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Cincinnati vs. USF prediction and game preview. Projecting who wins the matchup between the Bearcats and Bulls.

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Cincinnati vs. USF Game Preview

When: Saturday, October 1 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
TV Broadcast: ESPNU

Cincinnati is 3-1, with its only loss coming against No. 6 Houston, but the quarterback situation is still unresolved. Freshman Ross Trail started and played all of the game last week in the win against Miami, OH, while head coach Tommy Tuberville said that Gunner Kiel could still be involved.

The Bulls suffered their first loss of the season last week against Florida State, 55-35. Quarterback Quinton Flowers has been the man for South Florida, throwing for 876 yards and eight touchdowns while also rushing for 309 yards and two scores.

What To Know About Cincinnati

Who’s going to play at quarterback this week? It seems that Trail has distanced himself from the competition after Hayden Moore had won the job and started the first three games, but with Kiel also being there, who knows who the Bearcats will put under center. Wide receiver Nate Cole has entered the end zone four times this season and is second on the team behind Devin Gray with 215 yards receiving.

The Bearcats’ defense has given up a lot of yards, 411.5 a game, and will try to stop the high-powered Bulls offense. Containing Flowers will be the key to keeping South Florida from overpowering them.

What to Know About USF

Flowers might get all the attention, but there are other weapons on the Bulls offense that can light it up. Wide receiver Rodney has 237 receiving yards and three touchdowns on only 12 receptions, while running backs D’Ernest Johnson and Marlon Mack have combined for seven touchdowns.

Defensive end Auggie Sanchez has been everywhere for the USF defense, recording 40 total tackles and three sacks. Creating pressure on the Cincinnati quarterback could cause turnovers for the Bulls’ defense.

Advantages

Offense: USF. Flowers can singlehandedly beat a defense by himself.

Defense: Tie. Both defenses are prone to giving up big yards and points.

Special Teams: USF. Kicker Emilio Nadelman is 25-for-25 in extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals.

Coaching: Cincinnati. Tuberville is a big game coach.

Intangibles: Cincinnati. Nippert Stadium is one of the more underrated stadiums to play in the nation.

Matchup To Watch

Quinton Flowers vs. Cincinnati defense

You have to stop the main guy if you want to have success against any offense .

Cincinnati vs. USF Betting Odds

Spread: USF -5.5
Over/Under: 60.5

Cincinnati vs. USF Prediction

This could be a high-scoring matchup, as both offenses can put the points on the board in a hurry. The Bearcats will have to figure out what they want to do at quarterback, while the defense will have all eyes on Flowers in the backfield. In a game like this, you go with the team with the best player, and that is USF. The Bulls pull out a road win in the Queen City.

Cincinnati vs. USF Score Prediction: USF 38, Cincinnati 31

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