Tickets| CINCINNATI VS. TULANE | |
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 6 | Noon ET |
| Venue | Cincinnati, Ohio | Nippert Stadium (40,000) |
| Preview Info | Game Notes | Press Conference Video |
| Records | Cincinnati (5-0, 1-0 AAC East) | Tulane (2-3, 1-0 AAC West) |
| Head Coaches | Luke Fickell (Second Year) | Willie Fritz (Third Year) |
| Series Record | Tulane leads 11-5 |
| Last Meeting | Nov. 4, 2017 - Cincinnati won 17-16 |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Watch | ESPNU | ESPN App |
| Listen | 700 WLW AM | TuneIn Radio |
| @GoBearcatsFB | @GoBEARCATS | |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Gameday Information | 2018 Gameday Page |
| Homecoming Information | Homecoming Page | Press Release |
| Traffic Advisory | Parade Street Closures |
| Fans Should Wear | RED |
CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati football team welcomes Tulane to Nippert Stadium at noon on homecoming Saturday. The Bearcats are 5-0 (1-0 American Athletic Conference) and off to their best start to a season since 2012. Tulane is 2-3 (1-0 American). The game will air on ESPNU, the ESPN App and via radio on 700 WLW AM, Sirius 138, XM 381, Sirius XM Internet 976 and TuneIn.com.
THE SERIES
Saturday marks the 17th meeting in a series which dates to 1909 with Tulane holding an 11-5 lead. UC has won the last two matchups and Saturday will be the first time the teams have faced off in Cincinnati since 2001.
THE COACHES
Luke Fickell was named the 42nd Football Head Coach at the University of Cincinnati in December 2016. He took the reins of UC's program after spending 15 years at his alma mater, Ohio State. A veteran of nearly 20 years coaching at the FBS level, Fickell was a part of nine Big Ten Conference titles (seven as a coach, two as a player) and two national championship squads with 15 postseason games and 12 NFL Draft selections under his belt.
Willie Fritz is in his third season at Tulane and his 27th season has a college head coach. Prior to joining the Green Wave in late 2015, Fritz was the head coach at Georgia Southern (2014-15), Sam Houston State (2010-13), Central Missouri (1997-2009) and Blinn College (1993-96). He was the AFCA's FCS Coach of the Year in 2011 and the Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year in 2012.
STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS ...
- The University of Cincinnati football team plays its 131st season in 2018. The program dates to 1885 and is one of the 10 oldest in major college football. UC has won a league title five times in the last 11 years and played in nine bowl games in the last 12 seasons.
- The Bearcats are 5-0 (1-0 American Athletic Conference) in 2018, off to their best start since 2012 and surpassing the win total from each of the past two seasons when UC twice finished 4-8.
- Cincinnati leads the NCAA FBS in passing efficiency defense and sits in the Top-20 in rushing offense (15), passing efficiency (20), total defense (7), passing yards allowed (9), scoring defense (2), 3rd down conversion pct. defense (20), red zone offense (14), net punting (19), first downs offense (14) and time of possession (20).
- One of the youngest teams in the country, UC is made up of 72-percent underclassmen, including 35 true freshmen. The Bearcats feature players from 16 states and five countries with 64 of 112 student-athletes hailing from Ohio and 24 from the Cincinnati area.
- The offense has been paced by a potent running attack which averages 252.2 yards per game with 19 touchdowns.
- RB Michael Warren II leads the American and ranks second in the NCAA FBS with 10 rushing TDs and is No. 3 in the league and No. 18 nationally in rushing, averaging 108.2 ypg.
- UC started the season 17-for-17 on red-zone attempts and is 21-of-22 on the campaign.
- QB Desmond Ridder came in on the third series of the season opener at UCLA and hasn't looked back in leading the Bearcats to five wins, completing 67 percent of his passes, thrown eight TDs and averages 4.8 yards per rush with three more scores.
- TE Josiah Deguara has hauled in 18 catches for 247 yards and three TDs, all team highs.
- Defensively, UC currently sits second in the nation in scoring defense and seventh nationally in total defense. The Bearcats finished 2017 ranked 94th in both categories.
- DT Cortez Broughton is off to a career start with 4.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss in five games and fellow DT Marquise Copeland leads the team with 22 tackles.
- LB Bryan Wright moved from defensive end and has been a disruptive force with 21 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and a pair of sacks. S James Wiggins has a pair of interceptions and three PBUs.
- P James Smith, a first-team all-league selection in 2017 has picked up where he left off and has averaged 44.2 yards per punt with UC leading the league in net punting and foes averaging less than five yards per return.
- True freshman kicker Cole Smith is 26-of-26 on PATs and 1-for-2 on field goals.