Game Preview & Trends: UC vs Navy

Bearcats look to keep momentum rolling as 11 point underdogs

Cincinnati Bearcats (2-1)

  • Cincinnati is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
  • Cincinnati is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Cincinnati’s last 10 games
  • Cincinnati is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games on the road

The Navy Midshipmen (2-0)

  • Navy is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Navy’s last 5 games
  • Navy is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
  • Navy is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Navy’s last 6 games at home

SOURCE: ProFootballFocus

Running With The Momentum

The Bearcats are heading to Maryland to take on the Midshipmen tomorrow.  The first conference game of the season will be tough with Navy having won their first 2 games in spectacular fashion.

The Bearcats, coming off a big win for Miami, will definitely want to keep their momentum alive and pick up a must have victory in conference play.  With running back Mike Boone back in the starting lineup, our offense should be back up to speed.  With that said, the pair of freshman running backs, Michael Warren and Gerrid Doaks, that handled the duties against Miami did great.  Picking up a combined 139 yards with an average of 4 yards a carry, it will be intriguing to see how Fickell handles running back duties for the rest of the season knowing he has two very young and talented backs.  

The Navy front line has been mediocre at best at stopping the run.  Having allowed 191 yards rushing against Tulane, the Bearcats should be able to establish the run game with little issue.

Quarterback Hayden Moore, despite the slow start against Miami, turned it up in the 2nd half and ended up throwing for 222 yards.  We will hope to see more of that in our match against the Navy secondary who have picked up 3 interceptions in just 2 games.

Bearcats Defense Can Keep It Close

The real threat against Navy is their offense.  Led by quarterback Zach Abbey, they are a mostly rushing offense.  Navy, in their previous game, ran the ball 52 times vs only 12 pass attempts.

Despite rarely passing the ball, they are efficient at it.  With only 22 attempts and 7 completions they have gained 242 yards averaging at 34.5 yards a completion.  It is a philosophy that seems to be, “go long every time.”  This ability to create big plays seemingly out of nowhere could be a headache for the UC defense that gave up 221 yards to Miami alone through the air.  Navy also has a deadly run offense with over 600 yards rushing alone from their first 2 games.  Their running back Chris High is a strong runner weighing in at 224 pounds. With the ability to run through people, he can wear down any defense quickly.

Also contributing to Navy’s large rushing numbers is quarterback Zach Abbey.  Abbey is no stranger to running it himself, he has an even larger brunt of the rushing yards than Chris High. The Bearcats who held Miami to only 70 yards rushing, might be in for a real test against Navy.  An offense that has a strong running back and a quarterback that is no stranger to running himself will force any defense to be on extra guard.  Because Navy poses such a threat on the ground, they open up their receivers for big plays.  Having to focus on shutting down the run game so heavily, the secondary gets lazy and lets off the opposing receivers.

The UC defense that has been solid so far will be in for a challenge against a very versatile offense.  In the end, I know my Bearcats will be on top. Keep that sail down, Navy.

Charles’ Prediction: Bearcats 21 – Midshipmen 20

Look for more #Bearcats posts all season written by Charles Sherman




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