The #2 ranked University of Cincinnati Bearcats are coming to Tampa for a Friday night, primetime matchup with the University of South Florida Bulls, 2-7 (1-4). The Bearcats, who boast an undefeated 9-0 (5-0) record to go with their top ranking, have an 11-7 advantage in the all-time series over the Bulls, who have a 5-4 advantage in games in Tampa. USF has lost the past three matchups, with last season’s loss 28-7, to the Bearcats.
USF Offense
True freshman quarterback, Timmy McClain had a breakout performance in his last game, and he did it against one the toughest defenses in the nation in Houston. McClain hit career highs with 289 yards passing and 46 yards rushing against the Cougars. He doubled his passing touchdown total with a pair of scores. He also scored a rushing touchdown. This season, McClain has passed for 1,289 yards, with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Despite the big game from McClain, the passing offense ranks just 108th in the nation (185 ypg).
McClain’s partners in the passing game include Xavier Weaver, with 576 receiving yards and two touchdowns, Jimmy Horn Jr., with 217 yards on 19 catches, and Omarion Dollison, who has 168 yards on 18 tries. Also prominent in the passing game are receivers, Demarcus Gregory (147 yards, 1 TD) and Bryce Miller (110 yards), and tight end, Mitchell Brinkman (125 yards, 1 TD).
A pleasant surprise for the offense has been the emergence of a strong running game, behind team rushing leader, Jaren Mangham, who has 507 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He ranks 8th in the nation in scoring by a running back. Behind Mangham are fellow backs, Kelley Joiner (340 yards, 1 TD) and Brian Battie (298 yards, 1 TD). Joiner had more than 100 yards rushing against Temple and East Carolina. Against Houston, Battie tied an NCAA record by returning two kickoffs for 100 yard touchdowns. He also rushed for 27 yards on three carries, scoring one touchdown. Over the past three games, the USF rushing offense improved from #83 to #55, rushing for over 176 yards per game.
In total offense, Bulls rank 95th, which is up from 114th after the Tulsa game. Scoring offense is up to 90th from 108th over the same timeframe.
Cincinnati Defense
The Bearcats are tough on defense, ranked 12th in total defense and #3 in scoring defense, allowing an average of just under 15 points per game. Linebacker, Joel Dublanko, is the star of the defense, racking up 84 total tackles, the 20th best total in the nation. Fellow linebackers, Darrian Beavers and Deshawn Pace round out the top three in tackles, with 67 and 63, respectively.
Beavers leads the team in sacks, with four, followed closely by defensive lineman, Curtis Brooks (3.5). Brooks is in a three way tie in tackles for loss, with Brooks and Dublanko, who have 7.5 apiece. Beavers and Pace also have 7 tackles for loss, each. The Bearcats are #76 against the run, allowing 157 yards per game.
Where the Bearcats excel on defense is in takeaways. They have 14 interceptions this season, tied for second best total in the country. Only Iowa (19) has more. Three Bearcats have three picks apiece. They are Arquon Bush, Coby Bryant, and Pace. Cincinnati has the third best passing defense, holding opposing quarterbacks to 155 yards per game.
Cincinnati Offense
Desmond Ridder is the play caller for the 13th ranked Cincinnati scoring offense, which averages 39 points per game. Ridder has accumulated 2,121 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and thrown just five interceptions. Individually, he ranks 16th in passing touchdowns and 28th in yards per attempt (8.6). He passed for 274 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the win over Tulsa, last week.
Ridder, a mobile quarterback, is the #2 rusher on the team, with 214 yards and four touchdowns on the season. He rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown against Tulsa. Jerome Ford is the lead back, with 888 yard on the ground, with 15 touchdowns. He’s tied for #3 in the nation in rushing touchdowns and is #20 in rushing yards. Also getting carries are fellow running backs, Ryan Montgomery (174 yards) and Charles McClelland (121 yards, 1 TD). Ford weighs in at 220 pounds and could present a challenge for the Bulls defense, who have struggled with large backs.
Alec Pierce gets the most targets at receiver, catching passes for a team-leading 603 yards, double the total for the #2 receiver, Tyler Scott (295 yards, 3 TDs). Pierce also has four receiving touchdowns. In their last game, Pierce had catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
USF Defense
Defense is not a strength this year for the Bulls, who rank 125th in total defense (485 ypg) and 115th in scoring defense (34 ppg). They are not completely without talent, however, they seem to be struggling with depth issues this season.
Linebackers, Antonio Grier and Dwayne Boyles, lead the defense with 65 and 60 tackles, respectively. Safeties, Matthew Hill and Vincent Davis round out the top four with 49 and 48, each. Grier also leads the team in sacks, with three of the team’s seven, and 7.5 tackles for loss.
Mekhi LaPointe ties the team lead in interceptions (2) with Grier and Boyles. The team has eight total picks on the season. One of Grier’s takeaways resulted in a touchdown.
The Bulls’ defense ranks 120th against the run (214 ypg) and 113th versus the pass (271 ypg). The Bulls gave up 54 points and 646 total yards to Houston in their last game.
Expectations
Cincinnati is a very good team with a very good quarterback and a very good defense. Ridder will have some success throwing and running the ball, but his dual threat ability will not be a surprise for the Bulls’ defense, who see this in practice every day. They will be prepared for Ridder, but his sheer skill and their lack of depth will allow him to have reasonable success. USF will look to their offense to make up for their shortcomings on defense. Look for the Bulls to exploit the Bearcats’ weakness on defense against the run. USF’s trio of backs are plenty to keep the Bearcats in check. The Bulls should be careful how they throw against Cincinnati, who will be happy to take advantage of any errant passes. USF seems continue to improve on a weekly basis and Cincinnati’s shaky performances in recent games should put them on upset alert. They will need to ensure they are not looking ahead to SMU or the Bulls could steal this one.
Summary
The Bearcats are better than three touchdown favorites on the road, with an over / under of 58. Kickoff is set for 6 PM eastern, with television broadcast available on ESPN2.
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