Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) throws the pass on UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Cincinnati and UCF can, in many ways, be classified as identical twins heading into their Saturday afternoon game in Orlando, Florida.
To start, both teams enter with a record of 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Massive 12. Additionally, the Bearcats and Knights are coming off road losses, with Cincinnati losing 44-41 at Texas Tech on September 28 and UCF losing 24-13 at Florida on October 5.
The two teams are also identical in that they have two of the most productive rushing attacks in the Massive 12.
UCF is averaging a conference-leading 282.4 rushing yards per game, trailing only RJ Harvey, who has 600 yards and nine touchdowns through the first five games of the season.
Cincinnati is sixth in the conference with 183.8 rushing yards per game, led by Corey Kiner (413 yards). Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said Kiner suffered a rib or indirect injury in the first quarter against Texas Tech but is expected to play Saturday.
The running game could prove important in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
With all the rain that hit the Orlando area during the week, the field could be sloppier than usual even though the forecast for Saturday is looking sunny and in the 80s.
“With the weather, it’s usually windy,” UCF coach Gus Malzahn said. “That’s what really affects people more than anything. So we’ll see where it goes. »
The big difference between the two offenses is that Cincinnati showed more balance.
Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns, a big reason the Bearcats have the third-most passing yards in the Massive 12 .
UCF is 12th in passing offense, with quarterback KJ Jefferson (59.3 completion percentage, 1,012 yards, seven touchdowns, four interceptions) struggling at times.
UCF has won the last two meetings between the teams, including 28-26 last year in Cincinnati.
“In their shoes, you lose a few games in a row and you’re going to want to go out and play your best,” Satterfield said. “A bit like that dog backed into a corner. They’re going to fight, so we know we’re going to do their best. »
–Field level media
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