Preview: No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah

Two programs built on toughness will collide under the lights Saturday night in Salt Lake City, when No. 17 Cincinnati travels to face No. 24 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

 

The Bearcats (7–1, 5-0 Big 12) are riding a seven-game win streak and climbing the national ranks, while the Utes (6–2, 3-2) are fresh off one of their most complete performances of the season — a 53–7 dismantling of Colorado that showcased what head coach Kyle Whittingham called “positives all across the board.”

 

(Photo: Utah Athletics)

 

“We really played well in all three phases,” Whittingham said earlier this week. “Offense, defense, special teams were all clicking.”

 

Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET on ESPN, with College GameDay broadcasting from Salt Lake City that morning.

 

Momentum on Both Sides

Both teams arrive riding the wave of momentum — and both thrive on physical football.

 

Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield praised the Utes as “one of the hotter teams that’s out there, especially playing them at home,” and noted their “outstanding home-field advantage in that stadium.”

 

Meanwhile, Whittingham offered similar respect for the surging Bearcats, calling them “a red-hot team” and “one of the best offenses in the league.”

 

“They’ve rattled off seven wins in a row,” Whittingham said. “Their quarterback’s a big, strong kid — dual threat, can run, can throw. They’ve only turned the ball over four times all year and have 20 touchdowns to one interception. They can hurt you different ways.”

 

He also highlighted Cincinnati’s balance and versatility: “They’ve got nearly 200 yards rushing and about 280 or 290 throwing. Scoring nearly 40 points a week. Maybe the biggest RPO team we’ve faced. They really lean heavily on the RPOs.”

 

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby continues to elevate Cincinnati nationally as he enters the Heisman conversation and will need to continue playing at that same high level for Cincinnati to extend their winning streak to 8 games. 

 

A Battle in the Trenches

Both programs define themselves by line-of-scrimmage dominance — and Saturday could hinge on which front blinks first.

 

Utah’s defense, led by coordinator Morgan Scalley, overwhelmed Colorado with relentless pressure.

 

“Defense had seven sacks, less than 150 yards total allowed,” Whittingham said. “It was a very aggressive game plan … about 70% pressure, and it was very effective.”

 

Statistically, Utah owns one of the nation’s best defenses — and Satterfield’s film study confirmed the numbers.

 

“Turn the film on and it backs it up,” he said. “They’re very stout. They have two tall, strong defensive ends on the edge … then two big linebackers inside that can move, and outstanding DBs. I’m watching the Colorado game and felt like they pressured them all night. They lived in the backfield.”

 

The Utes' defense has been especially stout defending the pass and currently ranks 7th in the country in passing yards allowed at 148.8 yards per game. Utah is 5th in the NCAA in team passing efficiency defense (100.21), while sitting 9th nationally in scoring defense (14.3).

 

Satterfield emphasized staying out of long-yardage situations: “You have to stay on the sticks … because if you do [fall behind], they got you.”

 

This week brings their biggest test yet.

 

“This will be the biggest challenge we’ve had,” Satterfield said. “John Henry Daley has nine and a half sacks. Logan Fano … will put pressure on you.”

 

Sophomore defensive end John Henry Daley leads the Big 12 with 13.5 tackles for loss and is also second in the league in sacks with 9.5. On the other side, junior defensive end Logan Fano enters Saturday with three sacks on the season.

 

Safety Bennee Jackson is tied for second in the Big 12 with three interceptions, while cornerback Smith Snowden is tied for second in the league with eight pass break ups. The Utes are giving up an average of just 14.3 points per game and are tied for second in the Big 12 with 25 sacks. 

 

Cincinnati has won three straight by controlling the line of scrimmage, running for 265 yards last week and leaning on a surging offensive front. Satterfield believes the key in Utah will be to “put teams in a phone booth.”

 

“It just speaks to being a physical football team,” he said. “We have to impose our will on whoever we’re going against. It’s the one-on-one battle throughout the whole day, it doesn’t matter what that battle is. We imposed our will [last week] … now this week, you’re playing a team that plays the same way. It’s going to be a very physical contest.”

 

The rushing duo of Tawee Walker and Evan Pryor have been central to that identity, but with the Bearcats announcing Pryor will be out Saturday, Manny Covey and Chance Williams will both have an opportunity to provide the "home run" affect that Pryor had within the offense to counter Walker's physical style.

