2026 Week 7 Preview: Cincinnati Bearcats @ West Virginia Mountaineers
An old Big East rivalry resurfaces Saturday in Morgantown. And both teams want to run the dang ball.
Week seven of the college football season is set to bring an old Big East rivalry back to life as the Cincinnati Bearcats face off against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. Scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at noon ET, the game will be broadcast on TNT with a spread of West Virginia -1.5 and an over/under line of 63.5.
The Bearcats and Mountaineers haven't met since November 9, 2024, when West Virginia emerged victorious 31-24. The Mountaineers have dominated the series, leading 18-3-1, and enter this matchup on a four-game winning streak dating back to 2010. Both teams kicked off the season strong, with Cincinnati posting a 4-0 start and West Virginia opening the year 3-0.
Cincinnati's offense has been led by the explosive back Gi’Brán Payne and senior quarterback JC French IV, who have combined for four 100-yard performances and a combined 193 rushing yards on the season. The Mountaineers, on the other hand, have struggled defensively, allowing 32.7 points and 461 yards per game this season. Their pass defense, however, has been particularly weak, ranking third-to-last nationally with 297 yards per game allowed.
Under first-year defensive coordinator Nate Woody, Cincinnati's defense has shown improvement, recording four interceptions and leading the FBS in forced fumbles. They'll be looking to exploit West Virginia's offensive weaknesses, particularly in the running game, where the Mountaineers have struggled. Cincinnati's defense will also look to capitalize on the Mountaineers' turnover issues, which have plagued the program this season.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
