 09:16 APSU CJ Evans Jr. 1-yard rush, (Grant Paulette kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:23) CIN 13–48 07:59 CIN Josh Whyle 8-yard pass from Ben Bryant, (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 66 yards, 1:16) CIN 13–55 05:54 APSU CJ Evans Jr. 64-yard rush (Grant Paulette kick) (4 plays, 75 yards, 2:05) CIN 20–55

See also: 2020 Austin Peay Governors football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -31.5	52.5

Statistics	APSU	CIN
First downs	18	24
Plays–yards	75–353	67–525
Rushes–yards	37–140	41–276
Passing yards	213	249
Passing: comp–att–int	22–39–1	17–26–0
Time of possession	33:06	26:54

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
APSU	Passing	Jeremy Oatsvall	20/34, 202 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	C.J. Evans Jr.	12 carries, 89 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Baniko Harley	4 receptions, 94 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	13/19, 176 yards
	Rushing	Desmond Ridder	4 carries, 61 yards
	Receiving	Gerrid Doaks	4 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD

See Also: Austin Peay at Cincinnati Box Score

Army

See also: 2020 Army Black Knights football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -12.5	46

Army at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total No. 22 Black Knights 7 0 0 3 10 • No. 14 Bearcats 3 7 7 7 24 Date: September 26 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 3:35 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 30 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: SSW 7 mph Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek and Quint Kessenich

Scoring summary 1 14:09 ARMY Jabari Moore 41 Yard fumble recovery (Landon Slayers kick) ARMY 7–0 10:50 CIN Cole Smith 33-yard field goal (8 plays, 48 yards, 3:18) ARMY 7–3 2 07:25 CIN Michael Young 12-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (14 plays, 91 yards, 6:10) CIN 7–10 3 08:00 CIN Jerome Ford 4-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (7 plays, 60 yards, 2:48) CIN 7–17 4 14:56 ARMY Landon Slayers 36-yard field goal (9 plays, 73 yards, 4:09) CIN 10–17 06:55 CIN Gerrid Doaks 60-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 68 yards, 0:51) CIN 10–24

Statistics	ARMY	CIN
First downs	18	14
Plays–yards	64–276	69–331
Rushes–yards	43–182	35–69
Passing yards	94	262
Passing: comp–att–int	9–21–1	19–34–1
Time of possession	30:32	29:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
ARMY	Passing	Christian Anderson	9/21, 94 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Christian Anderson	22 carries, 81 yards
	Receiving	Michael Roberts	3 receptions, 46 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	18/33, 258 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jerome Ford	8 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jayshon Jackson	4 receptions, 75 yards

See Also: Army at Cincinnati Box Score

South Florida

See also: 2020 South Florida Bulls football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -14	43.5

South Florida at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total Bulls 0 0 7 0 7 • No. 15 Bearcats 7 7 14 0 28 Date: October 2 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 3:35 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 15 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: SW 6 mph Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ESPN+): David Saltzman and Keith Moreland

Scoring summary 1 04:28 CIN Gerrid Doaks 10-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (13 plays, 92 yards, 6:02) CIN 0–7 2 00:39 CIN Josh Whyle 13-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (11 plays, 65 yards, 4:53) CIN 0–14 3 04:01 CIN Bruno Labelle 3-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 67 yards, 4:10) CIN 0–21 00:49 USF Johnny Ford 2-yard rush (Jared Sackett kick) (10 plays, 65 yards, 3:06) CIN 7–21 00:36 CIN Tre Tucker 97-yard kickoff return (Cole Smith kick) CIN 7–28

Statistics	USF	CIN
First downs	19	22
Plays–yards	74–291	71–332
Rushes–yards	33–83	45–189
Passing yards	208	143
Passing: comp–att–int	21–41–5	16–26–3
Time of possession	23:36	36:24

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
USF	Passing	Jordan McCloud	12/21, 137 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Leonard Parker	7 carries, 51 yards
	Receiving	DeVontres Dukes	3 receptions, 47 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	16/26, 143 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Gerrid Doaks	3 carries, 55 yards
	Receiving	Jayshon Jackson	3 receptions, 47 yards

