We have gone against great teams for the first eight games and this one will be no different. We are expecting their best shot and we are looking forward to it. – Head coach Kalani Sitake
BYU (4-4) at Cincinnati (4-4)
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. MDT Nippert Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: CBS Sports Network
Radio: 1160 AM, 102.7 FM
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati has lost three of its last four games, including last week's 34-13 drubbing at Temple.
Senior quarterback Gunner Kiel threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns — and the Bearcats gained just 186 yards of total offense — in his second start of the season. Kiel is set to make his third start Saturday (1:30 p.m., MDT, CBSSN) against BYU.
He's hoping his team can turn things around.
“We’re 4-4,” said Kiel, a Notre Dame transfer. “I just really hope our guys don’t fall apart. A lot of people look at that record and say, ‘That team’s bad.’ That’s not the fact at all. We have a very good football team. We’ve just got to believe in ourselves and just have fun.”
Coach Tommy Tuberville is looking for the Bearcats to make some immediate improvement.
“You’re gonna have some down times. You’re not gonna be good every year. It’s not gonna happen. We’re at the point right now where we’re searching. We’ve just got to search for what’s gonna make us better at this point in time,” Tuberville told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I knew this was going to be a tough year. I thought we would play a little bit better on offense at this point. We know it’s gonna be better in the future, but right now this ain’t the future. We’re trying to win as many games as we can right now, and get to a bowl game.”
Despite Cincinnati’s struggles, the Cougars are preparing for a tough road game. The Bearcats have won 30 consecutive non-conference games at Nippert Stadium, dating back to 2002.
“They are a really good team and they have some really athletic guys,” said BYU coach Kalani Sitake. “They have a great coaching staff … We have gone against great teams for the first eight games and this one will be no different. We are expecting their best shot and we are looking forward to it.”
Cincinnati is ranked No. 115 in rushing offense (122.6 yards per game), No. 107 in scoring offense (22.8 points per game), No. 87 in passing efficiency (123.87) and No. 86 in total offense (386.1 yards per game).
BYU linebacker Fred Warner said the Cougar defense is looking to redeem itself this week after yielding 571 yards of offense against Boise State.
“Every week, we’re hungry to get better as a defense. Stopping the run is always something we’ve done a pretty good job of doing,” Warner said. “I know Cincinnati is trying to open up their offense now. That’s going to be a big thing for us, to stop their pass game.”
Linebacker Butch Pau’u said the key is putting pressure on Cincinnati’s quarterback.
“If we do that, we win the game,” Pau’u said. “We got a ton of turnovers against Boise. We held Michigan State to less than 100 yards (rushing). We understand that everything starts with our front four.”
The Bearcat defense has struggled at times as well. But BYU offensive coordinator Ty Detmer said Cincinnati is “big and athletic. They’re long and have good team speed. They pose some problems inside with their two interior guys. When they decide to bull-rush, they can put it on you. We’re going to have to play physical and play fast.”
The Bearcats are still adapting to first-year offensive coordinator Zac Taylor’s scheme.
“With a new offense we knew it would be a little bit more of a struggle, with mostly new offensive players and a new offensive staff,” Tuberville said. “I thought we’d be a little bit better running the ball at this point. We’re not as fast as we were last year (offensively). We’re not as quick as we were last year on offense. On defense, we’re better than we’ve been. We’ve been playing against some good offenses. We’ve held our own (defensively). We haven’t played great.”
Cincinnati Bearcats at a glance
Conference: American Athletic
Record: 4-4
Head coach: Tommy Tuberville (29-18, 4th year at Cincinnati; 159-95 overall)
Offense: Senior quarterback Gunner Kiel has completed 41 of 78 passes for 514 yards with zero interceptions and six touchdowns this season. He's making his third start Saturday.
Defense: Senior linebacker Eric Wilson has recorded 88 tackles and three sacks.
Special teams: Senior placekicker Josh Pasley has made 6 of 10 field attempts, including two from 40-plus yards.
Series with BYU: BYU leads 1-0.
EMAIL: jeffc@deseretnews.com