Towson at Cincinnati, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
BetMGM College Football Odds: No Line.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
A Cincinnati team assembled largely from transfer players was awful in its Big 12 debut last year, finishing 3-9 overall and just 1-8 in the conference. The Bearcats should fare better in coach Scott Satterfield’s second season, but the opening game against the FCS Towson Tigers may not be much of an indication of that. This will be the only preseason game for the Bearcats, who face Pittsburgh in Week 2. The suburban Baltimore team is hoping to improve under second-year coach Pete Shinnick. The Tigers finished the season 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the Coastal Athletic Association. The opening game against the Bearcats, the Tigers’ only FBS opponent, will be a playoff game.
KEY GAME
Cincinnati’s running game against Towson’s defense. Bearcats running back Corey Kiner ran for 1,047 yards and five touchdowns last season behind an offensive line that returned all five of its starters.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Towson: The Tigers bring back their best player from last year, tight end Carter Runyon. Runyon caught 43 balls for a CAA-high 549 yards and four touchdowns. He was named an FCS All-American in the preseason.
Cincinnati: QB Brendan Sorsby. The Bearcats hope that the transfer from Indiana can give their offense new momentum and create more explosive plays.
Facts & Figures
Cincinnati’s defense allowed 176.9 yards per game in 2023, which ranks 111th nationally. … The Bearcats lost Jalen Hunt and Mikah Coleman from last year’s defensive line. The team’s best player, DT Dontay Corleone, was sidelined with blood clots. … Nathan Kent, last year’s starting quarterback at Towson, competed throughout training camp with Carlos Davis, who is attending his fourth school in as many years. … Towson TE Carter Runyon was a second-team FCS All-American last year, recording 43 catches for 543 yards and four touchdowns. … Sorsby was named Cincinnati’s starting quarterback after a close competition with returner Brady Lichtenberg and true freshman Samaj Jones.
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