The University of Cincinnati has already proven it can knock off a ranked opponent at Nippert Stadium. Now the Bearcats get a shot at doing it again.
UC hosts No. 6 Utah on Saturday, Oct. 31, with kickoff set for 3:45 p.m. on ESPN.
The Bearcats are coming off a 37-24 win over then-No. 8 Texas Tech and are trying to turn one big victory into a run of them.
That win over Texas Tech carried plenty of weight. Cincinnati beat the Red Raiders in front of a sold-out Homecoming crowd on Oct. 24, and it was the program’s highest-ranked home win since taking down No.
7 Rutgers in 2006. It also marked the third time the Bearcats have beaten a top-10 team at Nippert Stadium.
Utah brings a different kind of test. The teams met for the first time last season, and the Utes rolled to a 45-14 win in Salt Lake City.
Cincinnati’s offense is coming in with confidence, and third-year running back Cole Tabb is a big reason why. He ripped off a career-best 173 yards on 16 carries against Texas Tech, including a 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. That performance gave him his second straight 100-yard rushing game and earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Tabb has piled up 621 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns this season, and he has added three receiving touchdowns. His 12 total touchdowns are tied for fourth nationally.
Quarterback JC French IV also delivered against Texas Tech, throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Over his last two games, French has thrown seven touchdowns, which is tied for the most in the Football Bowl Subdivision over that stretch.
The challenge gets tougher against a Utah defense that ranks eighth nationally against the run, giving up just 88.3 yards per game. The Utes are also dangerous on the ground themselves, sitting eighth nationally in rushing offense at 234.6 yards per game.
That lines up with what Cincinnati has done all season. The Bearcats are averaging the same 234.6 rushing yards per game and have topped 225 yards on the ground in five of seven games. If Tabb and the run game get going early, UC can force Utah to defend in a way it has rarely had to this season.
Utah is coming off a win over Houston, but the Utes will be looking to sharpen their offensive execution when they arrive in Cincinnati. Fourth-year quarterback Devon Dampier and third-year running back Wayshawn Parker are set to lead the way. Parker has 891 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns, matching Tabb’s touchdown total and tying for second in the Big 12.
Cincinnati’s defense also has something to build on after its showing against Texas Tech. Veteran safety MJ Cannon forced a fumble and intercepted a pass in the win, earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Bearcats finished that game with four sacks and three forced turnovers.
There’s more at stake for UC than just another marquee win. A victory would give the Bearcats back-to-back wins against ranked opponents for the first time since 2008. It would also make them bowl-eligible for the second straight season under head coach Scott Satterfield.
This is only the second meeting between Cincinnati and Utah, and it’s the first time the Bearcats have hosted ranked opponents in consecutive weeks. After the Texas Tech breakthrough, Nippert gets another major test before UC heads on the road to face No.
18 Houston on Saturday, Nov. 7.
In Other News...
Cincinnati Has A Bigger Big 12 Chance Than Utah Wants To Admit
Saturdays Big 12 matchup has drawn plenty of attention because it pits Cincinnati against an undefeated Utah team that has looked the part through the early going. The Bearcats come in with some real momentum after a recent win over Texas Tech, and the conversation around this one has already turned to whether Cincinnati has more of a chance than Utah wants to acknowledge. David Pollack and Brent Rollins both dug into the matchup, framing it as a test of how far Cincinnati has come and how much pressure Utah can absorb in league play.
A lot of the focus naturally falls on Utahs dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier, who gives the Utes a different kind of problem for a defense trying to stay disciplined from snap to snap. Pollack believes Cincinnati is capable of handling the moment and sees the Bearcats as live underdogs in a game set for 2:45 p.m. CT on ESPN. For Cincinnati, it is the kind of late-afternoon proving ground that can shift how the rest of the Big 12 views the Bearcats if they can turn another strong showing into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona State Has A Real Reason To Watch The Big 12 Now
The Big 12s recent run of change has a lot to do with Brett Yormark, who took over as commissioner in 2022 and quickly put his stamp on the league. Under his watch, the conference added Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State, while also landing a media rights deal that helped stabilize the leagues future. For programs like Cincinnati, the last few years have been a reminder that the Big 12 is still trying to define itself in a shifting college sports landscape, even as it holds onto its place as the No. 4 conference and continues to put multiple playoff contenders on the board.
Yormarks tenure also pushed the Big 12 into some of the sports most consequential battles, reflecting how much more assertive the league has become in protecting its interests. The conference has not shied away from taking a leadership role when it believes the stakes warrant it, and that approach has helped shape the way the Big 12 operates on and off the field. With so much of that groundwork already in place, the next phase for the league will be about whether it can keep that momentum going as the leadership picture changes. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Faces Its Toughest Test Yet At Nippert Against No. 6 Utah
No. 6 Utah arrives at Nippert with the nations longest active winning streak intact, and Cincinnati knows this is the kind of late-season home game that can say a lot about where the program stands. Scott Satterfield has stressed the value of playing in front of a familiar crowd, and the Bearcats will need every edge they can get against a Top 10 team that has handled just about everything in its path.
What makes Utah so tricky for Cincinnatis defense is the variety baked into its offense, which has a way of forcing opponents to stay disciplined snap after snap. The Bearcats are also staring at a game that could swing on hidden-yardage moments, whether it is the run game, a turnover or a field goal chance, so the margin for error feels especially thin. [Read more 🡒]