West Virginia travels west to take on Cincinnati for a Big 12 Week 11 game.
Both teams are coming off of a bye week and are 3-2 in conference play/their last five matchups. WVU defeated Cincinnati 42-21 last year at home in their first Big 12 matchup.
The game kicks off at noon EST from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati and will be televised on FS1. Our staff gives their predictions:
Ashley O’Brien: In their remaining four games, West Virginia looks to finish the regular season on a positive note, possibly becoming bowl-eligible. They faceoff with Cincinnati, who they beat last year at home but has somewhat of a different look this year. It appears that Nicco Marchiol is going to get his second-straight start. Can he get it done for a second time? Despite that, the spotlight will be on West Virginia’s defense, now under the direction of interim defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz. In the end, I believe that the Mountaineers struggle to get it going, leading to a loss on the road.
Cincinnati 38, West Virginia 21
Ryan Roddy: Both teams are coming fresh off a bye week and looking to pick up a win to improve their conference record to 4-2. West Virginia made a change at defensive coordinator during their bye week and can give Cincinnati different looks on Saturday. Nicco Marchiol will more than likely start for a second consecutive game. He played well in Tuscon, but the big question is, can he recreate that performance against UC? I think WVU will establish the run game early and have a methodical approach throughout. For the Bearcats, it starts with their quarterback redshirt sophomore Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to UC from Indiana. He’s thrown for 2,108 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions, completing 65.6% of his passes. The Bearcats also have a productive rushing attack though, however. In the end, I predict the Mountaineers’ defense will get it done and contain Cincinnati, but it will be close.
West Virginia 28, Cincinnati 20
Tanner Mountz: Coming off the bye, WVU can really shoot their Big 12 Championship chances up with a win on the road. It will be interesting to see if WVU can continue their successful rush defense with new defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz calling the plays. That will be a key factor in the game as the Bearcats are one of the conference’s top rushing teams. It will also fall onto the arm of Nicco Marchiol. Coming off an impressive outing two weeks ago, Marchiol might need to be even better this week against a veteran Cincinnati defense. The Mountaineers continue to get healthier each week which should help the offense be better in both phases of the game. West Virginia fans will be watching closely for improvement in the secondary under Koonz as well as if they have their future quarterback. If WVU can stop the run and let Marchiol continue to air it out, they will come out victorious.
West Virginia 31, Cincinnati 20
Joe Antenucci: The Mountaineers are coming off the bye and heading a few hours out West to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats. It will be the first game under new interim defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz, after the firing of Jordan Lesley. Cincincati sits at 5-3 while WVU is 4-4. I expect a close battle between the two teams but believe defensively, a few hiccups will stand in the way of a win for the Mountaineers.
Cincinnati 28, West Virginia 24
West Virginia 24, Cincinnati 20
