Fickell pushes ’Cats to limit miscues

Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said he was proud of the way his team rallied to score 21 consecutive points in the second half against Marshall last week.

The Bearcats faced a 24-0 deficit at halftime and didn't back down.

The rally ultimately fell short, with Cincinnati (2-3, 0-1 AAC) falling to 24-21 to Marshall. Now he is hoping the team learns key lessons from the loss ahead of a tough matchup against No. 25 UCF (3-0, 1-0).

Fickell, who is in his first season at Cincinnati, wants his players to break out of those slow starts and avoid having to overcome early mistakes.

“It’s draining, when you're always scratching and clawing,” Fickell said. “It really makes it difficult. It's one thing when you've created some momentum and had some positive energy, but it's another thing that game can be almost like two games when you're fighting so much from behind. It is draining.”

Junior quarterback Hayden Moore has struggled at times leading the Cincinnati offense this season, but Fickell said Moore will remain the starter.

Moore went 22-for-45 passing for 211 yards and a touchdown against Marshall. He has been limited to a 52.5 percent completion percentage this season.

Fickell did not rule out eventually playing sophomore quarterback Ross Trail at some point.

Next game: No. 25 UCF at Cincinnati, Saturday, 8 p.m., ESPNU

Iliana Limón Romero