Tickets| NO. 25/23 CINCINNATI VS. USF | |
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 10 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Cincinnati, Ohio | Nippert Stadium (40,000) |
| Preview Info | Game Notes | Press Conference Video |
| Records | Cincinnati (8-1, 4-1 AAC East) | USF (7-2, 3-2 AAC East) |
| Head Coaches | Luke Fickell (Second Year) | Charlie Strong (2nd Year) |
| Series Record | Cincinnati leads 9-7 |
| Last Meeting | Oct. 14, 2017 - No. 15 USF won 33-3 |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Watch | ESPNU (Bill Roth, Mike Golic Jr.) | WatchESPN.com |
| Listen | 700 WLW AM | TuneIn Radio | XM 380, Internet 983 |
| @GoBearcatsFB | @GoBEARCATS | |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Gameday Information | Gameday Information |
CINCINNATI – The No. 25/23 University of Cincinnati football team continues a November home swing Saturday against USF at 7 p.m. in Nippert Stadium. The Bearcats (8-1, 4-1 AAC) moved back into both national polls this week after a 42-0 win over Navy on Nov. 3. USF (7-2, 3-2 AAC) enters on a two-game slide, falling 57-36 at Houston and 41-15 to Tulane, its first back-to-back league losses since 2014. The game airs nationally on ESPNU and via radio on 700 WLW AM, XM 380 and Sirius XM Internet Channel 983.
TV: ESPNU
- Play-by-Play: Bill Roth
- Analyst: Mike Golic Jr.
- Play-by-Play: Dan Hoard
- Analyst: Jim Kelly Jr.
- Sideline Reporter: Tony Pike
- Host/Engineer: Mo Egger
Saturday marks the 16th meeting in a series which dates to 2003. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 8-7 and holds a 5-2 edge in games played in Cincinnati. The Bulls have won three straight, but UC has won two of the last three Nippert Stadium matchups.
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.
Charlie Strong is 17-4 in his second year at USF and 70-41 in 10 years as a college head coach. The former Texas coach was 2-2 against UC while HC at Louisville and was the DC on the Florida staff which defeated UC in the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
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 the NCAA FBS. UC has won a league title five times in the last 11 years and will play in its 10th bowl games in the last 13 seasons.
- With eight wins on the year, UC is bowl eligible for the first time since 2015 when the Bearcats played in the Hawai'i Bowl.
- 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.
- UC is 8-1 on the season and 4-1 on the road, equaling the most wins away from home since 2014. It's the best start to a season for the Bearcats since 2009 when the team went 12-0 during the regular season.
- The Bearcats are defeating opponents by an average of 21.0 ppg, which includes home wins over Alabama A&M, Ohio, Tulane and Navy along with road triumphs at UCLA, Miami (OH), UConn and SMU.
- UC leads the NCAA FBS in net punting and ranks among the Top-20 teams in 3rd down conversion pct. defense (3), 4th down conversion pct. defense (3), first downs defense (6), passing yards allowed (9), rushing defense (15), rushing offense (16), scoring defense (6), team passing efficiency defense (5) and total defense (5).
- UC leads the American Athletic Conference in total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense, pass defense efficiency, punting, fewest opponent first downs, 3rd down conversion pct. defense and 4th down conversion pct. defense.
- UC has 28 rushing touchdowns on the year, more than doubling last year's total of 11. RB Michael Warren II has 14 of those 28 scores.
- RB Michael Warren II has 931 yards and 14 TDs, totaling 100 or more yards four times in the last six games.
- QB Desmond Ridder has completed 63 percent of his passes in eight starts, throwing for 1,703 yards, 13 TDs and adding another 437 yards rushing along with five more scores.
- WR Kahlil Lewis had a career day against SMU, finishing with 12 catches for 174 yards and a pair of 32-yard TD receptions.
- TE Josiah Deguara has 29 catches for 382 yards and four TDs. He has a reception in all nine games and entered the season with 15 career receptions for 145 yards and no scores.
- DT Cortez Broughton, the reigning AAC Defensive POTW, ranks No. 4 in the American in sacks (0.61 per game) and no. 2 in tackles for loss (1.67 per game). His season numbers (5.5 sacks, 15.0 TFL) surpass his career numbers entering 2018 (3.5 sacks, 10 TFL).
- P James Smith is No. 6 in the NCAA FBS and No. 2 in the AAC averaging 46.3 ypp. He had a career-long 72-yard boot at Temple.