The new football season has finally arrived and the Colonels start their year on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati enters the new season with some big changes. New Coach, new conference, but same expectations. EKU on the other hand returns some of their biggest impact players and is coming off a season that ended in the playoffs for the first time in a while. Here is your game one preview of EKU at Cincinnati.
Cincinnati's Offense
The UC offense is filled with transfer talent. Former Florida QB Emory Jones and Evan Prater give the Bearcats mobility from behind Center. Three transfers make up the WR core, with speed and athleticism at a premium. Coach Satterfield always boasts a good run game, and Corey Kiner and Myles Montgomery will get plenty of opportunities to run in week one.
EKU's Offense
Parker McKinney holds every QB record at EKU, and he has plans to go out on a high note in his final season. Junior Braedon Sloan leads the run game for the Colonels coming off an All-American and All-Asun season. Jaden Smith returns to lead the WR group with Wake Forest transfer Jackson Hensley expected to make a big impact. The Offensive line is anchored by the Tackles and will have their hands full in this matchup.
QB Parker McKinney enters his final season at EKU.
Cincinnati's Defense
The UC defense led the AAC last season. They get a new DC but should still be terrorizing QBs all season. The pass defense was much stronger than the run defense though. Turnovers have been a strength and could determine a lot in week one.
EKU's Defense
The Colonels return a lot of defenders, but they are still relatively young. The line includes Junior Ryan Jackson and Elon transfer Marvion Field. Their hands will be full with Bearcats OLine. Jaylen Herrud and Jadyn Bost return as linebackers, but we expect to see a solid rotation of players in week one. Illinois State transfer Franky West Jr. has earned his hype entering this season and looks to anchor the DBs this season for EKU.
Vince's Prediction
Cincinnati has a lot to prove as they enter the season, and they will not take EKU lightly. The Colonels are aware of the tough task at hand and have the potential for an upset in week one. As an EKU fan I want to predict an EKU win (I do think they could win), but I predict a final score of 41-27 with Cincinnati winning. I will post a recap of the game on Saturday and will discuss the game on Monday's Sports Stove Podcast.
Vince covers EKU Sports every week on the Sports Stove Podcast. He is joined by EKU Defensive Lineman and Co-host Ryan Jackson, live on YouTube. Follow Vince on Twitter for EKU news, opinions, and more. Photos used in this story were taken by members of the EKU Staff.
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