Week 7: Louisville at Cincinnati

Cincinnati simply has to keep on proving itself. The Bearcats are 6-0 for the first time since 1954. They’ve defeated Oregon State and Rutgers. They are ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press poll and No. 17 by the USA Today coaches’ poll. The Bearcats have won nine straight games. Only LSU has won more (13).

But in order to drink in consensus respect, UC must win the Keg of Nails.

Louisville is surprisingly struggling. The Cardinals, expected to be national championship contenders, are 3-3 and coming off a 44-35 home setback to Utah last Friday. Still, they are the defending Big East champions and tote one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. A win at Nippert Stadium would go a long way for UC.

The bad news for the Bearcats is Louisville’s offense is No. 2 nationally, averaging 578.3 yards a game. The team is No. 5 in scoring, averaging 44. Brian Brohm is considered a top five pick in the next NFL draft. He’s completed 173 of 259 passes for 2,415 yards and 20 touchdowns with but four interceptions. He’s the nation’s second leading passer. Also, receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia, out against Utah, may return from injury.

The good news for Cincy is Louisville’s defense has been horrible. Utah completely threw off the Cardinals and Cincinnati’s no-huddle offense is likewise confusing.

“That’s something we have to get fixed,” said U of L coach Steve Kragthorpe.

The coach said his defense gave up 22 plays of 10 yards or more to the Utes. Many of those gains came via the pass. The Cardinals are No. 108 nationally against the pass, allowing an average of 283.3 yards a game. In total defense, Louisville is No. 99.

Cincy, meanwhile, is on a high. With the 28-23 win at then-No. 21 Rutgers, the Bearcats continued to ride the momentum gained with last season’s victory over the Scarlet Knights.

“(The latest Rutgers win) allows us to be in the mix in this league,” said UC coach Brian Kelly. “We’ve got six more games. It’s going to be a war of attrition.”

What’s helped the Bearcats has been a potent offense to go with its strong defensive reputation. This season UC has scored 260 points (43.3 per game), seventh nationally. It’s a good matchup against Louisville’s porous defense.

In Cincy’s last game, quarterback Ben Mauk completed 20-of-37 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. He matched his output from the previous game against San Diego State. Mauk is seventh nationally in passing efficiency (167.9).

It’s an interesting matchup. The Bearcats will go into the game as the favorite. And the stats glaringly show why. UC has both a solid defense and an outstanding offense. Louisville has a powerful offense, but awful defense.

Still, the Cardinals have won eight of the last nine meetings for the Keg. Don’t be surprised if Louisville taps an upset.

Cincinnati by 4