Cincinnati Bearcats vs East Carolina Pirates Preview (11/12/22)
By: Blake McCulloch, Guest Contributor
November 5, 2022
Fans of the American Athletic Conference are looking forward to this one. Both the Cincinnati Bearcats and the East Carolina Pirates have looked impressive so far this season, with a total of only five combined losses. The Bearcats look marginally better on paper and have some notable future stars in their squad. However, with the way East Carolina is playing of late, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say we expect to see players in both squads competing on the biggest stage in a few years.
Many top college football analysts had Cincinnati starting strong this year. The key for many was whether the Bearcats’ top players would gel in time for the season or whether they would need a few games to get into the swing of things. This was evident in betting odds even before a ball had been kicked this season. The NCAAF odds today still widely reflect what analysts expected at the beginning of the college football season.
Let’s take a closer look at the teams and some of the standout players as they gear up for the showdown on November 12th.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Currently at 6-2, the Bearcats trail only behind the formidable Tulane Green Wave. Mason Fletcher looks like he’s going to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father (Dustin Fletcher) and forge quite a career in the big leagues. His performances this season have been astonishing and are the main reason the Bearcats look as good as they are.
His game-winning punt against the Mustangs was the stuff of legend. He shattered league records with this astonishing 84-yard punt that Dustin himself would have been proud of. Besides this, it also turned a close game on its head and ensured that the Bearcats came out on top over SMU.
This is what truly great players do. They perform at the pivotal moment, when it matters the most. By making this legendary punt, Fletcher ensured his team came out victorious. If he continues this form, we will be looking at the beginning of a very special career. We imagine Mason will end up at one of the top NFL teams. This isn’t an unpopular opinion, by any stretch of the imagination.
East Carolina Pirates
Likewise, the Pirates have looked impressive so far this season, with a current record of 6-3 and three straight wins. After resounding wins over Central Florida and BYU, the Pirates will be looking to maintain their form going into this crunch match. This game could easily shape the season for the Bearcats or the Pirates. Both teams currently trail the 7-1 Tulane Green Wave in the AAC standings. However, whoever comes out on top will have major momentum headed into the final games of the season. You can find a list of the current college football season rankings on Versus Sports Simulator.
The Pirates will hope that their star players Keaton Mitchell, C.J. Johnson, and Jeremy Lewis bring their A-game. They cannot afford any slip-ups in such a high-profile game against one of the better teams in the division. Of course, each game is important, but when you want to be up at the top end of the division at the end of the season, you need to make sure you are beating the teams around you.
Conclusion and prediction
This is hard to predict, as the Bearcats have the better record, but are currently ranked a few spots lower than the Pirates in terms of overall performance. But Cincinnati does have the home advantage in this game, and that should be just enough for them to edge this one out in a close matchup. The Versus Sports Simulator prediction? 27-25 Cincinnati.