Cincinnati Bearcats Football: Previewing the Louisville Game

After a bye week, the Cincinnati Bearcats are set to begin a seven-week conference stretch that will determine the fate of their season. 

A solid 4-1 non-conference season has positioned the Bearcats as one of the top contenders for the Big East championship. 

Saturday, Cincinnati makes their annual trip to Paul Brown Stadium, this time to take on the Louisville Cardinals. The homecoming crowd is expected to exceed 40,000 as the 51st Battle for The Keg of Nails takes place.

Cincinnati comes into the game a heavy favorite and in need of a victory to start off conference play. 

Here is a breakdown of what to expect from Louisville on Saturday. 

Offense

Louisville has one of the worst offenses in the country, averaging just over 16 points per game. Freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is set to make his third start of the season. Bridgewater is a former five-star recruit who has four touchdowns and four interceptions while splitting time with junior Will Stein. 

Sophomore running back Dominique Brown has come on strong as of late and has rushed for 170 yards on 43 carries. Brown is also the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Senior Vic Anderson will also get some carries.

Tight end Josh Chichester is a big target at 6'8" and 240 pounds. He has 240 yards on 15 receptions this season. Freshman receiver Michaelee Harris has 183 yards and a touchdown on 16 receptions.

Defense

The Louisville defense has been a pleasant surprise so far this season. They rank 13th in the country, only allowing 16.2 points per game. They have only allowed more than 17 points one time all season and held North Carolina to 14 points on the road last week. 

The run defense is the strength of the group, allowing just 78 yards per game, good for 10th in the nation. That run defense will be tested by Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead.

The defense as a whole allows less than 300 yards per game, which ranks 16th in the nation and is tied with Cincinnati at second in the country in tackles for loss at 8.8 per game.

The key to all these numbers is the defensive line. Marcus Smith, Greg Scruggs and William Savoy lead a solid front that is 10th in the country, averaging three sacks per game.

Outcome

With two defenses that have been surprisingly good all season, this game will be lower scoring than most people may think. 

The Cincinnati offense is very explosive, though, averaging 45 points per game. They will be too much for Louisville to handle. 

If the Cardinals can force a few turnovers, they can hang close in this one for a while. If not, Cincinnati will control this game for four quarters.

Prediction: Cincinnati 34, Louisville 17