CINCINNATI (AP) -- Brendon Kay completed 31 of 37 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns to help Cincinnati beat winless Temple 38-20 on Friday night for its first victory in the first-year American Athletic Conference.
Kay also ran for 18 yards and a score for the Bearcats (4-2, 1-1), coming off a turnover-plagued 26-20 loss at previously winless South Florida.
Anthony McClung had seven catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns, Shaq Washington caught 11 passes for 72 yards, and Tion Green ran for a career-high 91 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Tony Miliano added a 44-yard field goal, the longest of his career.
True freshman P.J. Walker, playing his third game and making his first start, was 12 of 22 for 200 yards and two touchdowns and an interception for Temple (0-6, 0-3). He also ran for 48 yards on nine carries.
Cincinnati's defense bounced back from a shaky first half to hold the Owls scoreless in the second half.
Cincinnati, hoping for a quick start after scoring six points in the first half against South Florida, scored on its first possession and added three more touchdowns to build a 28-20 halftime lead. Kay connected on all five of his passes for 32 yards on the opening drive, and added a 25-yard touchdown pass to McClung and a 4-yard scoring run. Green scored on runs of 24 and 2 yards.
Temple hung with the Bearcats, shredding the nation's fourth-ranked defense in total yards for a season-high 20 first-half points and 271 yards, 16 more than the Owls' total in their 30-7 loss to No. 8 Louisville last week.
Walker completed touchdown passes of 35 yards to Jalen Fitzpatrick and 30 to Clinton Granger, and Zaire Williams added a 1-yard scoring run as the Owls gained 20 more yards than the per-game average of 251 allowed by the Bearcats in their first five games.
Cincinnati had gone 10 quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown.
Kay added a 4-yard touchdown pass to McClung with 9:19 left in the third quarter.
