Cincinnati Football: Keys to victory for the Bearcats and Razorbacks

With the regular season opener just hours away, the Bearcats and Razorbacks are both confident they have a pathway to victory. Here are a few keys to getting the job done for each team and make sure to follow our live coverage during the game!

Cincinnati Football: Keys to victory for the Bearcats against Arkansas

Can’t commit turnovers early on

In a difficult environment, the quickest way to dig a hole is committing turnovers which Cincinnati has to avoid. Ben Bryant and the offense must balance being aggressive and securing the ball at all times.

During his career, Bryant has 16 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 481 passing attempts in 24 appearances. If Bryant and the position players can protect the ball, Cincinnati will have a chance to start the season with a huge road win.

Defense must contain rushing attack

There were several reasons why the Bearcats couldn’t hang with Alabama in the playoff semifinals last season but nothing was more glaring than the Crimson Tide’s physical dominance running the ball.

Luke Fickell’s team allowed an alarming 301 rushing yards in the playoff loss and must avoid a similar performance on Saturday. Arkansas led the SEC in rushing last year so bottling up KJ Jefferson, Rocket Sanders and AJ Green is a priority for the Bearcats.

Ground game has to carry offensive load

The quarterback battle consumed most of training camp but the running back room will likely be the offense’s driving force. Ryan Montgomery is the probable starter but three others will split carries.

If either Corey Kiner, Myles Montgomery or Charles McCelland have a breakout game then the Bearcats have a real shot to win. All four running backs will see the field but there’s only so many carries to go around so it’s important to find a go-to guy.

Cincinnati Football: Keys to victory for the Razorbacks against Cincinnati

Run game will rely on Rocket Sanders

We’ve spent a lot of time recently talking about Arkansas’ rushing attack. Most of that has been centered around Jefferson’s dual threat ability but Sanders has elite speed that could lead to multiple big plays or touchdowns runs.

Since starting running back Dominique Johnson is out with a knee injury, Sanders will get most of the carries. During his freshman season, he recorded 687 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games including a 139-yard performance against Ole Miss.

Offense can’t become stagnant

Arkansas surpassed 30 points eight times last season but the offense had a tendency to go quiet for quarters at a time. If that trend continues this year, the Bearcats will need to take advantage of those dry spells.

After taking a double digit lead over Texas A&M in the first half last season, Arkansas nearly lost because the offense went silent late. A similar story happened against Auburn and LSU later in the year so it’s possible that could happen this week.

Arkansas has to avoid a tight finish

It’s obviously a big game for Cincinnati as the program hopes to walk away with a momentum-building win but Arkansas will have more pressure on them if it remains close into the second half.

Most people around the country are expecting the Razorbacks to win at home but that could change if the crowd starts to feel uneasy. Cincinnati must come out with extreme confidence, energy and intensity to set the tone early on.