Cincinnati QB Gunner Kiel cleared to play, will compete to start Friday

Graham Watson

Cincinnati quarterback Gunner Kiel has been cleared to practice this week and will compete with Hayden Moore to see who will start Friday’s game against BYU, coach Tommy Tuberville announced.

Kiel suffered a neck injury during a hit by a Memphis defensive player on Sept. 24 and was taken to the hospital for further tests. He had been held out of training since that time and freshman Moore has excelled in Kiel’s absence.

In games against Memphis and Miami, Moore has thrown for 836 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. In the 34-23 win against Miami, Moore completed nearly 67 percent of his passes.

Kiel was the team’s starter at the beginning of the season, but has been knocked out of games against Miami-Ohio and Memphis with head and neck injuries. So far this season, he’s thrown for 868 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!

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