Tyler Scott has been great to start his junior season and that continued on Saturday afternoon against Indiana. The junior wide receiver became the first player in school history to catch three touchdown passes in one half.
After both teams traded field goals, Ben Bryant found Scott sprinting down the field for a 75-yard score to put the Bearcats up 10-3 in the first quarter. Scott displayed his elite speed and footwork to lose the defender and create separation.
During the second quarter, Scott scored two more touchdowns to make history including a difficult 34-yard catch while diving into the end zone. Following the win, Scott discussed his performance with Cincinnati Athletics.
"“I owe that to the coaching staff for trusting me and developing me. Just really taught me how to be a receiver and a football player. They played a lot of quarters so there’s going to be a lot of one on one outside. It’s up to me to win some of those post routes and deep balls. That comes from film study and watching to see how the defensive back comes down.”"
Cincinnati Football: Tyler Scott’s historic half highlights Bearcats win
A high-powered offensive performance in the first half fueled the #Bearcats to a 45-24 win over undefeated Indiana as @Tylerscott21_ became the first player in program history with three TD catches in a half.https://t.co/l7PqvYHWx0pic.twitter.com/ulPnQv3ed4
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) September 25, 2022
The offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half with four touchdowns scored in just over 15 minutes. Scott caught three touchdowns during that span and showed off his elusiveness with an impressive 32-yard reception and run to evade the Hoosiers defense.
Coming into the season, it was unclear which wide receiver was going to become the top target for Bryant. There’s no doubt Scott has stepped up and developed into just that with a game-high 185 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Indiana.
Bryant seems to have a great connection with Scott and it’s become a consistent threat for the Bearcats with five touchdowns in four games. The senior quarterback explained why Scott has been able to have so much success via Cincinnati Athletics.
"“We have so many weapons. He just ended up being that guy today. We just have so many guys that are really good playmakers. I just saw guys open down the field. The offensive line was protecting well and I had time to sit back and throw to them. That’s the best feeling as a quarterback. Just throw it out five yards, make someone miss and there he is in the end zone. It’s really nice to have that.”"