See Also: South Florida at Cincinnati Box Score

at SMU

See also: 2020 SMU Mustangs football team

Pregame line	Over/under
SMU -1.0	57

Cincinnati at SMU

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 9 Bearcats 14 0 14 14 42 No. 16 Mustangs 0 10 0 3 13 Date: October 24 Location: Gerald J. Ford Stadium University Park, TX Game start: 8:10 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes Game attendance: 7,898 Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: E 4 mph Referee: Luke Richmond TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison and Kris Budden

Scoring summary 1 06:05 CIN Josh Whyle 7-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (12 plays, 70 yards, 5:32) CIN 7–0 02:20 CIN Desmond Ridder 15-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 50 yards, 1:41) CIN 14–0 2 06:23 SMU Rasheed Rice 9-yard pass from Shane Buechele (Chris Naggar kick) (17 plays, 83 yards, 7:19) CIN 14–7 00:00 SMU Chris Naggar 26-yard field goal (8 plays, 63 yards, 2:50) CIN 14–10 3 06:13 CIN Gerrid Doaks 1-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (11 plays, 70 yards, 5:22) CIN 21–10 10:50 CIN Desmond Ridder 32-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 64 yards, 1:41) CIN 28–10 4 11:57 SMU Chris Naggar 22-yard field goal (11 plays, 82 yards, 3:36) CIN 28–13 04:39 CIN Desmond Ridder 91-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (1 play, 91 yards, 00:16) CIN 35–13 02:03 CIN Gerrid Doaks 35-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 43 yards, 1:41) CIN 42–13

Statistics	CIN	SMU
First downs	17	22
Plays–yards	56–439	85–290
Rushes–yards	35–313	39–75
Passing yards	126	215
Passing: comp–att–int	13–21–0	24–46–1
Time of possession	27:15	32:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	13/21, 126 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Desmond Ridder	8 carries, 179 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Tre Tucker	2 receptions, 24 yards
SMU	Passing	Shane Buechele	23/44, 216 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Ulysses Bentley	16 carries, 40 yards
	Receiving	Kylen Granson	4 receptions, 68 yards

See Also: Cincinnati at SMU Box Score

Memphis

See also: 2020 Memphis Tigers football team and Cincinnati–Memphis rivalry

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -6.0	60.5

Memphis at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 7 3 0 0 10 • No. 7 Bearcats 7 14 14 14 49 Date: October 31 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 12:02 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: SE 6 mph Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek and Paul Carcaterra

Scoring summary 1 09:15 CIN Alec Pierce 43-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (75 plays, 75 yards, 2:18) CIN 0–7 4:07 MEM Tahj Washington 92-yard pass from Brady White (Riley Patterson kick) (1 play, 92 yards, 0:15) TIED 7–7 2 13:58 CIN Desmond Ridder 13-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (11 plays, 75 yards, 5:09) CIN 7–14 04:04 CIN Michael Young 6-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (8 plays, 70 yards, 4:14) CIN 7–21 00:28 MEM Riley Patterson 42-yard field goal (12 plays, 60 yards, 3:30) CIN 10–21 3 06:23 CIN Desmond Ridder 9-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (9 plays, 90 yards, 4:53) CIN 10–28 01:29 CIN Tre Tucker 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 55 yards, 2:41) CIN 10–35 4 08:02 CIN Jerome Ford 33-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (1 play, 33 yards, 0:08) CIN 10–42 01:30 CIN Jerome Ford 48-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 67 yards, 03:42) CIN 10–49

Statistics	MEM	CIN
First downs	15	28
Plays–yards	64–321	67–513
Rushes–yards	29–5	41–242
Passing yards	316	271
Passing: comp–att–int	18–35–0	21–26–1
Time of possession	25:10	34:50

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
MEM	Passing	Brady White	18/35, 316 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	12 carries, 16 yards
	Receiving	Calvin Austin	7 receptions, 121 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	21/26, 271 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jerome Ford	9 carries, 116 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Michael Young Jr.	5 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD

