The Bearcats used a dominant first half to build a double digit lead and eventually secure a 23-3 win at Temple to move within one win of clinching a spot in the AAC championship game in early December.
Cincinnati will host Tulane on Friday afternoon with a chance to reach a fourth consecutive conference title game but it could be without Ben Bryant after the senior starting quarterback suffered an injury.
Bryant went down with a foot injury midway through the second quarter and was unable to return against Temple. Evan Prater replaced him and is expected to start next week if Bryant isn’t cleared to play.
Prater has plenty of talent and can lead the Bearcats to a win against Tulane but it could be difficult for his first career start to happen in such a high-pressure game with AAC championship implications.
Coming home with the W‼️@GoBearcatsFB wins 23-3 in Philly to set up a Black Friday matchup top-25 Tulane. The opportunity to host a third-straight AAC title game is on the line. 👀
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) November 20, 2022
🎟️: https://t.co/1ZyRfZrrdy pic.twitter.com/3K9sGmR78o
Cincinnati Football: Bearcats blow past Temple but Ben Bryant suffers foot injury
After replacing Bryant late in the first half, Prater completed 12/17 passing attempts and compiled 151 total yards. Bryant had 130 passing yards and one touchdown before getting injured on a sack.
Tre Tucker racked up a game-high 78 receiving yards, highlighted by a 42-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Jaheim Thomas and Ty Van Fossen led the team with six total tackles each.
Senior running back Ryan Montgomery racked up a team-high 58 rushing yards and one touchdown run including a 14-yard TD to put the Bearcats up 14-0.
In addition to staying in the AAC championship race, Cincinnati improved to 9-2 overall (6-1 in conference play) and sealed a fifth consecutive season with at least nine wins for the first time in program history.