Cincinnati Football: Bearcats expected to face former rival Louisville in Fenway Bowl

After falling short of preseason expectations, the Bearcats will finish the season against former rival Louisville in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Saturday, December 17 in Boston at Fenway Park.

Cincinnati enters the matchup with a chance to improve to 10-3 and reach double digit wins for the fourth time in the last five seasons but Louisville’s explosive offense stands in the way.

It should be a competitive game as both teams hope to earn a memorable win and take some momentum into the offseason, especially against a former rival with a similar recruiting reach.

Even though the programs haven’t met in nearly a decade, it’s still the second most-played rivalry in Bearcats history with 53 games. Cincinnati leads the all-time series with a 30-22-1 record.

Cincinnati Football: Bearcats expected to face former rival Louisville in Fenway Bowl

• Date: Saturday, December 17 at 11:00 AM
• Location: Fenway Park in Boston
• TV Broadcast: ESPN and fuboTV
• Series History: Bearcats lead 30-22-1

In the most recent meeting, Louisville escaped with a 31-24 overtime win at Nippert Stadium in 2013 before departing for the ACC and effectively ending the rivalry that originally began in 1929.

With plenty of uncertainty around the program as a coaching search continues, Cincinnati has an opportunity to take down the former rival and start a new era with a positive performance.

Interim head coach Kerry Coombs will have the team prepared to shut down Louisville star quarterback Malik Cunningham as Cincinnati looks to regain control of the storied rivalry at Fenway Park in a few weeks.