The University of Cincinnati Bearcats (5-4) roared closer to the Motor City Bowl by shredding Alabama-Birmingham's nationally ranked defense for 477 total yards in a 33-21 victory Saturday before 19,851 fans at Nippert Stadium.

        UC quarterback Deontey Kenner connected with eight wideouts for 352 passing yards.

        “From the get-go, all the pressure was on our receivers to perform — it was the only way we could move UAB's safeties back so we could get our rushing game established — and our receivers answered the call,” said UC co-captain/center Doug Rosfeld.

        UAB's defense closed up holes faster than anybody else UC has played this season. But UC's quick-passing game proved to be more than an effective equalizer. It was the knockout punch.

        “When you see eight (defenders) in the box, you say, "The wideouts have to win the game for us,'” UC coach

        Rick Minter said.

        Until late in the first half, UC stumbled only once on offense — the first series, when Kenner threw behind Jason Collins-Baker on third-and-7.

        That miscue, and a subsequent break — a fumble by UAB (6-3) running back Jeff Aaron at UC's 11, recovered by Anthony Thomas and turned into a UC field goal for a 3-0 lead — woke up the Bearcats, who built a 20-0 halftime lead on:

        • A 7-yard touchdown catch by Tye Keith on a fade route into the left corner.

        • A 2-yard Ray Jackson TD run.

        • Another Jonathon Ruffin field goal, set up by a third-and-8 first-down throw to Antonio Chatman that he turned into a 33-yard gain.

        UC fans booed some of the early play-calling (a 3-yard run loss by Jackson on second-and-goal from UAB's 4-yard line seemed particularly galling), but when Kenner threw the 7-yard TD loft to Keith for a 10-0 lead, all was forgiven. Fans were especially delighted when UC opened its next series with a 9-yard pass completion to Chatman and then the 61- yard pass to Keith on second-and-1. When UC rush-end Antwan Peek got a sack just before half, the joint came unglued.

        “We ran that stunt over and over in practice; it worked like Coach diagrammed,” Peek said.

        Twenty seconds into the second half, UAB made a game of it (20-7), turning a Jackson fumble on UC's first play from scrimmage into a TD. But UC answered immediately, capping a 67-yard, pass-filled drive with a 23-yard TD pass to Robert Drewery.

        Drewery is the lone 6-footer in UC's featured five-wide set: “Good hands, good range, solid speed, loves to play,” Minter said.

        Minter was hard-pressed to recall any “drops” by UC receivers — drops were a UC scourge early in the season — although Keith volunteered he had one. Receivers coach Ty Dixon will find one or two more on film today. And he won't pass out any accolades for the passes that were caught, not even the nice ones.

        “Coach's attitude is it doesn't matter where the ball is, just catch it,” Chatman said. “A great catch in Coach's mind is something you can't even imagine.”

        “It's something you've never seen before,” Keith said.

        • Note: Ruffin's 85 kicking points are a UC single-season record. UC's 477 yards in total offense were 208 yards more than UAB has been giving up on average. UC could seal a bowl berth Saturday with a victory at Memphis.

        UAB ....... 0 0 14 7—21
       Cincinnati ....... 3 17 13 0—33

       First Quarter

        Cin—FG Ruffin 22, 12:20.

        Second Quarter

        Cin—Keith 7 pass from Kenner (Ruffin kick), 12:20.

        Cin—Jackson 1 run (Ruffin kick), 8:02.

        Cin—FG Ruffin 23, 1:25.

        Third Quarter

        UAB—Warner 21 fumble return (Gallego kick), 14:40.

        Cin—Drewery 23 pass from Kenner (Ruffin kick), 12:08.

        Cin—FG Ruffin 38, 9:26.

        UAB—Aaron 2 run (Gallego kick), 4:08.

        Cin—FG Ruffin 37, :16.

        Fourth Quarter

        UAB—Borders 9 pass from Aaron (Gallego kick), :13.

        A—19,851.

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—UAB, Dugger 6-53, Coleman 8-33, Thatch 6-22, Fair 4-16, Aaron 10-12, Conley 1-2. Cincinnati, Jackson 6-82, Spencer 14-27, Garden 8-17, McCleskey 2-2, Vann 1- (minus 2).

        PASSING—UAB, Aaron 17-34-2-183. Cincinnati, Kenner 20-32-1-351.

        RECEIVING—UAB, Coleman 5-27, Willams 3-41, Johnson 2-62, Borders 2-14, Thatch 2-9, Crosby 1-13, Simmons 1-9, Arrington 1-8. Cincinnati, Drewery 4-94, Keith 4-89, Chatman 4-78, Collins-Baker 3-30, Vann 2-22, Smikle 1-28, Olinger 1-6, Walker 1-4.

UC 32, Alabama-Birmingham 21 SULLIVAN: UC passer finding the touch UC 129, California Southeast All-Stars 73 Grove needs to show stuff in early games Ch. 19 picks Kennedy to call UC basketball