BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Cincinnati sophomore quarterback Desmond Ridder and the 23rd-ranked Bearcats wrote a happy ending to their football season.
Ridder rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns, and he also threw a touchdown pass to lead Cincinnati to a 38-6 victory over Boston College on Thursday in the lightning-delayed Birmingham Bowl.
It was a cathartic win for a team coming off back-to-back losses to No. 15 Memphis, including in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
“I don’t know if you guys ever lost a conference championship, but that’s not a good taste,” said Ridder, who missed the regular-season finale – both games were at Memphis – with a sore throwing shoulder. “If we had lost today, three losses in the end, that’s not a good taste for anyone.”
The Bearcats didn’t have to worry about that possibility for long, dominating after the delay of about 1 1/2 hours midway through the first quarter.