Three keys, prediction: Cincinnati Bearcats hit road to face Tulsa in AAC opener

Keith Jenkins, Cincinnati Enquirer
·3 min read
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Tulsa has given the University of Cincinnati football team absolute fits in each of their last three meetings.

The two teams will meet again Saturday night in their American Athletic Conference opener. The difference this time around is the game won't be played inside Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium. Instead, it will kick off at Tulsa's place.

"Knowing this is going to be a great battle (we've already had some great battles with them in years before), we're finally excited to have them actually come to town and be in our city and play in our stadium," Golden Hurricane coach Philip Montgomery said.

Saturday will be the first true road game for the Bearcats (3-1) since the season opener Sept. 3 at Arkansas.

Scouting report:A look at the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Cincinnati's opponent in AAC opener

"We all remember what happened there," Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell said.

Cincinnati is 4-12-2 all time at Tulsa (2-2).

Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell brings his team to the sideline during a timeout in the fourth quarter of the NCAA American Athletic Conference game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. The Bearcats became bowl eligible , improving to 6-1, with a 24-13 win at home.

3 keys to victory for Cincinnati Bearcats football vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

1. Get to the quarterback: Tulsa's offense has been among the best in the country through the first four games. The unit ranks fourth in the FBS in passing offense (358.5), 11th in passing yards per completion (14.7) and 13th in total offense (507). Golden Hurricane senior quarterback Davis Brin is "day-to-day" after suffering an injury last week at No. 14/11 (Associated Press/coaches polls) Ole Miss. Whoever is under center for Tulsa (either Brin or freshman backup Braylon Braxton) will need to feel the pressure from linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and the Cincinnati defense.

2. Stop the run: Tulsa is coming off a season-high 262 rushing yards last week. The Golden Hurricane torched the Bearcats for 297 yards on the ground last season. Long runs can be demoralizing. They also eat up clock. Cincinnati better bring its run defense to Oklahoma.

3. Finish: The Bearcats won last week but they did not finish well. That can't happen Saturday night. Cincinnati has won three straight against the Golden Hurricane but needed every second to secure each of those victories. If the Bearcats are going to improve to 4-1, they'll need to play until the final buzzer.

How to watch Cincinnati Bearcats football vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Time: 7 p.m. on Saturday

Where: Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.

TV: Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst) will have the call on ESPNU.

Radio: Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Jim Kelly Jr. (analyst) and Mo Egger (host/engineer) will have the UC radio network call on WLW-AM (700), Sirius 385 and SXM App 975.

Live stream: ESPN+

Betting line: Cincinnati was a 9.5-point favorite 24 hours before kickoff.

Series history: Saturday will be the 37th meeting between the two programs. Both teams own 17 wins in the all-time series (17-17-2). Cincinnati defeated Tulsa 28-20 last season at Nippert Stadium.

Cincinnati Bearcats football prediction

Playing in Tulsa has been unkind to Cincinnati historically. But Saturday will mark the Bearcats' first visit to the Sooner State under Fickell. If Brin plays, he likely won't be 100%. So Cincinnati gets the edge. UC wins, 34-24.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati football vs. Tulsa: 3 keys, predictions for Bearcats