Three keys, prediction: Cincinnati Bearcats to host Indiana Hoosiers

Last weekend's showdown against Miami University was technically a road game for the University of Cincinnati football team.

The Bearcats wore their road-white uniforms as the RedHawks hosted the 126th installment of the Battle for the Victory Bell at the Bengals' Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati.

Despite the arrangement with their neighbors from Oxford, Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and the Bearcats retained the Victory Bell. Fickell on Tuesday thanked the fans in attendance – particularly the UC students – for creating a home-away-from-home atmosphere about three miles from their usual home, Nippert Stadium.

"I know it wasn't our home game, which I still don't know how," he said. "But it wasn't our home game, and I thought (the students) did an awesome job. They were there early. I don't know that I didn't expect that, but I believe they may have started a little faster than we did, and I really appreciate that, as well as the entire crowd. I mean, I really thought it was really, really good. I think that had it been our home game, maybe we would've opened up the upper deck. I think we could've filled that thing. It was awesome to see our people."

Since it was technically Miami's home game, Fickell and his staff couldn't have their recruits in attendance. That won't be the case on Saturday.

Cincinnati (2-1) is set to host the Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) Saturday afternoon at Nippert. Several football recruits will be on the sideline, including committed four-star 2023 Ironton HIgh School linebacker Trevor Carter.

"I'm pumped to the max about being back home to watch a game at the Nipp," Carter told The Enquirer.

It won't just be football recruits who will be enjoying the game-day scene in Clifton. Cincinnati men's basketball coach Wes Miller and his staff will also host a pair of four-star 2023 recruits in forward/center Arrinten Page (Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia) and point guard Jizzle James (Olympia High School in Orlando, Florida). The two standouts will be in town this weekend for their official campus visits.

Another sold-out crowd is expected to fill the stands (and the sideline) as the Bearcats seek their 29th straight win at Nippert Stadium.

3 keys to victory for Cincinnati Bearcats football vs. Indiana Hoosiers

1. Continue to establish the run: Cincinnati early on has thrown the ball more than it typically has any of Fickell's previous five seasons as head coach. A lot of that is due to the Bearcats having a new offensive coordinator (Gino Guidugli). Fickell had the same offensive play-caller (Mike Denbrock) in each of his first five seasons.

The Bearcats also have a wealth of weapons at wide receiver and tight end and are still trying to figure out who will be that feature running back like Jerome Ford was last season.

"Every year, you know you're going to be a little different," Fickell said. "That still doesn't get away from who we think we are and who we want to be. For us to be able to establish and find the guys that are going to carry the running game is where we still have to grow."

Fickell said he wants to continue to strive to have a more balanced offensive attack. That means establishing the run early and often. Senior running back Charles McClelland rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 18 carries last week. McClelland (or maybe sophomore running back Corey Kiner) will need to have another big day Saturday if the Bearcats are going to improve to 3-1.

2. Spread the wealth: Establishing the run doesn't mean abandoning the pass. Nine different Cincinnati players had at least one catch last week against the RedHawks. That kind of balance makes it tougher for opposing defenses and allows the Bearcats to play much faster.

"As an offense, you've got to start fast and you've got to stay fast," UC senior tight end and team captain Josh Whyle said. "We've got to limit turnovers and penalties. I think that's going to be a key factor to this game."

3. Win the turnover battle: If the Bearcats are going to beat the Hoosiers, they can't make it easy for them by committing "stupid" (Fickell's word) penalties and costly turnovers. Cincinnati committed 10 penalties in each of the first three games. The Bearcats also racked up five fumbles (they lost two of them) against Miami. Those numbers need to improve.

Defensively, the Bearcats also need to force turnovers, and that starts up front with the defensive line. With standout graduate defensive end Malik Vann sidelined after suffering a torn pectoral muscle against Kennesaw State, the onus is on the other members of the defensive line to get pressure on Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak.

"One of the main things that coach (defensive line coach Walter Stewart) makes sure that we're doing – it really starts with the seniors – is just making sure that everybody in the room is ready, no matter what," junior defensive lineman Jowon Briggs said. "So even Lik (Malik Vann) will say it himself, he's a great player, obviously, but we've been making sure that we've got guys that are ready to go into the fire when needed. So people like Eric Phillips, Noah Potter, Laney (Ryan Mullaney), all those guys have been playing extraordinarily well, and I think that's just a testament to not only the standard that Lik set by performing the way he does and training the way he does, but also the standard that coach has set for all our D-linemen to be able to just go in there when their name is called."

How to watch Cincinnati Bearcats football vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Time: 3:30 p.m. on Saturday

Where: Nippert Stadium

TV: Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Stormy Buonantony (sideline) will have the call on ESPN2.

Radio: Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Jim Kelly Jr. (analyst) and Mo Egger (host/engineer) will have the UC radio network call on WEBN-FM (102.7)/WLW-AM (700), Sirius 385 and SXM App 975.

Live stream: ESPN+

Betting line: Cincinnati was a 16.5-point favorite 24 hours before kickoff.

Series history: Saturday will be the 16th meeting between the two programs. Indiana owns a 9-4-2 lead in the series. The Bearcats are 1-3-1 against the Hoosiers at home. Cincinnati defeated Indiana 38-24 last season in Bloomington, Indiana.

Cincinnati Bearcats football prediction

Both Cincinnati and Indiana look drastically different from the two teams that squared off in Bloomington a season ago. Both teams have new starting quarterbacks. Cincinnati has Ben Bryant, while the Hoosiers now have Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak under center. But the cultures within both programs remain the same. A big part of the Bearcats' culture under Fickell is protecting home field and not letting outsiders have success at Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats have won 28 straight games in Clifton ‒ the second-longest home winning streak in the FBS behind only Clemson (36). That streak will extend to 29 on Saturday. Cincinnati wins, 38-21.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: College football Week 4 prediction: UC Bearcats vs Indiana Hoosiers