— By David Walsh
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell got even. And then some.
The Bearcats played Marshall in 2017 at home, Fickell’s first year with the American Athletic Conference member. The Thundering Herd won that matchup, 38-17, at Nippert Stadium.
The rematch came Saturday and Cincinnati rolled to a 52-14 win in front of 32,192 stunned Thundering Herd fans at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
“I think the most important thing is it was probably the complete game we’ve been looking for,” Fickell told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I mean that, offense, defense and special teams.”
“We did not play well any of the three phases,” Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. “They took it to us. They came ready to go. We didn’t.”
Next week, the Herd (2-2) begins Conference USA play at Middle Tennessee. Big Ten member Iowa routed the Blue Raiders, 48-3. On Friday, Cincinnati (3-1) is home against UCF in its AAC opener. The Bearcats were No. 2 in the preseason media poll.
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder completed 18-of-22 attempts for 221 yards and four scores to tie the redshirt sophomore’s career best. The Bearcats ran 77 plays and piled up 525 yards in total offense. On defense, the visitors limited Marshall to 125 on the ground and 131 in the air. So the time of possession was in Cincinnati’s favor, 37:02 to 22:58.
Cincinnati set the tone on its opening drive. The Bearcats went 61 yards with the score coming on a 13-yard pass from Ridder to Rashad Medaris, who led the Cincinnati receivers with 108 yards on six catches.
The visitors made it 14-0 when Alec Pierce beat 1 on 1 coverage on an out route and snared a 17-yard pass from Ridder. Through that score, Cincinnati ran 24 plays to the Herd’s three. Ridder added TD pass No. 3 in the second period, a 13-yard strike to tight end Josiah Deguara.
“We’d been in a little bit of a rut,” Fickell said. “Obviously we were 2-1, but it just didn’t feel the game. The energy. After tonight you walk into that locker room, there’s a different energy.”
Deguara made it 28-0 at intermission when he pounced on a fumble and went two yards for the score. Ridder was hit on a passing attempt, the ball went forward where Deguara saw the loose ball, grabbed it and scored. The play was reviewed, it stood and Holliday was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“We have to put this behind us,” Herd free safety Nazeeh Johnson said. “Never take and L without learning from it.”
Marshall avoided the shutout in the fourth period with two scores. First freshman Sheldon Evans went over from 13 yards out to complete an 8-play, 75 yard drive with 12:35 left in the final period. After the Herd recovered a fumble by Cincinnati, Willie Johnson sprinted 40 yards down the left sideline for a TD on a reverse on the first snap. It was the Herd’s longest run of the season.
The crowd was the 13th largest in stadium history. The Bearcats entered the game the worst red-zone team in the nation (only 5 TDs on 12 chances), but on this night they went 7 for 7 (six touchdowns and a field goal).
“We’ve got a lot to work to get ready for conference play, which starts next week,” Holliday said. “Anytime you get into your conference, every game you play is a championship game.”