You'll probably hear the term "must-win" from both sides this weekend as the Cincinnati Bearcats play West Virginia in Morgantown Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon.
The Mountaineers started 3-0, then dropped three straight. The Bearcats began 4-0, then got "Fafita'd" in Tucson in a 34-7 loss to Arizona. Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita then passed for three more touchdowns at West Virginia Oct. 10 in a 52-31 flogging of the Mountaineers.
In the end, two Big 12 teams with quick starts are trying to stay on track with ranked teams BYU, Texas Tech, Utah and Oklahoma State, all undefeated in the league.
Cam Cook, who came with WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez from Jacksonville State, is the No. 3 runner in the country at 793 yards, averaging 153 per game. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is tied for No. 8 with 672 yards for an average of 117. UC's top two rushers, Gi'Bran Payne and Cole Tabb, are at 78.4 and 66 yards, respectively.
"Anytime you're playing 11-on-11, and your quarterback can run, it's hard to defend," UC head coach Scott Satterfield said. "Particularly when it's a guy who's an elusive runner like he (Hawkins) is, a different-style runner than Kansas State's quarterback. This guy can make you miss, and also has the speed. They're not scared to run him; he'll get 20 carries, same thing with Cook. You put a lot of hats down and you've got to tackle well."
Might UC, WVU attempt to throw football?
UC quarterback JC French IV is No. 20 in the country with nearly a 70% completion percentage, while Hawkins Jr. is No. 127 of 128 teams at 52.3%. However, in passing efficiency, Hawkins is No. 43, with a 151.10 rating, seven touchdowns and one interception. French is No. 44 at 150.83 with six touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Wide receiver JV Gibson was French's best threat but went without a catch at Arizona. He still has 18 grabs and close to a 15-yards-per-catch average.
"He (Gibson) didn't have a great game last game," French said. "He didn't get any touches. I think that fueled him to be a hard worker this week. He was texting me the other night saying, 'We've got to go this week. This will be our week.' I appreciate that."
How WVU Mountaineers have lost
West Virginia has outrushed every team they've played, but in three consecutive losses, they've been outgained through the air. Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker threw for 389 yards to just 132 for WVU. Iowa State outpassed them 312-227, and Arizona's Fifita had 341 yards passing to WVU's 291.
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Cincinnati Bearcats vs. West Virginia Mountaineers football history
West Virginia leads the series 18-3-1. The Mountaineers have won the last four, including the last matchup in the Big 12 in 2024 on a turnover-plagued day for Brendan Sorsby, 31-24. UC's last win came in 2009 at Nippert Stadium 24-21 to help Brian Kelly's last UC team remain undefeated at 10-0. Their last win in Morgantown came in 2008. Current ESPN College GameDay star Pat McAfee kicked a 52-yard field goal to send the game to overtime for West Virginia. He then hit a 27-yarder for the lead on the first overtime possession. UC came back with James P. Kelly UC Athletic Hall of Famer Tony Pike throwing a touchdown to tight end Kazeem Alli for the 26-23 win.
Rich Rodriguez is back coaching West Virginia and is 7-11 in two seasons, compared to 60-26 in his first run from 2001 to 2007. His only loss to UC in that time was in Morgantown, 15-13 in Rick Minter's final season as Bearcats coach.
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Cincinnati Bearcats at West Virginia scouting report
On to the next one📍 Morgantown, WV🗓️ Saturday Oct. 17🕛 12:00 PM ET📺 TNT https://t.co/nPyfpmSkro
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) October 12, 2026
Why Cincinnati Bearcats have an advantage: Time is of the essence, and UC has four Top 25 teams on their schedule in their next six games after West Virginia. The Bearcats face three consecutive ranked teams in No. 10 Texas Tech and No. 11 Utah at Nippert on back-to-back weekends, followed by a road game Nov. 7 at No. 20 Houston.
The Bearcats have seen their share of running football in practice, so nothing WVU does should come as a surprise.
Staying in the Eastern Time Zone will be a welcome change, and the Bearcats should be determined to show their offensive line is far better than what fans saw in Tucson.
"In the offensive line room, we just leaned on each other," guard Xavier Lozowicki said. "We've taken some responsibility. We've learned how to grow closer, and I feel like this week will be great because of the way we've grown this past bye week."
Why West Virginia has an advantage: The Mountaineers have their second straight home game and are on a three-game skid, making both fans and players hungry to hear musket fire.
If UC can't shore up a defense that allowed 522 total yards to Arizona, including a 284-153 advantage on the ground, it could be a long day at Milan Puskar Stadium. West Virginia had 522 yards (yes that's correct) of total offense on Arizona, but still lost by 21 points.
"I see it as an opportunity for the linebackers and front six," linebacker Damaine Wilson said. "I see it as something we can capitalize on. We know they're a tempo team, so we'll see what plays we can make out there."
UC had outrushed every team they had faced until Arizona dashed off in the desert Oct. 10. West Virginia has the two most potent threats in the Big 12 with Cook and Hawkins. Their rushing attack is 295.5 yards per game, which is fourth behind service academies Army, Air Force and Navy.
"You've got to treat these guys like an academy," Satterfield said. "They're going to run, run, run."
UC is No. 16 in rushing at 230.8 yards a game.
Cincinnati Bearcats at West Virginia injury report
The first weekly report will come out Wednesday night, Oct. 13.
Cincinnati Bearcats at West Virginia odds, moneyline
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sports Network)
- Moneyline: UC -112, West Virginia -108
- Spread: -1.5 West Virginia
- Over/under: 63.5
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC Bearcats must outrun, outpass West Virginia Mountaineers for win
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