Utah and Cincinnati have never played each other in the history of college football. The first matchup between these new Big 12 teams this Saturday is paramount, as the conference championship game will likely be impacted by the winner.
Utah’s season is far from over. A routing of Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 25, showed that coach Kyle Whittingham’s team isn’t only going to bounce back, but that they are just getting started. Cincinnati now stands in the way of a train that is quickly picking up steam.
The season hasn’t gone as planned for a relatively new Utah team. Two heartbreaking losses to Texas Tech and BYU have been blemishes on the resumé. These defeats are keeping Utah on the outside looking in at the top of the conference standings. Currently sitting at fifth place in those standings, Utah needs a lot to happen if it hopes to compete for a conference title on Saturday, Dec. 6, in Kansas City.
Cincy this season
One team that is currently undefeated in conference play is the Cincinnati Bearcats. After dropping their first game of the season to Nebraska, Cincinnati has been on a tear, winning seven straight games. This winning streak has put the Bearcats on the national radar, earning a No. 17 ranking in the AP Poll. But who have they beaten?
Despite an impressive seven-game win streak, Cincinnati has only beaten one ranked, now unranked, team, Iowa State. In that game, the Bearcats jumped out to a 31-7 lead in the first half. Iowa State made its best effort at a heroic comeback, but came up just short of the win, losing 38-31.
So, what’s the formula needed to beat Cincinnati? Running the ball.
This matchup plays right into Utah’s hands as the second-leading rushing team in the country, just behind Navy, a team that runs the triple-option. Utah has been flat-out dominant with its rushing attack this season. Seven different Utes have surpassed the century mark on the ground, giving Cincinnati an element of mystery that is difficult to prepare for.
How good is Sorsby?
Outside of a shaky run defense, the Bearcats don’t have any glaring weaknesses. Their quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, has been elite in 2025. Throwing 20 touchdowns and one interception is unheard of in the Power Five. Utah will have to make the junior from Denton, Texas, feel uncomfortable if it has hopes of having any success defensively.
One interesting statistical discovery that I have made is Sorsby’s splits by half.
Sorsby is a first-half player. Once defenses have caught onto Sorsby’s mannerisms and subconscious decisions, success becomes very limited. While part of this statistic has to do with Cincinnati throwing the ball less often in the second half, Sorsby hasn’t been himself even when throwing consistently in the final 30 minutes.
Utah can take advantage of this statistical anomaly by doing two things on Saturday: jumping out to a lead and bringing pressure. If Utah controls the clock by running the ball on offense, Sorsby will have the added pressure of operating the offense with a deficit.
Carrying a lead into the second half will make Cincinnati uncomfortable in a hostile environment, something that Sorsby clearly doesn’t handle well. Utah hasn’t performed well against high levels of competition in 2025. If Whittingham’s team takes care of the football and puts pressure on Cincinnati early, good things will happen.
Given this information, here are my three keys to victory for the Utes:
- Run the ball. A weak run-stopping unit paired with an elite offensive line opens an opportunity for Utah to play some bully-ball vs. the Bearcats.
- Pressure the quarterback. Utah has schemed up a constant pass rush defensively. Getting to the quarterback creates havoc and turnovers that can hopefully be taken advantage of.
- Obtain an early lead and hang on. Sorsby struggles when playing from behind. Making him feel rushed will allow Utah’s defense to play free and aggressively.
If Utah accomplishes these three keys, it should be a happy Saturday night for fans and players. Go Utes!
My prediction: Utah: 34 Cincinnati: 17
