Desmond Ridder, Bearcats Stave Off Navy Comeback Bid

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — The Cincinnati Bearcats encountered a dogfight at the hands of Navy’s run heavy offense in Saturday’s 27-20 victory.

Traversing the way for the Midshipmen (1-6, 1-4 American Athletic Conference) was quarterback Tai Lavatai, who rushed 21 times for a pair of touchdowns despite minimal success in the air attack.

Lavatai entered Saturday at the helm little passing experience, coming off his first four games with only 10 successful throws on the season. He and Navy still found themselves with an early 10-7 lead.

“We know that we can just play our football,” Lavatai said after sticking with Cincinnati for the majority of the game. “We can go up…