Bearcats QB Gunner Kiel’s Status Remains Uncertain Morning After Injury

The Cincinnati Bearcats earned their second AAC win in as many games, this time against the South Florida Bulls last night. Outside of a pair of blown coverages, a fumble, and a botched snap, UC played about as perfect as they could have in the 34-17 win.

The only notable blemish was Gunner Kiel’s injury he suffered in the closing seconds of the first half. The UC quarterback was slammed to the turf as he was escaping a sack deep in South Florida territory. Kiel was left writhing on the turf in pain, grabbing his lower right back. Bearcats fans worried he had aggravated his lingering rib injury and those fears were escalated when he didn’t return from the locker room after halftime.

Unfortunately, as of this morning, the University of Cincinnati has not yet released an update on the quarterback’s status.

Cincy on the Prowl will continue to monitor this situation but I continue to express concerns about this team’s ceiling without Gunner Kiel at the helm. Munchie Legaux performed well last night in his stead but USF isn’t exactly busting at the seams with defensive talent, especially in the secondary.

Plus the defense, while coming up strong for the second straight week, hasn’t truly been tested against SMU and South Florida like they were against the Buckeyes, Tigers, and Hurricanes. That next test comes in two weeks against East Carolina and the prolific passing attack led by Shane Carden.

So while Legaux looked solid against the Bulls, as did the defense and Mike Boone, this is Gunner Kiel’s team and he needs to be healthy to carry Cincinnati to the promised land.