Cincinnati Bearcats football preview vs. East Carolina

Ben Bryant was named the offensive player of the game in Cincinnati's 20-10 win over Navy. He completed 25 of 35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant has completed 190 of his 300 pass attempts this season for 2,358 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. The team is 7-2, 4-1 in the American Athletic Conference. They play East Carolina on Friday at 8 pm. It's a quick turnaround from the previous two games. Cincinnati is in contention for a third straight American Championship. Some people have called for Evan Prater to replace Bryant as the team's starting quarterback.

Cincinnati has had issues with drops this season. It's an issue that the Bearcats have largely avoided since wide receivers coach Mike Brown joined the program in 2019. Tre Tucker hasn't been immune to drops.

Cincinnati Bearcats defense will need to stop the run against East Carolina. East Carolinian running back Keaton Mitchell leads the AAC in rushing yards (863) and has nine rushing touchdowns this season.

Holton Ahlers has been the starting quarterback at East Carolina for the last five years. He has either been good or bad against Cincinnati. Ahler threw for 535 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-43 home loss to Cincinnati in 2019.

Cincinnati beat East Carolina 55-17 in 2020. The Bearcats are looking to extend their home winning streak to 32 games. They are in the race for another AAC crown.