No. 22 Cincinnati tries to stay alive in American race

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Cincy's Jerome Ford punches in 8-yard TD

Jerome Ford runs eight yards into the end zone to give Cincinnati a 17-0 lead.

Nov 17, 2022, 10:11 am

No. 22 Cincinnati (8-2, 5-1 AAC, No. 25 CFP) at Temple (3-7, 1-5 AAC), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST, ESPNU

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK COLLEGE LINE: Cincinnati by 16 1/2

Series record: Temple Leads 13-9-1

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Cincinnati can remain in the hunt for the American Athletic Conference conference championship game berth with a victory. The Bearcats, who became the first non-Power 5 team to advance to the College Football Playoff last year, are tied for the lead in the American standings with Central Florida and Tulane, all at 5-1. The Bearcats host Tulane next weekend in their regular-season finale.

KEY MATCHUP

The cornerstone of the Cincinnati defense is senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., who leads the AAC with nine sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 10 games. Pace could have a huge defensive game against a Temple offensive line that has used 10 different starting lineups due to injury. Temple's left tackle, Issac Moore, is the only player to have played in every game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cincinnati: Junior WR Tyler Scott has four 100-yard games, including a combined 17 catches for 279 yards and three touchdowns in wins over Navy and East Carolina the last two games.

Temple: Owls freshman QB E.J. Warner set a school record for passing yards last week with 486 yards in a 43-36 loss at Houston. Warner, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, threw three TD passes.

FACTS & FIGURES

Temple has an 8-3 advantage in the series in home games, including a 24-17 win in 2018 that ended Cincinnati's run at an undefeated season. ... Cincinnati won last year's matchup, 52-3. ... Temple has averaged just 90.6 yards in rushing. ... Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant has thrown for over 300 yards in three of his last four games. He has also thrown an interception in three of the last four games. ... Jaden Thompson had 157 all-purpose yards last week, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. ... Cincinnati ranks second in the nation in net punting (46.5 yards).

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