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The Cincinnati Bearcats are 3-1 against the SMU Mustangs since October of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Cincinnati's week off comes to an end as they meet up with SMU at noon ET at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous games.
Even if it wasn't a dominant performance, the Bearcats beat the South Florida Bulls 28-24 two weeks ago. RB Charles McClelland continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, rushing for two TDs and 179 yards on 21 carries.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs didn't have too much breathing room in their game with the Navy Midshipmen last Friday, but they still walked away with a 40-34 win. QB Tanner Mordecai had a dynamite game for SMU; he passed for three TDs and 336 yards on 27 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 74 yards. One of the most memorable plays of the matchup was Mordecai's 60-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter.
Cincinnati is the favorite in this one, with an expected 3.5-point margin of victory. Those burned by picking them against the spread two weeks ago might want to keep in mind that the team has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.
Cincinnati is now 5-1 while the Mustangs sit at 3-3. A couple numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Bearcats come into the game boasting the 19th fewest passing yards allowed per game in the nation at 186.3. But SMU ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to passing yards per game, with 351.8 on average. We'll see which of these strengths -- offense or defense -- will win out.
