Ohio @ Cincinnati preview

Ohio and Cincinnati will renew their in-state rivalry when they meet for the first time in 37 years on Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have been impressive so far, knocking off UCLA and Miami (Ohio) on the road to start the season, then blowing out Alabama A&M at home last weekend.

Cincinnati freshman quarterback Desmond Ridder has also been impressive since taking over for Hayden Moore in the first quarter against UCLA, passing for 344 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He should find some open receivers downfield against an Ohio secondary that allowed 379 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air last week in a 45-31 loss at Virginia. Ohio junior quarterback Nathan Rourke has the experience edge on Ridder, earning second-team all-MAC last season and he's already in the all-time top 10 in several passing categories at the school. He can also do damage with his legs, rushing for 21 touchdowns last season, setting a program record and tying for third-most in the FBS among all positions.

TV: 12 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Cincinnati -8.5

ABOUT OHIO (1-1): The Bobcats are averaging just 3.8 yards a carry after averaging 5.7 last season. A.J. Ouellette rushed for 1,006 yards last season to become the first Ohio running back to hit the 1,000-yard mark since 2012, but he's still looking to crack the 100-yard barrier after three games thanks to a backfield that's more crowded with the addition of senior Maleek Irons, who redshirted last season. Ouellette, a former walk-on, needs 36 rushing yards to pass Kevin Babcock (1976-79) for seventh-most in program history.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (3-0): Michael Warren II is getting a lot more opportunities to show what he can do in the offense, and he should be fresh after getting just six carries last week against Alabama A&M. He showed he can handle a big load when he carried 35 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns in the win against UCLA, then came back with 29 carries for 91 yards against Miami. The Bearcats seem to be in good hands if anything should happen to Warren, as freshman Tavion Thomas ran for 141 yards on 18 carries last week and scored two touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Cincinnati has 11 rushing touchdowns this season, matching its total from 2017.

2. Cincinnati's 741 yards of total offense last week were the second most in school history behind the 752 generated in a 53-46 loss to Memphis on Sept. 24, 2014.

3, Ohio is the only FBS program with the same head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator over the past 14 years

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 28, Ohio 17