Top 5 Best Moments From The Cincinnati Bearcats 2014 Football Season

Sep 12, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel (11) celebrates after a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter against the Toledo Rockets at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

2) Gunner Goes Off

Notre Dame transfer and former five-star quarterback recruit Gunner Kiel entered the 2014 season with fairly lofty expectations. It wasn’t clear if he would be able to match them or if he was all hype; the Adam Morrison of college football in a sense. He had the arm, he had the pedigree, he had the body, but would he be able to deliver when the lights were shining on him?

We had no idea. We could only hope for the best.

But our concerns were squashed by the performance Kiel put up in his first ever collegiate game against Toledo, who when you look back at it never even stood a chance.

The Bearcats elected to receive the football on the opening kickoff, a decision that may have set history in motion. Kiel trotted the Bearcats offense out on their first series of the 2015 season and it seemed like he had a plan in mind as soon as he crossed the sideline. On the first snap of the game Kiel threw a beauty to Mekale McKay, who was dragged to the ground 52 yards downfield. Two plays later and UC’s new quarterback tossed his first touchdown as a Bearcat.

Kiel wound up throwing another five touchdowns and putting up 442 yards of total offense all by himself, a sign of many exciting moments from #11 last season.