See Also: Memphis at Cincinnati Box Score

Houston

See also: 2020 Houston Cougars football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -12.5	51.5

Houston at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total Cougars 0 10 0 0 10 • No. 6 Bearcats 7 21 3 7 38 Date: November 7 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 03:41 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: S 3 mph Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Todd McShay and Molly McGrath

Scoring summary 1 08:51 CIN Gerrid Doaks 2-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 84 yards, 2:20) CIN 0–7 2 07:53 CIN Desmond Ridder 10-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:06) CIN 0–14 04:17 HOU Kyle Porter 3-yard rush (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 65 yards, 3:29) CIN 7–14 01:40 CIN Desmond Ridder 32-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:37) CIN 7–21 00:38 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 27-yard field goal (5 plays, 55 yards, 1:02) CIN 10–21 00:13 CIN Josh Whyle 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (3 plays, 55 yards, 0:28) CIN 10–28 3 05:48 CIN Cole Smith 32-yard field goal (17 plays, 60 yards, 9:12) CIN 10–31 4 14:15 CIN Desmond Ridder 12-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (10 play, 85 yards, 3:09) CIN 10–38

Statistics	HOU	CIN
First downs	15	24
Plays–yards	62–282	69–510
Rushes–yards	28–93	39–342
Passing yards	189	168
Passing: comp–att–int	20–34–1	20–30–1
Time of possession	27:31	32:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
HOU	Passing	Clayton Tune	20/34, 189 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kyle Porter	16 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	3 receptions, 60 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	17/27, 162 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Gerrid Doaks	16 carries, 184 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Young	4 receptions, 47 yards

See Also: Houston at Cincinnati Box Score

East Carolina

See also: 2020 East Carolina Pirates football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -25.5	55.5

East Carolina at Cincinnati

1 2 3 4 Total Pirates 0 10 0 7 17 • No. 7 Bearcats 7 28 7 13 55 Date: November 13 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 07:31 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutes Game attendance: 0 Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: NW 10 mph Referee: Tim Rich TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti, Andre Ware and Rocky Boiman

Scoring summary 1 09:14 CIN Michael Young 33-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 79 yards, 4:34) CIN 0–7 2 14:52 CIN Jarell White 26-yard Interception (Cole Smith kick) CIN 0–14 10:36 ECU Keaton Mitchell 18-yard rush (Jake Verity kick) (3 plays, 58 yards, 0:50) CIN 7–14 08:23 CIN Jerome Ford 24-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 70 yards, 2:09) CIN 7–21 05:25 ECU Jake Verity 32-yard field goal (7 plays, 44 yards, 2:04) CIN 10–21 05:18 CIN Tre Tucker 45-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (1 play, 45 yards, 0:07) CIN 10–28 01:32 CIN Desmond Ridder 7-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (7 plays, 53 yards, 3:04) CIN 10–35 3 00:29 CIN Jayshon Jackson 12-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (11 plays, 85 yards, 4:06) CIN 10–42 4 05:41 CIN Jerome Ford 1-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 4:07) CIN 10–49 00:17 ECU Rahjai Harris 1-yard rush (Jake Verity kick) (13 plays, 73 yards, 5:17) CIN 17–49 00:10 CIN Cameron Young 75-yard rush (Cole Smith kick failed) (1 play, 75 yards, 0:07) CIN 17–55

Statistics	ECU	CIN
First downs	23	29
Plays–yards	71–293	66–653
Rushes–yards	50–206	32–299
Passing yards	87	354
Passing: comp–att–int	9–21–3	27–34–0
Time of possession	29:50	30:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
ECU	Passing	Holton Ahlers	9/20, 87 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Keaton Mitchell	17 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Keaton Mitchell	1 reception, 26 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	24/31, 327 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Cameron Young	1 carry, 75 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Tre Tucker	4 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD

See Also: East Carolina at Cincinnati Box Score

at UCF

See also: 2020 UCF Knights football team

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -3	61.5

Cincinnati at UCF

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 7 Bearcats 3 16 3 14 36 Knights 14 3 8 8 33 Date: November 21 Location: Bounce House Orlando, FL Game start: 03:35 p.m. Elapsed time: 4 hours and 1 minute Game attendance: 10,668 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: NE 11 mph Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek and Quint Kessenich

