Ridder, No. 7 Cincy beat the No. 9 Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Desmond Ridder threw two touchdown passes and ran for score late in the fourth quarter as No. 7 Cincinnati capitalized on its big opportunity and beat No. 9 Notre Dame 24-13 on Saturday in a game the Bearcats hope can be the centerpiece of their College Football Playoff résumé.
Cincinnati (4-0) wanted to use its first top-10 regular-season matchup as a statement game, heading into its American Athletic Conference schedule. No team from outside the Power Five conferences has ever reached the playoff. Never even came close.
To break that barrier Bearcats almost certainly needs to go undefeated, and this trip to Notre Dame (4-1) stood as the toughest test on the schedule. Not to mention the biggest stage they’ll appear on this season.
The Bearcats were not quite dominant, but they were plenty good enough in their first trip to South Bend since 1900 to snap Notre Dame’s 26-game home winning streak.
When told how loud the crowd can be at Notre Stadium this week, Ridder quipped that it wouldn’t be for long.
The senior delivered, going 19 for 32 for 297 yards. He hooked up with Alec Pierce six times for 144 yards, and was at his best after Notre Dame cut the lead to 17-13 with 8:20 left in the fourth quarter.
Ridder went 3 for 3, with a bullet down the middle for 36 yards to Leonard Taylor, on the ensuing drive. He capped it off with a 6-yard TD run around left end that made it 24-13.
Cincinnati took advantage of three turnovers by Notre Dame in the first half to jump out to 17-0 lead. The miscues by the Irish were killers.
Jack Coan’s pass was intercepted in the red zone by Ahmad Gardner on ill-advised throw under pressure that ended Notre Dame first and best drive of the half.
The Irish tried freshman Tyler Buchner at quarterback for a coupe of series, hoping his mobility could spark the running game. But Buchner’s pass was picked off by DeShawn Pace while getting hit, and Pace set up Cincinnati in the red zone.
Ridder flipped a 1-yard pass to Taylor to make it 7-0 early in the second quarter.
Chris Tyree fumbled the ensuing kickoff back to Cincinnati and the Bearcats turned that into a 23-yard field goal by Cole Smith.
Ridder and the Bearcats put together their best late in the second quarter, going 80 yards for a touchdown. Ridder was 3 for 4 on the drive, each completion for more than 20 yards, including the 27-yard touchdown to Tre Tucker that beat Irish All-America safety Kyle Hamilton.
The Bearcats were up 17-0 with 40 seconds left in the first half and for the third time Cincinnati fans, decked in red in the upper reaches of the south end zone, were chanting “Let’s Go Bearcats!”
NO. 2 GEORGIA 37, NO. 8 ARKANSAS 0
ATHENS, Ga. — Zamir White rushed for two touchdowns and recovered a blocked punt for another score, and Georgia pounded Arkansas on Saturday in the Bulldogs’ second consecutive shutout.
Georgia (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) raced to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter despite playing without quarterback JT Daniels, who was held out with a right lat injury.
NO. 14 MICHIGAN 38, WISCONSIN 17
MADISON, Wis. — Cornelius Johnson of Greenwich caught both of Cade McNamara’s touchdown passes and Michigan remained unbeaten with a victory over Wisconsin, which lost starting quarterback Graham Mertz to a chest injury.
NO. 16 COASTAL CAROLINA 59, LA.-MONROE 6
CONWAY, S.C. — Grayson McCall threw for 212 yards on 13-of-13 passing with two touchdowns to Isaiah Likely as Coastal Carolina rolled to victory to start Sun Belt Conference play Saturday.
The Chanticleers (1-0 Sun Belt) started 5-0 for a second straight season and have won 16 of their past 17 the last two seasons.
NO. 24 WAKE FOREST 37, LOUISVILLE 34
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Nick Sciba kicked a 29yard field goal with 22 seconds left and Wake Forest remained unbeaten.