The second-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats will travel to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on the Navy Midshipmen in an American Conference matchup. This season, the Bearcats are a perfect 6-0 (2-0) and are coming off a 56-21 home win over the UCF Knights, where senior quarterback Desmond Ridder finished 13-of-23 for 140 yards and a touchdown. The Midshipmen are 1-5 (1-3) and are coming off a 35-17 home loss against the Memphis Tigers. Sophomore quarterback Tai Lavatai had a decent game as he went 3-of-4 for 27 yards.
Ford Roadrunner
The Cincinnati Bearcats have been doing well running the football behind the junior running back, Jerome Ford. So far this season, he has 102 attempts for 709 yards (7.0 yards per rush) with 12 rushing touchdowns and seven catches for 49 yards (7.0 yards per reception). In his last game against the UCF Knights, Ford finished with 20 attempts for 189 yards (9.5 yards per rush) with four rushing touchdowns as well as a 23-yard reception. If the Bearcats can continue to dominate on the ground, it will do wonders for them.
The Cincinnati Bearcats are an incredible defensive team as they are giving up 13.7 points per game. In their previous game against the UCF Knights, they allowed 21 points on 296 total yards of offense (141 passing, 155 rushings). They need to better guard against the opposing rushing attack as the Knights finished with 4.2 yards per rush.
Ground and Pound
The Navy Midshipmen run the ball well behind senior fullback Isaac Ruoss this year. So far this year, he has 79 carries for 308 yards (3.9 yards per rush) with two rushing touchdowns and two catches for 15 yards. In the last game against Memphis, he finished with 18 runs for 75 yards (4.2 yards per rush). If they can open up holes for him, they will be in a good position.
The Navy Midshipmen have been struggling as they are giving up 32.7 points per game. In their last game against the Memphis Tigers, they allowed 35 points on 415 total yards of offense (215 passing, 200 rushings). If they can be better defensively, it will be a better chance to pull off the upset.
Who Should We Bet Here?
The Navy Midshipmen are nowhere near the level of a program that the Cincinnati Bearcats are. Desmond Ridder is one of the better quarterbacks in college football, and pairing him with a running back like Ford will do well. They also have been incredible defensively, and there’s a reason the Bearcats are second in the nation. The consensus line is around 27 points, so go with Cincinnati Bearcats to cover.
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