Austin Peay @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2011 ) Austin Peay 10, Cincinnati 72

Luke Fickell has big shoes to fill as Cincinnati's new head coach - and he'll get his first chance at leading the Bearcats back into bowl consideration as they open their season Thursday night against visiting Austin Peay. Cincinnati missed out on the bowl conversation last year in Tommy Tuberville's final season at the helm and a strong showing in the opener could be just what Fickell and the Bearcats need.

After kicking off his Cincinnati tenure with a pair of 9-4 campaigns, Tuberville saw his sheen wear off in a big way - capped by a dismal 4-8 showing last season that prompted the former Power Five coach to retire. Fickell, previously an assistant coach at Ohio State, inherits a Bearcats roster that returns more than half its starters from last season - including promising quarterback Hayden Moore and electric wide receiver Devin Gray. Fickell's biggest task will be reviving a moribund running game that ranked 117th nationally and he has enlisted former Notre Dame offensive guru Mike Denbrock to make it happen. Thursday should represent a nice testing ground for that Cincinnati offense against a Governors team that surrendered nearly 50 points per game en route to an 0-11 showing last season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Off

ABOUT AUSTIN PEAY (2016: 0-11): Being outscored 517-259 in 2016 hasn't instilled much confidence in the Governors from experts who have the team tabbed to repeat as Ohio Valley Conference bottom-dwellers yet again. Austin Peay's losing streak currently sits at 27 games - the longest active run in Division I - and while that isn't likely to end Thursday night, the program does have some promise after the strongest recruiting period in school history. Among the returnees are running back Kentel Williams, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry while scoring six rushing touchdowns in 11 games and quarterback JaVaughn Craig, who posted six TD passes and just two interceptions while adding three rushing scores in limited action.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2016: 4-8): Gray emerged as one of the Bearcats' most consistent offensive options last season, racking up 58 catches for 860 yards to go along with five touchdowns, and look for him to play an even larger role in the offense as he and Moore continue to work on their chemistry. Moore had a bit of a roller-coaster campaign under center, opening the season on fire before being plagued by injuries and inconsistency, but he ended the year on a solid note while piling up 371 passing yards and three touchdowns in an overtime loss to Tulsa. New defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman will need to rebuild a unit that saw six starters depart, including all three starting linebackers.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Bearcats averaged 104 fewer passing yards in 2016 than they had the season before, dropping from sixth to 44th nationally.

2. Cincinnati scored eight rushing touchdowns last season, tied for the fewest in Division I.

3. Austin Peay has just one victory over the last four full seasons - a 20-13 triumph over Murray State on Oct. 18, 2014.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 47, Austin Peay 10