Grades for Cincinnati Bearcats lopsided loss vs. No. 6 Utah Utes

The most frightening place to be for Halloween turned out to be a football field for Cincinnati Bearcats fans as they experienced a Nippert nightmare scary enough to drive off many of the 36,487 who attended.Just a week after knocking off No. 8 Texas Tech, UC was humbled by No. 6 Utah 49-25.The Bearcats outscored the Utes in the second half, but still lost by 24. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was 22-for-29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns, two to tight end Hunter Andrews. UC's JC French IV was 16-for-30 for 263 yards and Cole Tabb had 131 yards rushing and a score for his fourth game over the century mark.Utah outgained UC 534 yards to 456, out-passed them 266-263 and outrushed them 268-193.UC was trying to make it back-to-back wins against Top 10 teams. Instead, they struggled to put 10 points on the board at halftime as the Utes had a 42-6 lead. It was enough to scare off an entire student section to more promising pumpkin patches.At the break, Utah's Dampier was 15-for-16 passing for a touchdown and the Utes had outrushed the Bearcats 197-72.UC drops to 5-3 (2-3 Big 12) and still needs a win to be bowl-eligible for a second straight season. Utah is now 8-0 (5-0 Big 12) going into their “Holy War” showdown with rival BYU Nov. 7.The Bearcats now look ahead to another ranked team as they’ll face the Houston Cougars on the road next weekend. The Cougars lost at Utah on Oct. 24, 21-13, and are 6-2 (3-2 Big 12).Here are grades from Cincinnati Bearcats vs. No. 6 Utah UtesOffense: C-Cole Tabb ran nine yards on UC's first play of the game, the Bearcats then couldn't gain a yard and had to punt, which set the tone for the day.Tabb would gain his yards, but the Bearcats got into the red zone twice and settled for field goals. One of those was missed. Gi'Bran Payne also fumbled, and Rabbit Evans returned it for a score that put Utah up 21-3 in the second quarter, a lead they doubled by halftime.Yards were somewhat deceiving as the Bearcats had chunk plays between the 20s. Tabb's 48-yard run was UC's first offensive touchdown, coming late in the third quarter. Defense: F+The plus is for Jacob Finley's 79-yard pick-six, which gave the Bearcats their first touchdown.Everyone was aware of what Dampier and Wayshawn Parker could do, but no one figured the Utes would score nearly what they did in last year's game (45) by halftime. Utah's deceptive offense was a poison pill on the scary evening.Special Teams: CMax Fletcher had a 48-yard punt to begin the game. Stephen Rusnak was good from 47 yards early, then missed a 35-yarder before making one from 39 before halftime.It wasn't a game made for catching up by threes.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Grades for Cincinnati Bearcats lopsided loss vs. No. 6 Utah UtesOur editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.