Bearcats Return to Action at West Virginia on Saturday

UC, WVU will face off in Morgantown at noon on TNT

Bearcats Return to Action at West Virginia on SaturdayBearcats Return to Action at West Virginia on Saturday

CINCINNATI – It’s back to business this week for the Cincinnati football team, which returns from its bye week to face West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday.

Action at Milan Puskar Stadium between the Bearcats and Mountaineers will commence at noon with the game being televised on TNT.

Both Cincinnati and West Virginia will enter the game with their last result being a loss against Arizona. UC last played on Oct. 3 in Tucson and fell to the Wildcats by a score of 34-7. WVU hosted Arizona this past weekend, losing 52-31.

Saturday’s game will be the third between Cincinnati and West Virginia as Big 12 foes, but the two schools met annually from 2005-11 as members of the Big East Conference. Those games featured iconic performances from legends from both teams, including Mardy Gilyard, Jason Kelce, Tony Pike, Isaiah Pead, Geno Smith and Pat White among several stars.

The 2026 edition will feature a pair of teams looking to get back in the win column. The Bearcats started the season 4-0 and received votes in the AP poll ahead of the Oct. 3 game at Arizona before a tough, late-night loss in the desert. West Virginia opened the year 3-0 and notched a win against then-No. 25 Virginia in Charlotte. But the Mountaineers have since lost three Big 12 games, falling to Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Arizona.

UC and WVU both rely on strong rushing attacks to move the ball on offense. West Virginia ranks fourth nationally (295.5) and Cincinnati ranks 12th (230.8). Two of the Top 10 rushers in the country reside in Morgantown in Cam Cook (793, 3rd) and Michael Hawkins Jr. (672, 8th). UC’s two-headed monster in the backfield of Gi’Bran Payne and Cole Tabb both rank among the 12 most prolific rushers in the Big 12 this season and have fueled Cincinnati’s offense.

After back-to-back road games, Cincinnati will play its next two games at Nippert Stadium. UC welcomes Texas Tech on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Utah on Saturday, Oct. 31. The game against Texas Tech will be Cincinnati’s Homecoming game, celebrating the 100th Homecoming ever at UC.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

The game will be broadcast on TNT with J.B. Long (play-by-play) and Mike Golic Jr. (analyst) on the call and Jared Greenberg providing analysis from the sidelines. In addition to the main broadcast on TNT, the game will be simulcast on TruTV and HBO Max. The game will be broadcast on radio via 700 WLW and SiriusXM Channel 176 or 237 with Dan Hoard (pxp) and Tony Pike (analyst) on the call.

