Emory Jones accounts for 7 touchdowns, leads Cincinnati in a 66-13 rout of Eastern Kentucky

Emory Jones threw five touchdown passes and ran for two more scores as Cincinnati opened its first season in the Big 12 Conference with a 66-13 win over FCS member Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. Jones’ seven touchdown total tied a career high. The Florida-Arizona State transfer threw six touchdowns and ran for another against Samford on November 13, 2021, while playing for the Gators. Cincinnati got the ball first and it took first year head coach Scott Satterfield’s offense just 3:09 to get on the field. blackboard. Jones led a 71-yard drive on seven plays that ended with a 49-yard pass down the Eastern Kentucky sideline to wide receiver Xzavier Henderson for a touchdown. Jones completed all four of his passes in the opening round. Henderson finished the day with seven catches for 149 yards. After a three-and-out by quarterback Parker McKinney and the Colonels on their first possession, Jones stayed hot on Cincinnati’s second drive, connecting with Dee Wiggins on another deep score of 39 yards. Jones started 10-for-10 for 206 yards before throwing his first incompletion. He finished 19 of 23 for 345 yards, his second 300-yard passing game. He threw for 464 points in that 70-52 win over Samford in 2021. Jones added a rushing touchdown from an outfield yard to put Cincinnati up 21-0 just before the end of the first quarter. Eastern Kentucky, a member of the United Athletic Conference, saw its next drive stop at the Cincinnati 17-yard line when Bearcats safety Bryon Threats collected his third career interception. The six-yard threat return set up a 54-yard drive by Corey Keener, who finished with 105 yards on 13 carries. The Bearcats took a solid 28-0 lead three plays later on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Payton Singletary. Jones evaded the rush and danced through the Colonels’ defense for the second rushing touchdown, the 16th of his career, with 7:17 to play in the first half. The Colonel finally scored with 5:08 remaining in the first period. McKinney capped off four plays of 74 yards with a 17-yard pass through the middle to Hunter Brown, giving him a program record 75 touchdown passes. Jones’ sixth score of the half resulted in a short pass to Branden Smith, who raced 48 yards to the end zone. Eastern Kentucky opened the second half by fumbling at their own 20-yard line when Daniel Gryzyak McKinney sacked and recovered the loose ball. Turnover led to a 46-yard field goal for a 45-7 lead. Jones caught his seventh and final score on a 6-yard pass to Aaron Turner with 2:42 left in the third frame. The Takeaway Eastern Kentucky: Located about 100 miles south of Cincinnati, the Colonels have seven players in the Cincinnati area. This knowledge wasn’t enough for Eastern Kentucky to secure a victory over an FBS team for the second straight season. The Colonels defeated Bowling Green 59-57 in seven overtimes on September 10, 2022. Cincinnati: Satterfield’s tenure at the helm of the Bearcats program could not have gotten off to a better start. Satterfield was signed to Cincinnati in December after spending the precious four seasons in Louisville. Next Eastern Kentucky: The Colonel heads to Lexington to take on his in-state foe, Kentucky, on September 9. Eastern Kentucky has been 0-5 against the Wildcats since 1978. The two teams last played in 2017. The Colonels lost 27-16 in Lexington. Cincinnati: The Bearcats return to action Sept. 9 in Pittsburgh, as the two teams renew their River City Rivalry. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2012. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 8-4, but Cincinnati has won its last two games.

Elizabeth Snider

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