Scoring summary 1 12:44 UCF Greg McCrae 3-yard rush (Daniel Obarski kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 2:16) UCF 0–7 10:10 CIN Cole Smith 47-yard field goal (6 plays, 35 yards, 2:34) UCF 3–7 07:39 UCF Marlon Williams 6-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel (Daniel Obarski kick) (6 plays, 22 yards, 1:33) UCF 3–14 2 11:37 CIN Josh Whyle 29-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 73 yards, 1:22) UCF 10–14 03:14 CIN Cole Smith 26-yard field goal (10 plays, 68 yards, 5:31) UCF 13–14 01:23 CIN Desmond Ridder 3-yard rush (Two-point pass conversion failed) (5 plays, 70 yards, 0:43) CIN 19–14 00:01 UCF Daniel Obarski 36-yard field goal (11 plays, 56 yards, 1:22) CIN 19–17 3 06:29 CIN Cole Smith 22-yard field goal (16 plays, 87 yards, 8:31) CIN 22–17 03:59 UCF Marlon Williams 19-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel (Gabriel pass to Williams for two-point conversion) (10 plays, 75 yards, 2:30) UCF 22–25 4 13:07 CIN Desmond Ridder 1-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 16 yards, 1:01) CIN 29–25 07:15 CIN Leonard Taylor 7-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (10 plays, 71 yards, 5:14) CIN 36–25 04:27 UCF Jaylon Robinson 10-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel (Gabriel pass to Jacob Harris for two-point conversion) (12 plays, 75 yards, 2:48) CIN 36–33

Statistics	CIN	UCF
First downs	28	23
Plays–yards	80–482	84–359
Rushes–yards	48–144	35–116
Passing yards	338	243
Passing: comp–att–int	21–32–0	26–49–1
Time of possession	37:08	22:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	21/32, 338 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
	Rushing	Gerrid Doaks	28 carries, 97 yards
	Receiving	Josh Whyle	5 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD
UCF	Passing	Dillon Gabriel	26/49, 243 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Otis Anderson	12 carries, 51 yards
	Receiving	Marlon Williams	8 receptions, 97 yards, 2 TD

See Also: Cincinnati at UCF Box Score

Tulsa (AAC Championship Game)

See also: 2020 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team and 2020 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Pregame line	Over/under
CIN -12.5	46.5.5

2020 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

1 2 3 4 Total No. 23 Golden Hurricane 0 10 7 7 24 • No. 9 Bearcats 10 7 7 3 27 Date: December 19, 2020 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 08:14 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes Game attendance: 5,831 Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C) • Weather: Drizzling • Wind: S 6 mph Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy and Holly Rowe

Scoring summary 1 12:44 CIN Jerome Ford 42-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (4 plays, 75 yards, 1:54) CIN 0–7 10:10 CIN Cole Smith 25-yard field goal (11 plays, 72 yards, 5:46) CIN 0–10 2 11:08 TLS Zack Long 43-yard field goal (11 plays, 46 yards, 3:52) CIN 3–10 08:36 CIN Corey Taylor II 10-yard rush (Zack Long kick) (5 plays, 28 yards, 1:37) TIE 10–10 03:17 CIN Alec Pierce 36-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (5 plays, 64 yards, 2:04) CIN 10–17 3 10:05 TLS Deneric Prince 8-yard rush (Zack Long kick) (3 plays, 55 yards, 0:45) TIE 17–17 07:14 CIN Desmond Ridder 10-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (6 plays, 65 yards, 2:46) CIN 17–24 4 03:41 TLS JuanCarlos Santana 13-yard pass from Zach Smith (Zack Long kick) (7 plays, 80 yards, 2:46) TIE 24–24 00:00 CIN Cole Smith 34-yard field goal (12 plays, 51 yards, 3:34) CIN 27–24

