Eric Phillips, defensive end
The early news on the year was Malik Vann would be missing the rest of the year after injuring his shoulder in Week 2. This was a huge loss for the Bearcats and raised the question of who would step up in his place. That guy was Eric Phillips. The junior linemen had a phenomenal day today and has played well since stepping in. Phillips finished the game with five tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for losses, a pass deflection, and two quarterback hurries. He also caused the fumble that led to the Bearcats defensive touchdown on the day.
