Dec 6, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Gunner Kiel (11) drops back to pass against the Houston Cougars during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Gunner Kiel (QB – Cincinnati) vs. Temple
The number one QB on my board entering the season, Gunner Kiel takes the field in Cincinnati’s American Athletic Conference opener. His opponent will be the Temple Owls, a team coming off a 10 sack performance against Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg.
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The offensive line at Penn State is horrible, but the Cincinnati line has been known to breakdown at times as well. Kiel was forced out of multiple games last year because of hits he took when the offensive line missed a block or failed to pick up a blitz. The line however did keep Kiel upright in the opener as Alabama A&M failed to sack the junior QB.
Despite the promising start, Kiel is going to need very good pocket awareness in this game. LB Tyler Matakevich and DT Matt Ioannidis are two of the best in the conference in terms of penetrating the backfield, so Kiel will need to find his receivers quickly. If he does so, Cincinnati should not only win this game, but will become heavy favorites to repeat as conference champions.
Next: Noah Spence