Cincinnati Bearcats Play Their Last Regular Season Game Saturday

Nov 23, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Ralph Abernathy (1) runs during the first half against the South Florida Bulls at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

The Bearcats are traveling to Connecticut on Saturday to play their final regular season game of the school’s 2012 campaign. With Louisville’s win over Rutgers on Thursday night, if the Bearcats take a win from the road trip, the team will be able to partake in a share of the Big East title. Syracuse, Louisville, and Rutgers are all 5-2 in the conference. It will mark the fourth time in five years that Cincinnati has held the honor.

The only thing standing in their way for a repeat is a Huskies team coming off of a big upset win last week over the Cardinals. UConn will be coming into this game with their eyes set on back to back wins to finish out the season in front of their home crowd. The Huskies are currently 2-4 in the Big East and 5-6 for the season. Their title hopes are non-existent, but they will be playing Saturday for the dignity of a non-losing season.

All signs point to an easy victory for the Bearcats. Cincinnati has been riding the legs of George Winn and the duel threat of fifth-year man Brendon Kay in all of their wins to close out the season. Since Kay stepped into for the struggling Munchie Legaux in the game against Syracuse, the team has gone 3-1, with their only loss coming to a Rutgers’ team that was ranked 22nd overall nationally.

Here are some key stats that may factor into the game on Saturday. In just four games, Brendon Kay has passed for 705 yards and four touchdowns. Add that to Legaux’s passing totals through the Syracuse game and the Bearcats have put up 2421 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air. George Winn has posted 1134 yards on the ground and brought in 11 touchdowns for the team, while their receiving leader has been Travis Kelce with 35 receptions for 530 yards and five touchdowns.

UConn’s quarterback Chandler Whitmer has thrown for 2400 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Their running back Lyle McCombs has rushed for just 800 yards and five touchdowns, while their leading receiver Geremy Davis has posted 567 yards on 39 receptions for one touchdown.

The Bearcats will certainly not want to look past this Huskies team, even with their inefficiencies this season. They will still pose a good matchup for this Cincinnati squad, who has found themselves with struggles of their own throughout the year. The Bearcats should be able to pull it out, though, on Saturday afternoon in Rentschler Field.