By Packy Moore

GAME NOTES

https://gobearcats.com/documents/2024/11/5/UC_Football_Game_Notes_vs._West_Virginia.pdf

TUESDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE PREVIEWING WEST VIRGINIA GAME

https://youtu.be/zVsOjsvBf3I

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati football program returns home this Saturday to host West Virginia in a pivotal Big 12 Conference battle. Kickoff is set for noon on FS1.

Both teams should be well-rested after coming off a bye week. UC last played on Oct. 26 at Colorado and the Mountaineers last took the field on Oct. 26 at Arizona. The Bearcats, whose upcoming opponents have a combined record of 23-11, took the opportunity to step away for a couple days before regrouping and focusing on the final month of the regular season.

“Last week was good for us in getting healthy and resting both physically and mentally,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We gave our guys last Friday and Saturday off and told them to get away and have a renewed spirit when they got back here on Sunday. Our players did that and we had a good practice on Sunday. It was also good health-wise to get some guys that were dinged up some rest and to get them back.”

A lot remains at play for Cincinnati in the final four weeks of the season. Standing at 5-3, UC can become bowl eligible with a victory against WVU on Saturday. A win would also move its Big 12 record to 4-2 and push the team closer into the Big 12 Championship conversation.

The race for a conference championship is still crowded heading into the final stretch of the season. Eleven Big 12 teams are currently .500 or better in league play, and Cincinnati still has back-to-back road games at Iowa State (7-1, 4-1) and Kansas State (7-2, 4-2) on the docket.

These longer term goals are for others to worry about, however. For the Bearcats, the focus remains solely on the Mountaineers.

“I think we have done a good job this year of really taking each game and creating a season in itself, of one game,” Satterfield said. “Our guys have done a good job of that, and we have to do that, especially as you move forward. You certainly can’t look ahead with anything. This business is one day at a time. Not even really one week is one day. So how good can we be today? I think you do that every single day, just rinse and repeat every single day, and then the game days will take care of themselves. That’s really what we are focusing on.”

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on FS1 with Chris Myers (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst) on the call. The game will be broadcast on radio via 700 WLW and SiriusXM Channel 384 with Dan Hoard (pxp), Jim Kelly (analyst) and Tony Pike (sideline) on the call.

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF NIPPERT STADIUM

• Saturday’s game will be a continuation of a season-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of Nippert Stadium. James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1924 in memory of Jimmy Nippert, who tragically passed away on Dec. 25, 1923.
• On Nov. 29, 1923, during a muddy game vs. Miami University, Jimmy sustained a severe leg injury from a cleat. Despite the injury, he continued to play the entire game. The injury led to septicemia due to the lack of antibiotics, and despite numerous blood transfusions from teammates, Jimmy’s condition worsened.
• In his memory, his grandfather, James N. Gamble, funded the completion of the UC stadium, leading to its renaming as the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium.
• James N. Gamble was the son of the co-founder of Procter & Gamble and was a retired vice president at the time of Jimmy’s passing. P&G was founded in 1837 and is still headquartered in Cincinnati.
• Today, Nippert Stadium stands as the centerpiece of the University of Cincinnati’s campus. Nippert Stadium’s turf is open to all students for recreation when not in use by the football or lacrosse teams for practices or games.

BEARCATS WELCOME MOUNTAINEERS BACK TO NIPPERT FOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

• Cincinnati welcomes West Virginia for the 22nd meeting between the two schools who used to be BIG EAST rivals. The Bearcats (5-3) and Mountaineers (4-4) bring identical 3-2 Big 12 records into the game and are both coming off of a bye.
• UC and WVU have played in several epic games, meeting every year from 2005 to 2011. These games featured big performances from legends from both teams, including Mardy Gilyard, Jason Kelce, Pat McAfee, Tony Pike, Isaiah Pead,
• Geno Smith and Pat White among several stars.
• The last time Cincinnati beat WVU came in a 24-21 win on Nov. 13, 2009 inside Nippert Stadium. An injured Tony Pike threw
• two touchdowns off the bench while splitting time at quarterback with Zach Collaros, while Pead rushed for 175 yards. Both
• Travis (backup TE) and Jason Kelce (starting LG) played in the game for UC. The win kept UC perfect at 10-0.

MORE ON CINCY – WVU BATTLE

• Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby and West Virginia QB Garrett Greene are two of the best running QBs in the league. Sorsby leads all Big 12 QBs in rushing touchdowns (6), while Greene leads Big 12 QBs in rushing yards (443).
• West Virginia won 42-21 in last season’s matchup in Morgantown as Greene rushed for 154 yards and three scores and Jaheim White added 204 yards on the ground. UC QB Brady Lichtenberg made his first career start, Xzavier Henderson caught a 55-yard pass and DB Ken Willis had a red-zone interception in the loss.
• Cincinnati sixth-year LB Jared Bartlett ranks second in the Big 12 in sacks (5.5). He played five years for WVU, appearing 50 games and tallying 21.0 TFLs.
• West Virginia is (4-4, 3-2) is coming off a 31-26 victory at Arizona on Oct. 26 before a bye weekend. With Greene out, backup QB Nicco Marchiol completed 18 of 22 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

HOMETOWN HERO KINER PROVIDES THUNDER, TRANSFER PRYOR IS THE LIGHTNING

• Senior RB Corey Kiner is the Big 12’s second-highest-rated RB (84.7) according to PFF. He ranks fourth nationally in missed tackles forced with 55. Cincinnati is 4-1 when he rushes 20 times. He has 10 career 100-yard games.
• The former Ohio Mr. Football ranks 12th in school history with 2,108 career yards at UC.
• Evan Pryor is averaging 9.2 yards per rush this season, tied for first in the FBS among players with 35+ carries (Marshall’s A.J. Turner also at 9.2). Pryor has three rushing TDs of 50+ yards tied for the second most in FBS.

BEARCATS BUILDING A RESUME

• Cincinnati has the  Big 12’s most efficient offense and 11th in the nation according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI).
• ESPN’s FPI rates Cincinnati as the 38th-best team in the country and gives the Bearcats an 91% chance of reaching six wins.
• QB Brendan Sorsby is one of three FBS players with 2000+ passing yards, 15+ passing touchdowns and 5+ rushing TDs this season, along with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington State’s John Mateer.
• Sorbsy has passed for 2,108 yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also has six rushing scores. His 21 total TDs rank second in the Big 12. He is on pace for the seventh 3,000-yard-passing season in Cincinnati history.
• Cincinnati ranks third in the Big 12 and 30th nationally in total offense (438.9) and keeps opposing defenses on the field longer than most, ranking second in the conference and 17th overall in time of possession (32:08)

COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS