4 & Go: Discussing Cincinnati with Jason Stamm
Each week, The HillTopics will chat with a beat writer covering SMU's upcoming opponent. This week, we speak with Cincinnati beat writer Jason Stamm.
In our "4 & Go!" series, The HillTopics will connect with a beat writer for SMU's upcoming opponent and ask four questions about the team. Additionally, the beat writer will provide the "Go!" -- a bold prediction, statement or final thought to leave the readers.
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This week, No. 16 SMU hosts No. 9 Cincinnati in a battle of national top-20 unbeatens We've reached out to Jason Stamm, managing editor for BearcatReport.com.
COVID-19 seems to be the biggest threat of Saturday's game, as Cincinnati's game was canceled last week. Do you have an update on how things are looking with the Bearcats from a health perspective?
From what I've heard and from what the media has been told, the outbreak wasn't a big one. It sounds like a couple of rounds of testing provided a few positive tests, while others were quarantined due to contact tracing. I don't have an exact number of positive cases, but it sounds like everything should be set for Saturday. As we all know, this is a day-to-day, sometimes hour-to-hour thing we're dealing with. But both UC and Tulsa were worried about putting guys on a plane without a clear sense of where the outbreak stood. It seems to be under control now.
This will be a test of SMU's potent offense against Cincinnati's stingy defense. Tell us a little about the Bearcats' nationally ranked defensive unit.
The secondary rivals any in the country, and three starters are seniors. Safety James Wiggins is arguably the best of the bunch with 15 tackles, but Ahmad Gardner, a sophomore, had two pick-sixes last season.
The Bearcats currently lead the country in pass defense, but that might be a bit of a misnomer since they played run-heavy Army. Still, it's impressive that Cincinnati has seven interceptions through three games thanks to that secondary.
The guy to really watch, though, is linebacker Jarell White. That guy just gets to the ball. He's the leader on that defense, and a lot of that secondary success is thanks to him and the pressure up front from guys like Myjai Sanders, who could be an early-round NFL Draft pick.
Offensively, the Bearcats don't get the credit they deserve. Who are you expecting to lead the offense? Also, do you see any players being potential X-factors?
Gerrid Doaks just doesn't get talked about like Michael Warren II did. Doaks can make plays in the open field, and he can flat run. Hard to believe he would've been the starter in 2018 had he not gotten hurt and had Warren not emerged that fall. But keep an eye on the bevy of tight ends UC has. Bruno Labelle might start, but Josh Whyle and Leonard Taylor will also see plenty of action.
The Bearcats have long had success with tight ends, going back to Travis Kelce, then Josiah Deguara, a third-round draft pick this year.
In a game on unbeatens, and with so many games still left on the schedule, how much do you think this game will determine the AAC championship?
I think it's still too early to put that kind of expectation on this game. But it's great exposure for the conference and could very well be a preview of a repeat between these two teams. Cincinnati is good enough to come out unscathed, but still has to play Memphis and Houston at home, then three straight on the road to end the season, including at UCF.
If the Bearcats come out of that without a loss, you're talking about a dark-horse playoff team. And in this weird season, it's not impossible. That said, SMU seems plenty good enough to run the table and get at least a New Year's Six bowl.
But as far as the conference, it seems too early. Since the Bearcats had the Tulsa game postponed, they still have seven games left to play.
GO!
I had hoped this game would get the primetime spot on ABC, and had it been a couple weeks earlier, it might have. But it's still a massive piece of publicity for the AAC. It's one of the reasons the AAC I'm sure is glad it stuck it out to play this fall, to build up resumes of two of its teams like this.
Again, this could be a preview of the AAC championship game. And there are national implications on the line for whoever wins. BYU has a hell of a team, but Cincinnati or SMU, either one, could have the best non-Power 5 mark and get a big bowl and payday at the end of the season. The conference needs the winner of this game to keep the momentum going and finish the season without a loss.
I could easily see this game going either way. But having covered the Bearcats for each of Luke Fickell's four seasons in Cincinnati, this is definitely his best all-around team. I'll take the Bearcats in a squeaker, 30-27.