The Bearcats head back onto the road Nov. 7 with a chance to reset after a 49-25 loss to Utah. Cincinnati’s ninth game of the season sends it to Houston for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at TDECU Stadium on FOX, and it will be the Bearcats’ third away game from the city of Cincinnati.
Houston enters the matchup off a bye week and trying to get back in the win column after falling 21-13 to Utah on Oct. 24. The Cougars are 6-2 overall, 3-2 in Big 12 play, and ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press Top 25.
The biggest reason Houston has stayed in the national picture is fourth-year quarterback Conner Weigman. He has thrown for 2,053 yards with a 20-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, while also adding 249 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
ESPN’s College Football Total quarterback rating has Weigman seventh in the country. He arrived as a five-star recruit and also earned Texas Bowl MVP honors in last year’s win over LSU.
Weigman’s top target has been fourth-year receiver Amare Thomas, who has 41 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns. Thomas has been especially productive lately, piling up 12 receptions for 259 yards and two scores over his last two games.
Houston also has a key piece on defense in fourth-year defensive back Kentrell Webb. He leads the Cougars with 46 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception.
Cincinnati will lean on fifth-year quarterback JC French IV as it tries to respond. French IV has thrown for 1,773 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he has added 289 rushing yards and seven rushing scores.
The Bearcats’ biggest offensive weapon has been third-year running back Cole Tabb, who has emerged as one of the top backs in college football. Tabb has rushed for 752 yards and 10 touchdowns, added 155 receiving yards and three more scores, and topped 100 rushing yards in four of his last five games. He also leads the league with a 9.5 yards-per-carry average.