It is a top-25 matchup in the Big 12, and the site of ESPN's College Game Day as Cincinnati visits Utah. This game could go a long way in the race to play for the Big 12 Title, and we have bold predictions on the match-up.
Cincinnati comes into the game at 7-1 on the year. The team lost to Nebraska 20-17 to open the year, and has since run off seven straight wins. Furthermore, the team has been dominant in recent weeks. After an eight-point win over Iowa State, Cincinnati has won three straight games by nine or more points. Last week, they faced Baylor. Cincinnati was up 24-0 before Baylor scored with 16 seconds left in the first half. The Bearcats would go on to win the game 41-20.
Meanwhile, Utah has moved to 6-2 on the year. After a 3-0 start, the Utes struggled against Texas Tech, falling 34-10. They would then run off two major wins in a row, before falling to BYU 24-21. Last week was a complete beatdown of Colorado. Utah scored on seven of the ten first-half drives, plus added a safety to lead 43-0 at the end of the first half. They would add another ten points in the second half, going on to win the game 53-7.
Tawaee Walker has a solid day
The Cincinnati offense has been solid this year. They are 23rd in the nation in points per game while sitting 36th in yards per game. They are 70th in the nation in passing yards per game, while sitting 29th in FBS in rushing yards per game. The leader for the Bearcats in the running game has been Evan Pryor. Pryor has run for 478 yards and three scores this year. He was great against Baylor, running for 66 yards and a touchdown. Still, Pryor will be missing the game with Utah due to an injury.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby has been a major part of the rushing attack, running for 425 yards and seven touchdowns, but the bulk of the carries will be going to Tawee Walker. He has run for 466 yards and four touchdowns this year, while also having a receiving touchdown this year.
He showed what he can do as the primary running back last week after Pryor went down. He ran for 84 yards and a score against Baylor. He is also averaging 5.2 yards per carry this year. While Utah has a solid defense, they have been weaker against the run. Walker is going to fill in for Pryor in a big way, running for over 100 yards and a score in the game.
Devon Dampier returns and is great
The Utah offense has also been great this year. They are 15th in the nation in points per game while sitting 12th in yards per game. The running game has been great, sitting fourth in the nation in yards per game, while the passing game is ranked 94th. Quarterback Devon Dampier missed the last game against Colorado, but could be back for this game.
He has completed 138 of 201 passes for 1,35 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions. He has also run for 442 yards and five touchdowns this year. Dampier has had some great games on the ground. He has four games over 60 yards and has scored on the ground in three games this year. Meanwhile, he has run for 184 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games.
Dampier has accounted for multiple touchdowns in each of his last three games, and he will have at least two touchdowns in this game while running for over 50 yards.
The Bearcat defense keeps it tight
Both defensive units in this game are solid. Utah is ninth in the nation in opponent points per game while also sitting 12th in opponent yards per game. They have struggled some against the run, allowing 146.9 yards per game, which is 58th in FBS. They have been great against the pass, though, sitting fourth in FBS against the pass.
While the Utah defense has been great, the Cincinnati defense will be the story of the game. Cincinnati is 34th in the nation in opponent points per game, but they are 94th in the nation in opponent yards per game. They are 68th against the run and 119th against the pass. While the defense has not been great, it has been great in recent weeks.
Last week against Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robinson, Cincinnati held him to just 137 yards passing with two touchdowns. It was still the worst game of the season for Robinson.
Where Cincinnati has been great on defense is in the red zone. They are 18th in FBS in red zone scoring percentage at just 76.92 percent. Meanwhile, Utah has struggled in the kicking game. They are 104th in the nation in field goal conversion percentage at just 66.7 percent.
Odds at the time of writing, according to FanDuel, have Cincinnati as a 9.5-point underdog. Cincinnati is going to struggle to pull the upset. They do not have the same level of offense or defense as Utah. Still, they are going to keep this close and cover the spread in this one thanks to their defense.
