While we may just now be preparing for the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, the non-playoff bowl season is starting to near an end. However, there are still a few of those games left. And there are certainly some people who aren’t interested. But for fans of the participating teams, and for fans of the sport in general, there’s still plenty of interest. One of those remaining bowl games is the 2026 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. And needless to say, it’s an interesting matchup for a variety of reasons.<\/p>\n
With Cincinnati taking on Navy, let’s break down why this matchup is so interesting, and who appears to have the edge, at least on paper.<\/p>\n
One of the most telling details about this matchup is the two offenses. In terms of nationally, Cincinnati comes into this one at 27th in the country in total offense. Navy comes in at 28th. More impressive is the fact that they’re both averaging 421 yards per game. Furthermore, the scoring numbers are almost identical, as well. The Bearcats put up 32 points per contest. Navy averages 31.<\/p>\n
Where things split is how they get that yardage. The Midshipmen come into the Liberty Bowl leading the nation in rushing offense, at 289 yards per game. But as you might can tell, that means their passing attack is almost nonexistent. In fact, they find themselves in the bottom five nationally in passing yards.<\/p>\n
For Cincinnati, it’s a more balanced look. The Bearcats average 242 yards through the air, while still putting up 179 yards per game on the ground. A big part of the Cincinnati success is the improvement of quarterback Brendan Sorsby<\/a>. The veteran is having the best season of his career, as he’s thrown for 2,800 yards. On top of that, he’s put up 27 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. On the ground, he’s also averaging nearly six yards per carry, as he’s run for 580 yards and nine touchdowns, as well.<\/p>\n In this year’s Liberty Bowl, one of the biggest questions is which offensive approach has more success. Can the balanced Bearcat offense continue its efficient year, this time against the Navy defense? And can the one-dimensional Midshipmen rushing attack have success against a struggling Cincinnati defense?<\/p>\n On the defensive side, things aren’t quite as successful. Both teams come into this matchup in the bottom half of the country in terms of defense. That being said, Navy has had a bit more success on the defensive side of things, at least when it comes to yards. But some of that may be due to the style of play. With them running the ball as well as they do, the game is oftentimes shortened because the clock isn’t stopping as often.<\/p>\n As for the important side of things, giving up points, the two teams are once again almost identical. The Bearcats are giving up 25 points per game. The Midshipmen? 26 points per contest.<\/p>\nWhich Defense Steps Up?<\/h3>\n