Indiana football battles last seasons CFP participant Cincinnati in Week 4

Indiana football travels for their first road game of the season to Ohio to take on the preseason ranked #23 Cincinnati Bearcats on September 24th. The Hoosiers were taken down by the highly ranked Bearcats, 38-24, in Bloomington last season and are matching up against Cincinnati for the eighth time in college football history.

We study and look at the new Cincinnati Bearcats and preview the team before Indiana football travels to Cincinnati at the end of September:

Opponent: Cincinnati Bearcats
Date/Time: Saturday, September 24th at TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Nippert Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio
All-time Head-to-Head Record: 5-2-0 (.714)

Offensive Key Player(s)

Evan Prater – #3 – QB | Ben Bryant – #6 – QB

One thing is clear as we near the beginning of the 2022 college football season, the Bearcats will have a new starting quarterback under center, after Desmond Ridder, who led Cincinnati to its first ever College Football Playoff, got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft. The question is, who will the starter be?

Evan Prater is a redshirt sophomore that completed just five passes for 38 yards last season behind Ridder. The other option is Ben Bryant, who spent his first three seasons at Cincinnati, transferred to Eastern Michigan to be the starting QB and threw for over 3,000 passing yards, and has now returned for his redshirt senior season to hopefully win the starting job over Prater. Head coach, Luke Fickell, has yet to announce the starter, but Indiana football should know by the time week 4 rolls around.

Charles McClelland – #10 – RB | Myles Montgomery – #26 – RB

Cincinnati football’s lead back, Jerome Ford, finished 18th among all running backs in college football in total rushing yards (1,319) and rushed for the seventh most rushing touchdowns (19) among all players in college football last season. With Ford drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 2022 NFL Draft, Charles McClelland seems as though he’s going to lead the charge in the running back room. McClelland has struggled to stay healthy with two ACL injuries in 2019 and 2020. But as the upperclassmen of the RB room, he has a chance to rush for 500+ yards and bring this Bearcats’ offense to what it has been for the past two seasons.

Like the QB situation, the RB competition is still in question as Myles Montgomery, a sophomore who served as a punt returner twice as a freshman, is working his way as a potential starting RB. Though this is all speculation, at the end of the day, the RB situation will likely be split between McClelland and Montgomery as the season progresses.

Defensive Key Player(s)

Deshawn Pace – #20 – LB

Cincinnati football’s defense lost their top three leaders in tackles from last season, but are returning Deshawn Pace, who had a team-high 10 tackles against the Hoosiers in last year’s matchup. Pace finished the season fourth on the team in total tackles (95) and tackles for loss (9.5), and first on the team in interceptions (four). Pace is filling a void left by now Seattle Seahawks’ linebacker, Joel Dublanko, and New York Giants linebacker, Darrian Beavers, who ranked in the top five in the American Athletic Conference in total tackles in 2021.

Ja’von Hicks – #3 – S

Last season, Cincinnati football ranked top five in all of college football in pass efficiency defense, passing yards allowed, interceptions, and opponent completion percentage. The only returning defensive backs left of that stellar defensive group is Ja’von Hicks and Arquon Bush; Coby Bryant led the team in passes defended (11) and now is in the secondary for the Seattle Seahawks; Bryan Cook is now a safety with the Kansas City Chiefs; and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is now making headlines for the New York Jets. Hicks is in line for an All-AAC season and could keep the Bearcats afloat as a strong defensive team.

Overall Outlook

Indiana football will be running into the powerhouse that has been Cincinnati football over the past couple seasons. Despite losing to then-ranked #8 Cincinnati last season, both teams are much different this season, which should give Hoosier faithful some hope in Indiana football, starting the season with a win on the road against a ranked opponent and handing the Bearcats their first regular season loss since December 2019.