Statistics	TLSA	CIN
First downs	22	17
Plays–yards	67–365	67–420
Rushes–yards	37–199	38–151
Passing yards	166	269
Passing: comp–att–int	13–30–2	19–29–0
Time of possession	26:03	33:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
TLSA	Passing	Zach Smith	13/30, 166 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Corey Taylor II	22 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Sam Crawford Jr.	3 receptions, 79 yards
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	19/29, 269 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Desmond Ridder	16 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Alec Pierce	5 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD

See Also: Tulsa at Cincinnati Box Score

Georgia (Peach Bowl)

See also: 2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team and 2021 Peach Bowl (January)

Pregame line	Over/under
UGA -7	50.5

2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 9 Bulldogs 7 3 0 14 24 No. 8 Bearcats 7 7 7 0 21 Date: January 1, 2021 Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia Game start: 12:10 p.m. Elapsed time: 3 Hours and 49 Minutes Game attendance: 15,301 Referee: Jeff Flanagan TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, and Kris Budden

Scoring summary 1 04:38 CIN Alec Pierce 14-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (7 plays, 42 yards, 3:45) CIN 0–7 10:10 UGA George Pickens 16-yard pass from JT Daniels (Jack Podlesny kick) (5 plays, 44 yards, 2:27) 7–7 2 03:46 UGA Jack Podlesny 37-yard field goal (5 plays, 44 yards, 2:07) UGA 10-7 00:06 CIN Josh Whyle 11-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Cole Smith kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:40) CIN 10–14 3 14:11 CIN Jerome Ford 79-yard rush (Cole Smith kick) (2 plays, 75 yards, 0:49) CIN 10–21 4 13:20 UGA Zamir White 9-rush (JT Daniels pass failed) (2 plays, 25 yards, 0:41) CIN 16–21 06:43 UGA Jack Podlesny 32-yard field goal (6 plays, 61 yards, 2:16) CIN 19–21 10:10 UGA Jack Podlesny 53-yard field goal (8 plays, 44 yards, 1:25) UGA 22–21 00:00 UGA Safety UGA 24–21

Statistics	UGA	CIN
First downs	19	16
Plays–yards	63–449	64–305
Rushes–yards	24–45	27–99
Passing yards	404	206
Passing: comp–att–int	27–39–1	24–37–0
Time of possession	28:36	31:24

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UGA	Passing	JT Daniels	26/38, 392 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Zamir White	11 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	George Pickens	7 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD
CIN	Passing	Desmond Ridder	24/37, 206 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jerome Ford	8 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Michael Young	4 receptions, 59 yards

See Also:Georgia vs. Cincinnati Box Score

Source for Match-up Records:

