West Virginia has lost three straight, and a rested Cincinnati passing game is coming to Milan Puskar Stadium
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia has been scoring. The trouble is everyone else has been scoring more.
The Mountaineers (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) host Cincinnati (4-1, 1-1) at noon ET on TNT, looking to end a three-game slide. They lost 41-24 to Oklahoma State, 45-42 at Iowa State and 52-31 to Arizona. ESPN's Football Power Index ranks the West Virginia defense 123rd in the country.
Cincinnati arrives with fresh legs and a point to prove. The Bearcats had an open week after a 34-7 loss at Arizona on Oct. 4, their only defeat. They are 4-0 at home but 0-1 on the road, so this is a real test of how well Scott Satterfield's fourth team travels.
The man to watch is quarterback JC French IV, who has completed 86 of 123 passes for 949 yards and six touchdowns, with no interceptions on ESPN's stat sheet. Gi'Bran Payne has 392 rushing yards, and JV Gibson has three touchdown catches. The Bearcats' offense ranks 44th in ESPN's efficiency index, which looks a lot better against a defense ranked 123rd.
West Virginia can score with anybody. Rich Rodriguez, in the second season of his second stint, calls his own plays, and Cam Cook is the engine with 153 carries for 793 yards and seven touchdowns. Michael Hawkins Jr. has thrown for 1,055 yards with just one interception, and DJ Epps averages better than 28 yards a catch, 393 yards on 14 receptions.
The Mountaineers' secondary is the worry. Cornerback Nick Taylor is a game-time decision, and several defensive backs are on the injury report. Cincinnati's defense ranks 86th, so Cook and Epps should find room of their own.
History is on West Virginia's side. The Mountaineers lead the series 18-3-1, a run that began with a 50-0 win in 1921. When Cincinnati last visited, in 2024, West Virginia won 31-24.
Don Nehlen spent 21 seasons building Mountaineer football, from 1980 to 2000, and Rodriguez's first run here followed. Cincinnati's modern rise came under Brian Kelly and Luke Fickell.
With rain chances around 34 percent and temperatures in the 40s, ball security could decide a game that looks like it will go to the wire. Cincinnati hosts No. 10 Texas Tech next week. West Virginia heads to TCU.
Our call: Cincinnati 34, West Virginia 33.