Where: Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati (65,535)
Television/Radio: ESPNU/980,1450
Series: 59-59-7. Cincinnati has won the last 15 games, including 49-14 in last season’s opener at Nippert Stadium.
Coaches: Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell is 49-16 in six seasons with the Bearcats, 55-23 overall; Miami’s Chuck Martin is 40-53 in nine seasons at Miami and 114-59 in 15 overall season.
Local flavor for Cincinnati: 6-foot, 190-pound redshirt sophomore CB Sammy Anderson Jr. (Trotwood-Madison); 6-5, 255 graduate TE Leonard Taylor (Springfield); 6-foot, 190 senior CB Justin Harris (Wayne); 6-1, 219 redshirt freshman LB Cam Junior (Middletown); 5-11, 208 senior RB Ryan Montgomery (Franklin); 6-1, 220 redshirt sophomore LB David Jones Jr (Lakota West); 5-10, 190 redshirt senior K/P Garrett Russell (Wayne); 6-4, 275 graduate DL Malik Vann (Fairfield); 6-4, 308 sophomore OL Gavin Gerhardt (Xenia); 6-5, 215 redshirt WR Blue Smith (Wayne); 6-3, 310 freshman DT Derrick Shepard (Alter).
Cincinnati: Rushing – 5-foot-11, 200-pound redshirt senior Charles McClelland, 15 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD; Passing – 6-3, 220 redshirt senior Ben Bryant, 42-62, 526 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; Receiving – 5-11, 185 junior WR Tyler Scott, 7 catches, 119 yards, 1 TD; Tackles – 6-foot, 235 senior linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., 23 tackles, 11 solo.
Miami: Rushing – 5-foot-9, 164-pound sophomore running back Kevin Davis, 7 carries, 62 yards, 0 touchdowns; Passing – 6-1, 203 redshirt freshman quarterback Aveon Smith, 16-of-26, 168 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; Receiving – 5-11, 190 redshirt senior Mac Hippenhammer, 11 catches, 137 yards, 2 TD; Tackles: 6-2, 221 senior LB Ryan McWood, 18 tackles, 7 solo.
Fickell on the series being tied: “59-59-7? Believe me, the team knows. They knew that when we went over it in fall camp that we haven’t held the lead since 1915 and that is 59-59-7 all time. There are a lot of guys that we have got that are from different areas that don’t know a lot about it. Our job is to make sure that we teach them about it from the get-go, most importantly, make sure that they respect what it is that they are a part of. They definitely know that and they definitely know we haven’t had a lead since 1915.”
Next game: Cincinnati plays Indiana at Nippert Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m.; Miami travels to Evanston, Ill., to face Northwestern. Kickoff is still to be announced.
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