Cincinnati Bearcats Football Keys To The Game: Northwestern State Demons

CINCINNATI — The blowout is approaching for Northwestern State.

Cincinnati takes on the lowly FCS school this weekend in what could be the biggest scoring margin of the decade for UC. Northwestern State has now forfeited six times since the start of the 2022 season after giving up in last week's 66-0 shortened loss to Minnesota.

The Demons roll into town with a 1% chance to win on ESPN's Football Power Index. There is not even a betting line available for this massively lopsided matchup.

"FCS team that is trying to rebuild the program back up," UC head coach Scott Satterfield said this week. "They went two years and didn’t win a game, and then they started this season with a big win for them. So obviously, they're on the right track. I think we're playing a lot of young players right now. They ran into a tough situation last week. It snowballed early for them, then it got out of hand, but again, you can see the fight in this team. The team is different this year compared to last year. The kids are playing a lot harder, and you can see that on film, but again, it's about us. It's about our standard and how we need to play. What kind of focus can we have this week, and how hard can we practice? I think that's what it comes down to.”

Offensive Key To The Game: Dominate Possession

Controlling the football and getting your offense as many reps as possible to keep growing together is the biggest key on Saturday. UC is going to win, but they also need to look in sync while doing it.

Through two games, the rushing and passing attacks have not gotten going at the same time. Spark them up this week against a horrific FCS defense that's given up 62 points to Tulsa and 66 points to Minnesota in its last two upper-level games.

This cannot be another 38-20 win like the Towson contest last year. In Year 3, Satterfield's team needs to make this look more like the 66-13 result he pulled off against Eastern Kentucky in his first game at UC.

"Then we have to go out and play as hard and as clean as we possibly can in this game," Satterfield said. "To me, that's what the focus is; it's not really about Northwestern State. It's about us and how we go out and perform and how much focus we have. You need to attack these games every time you get out there, and that's the way we should practice today, the same way, with that same attacking mentality. I think if you do that, then the results will take care of itself. If you don't, then the results will see that as well. So, we're all about getting out and getting after today in practicing, and that’ll carry into Saturday.”

I'm looking for more meat bitten off the bone by UC's running backs.

Evan Pryor (54.6 PFF grade this season) and Tawee Walker (68.5 grade) have been up and down through two games, with Walker flashing a bit more than Pryor. Neither has been explosive with a long rush of 13 yards between the two of them and no touchdowns.

Pryor, in particular, has seen his 7.5 yards per carry in 2024 drop to 5.5 YPC this season. That's still very good, but it's evidence of the fall from last year's impact. Getting some explosive runs on the board for both of them should help boost confidence entering the bye week.

Those two mining every yard possible on Saturday will help Cincinnati get out of second-to-last-place nationally in time of possession.

Defensive Key To The Game: Rotate Reps

A ton of players will get run for Cincinnati this week, especially as the program weathers Dontay Corleone's injury. It's expected to keep him out two weeks with the hope he can return for the Sept. 27 game against Kansas.

Another shutout like Minnesota posted would be ideal, but with this many players expected to get into the game on defense, just keeping NWSU out of the endzone is the bar to clear.

Powering that goal with the first taste of turnovers this season would be a sound buoy.

"We're going to get several more sacks. I think when you're doing that, that's when you're going to create those turnovers," Satterfield noted. "When you press your quarterback to throw it earlier when he wants to. We have to continue to work on that. That's a big emphasis for us, is trying to get some turnovers.”

Cincinnati is not going to make much noise in the Big 12 if zeroes keep finalizing on their side of the turnover tally.

Kansas has a 4-3 turnover margin as Cincinnati's next legitimate opponent (65th nationally), while Cincinnati has a 0-3 number (118th nationally). It's going to be very difficult to win at Kansas without any forced turnovers, and this Saturday should offer Cincinnati plenty of chances to capitalize on.

NWSU has turned it over six times already through two games.

Prediction: 56-12 Bearcats

Season Prediction Record: 2-0

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