Quarterback Storyline

 

The quarterback storyline adds another layer of intrigue.

 

For Cincinnati, Brendan Sorsby has been a model of calm efficiency with 26 total touchdowns to just one interception. 

 

“That goes back to what we’ve been really harping on — taking what the defense gives us,” Satterfield said. “If it’s not there, then don’t worry. Sometimes the defense wins. When that happens, go to the next play. That comes to decision making. Sorsby’s done a great job of taking what the defense gives us, knowing when to run, when to throw away one, when to check one.”

 

For Utah, true freshman Byrd Ficklin stole headlines last week after a breakout debut.

 

 “He’s just unflappable,” Whittingham said. “Nothing bothers him. He’s intelligent, athletic, and tough. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Bird — but make no mistake, Devin [Dampier] is still QB1.”

 

Ficklin completed just 10-of-21 passes but overwhelmed the Colorado defense, rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. 

 

“We announced to the team after warmups, ‘Hey, it’s Byrd’s show,’” Whittingham recalled. “They were fired up about that — to rally around him and play their best. We played as well as we’ve played in a long time.”

 

Utah's offensive line has paved the way to yards and points throughout the season. The Utes rank 5th in the FBS and lead the Big 12 in rushing offense (267.1 ypg), and are 12th in the nation in sacks allowed (0.88 spg). Utah is 3rd in the country in 3rd down conversion rate at 54%.

 

While Dampier is also a threat with his legs, he has proven to be a more complete passer of the two, completing 138-of-201 passing attempts for 1,375 yards and 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions. The New Mexico transfer threw for 2,768 yards last season while with the Lobos. 

 

The Bearcats continue to tighten coverage and force quarterbacks into uncomfortable situations.

 

“We did a good job of mixing it up this week,” Satterfield said of the win over Baylor. “We were playing some tighter man, tighter zone coverage … I like the aggressiveness that we played with this past week, for sure.”

 

That physical mindset has been embodied by Antwan Peek Jr., recently named a semifinalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.

 

“Peek is a hard worker,” Satterfield said. “He’s earned everything, literally, from a walk-on to earning a scholarship … He’s a head hunter. I love that he’s humble and consistent.”

 

The back end of the Bearcat defense will have to continue to play with discipline to prevent Utah from hitting explosive plays.

 

The Environment: Elevation and Energy

 

Few venues test visitors like Rice-Eccles Stadium, especially under the lights.

 

“Our fans seem to love to come out to those night games,” Whittingham said. “We’re looking forward to another great environment … the environment last week was terrific — can’t say enough positive things about our fans, the MUSS, the band. It was all going on.”

 

Rice-Eccles Stadium is one of the loudest venues in college football, but the Bearcats believe they’re ready for the noise.

 

“We’ll prepare for that,” Satterfield said. “One good thing about having the indoor facility here is that we can really crank up the volume. Communication will be really key offensively.”

 

Cincinnati hopes its Arrowhead Stadium experience earlier this season — a 76,000-seat cauldron against Kansas — will pay dividends.

 

“It’d be hard to be louder than Arrowhead was that night,” Satterfield said. “That was as loud a stadium as I’ve been to, maybe top two or three.”

 

GameDay Comes to Salt Lake

 

Saturday’s matchup will also mark a showcase moment for the Big 12’s new era.

 

With ESPN’s College GameDay setting up in Salt Lake City, Whittingham emphasized the importance of keeping focus amid the fanfare.

 

“Those shows do a good job of not being a distraction,” he said. “The biggest thing is guys just knowing they’re on center stage. It’s great for the university, the program, and the state — but it’s business as usual for us.”

 

 

Final Thoughts

Saturday’s matchup offers both a measuring stick and an opportunity. The Bearcats will enter an environment Satterfield called “one of the great venues” in the Big 12 — and they’ll need to bring their brand of physical football to stay in rhythm.

 

“This will be a very physical contest,” Satterfield said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’re excited about it, and we’ve got to have a great week of practice.”

 

Whittingham summed it up simply:

 

“We’ve got our work cut out for us this week. As always, it’s about preparation — and coming ready to play.”

 

With this matchup having serious Big 12 Championship implications, expect both teams to come out with energy and purpose. Utah is currently a 10-point favorite.