UC Bearcats get noon kickoff in Morgantown at West Virginia Oct. 17

The Cincinnati Bearcats football team will play their Week 7 game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 17 in Morgantown, with a noon kickoff. The matchup will be broadcast on TruTV/TNT/HBO Max. West Virginia is entering the game with a 3-2 record, following wins against Oklahoma State and Iowa State, while UC is currently 4-1 following a recent loss to West Virginia.

This will be the Mountaineers' second consecutive noon start, as they host Arizona this weekend at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Wildcats recently defeated the Bearcats 34-7 in Tucson, giving them a 4-1 record entering the October 17 contest. UC's first loss came to West Virginia this past weekend, resulting in a 45-42 defeat.

History favors West Virginia in their rivalry with UC. The Mountaineers lead the series 18-3-1, with UC winning only in 2008 and 2009, during the tenure of Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback James P. Kelly. Rich Rodriguez, the current West Virginia coach, previously led the Mountaineers to a win over UC in their last matchup in Morgantown during his 2003 season, which he describes as a defining period for the program.

Rodriguez emphasized the rich tradition of the Bearcats-West Virginia rivalry, stating, "We had a great rivalry with them. Both at their place and our place it was always a great crowd. We had some really good teams. That was the time we were in the heyday of our program."