No. 11 BYU vs. Cincinnati: Game Day Preview Plus Score Prediction
Nov 22, 2025, 12:01 AM | Updated: 9:11 am
CINCINNATI – BYU vs Cincinnati has the potential to be one of the best games on the week 13 college football slate.
The 9-1, 11th-ranked BYU Cougars are looking to stack up in wins in their pursuit of a Big 12 Championship game appearance. For Cincinnati, the Bearcats are looking to get back in the win column after two consecutive losses.
Cincinnati still has an outside shot of reaching the Big 12 Championship game, so a win is critical here for the Bearcats in their first home night game of the season.
BYU leads the all-time series between these two programs, 3-0. It’s BYU’s first visit to Nippert Stadium since 2016. Saturday night is the second meeting between BYU and Cincinnati since they joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
No. 11 BYU vs. Cincinnati
Location: Nippert Stadium
Kickoff: 6 p.m. (MST)
TV: FOX
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame begins at Noon
Three Game Day Thoughts
1. Ignore the College Football Playoff noise
BYU was disrespected by the College Football Playoff committee, being ranked at No. 11, outside of the Playoff bracket. It would seem like BYU has to win out, including a Big 12 Championship Game, to reach the 12-team Playoff. But they can’t worry about that right now, because that all goes out the window if they don’t take care of business against Cincinnati.
If BYU loses at Cincy, it will be easy for the Playoff Committee to say, “See! Told ya so.” Meanwhile, style points don’t seem to apply for Big 12 teams, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a strong win over a bowl-eligible team two timezones away.
2. LJ Martin needs to hit the 100-yard mark for rushing
The last time LJ Martin rushed for more than 100 yards in a game was five weeks ago in the 24-21 win over rival Utah. Safe to say, it’s been a minute where Martin has put together a huge game.
Martin had his best game since the Utah game last week in the win over TCU, rushing for 88 yards and putting up 34 receiving yards.
This week is an opportunity to put up some numbers on the ground as Cincinnati is 86th nationally in stopping the run. The Bearcats are 13th in the league during Big 12 play against the run.
Martin is number one in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game this season at 91.2 yards per game. He’s 88 yards from reaching 1,000 yards this season.
If Martin puts up more than 100 yards in this game, BYU is going to be in a great spot to get a win.
3. Complementary football has to show up
BYU football isn’t built to win games without one phase showing up. Case in point, BYU’s last road game at Texas Tech. The defense showed up, but the offense and special teams no-showed in West Texas.
BYU’s special teams have struggled the past couple of weeks with punting issues. Last week, backup punter Fuller Shurtz got an opportunity to start and he fumbled one of his two punt opportunities.
Aside from the fumble, last week was BYU’s most complete performance of the season. They showed that when the three phases are operating at a high level, they have the potential to hammer some teams.
Two BYU vs Cincinnati Questions
1. Will BYU’s defense keep Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby in check?
Sorsby was one of the top quarterbacks in the country to open the season. However, over the last five games, there’s been some ups and downs.
The former Indiana transfer has only completed 54% of his passes in the past five games and is averaging less than 200 yards through the air in that stretch.
Sorsby is a dual-threat signal-caller, but he’s been shaken up at times. Last week, he was in the medical tent for a brief stretch against Arizona to have his ankle checked. He’s on the availability report this week and is expected to be good to go.
BYU’s defense will have to make sure Sorsby doesn’t have his bounce-back game this weekend.
Jay Hill’s group was excellent last week in shutting down Josh Hoover. Hill sees some similarities between TCU’s Hoover and Sorsby in how they throw the ball.
2. What impact does Cincy running back Evan Pryor have on this game?
Cincinnati is getting one of its top running backs, Evan Pryor, back this week. The former Ohio State Buckeye missed the past two games. Paired with Tawee Walker, Pryor gives Cincinnati a “thunder and lightning” backfield pairing; then you throw in Sorsby’s running ability, Pryor’s return is significant for Cincy’s offense.
One Score Prediction for BYU vs Cincinnati
BYU matches up well against Cincinnati. I’ll call for BYU to get off to a fast start, LJ Martin to have a big game, and the Cougars to win the turnover margin.
Those areas tend to lead to BYU victories. Will it impress the College Football Playoff Committee? Doubt it. But a win would put BYU one step closer to Arlington.
Score Prediction: BYU 33, Cincinnati 23
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
