The Cincinnati Bearcats make their case on the field. It’s what they’ve done all season. They refuse to get caught up in the hoopla of the playoff rankings and let the chips fall where they may. And so far, all the chips have fallen in their favor. Will that continue today against ECU?
With recent losses by Power Five teams Oklahoma and Oregon, the Bearcats find themselves firmly planted in the playoff race. The team is playing with talent, confidence, and with a memory chip from last year’s bowl game defeat.
Strong and steady with a convincing 48-14 win against 8-2 SMU last weekend. the Bearcats seek an undefeated regular season this afternoon when they line up against the East Carolina Pirates, a team that’s having a rebound year (3-6 in 2020) at 7-4.
A formidable offense puts the Bearcats on the prowl with quarterback Desmond Ridder (2,699 yds passing, 25 TDs) and running back Jerome Ford (970 yards rushing, 16 TDs, 6.0 yards-per-carry), among others. Cincy’s strong defense features linebackers Joel Dublanko (89 total tackles, 47 solos), DeShawn Pace (75 total tackles, 38 solos), and Darrian Beavers (75 total tackles, 37 solos).
To close out a 12-0 regular season, Cincinnati will have to win on the road at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina–a tough place to play. The Pirates are led by quarterback Holton Ahlers (2,898 yds. passing, 17 TDs), running back Kenton Mitchell (1,077 yds rushing, 9 TDs, 6.9 yards-per-catch, and wide receiver Tyler Snead (764 yards receiving, 4 TDs).
ECU is on a four-game winning streak and has lost only once at home–an early season, three-point defeat at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Pirates have gone 7-2 since then.
You can watch the game today, Friday, November 26, @ 3:30 PM EST on ABC.
