TicketsCINCINNATI – Six weeks into the 2023 fall season, the University of Cincinnati football team sits as one of only five teams in the nation to rank in the Top 20 in rushing offense and rushing defense.
The Bearcats are averaging 220.2 yards per game on the ground (No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 10 nationally), while allowing only 100.4 rushing yards to opponents (No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 19 nationally).
Cincinnati also ranks among the Big 12's top three in both total offense (490.0 yards per game) and total defense (328.4).
It's clear, the Bearcats are doing a variety of things well on both sides of the ball under first-year head coach Scott Satterfield. Unfortunately, turnovers and red zone inefficiency have hampered UC the last three games, leading to a string of close losses to Miami, No. 5 Oklahoma and at BYU before last week's bye.
The Bearcats welcome Iowa State for Saturday's Homecoming ready to get back in the win column by limiting mistakes, while building on their early-season statistical success.
"You look every week and see how even this league is and how many teams can win," Satterfield said. "It just shows that you have to make the least number of mistakes. I told our team Sunday that five teams that won this weekend (in the Big 12) created 13 turnovers, and I think that's a huge difference. Obviously, if you take care of the football, you have a chance to win. You go back to our last game; the same stat was true. We had the muffed punt and, in the pick six, they didn't have any turnovers."
Cincinnati received a much-needed idle week after playing at BYU in Provo, Utah, late on a Friday night (10:20 ET kick) with only six days rest following a hard-fought 20-6 loss to Oklahoma at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats held a commanding 498 to 295 edge in total yards against the Cougars but turned the ball over twice in the 35-27 loss. Those two turnovers led directly to a pair of BYU touchdowns, and were ultimately the difference in a game where tight end Chamon Metayer showed flashes of his immense potential with two touchdown catches and quarterback Emory Jones passed for three touchdowns and rushed for 94 yards.
"You have to score more and hold them to less but I think it comes down to taking care of the ball and creating those turnovers defensively," Satterfield said. "I think that's obviously a huge thing that we have to do better at and those are things that we tried to work on this past week."
The Bearcats welcome an Iowa State team coming of a 27-14 win over TCU. The Cyclones (3-3, 2-1 in the Big 12) rank as one of the nation's most disciplined teams, allowing only three sacks with a +5 turnover margin through six games.
"I think Coach [Matt] Campbell and his staff have done some good stuff," Satterfield added. "They have a young team playing a lot of young players, including the quarterback. The way they've won is that what I just talked about – making the teams make mistakes and then not making their own mistakes. They have only given up three sacks this year, which is really good. They haven't lost a fumble this year. That's how you win and they're doing some really good things with that. Defensively, they [Iowa State], have finished top three in defense in the Big 12 in the last six years. So, they're always good and have been good on defense." ON THE AIR TV: FS1
Eric Collins (PxP), Devin Gardner (Analyst)
Radio: Bearcats Sports Network
Dan Hoard (PxP), Jim Kelly Jr. (Analyst), Anthony Mazzini (Sideline), Mo Egger (Host/Engineer)
Local: 700 WLW
Satellite: SiriusXM 135 or 199
App: The Varsity Network: "Search Cincinnati" BEARCATS HOST CYCLONES FOR FIRST TIME, CELEBRATE HOMECOMING
HOMECOMING HISTORY
The Bearcats are averaging 220.2 yards per game on the ground (No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 10 nationally), while allowing only 100.4 rushing yards to opponents (No. 2 in the Big 12, No. 19 nationally).
Cincinnati also ranks among the Big 12's top three in both total offense (490.0 yards per game) and total defense (328.4).
It's clear, the Bearcats are doing a variety of things well on both sides of the ball under first-year head coach Scott Satterfield. Unfortunately, turnovers and red zone inefficiency have hampered UC the last three games, leading to a string of close losses to Miami, No. 5 Oklahoma and at BYU before last week's bye.
The Bearcats welcome Iowa State for Saturday's Homecoming ready to get back in the win column by limiting mistakes, while building on their early-season statistical success.
"You look every week and see how even this league is and how many teams can win," Satterfield said. "It just shows that you have to make the least number of mistakes. I told our team Sunday that five teams that won this weekend (in the Big 12) created 13 turnovers, and I think that's a huge difference. Obviously, if you take care of the football, you have a chance to win. You go back to our last game; the same stat was true. We had the muffed punt and, in the pick six, they didn't have any turnovers."
Cincinnati received a much-needed idle week after playing at BYU in Provo, Utah, late on a Friday night (10:20 ET kick) with only six days rest following a hard-fought 20-6 loss to Oklahoma at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats held a commanding 498 to 295 edge in total yards against the Cougars but turned the ball over twice in the 35-27 loss. Those two turnovers led directly to a pair of BYU touchdowns, and were ultimately the difference in a game where tight end Chamon Metayer showed flashes of his immense potential with two touchdown catches and quarterback Emory Jones passed for three touchdowns and rushed for 94 yards.
"You have to score more and hold them to less but I think it comes down to taking care of the ball and creating those turnovers defensively," Satterfield said. "I think that's obviously a huge thing that we have to do better at and those are things that we tried to work on this past week."
The Bearcats welcome an Iowa State team coming of a 27-14 win over TCU. The Cyclones (3-3, 2-1 in the Big 12) rank as one of the nation's most disciplined teams, allowing only three sacks with a +5 turnover margin through six games.