Personnel

Roster and staff

2020 Cincinnati Bearcats football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 0 Charles McClelland  So WR 1 Blue Smith  So WR 2 Jayshon Jackson Jr QB 3 Evan Prater Fr WR 5 Jordan Jones Sr WR 8 Michael Young Jr. Jr QB 9 Desmond Ridder  Jr TE 11 Leonard Taylor Jr WR 12 Alec Pierce Jr WR 13 Dalrone Donaldson Jr QB 14 Jack Perry So WR 15 Garyn Prater  Jr QB 16 Michael Lindauer  Fr WR 17 Marquez Bell Fr TE 18 Cameron Jones  Fr WR 20 Jadon Thompson Fr WR 21 Tre Tucker So WR 21 Tyler Scott Fr RB 22 Ryan Montgomery  So RB 23 Gerrid Doaks  Sr RB 24 Jerome Ford  So RB 25 Cameron Young Sr WR 27 Norman Love Fr WR 29 Ashton Koller  Fr RB 30 Michael Kopaygorodsky  Jr WR 31 Nate Meyer  Fr WR 32 Jiair Thomas  Fr RB 33 Ethan Wright Fr TE 47 Nate Lawler  So OL 50 Dylan O'Quinn  So OL 51 Lorenz Metz  So OL 52 Jakari Robinson  Jr OL 53 Gavin Gerhardt Fr OL 55 James Hudson  Jr OL 56 Jake Renfro Fr OL 57 Ben Blevins Fr OL 58 Darius Harper Sr OL 60 Joe Huber Fr OL 62 Zach Hummel  Fr OL 64 Jake Burns Fr OL 65 Cody Lamb  Jr OL 66 Ethan Voelker  So OL 67 Jaxon Smith Fr OL 68 Kobe McAllister Fr OL 70 Joey Groeber So OL 71 Colin Woodside  So OL 72 Jonathan Allen  Fr OL 73 CJ Johnson So OL 74 Jeremy Cooper  So OL 75 John Williams Fr OL 76 Marcelo Mendiola  Fr OL 77 Vincent McConnell  Jr WR 80 Chris Scott Fr TE 81 Josh Whyle  So TE 82 Noah Davis  Sr WR 84 Wyatt Fischer  So TE 86 Jack Campbell  Fr TE 87 Bruno Labelle  Sr TE 88 Payten Singletary Fr WR 89 Bryant Johnson II  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class S 1 James Wiggins  Sr LB 2 Wilson Huber  Jr S 3 Ja'von Hicks Jr CB 4 Justin Harris So S 5 Darrick Forrest Sr S 6 Bryan Cook Sr CB 7 Coby Bryant Sr LB 8 Jarell White Sr CB 9 Arquon Bush  So LB 10 Brody Ingle So CB 11 Sammy Anderson Fr CB 12 Sauce Gardner So LB 13 Ty Van Fossen  So CB 14 Todd Bumphis Fr CB 15 Taj Ward  So LB 17 Dorian Holloway  Fr CB 18 Josiah Robey  Jr DE 19 Ethan Tucky  Sr LB 20 Deshawn Pace Fr DE 21 Myjai Sanders Jr CB 22 DeArre McDonald Fr LB 23 Daved Jones Jr Fr LB 24 Jaheim Thomas Fr DE 25 Harrison Hill Jr CB 26 Phil Thomas Fr LB 27 Darrian Beavers Sr S 29 Jacob Dingle So CB 30 Alex Green Fr CB 31 Casey Kirk  Jr S 32 James Camden Fr DE 33 Blake Bacevich  So DT 34 Justin Wodtly Fr LB 35 Ryan Royer  Jr S 36 Will Adams  So DE 37 Steven Hawthorne  Fr S 38 Jackson Welcsh Fr S 39 Jaquan Sheppard So LB 40 DeMarco Baker  So LB 41 Joel Dublanko  Sr DE 42 Malik Vann Jr DE 43 Michael Pitts  Sr LB 44 Mick Oakes  So DT 45 Barak Faulk Fr LB 46 Grant Horvath  Fr LB 50 Jackson Bruscianelli  Fr DT 52 Daeshon Martin  So DE 54 Izaiah Ruffin  Fr DE 57 Ryan Mullaney  Fr DE 89 Sterling Miles Fr DT 90 Jabari Taylor  Jr DL 91 Miles Manigualt  Fr DT 92 Curtis Brooks  Sr DT 93 Elijah Ponder  Sr DT 94 Chase Brown  So DL 95 Cole Pelgen  Fr DT 96 Dominique Perry Fr DT 97 Eric Phillips  Fr DE 98 Mychal Keys  So DT 99 Marcus Brown  Sr	Special teams } Pos. # Name Class K 16 Luke Lundberg Fr K 19 Cole Smith Jr P 37 James Smith Sr K 39 Bryce Burton  Fr LS 74 Blake Bammann  So K 91 Alex Bales  Fr LS 96 Cayson Pfeiffer  Fr	Head coach Luke Fickell (Ohio State) – 4th year Coordinators/assistant coaches Dan Enos (Michigan State) 1st year – (Associate Head Coach/ Running Backs) Mike Denbrock (Grand Valley State) 4th year – (Offensive Coordinator/ Tight Ends) Marcus Freeman (Ohio State) 4th year – (Defensive Coordinator/ Linebackers) Gino Guidugli (Cincinnati) 4th year – (Passing Game Coordinator/ Quarterbacks) Brian Mason (Denison) 3rd year – (Special Teams Coordinator) Mike Brown (Liberty) 2nd year – (Wide Receivers) Ron Crook (West Liberty State) 4th year – (Offensive Line) Perry Eliano (Stephen F. Austin) 1st year – (Cornerbacks) Colin Hitschler (Pennsylvania) 1st year – (Safeties) Greg Scruggs (Louisville) 1st year – (Defensive Line) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: August 26, 2020

