The Cincinnati Bearcats and Virginia Tech Hokies will finally hook up in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland at 1 pm tomorrow. We’ve spent the last couple of days previewing UC’s offense against VT’s defense and visa versa. Here are 5 keys to Cincinnati’s victory as well as a prediction of the outcome of the game (hint: it’s heavily biased).
1) Hold The Line
Virginia Tech possesses as aggressive and talented a front as Cincinnati has seen all season, Ohio State and Memphis included. On the whole the Hokie defense has sacked quarterbacks more than all but three teams in college football. Virginia Tech’s front seven alone has accounted for an astounding 38.5 sacks this year. This will be a tough test for UC’s offensive line, which for the most part has been as excellent as their counterparts on the other side of the line of scrimmage tomorrow. Whichever unit wins in the trenches should be on the winning team.
2) Quick Passes
Cincinnati Bearcats
One way to neutralize the Hokie pass rush is with short passes on 3- or 5-step drops or single-read throws out of the shotgun. The Bearcats will try to attack Virginia Tech deep with Mekale McKay and Chris Moore on the outside but have a propensity to utilize the duo as well as Shaq Washington on bubble screens. That will be a major key tomorrow afternoon. If Cincinnati can maintain rhythm in the passing game to compliment the running game, eating up yards a handful at a time, they’ll be on the winning side in the Military Bowl.
3) Get Moore And Boone Going
It’s probably cliche at this point because we’ve said it for the last two months but Cincinnati really needs to make sure they’re feeding Rod Moore and Mike Boone on Saturday. Simultaneously, the pair of running backs need to reward those reps with production on the ground. Virginia Tech is stout against the rush, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry (38th nationally). If UC can’t get chunks of yards with the rushing attack, they’ll become over reliant on Gunner Kiel’s arm on third and longs, feeding into the Hokies’ strength the pass rush. Then it’ll be Virginia Tech’s game to lose at that point once UC becomes unbalanced and doom the Bearcats.
4) Mind The Gaps
Virginia Tech’s offense line hasn’t played all that well this season despite seniors dotting the starting lineup. While Cincinnati should have an advantage on the edge with Terrell Hartsfield and Silverberry Mouhon, the Hokies could churn away at UC’s defensive tackles. That’ll put all the more pressure on the linebackers Jeff Luc and Nick Temple to get after quarterback Michael Brewer and contain burgeoning running back J.C. Coleman.
5) Stay Aggressive
The Hokie offense has taken a step back from last year and struggles to maintain consistency from play-to-play. Cincinnati can’t allow for Brewer and the passing game to take flight by dropping into soft zone coverage. UC’s defense has made great strides in the last two months by simplifying their schemes and blitzing regularly. Trusting the defensive backs to hold their own on an island while sending 6-7 blitzers will make sure Virginia Tech’s shaky offense is exactly that tomorrow.
PREDICTION
Cincinnati: 24
Virginia Tech: 20