By Bane Rossi
GAME NOTES
https://gobearcats.com/documents/2023/11/14/UC_at_WVU_Game_Notes___1_.pdf
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Junior running back Corey Kiner will lead the Cincinnati football team into this Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. ESPN+ matchup with West Virginia at Milan Puskar Stadium firmly focused on getting the Bearcats’ first victory over the Mountaineers since 2009.
To get there, UC will need Kiner to do what he has done all season. Run hard, break tackles and trust his offensive line. The Cincinnati native and former Roger Bacon star has rushed for 100 yards five times this fall and heads into this weekend’s game needing just 115 yards for the 20th 1,000-yard rushing season in UC history.
He can become the 13th different Bearcat to break the single-season 1,000-yard barrier.
“He’s very, very strong,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “He breaks a lot of tackles. This year, remember, we didn’t know who was going to be the running back. We were kind of back by committee. We’ve been that way because it takes several guys, but he’s kind of been the most consistent guy to show up week in and week out. He’s gotten opportunities to be able to make plays. Man, he’s had some long runs this season, including on Saturday. He’s had some really big runs throughout this season. But I think more than anything, he’s just a hard, tough runner. That’s going to get those first downs, going to turn out those tough yards that you need.
Kiner is tied for first in the Big 12 with three runs of 50 yards or more, including his 62-yard dash against Houston in the Bearcats’ 24-14 win last Saturday.
The 5-9, 215-pounder finished with 129 yards and two touchdowns on a career-best 23 carries versus the Cougars, helping Cincinnati snap its seven-game losing streak and picking up its first-ever Big 12 win.
Kiner and fellow running backs Ryan Montgomery and Myles Montgomery, as well as quarterback Emory Jones have combined with UC’s offensive line to give the Bearcats the Big 12’s No. 2 rushing offense (223.3 ypg).
West Virginia is also among the conference’s and the nation’s top rushing squads. The Mountaineers are averaging 213.8 rushing yards to sit right behind UC at third in the Big 12.
“I think if there’s a [main] strength in their team, it’s the offensive line,” Satterfield said. “Those guys are really good up front. They’re one of the top rushing teams in the country this year. They have two really good running backs. One really big back and then another freshman that’s really showing some really good stuff this year.”
ON THE AIR
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
Jorge Sedano (PxP), Orlando Franklin (Analyst), Marilyn Payne (Sideline)
Local: 700 WLW
Satellite: SiriusXM App Channel 993
App: IHeart Radio App and Varsity Network: “Search Cincinnati”
WATCH WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCES
Head Coach Scott Satterfield and team captains Gavin Gerhardt and Dontay Corleone met with the media on Tuesday.
CINCINNATI HEADS TO WVU FOLLOWING FIRST BIG 12 WIN
The Bearcats and Mountaineers 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 Bearcats are coming off a 24-14 victory at Houston on Saturday that gave UC its first Big 12 Conference win. Cincinnati is 2-2 on the road this season, beating Pitt 27-21 a week before WVU defeated the Panthers, 17-6, in Morgantown.
The Bearcats (223.3 rush ypg) and the Mountaineers (213.8) will feature the Big 12’s No. 2 and No. 3 rushing offenses.
WVU is led by CB Beanie Bishop, who leads the nation with 23 passes defended (19 PBUs and four INTs).
WVU was picked to finish last in the Big 12, but started 4-1 and has a 6-4 overall mark and 4-3 record in the Big 12.
Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown faced Scott Satterfield three times when he was coaching at Troy and Satterfield was leading Appalachian State from 2015 to 2018. Satterfield’s App State teams finished 3-0 against Troy during that stretch, including a 44-41 triple-overtime win in 2015 and a 21-10 victory to clinch a berth in the 2018 Sun Belt Championship Game.
RIVALRY RENEWED
The Bearcats and Mountaineers will play for the 21st time ever and first time since UC took a 24-21 loss at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 12, 2011 when Tony Miliano’s FG attempt was blocked as time expired. Geno Smith threw for 372 yards to lead WVU, while Isaiah Pead rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns for the Bearcats.
The last time UC and WVU played in Morgantown, the Mountaineers cruised to a 37-10 win on Nov. 13, 2010.
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.
The last time UC won in Morgantown came in a 26-23 overtime victory on Nov. 8, 2008 in which Mardy Gilyard returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a TD and Pike tossed two touchdowns in his return from a broken arm. WVU’s Pat McAfee drilled a 52-yard FG as time expired to send the game to overtime.
COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL LEADS UC TO 24-14 WIN OVER HOUSTON
The Bearcats’ defense held the Big 12’s fifth-ranked passing attack to just 102 yards through the air, and RB Corey Kiner rushed for 129 yards and two TDs on a career-high 23 carries to lead Cincinnati to a 24-14 victory at Houston last Saturday to snap a seven-game losing streak and give the Bearcats their first Big 12 Conference victory.
DB Deshawn Pace, LB Dorian Jones and DB Ken Willis each had interceptions of Houston QB Donovan Smith.
Punter Mason Fletcher put all three of his punts inside the 21-yard line, including one that was downed at the 5 to seal the win.
KINER EYES 1,000, POWERS NATION’S NO. 5 RUSHING ATTACK
Cincinnati ranks second in the Big 12 and fifth nationally with 223.3 rush yards per game, up from 93rd last year at 129.7.
UC has run for 200 or more yards in eight of 10 contests, including 204 at Houston.
Kiner has rushed for 885 yards and five TDs on 161 carries, moving him just 115 yards shy of the 20th 1,000-yard season in Cincinnati history. He looks to become the 13th different Bearcat to break the 1,000-yard barrier.
Kiner has five 100-yard games this season, which is tied with Jerome Ford (2021) for 12th-most in a single-season at UC.
Four different Bearcats have rushed for 100 yards in a game this season: Kiner (five times), Ryan Montgomery (twice), Myles Montgomery (once) and Emory Jones (once).
Myles Montgomery’s 6.6 yards per carry average is the highest among the Big 12’s top 30 rushers and he is the third-highest-rated running back in the Big 12 according to Pro Football Focus (84.7).
Cincinnati’s 223.3 average is the second-most by a Bearcats team over the last 30 years (239.5 – 2018).
All five starters on UC’s offensive line have at least one year of eligibility left, and redshirt junior Luke Kandra is the nation’s highest-graded right guard (79.3), according to Pro Football Focus. His 762 snaps are the most of P5 guard this season.
QUICK NOTES
- All 11 offensive starters in the season opener were starting their first game ever for UC. C Gavin Gerhardt is the only returning offensive starter for the Bearcats. He did not start Game 1, but he has started the last seven contests.
- The Cincinnati wide receiver room returned just one scholarship receiver in redshirt junior Chris Scott.
- After the 2022 season, Cincinnati had 15 players enter the transfer portal and leave the program and another 17 either graduated or declared for the NFL Draft. The Bearcats brought in 23 college transfers for this fall.
- Cincinnati is 662-605-50 (.521) all-time and is playing its 136th football season in 2023 (since 1885, one of 10 oldest in FBS).
- Sixth-year senior defensive end Malik Vann rates as the Big 12’s No. 3 top edge (77.2) according to PFF.
- Cincinnati’s defense is allowing only 133.5 passing yards per game over the last two games.
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