Staff Final Score Predictions: Cincinnati at UCF
Here’s a look at this week’s Inside The Knights staff predictions for the Cincinnati Bearcats playing at the UCF Knights.
This is one of the most anticipated contests of the season, and how our staff sees this game coming out is mixed.
Guilherme Leal - Staff Writer
This is a make-or-break game for the Knights. After the disappointing 34-13 to East Carolina, UCF simply cannot afford to lose a second game in conference play.
I believe the real matchup will be between Cincinnati’s offense against UCF’s defense. The 36.9 points per game from the Bearcats should be something Gus Malzahn and the coaching staff are paying extra attention to. Prior to the ECU game, the Knights had one of the best defenses in the nation, so it needs to step up on Saturday. Also, turnovers were perhaps the biggest reason UCF lost last week. If John Rhys Plumlee avoids those, UCF can put up a fight.
Finally, I think playing inside FBC Mortgage Stadium will make a big difference on Saturday. Since there is so much at stake, expect a lot of pressure from UCF fans. In the end, I believe the Knights will have their biggest win of the season as they will upset the Bearcats, but it will be a close one.
UCF 27 Cincinnati 24
Andrew Johnson - Staff Writer
Homecoming week has arrived for UCF as the No. 20 ranked Cincinnati Bearcats travel to Orlando for a conference showdown in FBC Mortgage Stadium.
UCF must defeat the Bearcats to keep conference championship hopes alive. Knight Nation should expect a locked-in and determined UCF squad after suffering a brutal loss to ECU last week.
It all starts with John Rhys Plumlee for UCF’s offense. When he is rolling, the offense looks nearly unstoppable. That wasn’t the case last week as he had four costly turnovers that shaped the outcome.
UCF will need Plumlee to find his stride sometime in the first half against a good Cincinnati defense. The Bearcats currently ranked first in sacks and tackles for loss nationally. I do expect not only Plumlee, but the offensive line, to have better showings. UCF may run the ball early on being that Cincinnati has recently struggled to stop the run.
Despite the loss of most production players offensively, Luke Fickell and Cincinnati have put together a decent offense that features a veteran quarterback and talented skilled players. UCF’s defense had played lights out until last week but look for defensive coordinator Travis Williams to make proper adjustments. This will be a good one between two top AAC teams before both teams head off to the Big 12 Conference.
Cincinnati 31 UCF 24
Jack Edwards - Staff Writer
The Bearcats are the toughest test on the Knights’ schedule. With UCF coming off a frustrating and unacceptable loss to East Carolina, this game is a must-win in terms of staying in contention for an AAC title. It will take a mistake-free effort on both sides of the football for UCF to come out with a victory.
Although Cincinnati is riding in on a six-game win streak, they have had a few near misses in recent weeks, edging out USF and SMU by four and two points respectively. USF found a ton of success in the ground game even against Cincinnati’s stout rushing defense, while SMU took advantage of a plethora of Cincinnati penalties (14 penalties for 128 yards). If the Knights can replicate the USF rushing attack, that could ultimately propel the Knights to steal a win from the Bearcats.
Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee will struggle mightily through the air vs the lockdown Cincinnati passing defense, but UCF will likely keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible to avoid another turnover-heavy performance.
Isaiah Bowser and Johnny Richardson should see a heavy workload, and 200 rushing yards for the Knights is not out of the question. I see the Knights coming out hungry, eclipsing that 200 yard mark and keeping their conference title hopes alive on Saturday.
UCF 31 Cincinnati 24
Brian Smith - Publisher
The key to this contest will primarily stem from two categories: UCF’s ability to control the line of scrimmage, offensively and defensively, and not shooting itself in the foot with needless mistakes like missed assignments, penalties and turnovers. When UCF has played poorly, those areas seem to show up.
The Bearcats bring to Orlando one of the nation’s top defenses, and not handing them extra yardage is going to be essential for UCF winning this contest. Will the Knights be able to move the football? There’s no reason to believe they will not with all the weapons they possess. It’s finalizing and scoring touchdowns that matter, however.
UCF’s offense has not shown consistency versus good competition, especially this past week’s loss to East Carolina. That is a prime concern.
Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant is an above average signal caller. He’s prone to making some mistakes as well, and Cincinnati is dead last in the FBS with 67 total penalties on the year. Maybe the Bearcats hand UCF some freebies, too?
The Cincinnati offense does have multiple good running backs and wide receivers that typically make tough one-on-one plays and keep the chains moving. How UCF does with tackling in space is going to be an additional area to watch; cannot allow additional yardage against a quality opponent. The best player on the field, however, is going to be playing for Cincinnati’s defense.
Look for linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr. to be the difference-maker for this game. He’s coming into the contest with eight sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, both No. 1 in the nation. UCF will struggle to contain him, and Cincinnati's relentless attacking defense overall, and that is going to be the final determining factor for which team will win.
When looking at the final Cincinnati-UCF box score, Pace's name will be all over it. Too many stalled drives for the Knights lead to a Bearcats victory.
Cincinnati 27 UCF 23
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