Cincinnati Bearcats’ Defense One of the Worst in FBS

Evaluating defenses in college football is tough and somewhat arbitrary given the number of variables, but this much is clear if you have watched a Cincinnati Bearcats game this season: they have one of the worst defensive units in the FBS.

While UC doesn’t rank at the very bottom (125th) in any of the major defensive statistics, it is easily outside of the top 100 in all of them. Here is a quick run-through:

• Total Defense: 124th (561.8 YPG)
• Scoring Defense: 111th (37.3 PPG)
• Rushing Defense: 120th (255.3 YPG)
• Passing Defense: 118th (306.5 YPG)

Prior to this weekend’s game at home against Memphis I think there were a few plausible excuses that could be made for the Bearcats defense. They started the season at least two weeks later than any other team, they played a rivalry game in Week 2, and they had to go to Columbus to take on an Ohio State team that many thought were legitimate national championship contenders prior to Braxton Miller’s injury.

Giving up 710 yards to the Buckeyes was downright bad, but explainable given the game flow and shootout nature of the match-up. But then the Bearcats followed that up by allowing Memphis to rack up 610 yards of offense and 41 points, at home, and just a week after the Tigers only managed to gain 104 yards and score just three points at Ole Miss. That is downright pathetic.

Cincinnati’s defense is currently ranked in the same class as teams like Bowling Green, UNLV, Eastern Michigan, California, and fellow AAC members Tulsa and SMU. The difference? None of those teams were heavy preseason favorites to win their conference.

The same problems have plagued Cincinnati’s defense through the first four games of this season, which is alarming that it hasn’t yet to show any improvement. It continues to give up chunk plays on the ground and through the air, fail to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback or create many negative plays, and allow receivers to run wide open routes. One statistic that is shockingly bad, and one the Bearcats do rank dead last (125th) in the country, is third-down conversion defense. UC allows its opponents a first down on third down 55.2 percent of the time, and the next worst is North Carolina State at 51.7 percent.

That stat goes about hand-in-hand with the continuing struggle for the ‘Cats to win the time of possession battle. Memphis had the ball for 40:55 Saturday, more than double UC’s 19:05 mark. Part of that was due to Cincinnati’s struggles on offense against a pretty solid Tigers D, but probably more because the Bearcats let Memphis convert on 12 of its 21 third downs.

With concern about the health of Gunner Kiel (bruised ribs, questionable) after taking a shot at the end of the first half against Memphis, a defense that has been folding easier than a lawn chair, and a trip to Miami (Fla.) next on the schedule, things are looking pretty dire at the moment.

Cincinnati may have been able to overcome its defense with a high octane offense, but if it continues to convert just 3-of-12 third downs, rank 113th in rushing offense and last in time of possession, and turn the ball over like it did against Memphis, things are only going to get uglier.

This team can still compete to win the AAC, but if it can’t turn things around on defense at least a little and get the offense back on track, it won’t even come close to living up to the preseason hype.