DOWN THE DRIVE: C-PAW FIRST & 10

  1. Cincinnati began the season with a 4–0 start for the first time since 2021 and just the seventh time since the turn of the century (2007, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2026) before suffering its first setback to Arizona, 34-7 in Week 5.
  2. The Bearcats were idle last weekend (10/10), their only bye week of the season. Cincinnati is 2-3 off bye weeks in the Satterfield era.
  3. Cincinnati ranks fifth in the FBS in third-down yards per play, averaging 8.28 yards per attempt on third downs this season. The Bearcats join Big 12 peers Arizona (8.74, 2nd) and Utah (8.46, 4th) as three of the top five most explosive third-down offenses in the country.
  4. Cincinnati is one of nine FBS teams nationally and one of only three Power 4 programs (alongside Purdue and Wake Forest)—with five players who have already recorded 30+ combined tackles this season. The Bearcats’ defensive production is spread out as safety Jasper Beeler, and linebackers Simeon Coleman, Jonathan Thompson, Antwan Peek Jr. and Damaine Wilson all have 30 or more tackles.
  5. Linebacker Jonathan Thompson leads the UC defense with 5.5 tackles for loss. He has also recorded 2.5 sacks (tied team lead) and is second in tackles with 37. Thompson is one of only two players in the FBS this season to record at least 35 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles through the first five games (joining UCLA’s Samuel Omosigho).
  6. Cincinnati leads the Big 12 with nine forced fumbles. However, UC has only had the ball bounce its way on three of those fumbles for recoveries. Causing the fumbles for the Bearcats defense has been Antwan Peek Jr. (3), Jonathan Thompson (2), Simeon Coleman, MJ Cannon, Damaine Wilson and Jacob Finley.
  7. Running back Cole Tabb ranks second in the Big 12 in yards per carry (9.7 avg.), trailing only Arizona’s Antwan Roberts (9.8 avg.) who has logged 11 fewer carries than Tabb. Tabb’s 6 rushing touchdowns rank tied for 4th in the conference.
  8. Quarterback JC French IV has played turnover-free football through five games, as the only Big 12 starter who has not thrown an interception. French ranks 4th in the conference in completion percentage, completing 69.9%, trailing only Noah Fifita (Arizona), Devon Dampier (Utah) and Keyone Jenkins (UCF).
  9. Cincinnati is one of just 20 FBS programs (and one of only four Big 12 teams alongside BYU, Houston, and Texas Tech) to have begun each of the last two seasons (2025 and 2026) with a 4–1 record or better through the first five games.
  10. Following the trip to Morgantown to play West Virginia, the Bearcats’ next three opponents—No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 11 Utah, and No. 20 Houston are all currently ranked in the AP Poll. Cincinnati’s remaining seven opponents feature a combined record of 28-10 (.758 winning percentage), ranking as the 6th-highest remaining opponent winning percentage in college football and highlighting a challenging back-half slate

OFFENSE LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK

  • Cincinnati’s offense aims to regain its rhythm after being held to seven points at Arizona on Oct. 3.
  • West Virginia ranks last in the Big 12 in both scoring defense (32.7 PPG allowed) and total defense (460.8 YPG allowed).
  • The Mountaineers rank last in the Big 12 in rushing defense (163.8 YPG allowed), creating an ideal matchup for a Bearcat ground attack averaging 230.8 YPG (12th nationally) with 17 rushing TDs (tied for 10th nationally).
  • The Mountaineers have surrendered 40+ points in all three of their Big 12 games this season: Oklahoma State (41), Iowa State (45), and Arizona (52). 

CLASH OF BIG 12 RUSHING POWERS

  • This matchup pits two of the Big 12’s premier ground attacks against each other, as WVU (295.5 YPG) and Cincinnati (230.8 YPG) rank among the top three rushing offenses in the league.
  • The Mountaineers are led by two of the Big 12’s top three individual rushers in Cam Cook (No. 1, 132.2 YPG, 7 TDs) and Michael Hawkins Jr. (No. 3, 112.0 YPG, Big 12-leading 12 TDs).

 

RUNNING UP THE TABB

  • Junior Cole Tabb ranks second in the Big 12 in yards per carry (9.7 avg.), trailing only Arizona’s Antwan Roberts (9.8 avg,) who has logged 11 fewer carries (23 carries to Tabb’s 34).
  • Tabb’s seven total touchdowns rank tied for 4th in the conference and 24th nationally.
  • His six rushing touchdowns rank tied for 4th in the conference.
  • Tabb rushed for three touchdowns in Week 4 vs. K-State, becoming the first Bearcat since Demarco McCleskey (1998) to have three touchdowns in back-to-back games (2 rushing, 1 receiving vs. Miami (OH)).

BACK-TO-BACK RANKED HOME GAMES

  • Cincinnati returns home for back-to-back games against ranked opponents, hosting No. 10 Texas Tech on Oct. 24 for its 100th Homecoming game and No. 11 Utah on Oct. 31.
  • A TV designation and kickoff time for the Oct. 24 Homecoming game vs. Texas Tech will be announced on Sunday, Oct. 18.
  • Following the trip to Morgantown, the Bearcats’ next three opponents—No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 11 Utah, and No. 20 Houston—are all currently ranked in the AP Poll.
  • Including the game at West Virginia, three of the Bearcats’ next five games are on the road.