Miami (Ohio) @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2015 ) Cincinnati 37, Miami (Ohio) 33

Cincinnati was on the verge of one of the biggest upsets in school history in its last time out, but after yielding 28 fourth-quarter points to then-No. 7 Houston, the Bearcats hope they can avoid a carryover effect Saturday when in-state rival Miami (Ohio) visits in a battle for the Victory Bell. Cincinnati has won 10 straight in the series, although it needed a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Hayden Moore with 1:13 left last year to offset four turnovers in a 37-33 win in Oxford.

Cincinnati put together an eight-play, 66-yard TD drive in the waning minutes in 2015 to beat the RedHawks and used a goal-line stand the previous year for a 31-24 victory. "The last three years we've been a big favorite and it's come down to the last few plays of the game," fifth-year coach Tommy Tuberville said this week. "That's how rivalry games usually are." Cincinnati was headed for a close finish with Houston on Sept. 15, leading 16-12 early in the fourth quarter, before two Moore interceptions were returned for TDs in the final four minutes to expand a 10-point deficit into a 40-16 loss. “I thought we were able to get enough momentum to possibly have an opportunity at the end to win the game,” Tuberville said. “And then it exploded. It was just bad decisions out of the quarterbacks. Our guys are obviously a little bit down but we've had (some time) to get over that."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN News. LINE: Cincinnati -17.5.

ABOUT MIAMI (0-3): Despite 424 yards of total offense, a career-high 339 yards passing from sophomore Billy Bahl and tremendous touchdown grabs by Sam Martin and James Gardner, the RedHawks dropped a 31-24 homecoming decision to Western Kentucky last week. Bahl has completed 52-of-92 passes for 855 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception, Gardner is averaging 20.4 yards on 12 catches and Alonzo Smith heads the ground game with 186 yards. Linebacker Brad Koenig has 21 tackles and defensive back De'Andre Montgomery has two interceptions for a club that has just four sacks and is yielding 32.3 points per game.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2-1): Sophomore Moore is completing 59.2 percent of his 103 passes for 262 yards per game with seven TDs and three interceptions. Tion Green (164 yards) and Mike Boone (142) lead a running attack that was supposed to be the club's strength but has averaged only 4.1 yards per rush, and Nate Cole has 21 grabs for 205 yards and four TDs. The defense, which has surrendered 444 yards per contest, is led by linebacker Eric Wilson (AAC-high 35 tackles, two sacks) and safety Mike Tyson (FBS-high three interceptions - all against Purdue).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Despite the current series losing streak, Miami leads the nation's fifth-most played series that dates to 1888 by a 59-54-7 count.

2. Cincinnati has won 29 straight home non-conference games dating to a 30-24 win over Temple on Sept. 20, 2013.

3. In his first career start, Bearcats LB Antonio Kinard recorded a career- and team-season high 18 tackles against Houston. He also recorded his first career sack and added two pass breakups.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 38, Miami 17