Depth chart

Defense
NK Arquon Bush Taj Ward
FS James Wiggins Bryan Cook		WLB MLB SLB Darrian Beavers Joel Dublanko Jarell White Brody Ingle Wilson Huber Ty Van Fossen   OR Deshawn Pace					SS Darrick Forrest Ja'von Hicks Jacob Dingle
CB Coby Bryant Justin Harris		DE NT DE Myjai Sanders Curtis Brooks Elijah Ponder Malik Vann Marcus Brown   OR Jabari Taylor Ethan Tucky   OR Michael Pitts						CB Sauce Gardner Jaquan Sheppard
Offense
WR Michael Young Jr. Tyler Scott	WR Alec Pierce   OR Jordan Jones	LT LG C RG RT James Hudson Dylan O’Quinn   OR Jeremy Cooper Jake Renfro   OR Jakari Robinson Vincent McConnell Darius Harper Lorenz Metz   Zach Hummel Colin Woodside John Williams					TE Leonard Taylor Josh Whyle   OR Cam Jones	WR Jayshon Jackson Tre Tucker Jadon Thompson
				QB Desmond Ridder
		RB Gerrid Doaks Jerome Ford   OR Ryan Montgomery

Rankings

Further information: 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	20	20*	13	14	15	11	8	9	7	6	7	7	7	7	7	6	6	8
Coaches	22	22*	14	16	15	11	10	10	7	6	7	7	7	7	7	6	6	8
CFP	Not released												7	7	8	9	8	Not released

Awards and milestones

American Athletic Conference Weekly Awards

Player	Award	Date Awarded	Ref.
Jarell White	Defensive Player of the Week	September 30, 2020
Desmond Ridder	Offensive Player of the Week	October 26, 2020
Desmond Ridder	Offensive Player of the Week	November 2, 2020
Myjai Sanders	Defensive Player of the Week
Desmond Ridder	Offensive Player of the Week	November 16, 2020
Jarell White	Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Desmond Ridder	Co-Offensive Player of the Week	November 23, 2020

Walter Camp Football Foundation FBS Weekly Awards

Player	Award	Date Awarded	Ref.
Desmond Ridder	Offensive Player of the Week	October 25, 2020
Jarell White	Defensive Player of the Week	November 15, 2020

Individual Awards

Award	Recipient	Ref.
AAC Offensive Player of the Year	Desmond Ridder
AAC Coach of the Year	Luke Fickell

NCAA Recognized All-American

Player	AP	AFCA	FWAA	TSN	WCFF
Sauce Gardner	2	2	1
James Wiggins	2
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.

Other All-American Honors

Player	Athletic	Athlon	BR	CBS Sports	CFN	ESPN	Fox Sports	Phil Steele	SI	USA Today	Ref.
Sauce Gardner	2							1		1
James Wiggins	1							4

All-AAC

Player	Position	Team
James Hudson	OT	1
Desmond Ridder	QB	1
Gerrid Doaks	RB	1
Myjai Sanders	DL	1
Jarell White	LB	1
Sauce Gardner	CB	1
Coby Bryant	CB	1
James Wiggins	S	1
Michael Young Jr.	WR	2
Josh Whyle	TE	2
Marcus Brown	DL	2
Elijah Ponder	DL	2
Darrian Beavers	LB	2
James Smith	P	2
Tre Tucker	RS	2
Darrick Forrest	S	HM
Darius Harper	OT	HM
Reference:

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2021 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
4	110	James Hudson	OT	Cleveland Browns
5	163	Darrick Forrest	S	Washington Football Team
7	243	James Wiggins	S	Arizona Cardinals
7	244	Gerrid Doaks	RB	Miami Dolphins