West Virginia heads into Saturday afternoon’s Big 12 matchup with Cincinnati still hunting for its first conference win, and the pressure is building fast in Morgantown, W.Va.
The Mountaineers are 3-3 overall and 0-3 in league play after getting sliced up for 341 passing yards in a 52-31 loss to Arizona last Saturday. That defeat extended a rough run for West Virginia’s defense, which has surrendered more than 40 points in each of its three conference games this season.
Coach Rich Rodriguez didn’t sugarcoat what he’s seeing on tape.
"It is really frustrating."
"The whole staff watched the film for 4 1/2 hours on Sunday morning, watched it with the whole defense Sunday afternoon, trying to get to the bottom of exactly why," Rodriguez said. "Because it's been a different issue -- or issues -- every week."
Cincinnati arrives with its own scars after a 34-7 loss to Arizona on Oct. 3, a game that sent the Bearcats into their bye week after they were outgained 522-227 and gave up 238 rushing yards. The Bearcats are 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
This week’s challenge is a familiar and thorny one: West Virginia brings the Big 12’s top rushing attack, averaging 295.5 yards per game. Cam Cook has been the engine there, piling up 793 yards on the ground.
Scott Satterfield knows exactly where the test lies.
"You have to fit the defense correctly," Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said about facing West Virginia's rushing attack. "If a guy's out of his gap, that's where they're going to make you pay."
Satterfield also said he expects West Virginia to lean on man coverage and is looking for more from his receivers after Cincinnati’s offense has been held under 200 passing yards in each of its last two games.
"The challenge is to go out there and win the one-on-ones. And so when we get those, I think that'll be huge," Satterfield said.
West Virginia has controlled this matchup since Cincinnati entered the Big 12 in 2023, winning both meetings. The Mountaineers also own an 18-3-1 lead in the all-time series.
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Bearcats Head To West Virginia With Plenty To Prove
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Cincinnati is trying to move past a lopsided loss at Arizona and carry a sharper edge into Morgantown, where the rivalry adds another layer to an already important Big 12 matchup. Frenchs steadiness has been one of the teams bright spots through the season, and the Bearcats know they will need that composure, along with a cleaner overall performance, if they want to leave West Virginia with something to show for the week. [Read more 🡒]