Houston vs Cincinnati: Everything to Know About Cougars' Next Opponent
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The No. 17 Houston Cougars are coming off a bye week and are facing Cincinnati on Nov. 7 at TDECU Stadium.
The Bearcats have won five straight against the Cougars, which Houston is trying to snap.
Here is everything to know about the Bearcats.
Won against Texas Tech
Both teams faced the Texas Tech Red Raiders but Cincinnati was able to win against them 37-24. Houston lost to the Red Raiders 28-26 after quarterback Conner Weigman tried to scramble into the end zone for a two-point conversion but was unsuccessful.
The Bearcats are a threat to Houston's chances as a contender for the Big 12 championship game. Houston has to treat this game as if it were playing against a ranked opponent.
If Cincinnati was able to beat Texas Tech, which was No. 8 at the time, then there is a big chance it can contend with the Cougars in this game.
Cole Tabb
Cincinnati is second in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game with 229.4 and the majority of it comes from running back Cole Tabb. Tabb is the heart of the Bearcats' offense, as he has rushed for 752 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In the last three games, he has hit the century mark and recorded at least one touchdown. His highest rushing yardage came in the Texas Tech game, where he ran for 173 yards and a touchdown.
After letting Utah rush for over 200 total yards, Houston dropped to No. 21 nationally in terms of run defense, allowing 100.5 yards per game.
Tabb is the player Houston has to stop in order to limit Cincinnati's big plays. If the Cougars let Tabb have the same stat line as he did against the Red Raiders, Houston's chances of staying in the Big 12 race drop.
JC French IV
Cincinnati quarterback JC French IV is a threat to Houston's pass defense. This year, he has thrown for 1,773 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. His best statistical game was against West Virginia, in which he threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns.
Houston allows 257.4 passing yards per game, which is the fourth-worst in the conference. The pass defense needs to step up when the run defense does its job against Cincinnati.
If Houston can slow down Tabb's production, the Cougars will have chances to force turnovers, as French has thrown three interceptions in the last two games.
What a win means for Houston
Houston has four regular-season games left, with Cincinnati, Colorado, West Virginia and Baylor on the schedule.
The Bearcats have shown that they can beat ranked teams. Houston has not beaten them since 2016 and goes on the road against Colorado and West Virginia in the next two weeks.
A win at TDECU not only breaks the streak but also allows the Cougars to stay on the right path for the conference championship game.
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Micah Clay is a staff writer for the Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a freshman at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Administration. He also works for The Cougar organization. You can find Clay on his Instagram(@mcjosh_btw_podcast)