The Bringham Young Cougars host the Cincinnati Bearcats at LaVell Edwards Stadium this week. The game will begin Friday, Oct 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.
BYU beat East Carolina 45-38 last week. Tanner Mangum had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the win, completing 24 of 33 passes for 332 yards and three TDs. Algernon Brown also had a big game with 134 rushing yards and three TDs on 24 attempts. Cincinnati managed to get the win as well, beating Miami (FL) 34-23. Shaq Washington had a big game for the Bearcats, totaling eight receptions for 106 yards. Mekale McKay had a big game as well, totaling 91 receiving yards and a TD on four receptions.
The Cougars, a seven-point favorite, will be looking to defend their home field when Cincinnati visits. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 7 of the college football season, the Cougars are 4-2 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). The Cougars are known for their passing game. Their 40.3 passing attempts per game are the 10th-most in the nation. Transitioning to the BYU defense, there are some things to keep in mind when it is on the field. The Bearcats need to watch out for BYU’s tenacious defense. It averages the 23rd-most turnovers with 2.2 per game. BYU usually finishes games strong, averaging 10.5 points in the fourth quarter. Mistakes could completely alter the game in favor of the Cougars this week, as Cincinnati is among the most penalized teams in Division I. This season, the Bearcats have recorded 72 penalty yards per game.
On the other side, the Bearcats were a poor bet so far this season, with a disappointing record of 2-3 ATS. Their SU record, 3-2, hasn’t been quite as bad. Cincinnati has found a lot of success through the air. Its 385.8 passing yards per game ranks fifth in Division I. The Bearcats have a habit of pouring it on before they go into halftime. They average 15.4 points during the second quarter, ranking sixth in Division I.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Cincinnati
Notes
BYU is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone OVER in 11 of BYU’s last 16 games.
BYU is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
BYU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of BYU’s last 8 games at home.
Cincinnati is 2-1 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. BYU is 1-1 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
Among all FBS teams, the BYU offensive passing game is ranked 27th in the country, while the Cincinnati pass defense is only ranked 76th. The Bearcats passing attack is ranked fifth, compared to the 92nd-ranked pass defense of the Cougars.
