'Outstanding Defensive Team' - Cincinnati Preparing For Massive Competition Jump Up Against Kansas State

Cincinnati is 3-0 for the first time since they went to the College Football Playoff in 2021, and those same goals are still alive for Scott Satterfield's fourth team.

UC has to keep it rolling this week in a rare home night game against a Big 12 foe. They are 6.5-point underdogs at home in one of their longest home betting lines of the decade, but the power of Nipp At Night could be a big factor in lifting them to victory.

Kansas State is 3-0 as well and ranked 30th in ESPN's FPI, while being 24th in SP+ (17th-best offense). They are top five in just about every traditional pass defense metric, while ranking third overall in yards per play allowed (3.28 YPP).

"It's huge to go 3-0, and now, transitioning to Big 12 play with Kansas State, an outstanding football team," Satterfield said this week. "They've been a really good program over the years, a lot of years. Coach Collin Klein, a new coach, which I remember when he used to play. Man, I loved watching him play. He was a running quarterback, very physical teams back when he played there, and he's a really good guy. I've gotten to know him over the years, and he's done a great job coaching.

"Outstanding defensive team. I think they're probably top five in a bunch of categories defensively. Number one pass defense in the country. Very aggressive defense. Outstanding defensive line. Get after the quarterback. And then on offense probably a lot like when Coach Klein played there. They have a quarterback (Avery Johnson) that can run, last week over 150 yards rushing in a game. We played him a couple years ago. He beat us with his legs."

The team never quit in its 28-7 comeback to beat Miami (OH) 35-31 this past Saturday.

It was their largest comeback win since beating Ohio in a similar scenario in 2018. They have to bottle that second-half showing and try to carry it across a full game against one of the better teams in the Big 12.

JC French IV faces his toughest test yet this weekend.

"They're very well coached," French said about his first Big 12 opponent. "I think they have a lot of talent on that defense. Obviously, I think their stats speak for themselves. They're really good, and we're gonna have to be on point with our preparation and obviously go execute this Saturday.

Cincinnati kicks the game off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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