Know Your Opponent: Cincinnati Bearcats
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Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
Head Coach: Luke Fickell
Overall: 50-16
Bowl Appearances at Cincinnati: Four
2021 Record: 13-1
Mascot: The Bearcat
Colors: red and black
Outfitter: Under Armour
National Titles: 0
Conference Titles: 16 (three in the American Athletic Conference)
Heisman Winners: 0
Last Week: 38-17 over Miami (OH)
Statistical Leaders
Passing: Ben Bryant – 68-97 (70.1%) for 863 yards with 7 TDs and 2 INTs
Rushing: Charles McClelland – 33 carries for 211 yards (6.39 ypc)
Receiving: Tyler Scott – 15 catches for 238 yards with two touchdowns
Tacklers: Ivan Pace – 31 tackles
Stat of the Week: Despite trailing Miami (OH) 17-7 last Saturday in a rivalry matchup dubbed the Battle for the Victory Bell, the Bearcats stayed calm and scored 31 straight points to win 38-17. They ultimately outgained the RedHawks 478 to 183 in offense.
Bearcats Talking Points
1. Despite losing several starters to the NFL after the 2021 season, the Cincinnati Bearcats defense has looked pretty good early on in 2022. Arkansas had success in spots in the season opener (scoring 31) but in total, the Bearcats are only allowing 3.05 yards per rushing attempt, 4.33 yards per offensive play and perhaps most impressively, only allowing opponents to convert 36.17% of third downs (with 0-4 on fourth down thrown in for good measure). Transfer Ivan Pace leads the team in tackles from his linebacker position and the Bearcats are getting really good contributions from young players now getting a chance to shine.
2. Replacing Desmond Ridder was always going to be a tall task but after a rough first half at Arkansas, senior Ben Bryant has performed just about as well as anyone at UC could have hoped for. Bryant is completing 70% of his passes with an average of 8.9 yards per attempt. The Bearcats are still a balanced attack (more on that below) as they have found a trio of receivers averaging more than 15 yards per reception: Tyler Scott, Tre Tucker and Jadon Thompson are all capable of big plays with Scott leading the way as the top target. This is a very different offense than IU faced last Saturday against Western Kentucky but the Bearcats can be just as effective.
3. Perhaps the largest concern for the Hoosiers will be fixing the run defense. The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers passing attack had IU vexed and they were able to take advantage of that to run the ball quite effectively. The Hilltoppers had 216 yards rushing with an average of six yards per rush and Cincinnati will present a more physical offensive front and better backs. Charles McClelland is averaging 6.39 yards per carry with three touchdowns. Corey Kiner has 130 yards with three touchdowns. Myles Montgomery, a talented freshman, has added 112 yards on just ten carries. In total, Cincinnati is running the ball for nearly 4.97 yards a pop. If Indiana is going to have a chance on Saturday, they’ll need to contain the rushing attack much better than they have thus far in 2022.