Baylor On SI Q&A Ahead of Cincinnati Bearcats Football's Home Matchup Against Bears

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati takes on the Baylor Bears this Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in a crucial contest for the 7-1 Bearcats to stay atop the Big 12 standings.

I did a back-and-forth with Baylor on SI writer Josh Crawford this week to get insights from the other side on how the game could play out at Nippert Stadium. Check out the topics below:

One Player UC Fans Should Know

The top players that Bearcats may not be aware of is safety and former walk-on Jacob Redding. He is Baylor's third-leading tackler and has secured two of Baylor's five interceptions this season. Even on a pedestrian defense, Redding has been a bright spot, basically winning the game for the Bears with his fourth-quarter pick-six and being one of the best open-field tacklers in the secondary. He's been a versatile piece for the Bears this season and has been one of the few bright spots for Baylor on that side of the ball.

Baylor's Identity On Each Side Of The Ball

Baylor's identity offensively, even with Sawyer Robertson's struggle against TCU, is that of an explosive, high-octane offense. They've scored at least 35 points in 6 of 7 games this year. Robertson still leads the nation in passing yards and touchdowns, and this offense works best when he's able to consistently connect with tight end Michael Trigg, a Midseason selection for the John Mackey award, and his collection of receivers in Josh Cameron, Ashtyn Hawkins, and Kole Wilson.

Bryson Washington is also near the top of the Big 12 in rushing yards, but he's more of a bruising, chain-moving inside the trenches instead of someone who breaks off explosive runs. Defensively, simply put, it's a disaster. They can't generate pass rush pressure, they aren't able to stop the run effectively, and their cornerbacks have been exposed multiple times this year against SMU and again last week vs. TCU. Defensively, this is a team that relies on its offense to bail it out.

What Is the X-Factor For Baylor To Win

Baylor's X-Factor for this game is Bryson Washington. He had by far his worst game, with 23 yards on 11 carries and his second fumble in two weeks. If Baylor can run the ball consistently, it's so much less pressure on Sawyer Robertson to have to throw the ball to move the chains and score in the red zone.

If he can get back to form, then it's added a much-needed dimension to this offense that makes it that much more difficult to defend.

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