Marshall @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2008 ) Cincinnati 33, Marshall 10

Cincinnati hopes a return home brings a return to its winning ways when it hosts Marshall on Saturday night in a non-conference affair. The Bearcats are coming off a road loss to Navy in which the Midshipmen racked up 569 yards on the ground, while the Thundering Herd had a bye last week after starting the season 2-1.

Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell was very happy with the play of quarterback Hayden Moore against Navy, as the junior threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns, throwing down the field consistently for the first time all season. The Bearcats' running game has struggled, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry and 90.5 yards per game as a team. Meanwhile, Cincinnati's run defense has been just as bad, with teams averaging 264 yards and rambling for seven scores on the ground against the Bearcats. The Thundering Herd would like to get Tyler King going on the ground after he had 101 yards two weeks ago against Kent State, the first Marshall player to rush for more than 100 in five contests dating back to last season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Cincinnati -4

ABOUT MARSHALL (2-1): To slow down the Cincinnati passing game, the Marshall defensive front needs to put together the same kind of pressure that it has had in the first three games of the season. The Thundering Herd is 10th in the nation in sacks per game (3.67) and 21st in the country in tackles for a loss per game (4.33), making it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to get set and find targets. The defensive front is led by junior defensive tackle Ryan Bee and sophomore defensive lineman Damien Dozier, who each have three sacks this season.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2-2): Part of Moore's success this season has been the ability to spread the ball around, with four different receivers having caught at least 10 passes and at least one score. Junior Kahlil Lewis is the Bearcats' go-to guy, with 21 catches for 212 yards and four touchdowns, but sophomore Thomas Geddis and senior Devin Gray are also dangerous, with Gray averaging 15.5 yards per catch on his 11 grabs and Geddis averaging 11.4 on his 12. Moore does need to be a bit more accurate -- 53.5 percent passing and four interceptions -- but he has a number of targets to look for, so he shouldn't have to force things.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Marshall WR Marcel Williams set career highs in both receptions (eight) and yards (79) in the victory over Kent State.

2. Cincinnati LB Jaylyin Minor registered a career-high 12 tackles in the loss to Navy, the fourth time this season he's recorded double-digit stops in a game.

3. Marshall is the second straight team -- and one of four overall -- that Cincinnati will face this season that is coming off a bye week.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 28, Marshall 21