Cincinnati @ Miami (OH) preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2017 ) Cincinnati 21, Miami (Ohio) 17

Cincinnati will try to extend its winning streak over Miami (Ohio) to 13 games when the teams meet in their annual rivalry game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The Bearcats won the past four games against Miami by seven points or less, most recently rallying from an 11-point deficit with three minutes left in a 21-17 victory last season.

Cincinnati is feeling confident after beating UCLA 26-17 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, getting a strong game from running back Michael Warren II, who rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns. Warren had extra touches because last season's leading rusher, sophomore Gerrid Doaks, was a late scratch with a groin injury, leaving his availability in question against Miami as well. As of Tuesday, the starting quarterback for Cincinnati on Saturday was also still undecided between Hayden Moore, who started against UCLA, and freshman Desmond Ridder, who replaced Moore on the third offensive series and combined for 163 rushing and passing yards. Miami lost its season opener to Marshall 35-28, but a bright spot was quarterback Gus Ragland, the Cincinnati native who threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN3. LINE: Miami -1.5

ABOUT MIAMI (0-1): James Gardner was the most valuable player for the RedHawks last season after catching 47 passes for 927 yards and 11 touchdowns to also earn first-team All-MAC honors, but he'll need to get more involved in the offense this week. He caught four passes for 67 yards in the season opener and Marshall kept the 6-foot-4 senior out of the end zone. Jack Sorenson benefited from the extra attention given to Gardner, snaring three passes for 106 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown for Miami's first points of the season.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (1-0): Putting points on the board will be a stiff challenge against a Cincinnati defense that limited UCLA to 306 total yards. Cortez Broughton and Marquise Copeland are senior defensive tackles who can disrupt an offense in a big way. Broughton had 3 1/2 sacks in the season opener and forced a fumble that led to a tie-breaking safety with 9:45 to play. Copeland had a team-leading seven tackles against a UCLA offensive line that's just as young and inexperienced as Miami's.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Cincinnati and Miami have played every year since 1945, and Miami leads the series 59-56-7.

2. The first meeting between the schools came in 1888, the first college football game played in Ohio.

3. The Bearcats were one of four teams in the nation who did not record a touchback on a punt last season.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 24, Miami 17