Bearcats win Fickell’s debut
CINCINNATI — Hayden Moore was told by first-year Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell that he won the quarterback job over Ross Trail last week.
Moore responded with touchdown passes to Thomas Geddis, Kahill Lewis and Tyler Cogswell in the Beacats’ 26-14 win Thursday night over the Austin Peay Governors in the season opener for both teams.
Fickell came to Cincinnati after 18 years at Ohio State, serving as defensive coordinator for the bulk of his career there.
The Bearcats’ other touchdown came on a 3-yard run by Mike Boone in the fourth quarter after the Governors had cut Cincinnati’s lead to six points.
Austin Peay’s JaVaughn Craig threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Kentell Williams in the first quarter but was intercepted by defensive tackle Bryan White in the last minute of the first half. Jeremiah Oatsvall took over the Governors offense in the second half and led a 13-play, 66-yard scoring drive capped by Josh Alexander’s 11-yard run to get the visitors within 20-14 with under 12 minutes left in the game.
The Governors turned the ball over on downs on the Bearcats 7 with 1:32 to play.
Austin Peay had 313 yards offense to the Bearcats’ 249.
The Bearcats won for the first time since Oct. 22, a 31-19 win over East Carolina. The Bearcats were 1-7 down the stretch of a 4-8 season under Tommy Tuberville.
Austin Peay fell to 0-6 all-time against Cincinnati, and dropped its 28th game in a row. The Governors last victory came against Murray State, 20-13, on Oct. 18, 2014.
Mason Rudolph threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score to help the Cowboys beat the Golden Hurricane in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Rudolph completed 20 of 24 passes with no interceptions. Preseason AP All-American James Washington caught six passes for 145 yards, including touchdown receptions of 77 and 40 yards. Justice Hill ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, J.D. King had 95 and LD Brown 92 for the Cowboys, who are in the preseason Top 10 for the third time in school history. Oklahoma State gained 640 total yards. Tulsa quarterback Chad President, who got the start over Luke Skipper, passed for 178 yards and ran for 69. Corey Taylor II ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns. D’Angelo Brewer finished with 33 yards on 22 carries.
Tyler Johnson had a 61-yard touchdown reception from Conor Rhoda in the first quarter to give the Gophers a spark in coach P.J. Fleck’s first game, and Minnesota grinded out a victory over Buffalo in Minneapolis. Fleck led his players in a pregame sprint out of the tunnel beneath a vintage late-summer evening sky, and Johnson racked up 141 yards on six catches by halftime. The rest of the night took on a considerably slower pace, with the Gophers content to call inside handoffs on read-option plays behind new quarterbacks Rhoda and Demry Croft. Rhoda started the game and went 12 for 21 for 176 yards, but he threw an interception in the end zone in the second quarter. Anthony Johnson gave the Gophers secondary trouble with 11 grabs for 140 yards, including a 50-yard completion that set up his 16-yard touchdown catch from Tyree Jackson on the next play for the Bulls to tie the game late in the first quarter. Jackson finished 22 for 42 for 211 yards and one interception. Khalil Hodge had 20 tackles.
Diontae Johnson returned the secondhalf kickoff 99 yards to break open a close game and the Rockets opened the season with a win over Elon in Toledo. Johnson caught four passes for 102 yards, including a 69-yard catch. Logan Woodside threw for 314 yards on 19-of-31 passing for the Rockets, the preseason pick to win the West Division in a poll of MAC coaches. Cody Thompson pulled in five passes for 112 yards. Shakif Seymour rushed for 102 yards and one score, Art Thompkins had 99 yards on 15 carries and Terry Swanson rushed for 36 yards and two touchdowns.
Will Brazill made a 25-yard field goal to lift California of Pennsylvania to a shootout victory over visiting Ohio Dominican in the season opener for both teams. Grant Russell completed 28 passes for 378 yards and two touchdown passes for the Panthers. Michael Kier threw for 398 yards and two touchdowns for California as the teams combined for 965 offensive yards.