"I think Coach [Matt] Campbell and his staff have done some good stuff," Satterfield added. "They have a young team playing a lot of young players, including the quarterback. The way they've won is that what I just talked about – making the teams make mistakes and then not making their own mistakes. They have only given up three sacks this year, which is really good. They haven't lost a fumble this year. That's how you win and they're doing some really good things with that. Defensively, they [Iowa State], have finished top three in defense in the Big 12 in the last six years. So, they're always good and have been good on defense." ON THE AIR TV: FS1
Eric Collins (PxP), Devin Gardner (Analyst)
Radio: Bearcats Sports Network
Dan Hoard (PxP), Jim Kelly Jr. (Analyst), Anthony Mazzini (Sideline), Mo Egger (Host/Engineer)
Local: 700 WLW
Satellite: SiriusXM 135 or 199
App: The Varsity Network: "Search Cincinnati" BEARCATS HOST CYCLONES FOR FIRST TIME, CELEBRATE HOMECOMING
- Cincinnati welcomes Iowa State to sold-out Historic Nippert Stadium after a bye week looking to snap a three-game losing streak and get back in the win column against the Cyclones on Homecoming. UC and ISU will meet for the first time ever, kicking off a two-week home stretch where the Bearcats will host Big 12 opponents for the first time (Baylor, Oct. 21).
- The Bearcats are seeking their first Big 12 win and return to Nippert Stadium where they are 327-185-13 all-time (since 1924).
- Only Alabama (27-2) and Clemson (27-2) have more wins at home than Cincinnati's 26 victories at Nippert Stadium since 2019. The Bearcats have won 89.7% (26-3) of their home games since 2019.
- Saturday's matchup will feature two of the Big 12's top WRs in ISU's Jaylin Noel (31 receptions - third in Big 12) and UC's Xzavier Henderson (30 receptions - fourth in Big 12). ISU DB Jeremiah Cooper is tied for the national lead with four INTs.
- UC has won four consecutive games coming off a bye with its last defeat coming in a 24-17 OT loss at Temple in 2018.
- Saturday's contest marks the 15th consecutive sell-out of Nippert Stadium.
HOMECOMING HISTORY
- Cincinnati welcomes ISU for its 97th all-time Homecoming game. UC holds a 61-31-4 record in Homecoming games all-time.
- The Bearcats are 19-4 in Homecoming games since 2000 and have won five straight.
- Cincinnati's last Homecoming loss came in a 31-28 overtime defeat to SMU in 2017.
- Last season's homecoming game was a 28-24 come-from-behind win over USF on Oct. 8, 2022. RB Charles McClelland had 179 yards rushing, while LB Ty Van Fossen tallied 16 tackles. Backup QB, and current WR, Evan Prater entered the game with UC down by 3 with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and led the Bearcats to victory.
- In 2021, UC defeated Tulsa, 28-20, with a last-minute goal-line stand on Homecoming. The day also featured ESPN College Gameday's first-ever visit to Cincinnati.
- Cincinnati's first homecoming game came on Nov. 14, 1925 - a 13-2 loss to Ohio University.
- TE Chamon Metayer hauled in the first two touchdown passes of his career and Cincinnati held a commanding 498-295 edge in total yards but turned the ball over twice in a 35-27 loss to BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday, Sept. 29.
- The Bearcats' two turnovers led directly to 14 points for the Cougars, which ended up being too much for UC to overcome despite 242 rushing yards and Emory Jones tossing three touchdowns and adding 94 yards on the ground.
- The Bearcats rank No. 2 in the Big 12 in total defense (328.4) and No. 3 in total offense (490.0). UC ranks No. 12 in the nation in total offense and No. 31 in total defense.
- Cincinnati leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 5 in the country in time of possession (34:03).
- Cincinnati ranks 10th nationally in rushing (220.2, No. 2 in Big 12). Defensively, UC has also been stout against the run, holding opponents to just 100.4 per game, which ranks 19th in the nation and second in the Big 12.
- The Bearcats held undefeated Oklahoma to its lowest point total of the season (20) in their last home game (a 20-6 loss) - 25 points less than the Sooners' season average (45.2 - No. 4 nationally).
- Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield and Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell served as offensive assistants on Tim Beckman's first Toledo team in 2009. Satterfield coached the quarterbacks and was the passing game coordinator, while Campbell coached the offensive line and was the run game coordinator.
- Also on the staff was current USF head coach Alex Golesh (running backs) and current Toledo head coach Jason Candle (slot receivers and tight ends) as well as current Michigan Co-DC Steven Clinkscale (CBs), who later worked as UC's DBs' coach in 2013 and 2014, adding the defensive coordinator title with the Bearcats in 2015.
- The Bearcats are allowing just 21.3 ppg in three games at Nippert Stadium this season, including Oklahoma's season-low of 20.
- Three different Bearcats have rushed for 100 yards in 2023 (QB Emory Jones, RB Ryan Montgomery and RB Corey Kiner [twice]).
- QB Emory Jones has 61 career total TDs, two 7-TD games, two 300-yard passing games, two 100-yard rushing games, 25 starts.
- The Bearcats went to back-to-back NY6 Bowls from 2020-21, and were the only G5 team to advance to the CFP (2021).
- Cincinnati is 661-602-50 (.523) all-time and is playing its 136th football season in 2023 (since 1885, one of 10 oldest in FBS).
- NT Dontay Corleone (4.5 TFLs in 2023) and P Mason Fletcher (44.6 career punt average) were Third Team AP All-Americans in 2022 and preseason All-Big 12 and preseason All-Americans in 2023.
- Xzavier Henderson ranks second in the Big 12 with 82.8 receiving yards per game and sits fourth with 30 receptions.