5 things to keep an eye on for the night game against TCU

The coldest and most important football game of the season awaits the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday night as they look to send their seniors out with a win over TCU. If they are successful, they would reach six wins and automatically qualify for a bowl game.

Should they lose, it would be the first consecutive season under .500 since 2016, when Tommy Tuberville left after a 4-8 year, followed by Luke Fickell’s 2017 debut of 4-8.

Can UC break the spell that has dogged them since Week 2?

A win Saturday night would put an end to the “woulda, shoulda, coulda” talk that has dogged them since their 27-6 lead evaporated late in the third quarter in their second home game against Pitt. And like many games this season, seven to be exact, this game featured a missed scoring opportunity at the end of the half that shifted the momentum the other way.

A UC 25-yard field goal was missed with 25 seconds left in the first half, and Pitt was able to get Ben Sauls in position for a 53-yarder to cut UC’s lead to 17-6 instead of 20-3 . That came into play when UC gave Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein enough time to get Sauls in position for a 35-yard shot that completed a 22-unanswered-point comeback and a 28-27 Panthers victory. It was impossible to miss the fact that Sauls then performed the “Down the Drive” arm movement.

The point is that with a win over Pitt, UC would have been 6-1 following its 24-14 win over Arizona State on Oct. 19. The Sun Devils haven’t lost since and are now atop the Big 12 and ranked No. 14 in the Top 25. UC was 5-2 after that game and has now missed four chances to qualify for the bowl.

“We still have a chance to qualify for the bowl and a few weeks to stay together as a team,” senior guard Luke Kandra said. “I’m really happy that it’s Nipp night and that I’m home again and that it’s Senior Night too.”

5 things to keep an eye on when the Cincinnati Bearcats host TCU on Saturday night

1. Does the icy playing temperature play a role?

The high temperature for Saturday will be 34 degrees and the low temperature will be 23 degrees, so temperatures are expected to be in the 20s at 6 p.m. TCU’s coldest game was in Utah at 49 degrees. Their other game time temperatures were 58, 84, 95, 96, 81, 88, 82, 67 and 73 degrees. The coldest game they’ve had recently was their 2022 national championship final run, when they played Baylor in Waco in 39-degree temperatures.

While the Horned Frogs can run, Josh Hoover is the No. 6 passer in the country with 3,485 yards and TCU’s passing offense is ranked No. 5. There seems to be better weather for running, especially when there are players who are used to those conditions I’ve been on the team at least since January. By the numbers, UC’s rushing offense ranks 39th among FBS schools and TCU’s rushing offense ranks 115th.

As for UC, last year’s season finale against Kansas in Nippert began at 39 degrees. The coldest game to date occurred on November 10, 2018, when the Bearcats defeated USF 35-23 in 28-degree temperatures.

“We’ll have hand warmers and stuff, so hopefully it shouldn’t be too bad,” redshirt sophomore quarterback Brendan Sorsby said. “I haven’t played too many really cold games, probably not as cold as Saturday night, but all of us together we’ll get through it.”

Sorsby has some history with Hoover. Both are Texans, and when Hoover withdrew from Indiana to go to TCU, a spot opened up for IU to offer Sorsby.

2. Can Corey Kiner leave Nippert Stadium a winner?

It’s not easy to have consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons in the Big 12. Kiner regularly broke tackles and dragged defenders for extra yards. The Cincinnati native would love nothing more than to finish with a home win and get a bowl opportunity. Maybe he even wants it more for his teammates, because those who know the former Ohio Mr. Football know his selflessness.

“I think the whole team has the same emotions as me,” Kiner said. “We all want this game. We all have that hunger.”

Satterfield said at practice Sunday after the loss at Kansas State that Kiner was ready for full practice again.

“If you think about the game on Saturday night, it’s pretty much over, and at the end of the game he’s running as fast as he can and trying to get every yard,” Satterfield said. “He’s a Bearcat through and through. If you could make everyone like him, then that’s what you want.”

3. Can UC and fans deliver after begging for a “nip at night”?

Students like it for the party and traditionally a night game is usually loud. If there was ever a time for students to support the team, it would be now. One of the captains, Dontay Corleone, even asked for help via social media. Conditions may not be the best, but most residents of this region own winter clothing. And to be completely honest, most of the Big 12 support their team regardless of the weather.

UC is 0-4 on the night, but all came on the road in front of hostile fans. The players would like to see the support in their favor.

“For the last three years of playing here, I know the fans will come and I encourage them to come,” Corleone said. “If you can stay on campus for this game, do it. This is like a playoff game. I’m looking forward to the fans being there and we’ll see if they accept my challenge.”

4. Is there enough “brotherhood” to achieve a decisive victory together?

On Monday, UC suffered its first casualty in the transfer portal when Kalen Carroll, who started the first 10 games at cornerback, announced his intention to play elsewhere. Carroll did not play at Kansas State. While the Bearcats have a leadership council and a core group that plays for the team, it’s obvious that after four straight losses, there might be some who aren’t on the same page.

It’s time for those who talk to walk the talk.

“You can’t cut corners, especially last week,” receiver Tony Johnson said. “You have to go out there and put everything on the line. The locker room is still occupied. We’re going to go out there with the guys that want to compete and hopefully win this game.”

5. Not that it’s appealing, but is there a back door to a bowl?

This may not be talked about much as it is not the preferred route to get there. Currently 77 of the 82 bowl slots are filled, but if there aren’t enough six-win teams, they’ll take 5-7 teams. This is decided by the football schools with the highest APR (Academic Progress Rate). In this group, Wisconsin and Northwestern are tied for first place. Wisconsin can get six wins against Minnesota or maybe win five, while Northwestern would have to beat Illinois to even get five wins. Alabama, Clemson and Ole Miss are tied for third place but are still all bowl eligible.

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