Cincinnati will host Austin Peay on September 19th to open the season.
After rescheduling the game, the Bearcats will catch the Governors for their third game of the season. They opened against Central Arkansas, which was the first college football game of the year. They went to Pitt last week but lost decisively.
Austin Peay doesn’t have much of a chance as Las Vegas gives Cincinnati a -31.5 spread. The Governors are 0-2 on the season and coming off of a 55-0 loss to Pitt. Cincinnati should dominate Austin Peay, but what would it take for an upset?
Cincinnati vs. Austin Peay Preview
Austin Peay’s offense doesn’t pose much of a threat to Cincinnati’s defense.
Starting quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall has played in two games this year as a junior but played pretty poorly in both. He completed less than half of his passes in both games, threw an interception in each, and has yet to throw a touchdown pass.
The Governors’ rushing attack is even worse. The team leader in rushing yards, C.J. Evans, gained 75 of his 102 total yards on one play against Central Arkansas. He gained 27 yards in the 13 attempts since then.
That being the case, Austin Peay might try to pull a trick from their sleeve. Evans’ 75-yard touchdown run against Central Arkansas was off of a triple-option play that caught the Bears out of position. Austin Peay might try to do something unconventional against Cincinnati and hope for the best.
The problem there is that Cincinnati hosts Army next week, so they might be ready for some triple-option offense.
Austin Peay’s offense has struggled against defenses inferior to Cincinnati’s. They won’t put many points on the board.
Defensively, Austin Peay’s strength is in their secondary. Five of the top seven tacklers are defensive backs, and the unit already has two picks this year. This will be a good test for Desmond Ridder and a slew of young and inexperienced receivers.
The Bearcats might try to run the ball with Gerrid Doaks and Jerome Ford. Josephus Smith is the most imposing player on the Governors’ defensive line, so the Bearcats need to make sure they account for him. If the running backs get past the line of scrimmage, there isn’t much in between them and the secondary. They will be making huge gains all day.
A Governors team that lost a close game to FCS opponent Central Arkansas and a crushing blowout to Pitt won’t trouble the Bearcats. Expect Cincinnati to take care of business against Austin Peay.
