Back to the Cincinnati Bearcats Newsfeed

What we learned: Bearcats QB Desmond Ridder shows growth in rout of rival RedHawks

The University of Cincinnati football team was supposed to win by a lot on Saturday, and it did.

Entering the 125th Battle for the Victory Bell as more than a 22-point favorite against rival Miami University, the No. 8/10-ranked (Associated Press/Coaches) Bearcats led the RedHawks 35-0 at halftime and wound up with a 49-14 season-opening victory.

"The big thing for me all week was respect the rivalry," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said. "That’s how you prepare, that’s really how you come out and play. ... Hopefully, you can see this team, this group of leaders wasn't gonna let this team not be ready for a rivalry game.