Cincinnati Football: Can Bearcats take next step toward AAC title in 2020?

Cincinnati defense needs to keep doing what they do in 2020

For a team that was largely carried by its defense, it nevertheless needs to be said that in many ways the 2019 Cincinnati defense was as lucky as it was good. The Bearcats ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 20.6 points per game. Only Georgia was better among FBS teams at stopping opponents on fourth down, and they ranked 12th in the FBS in red zone defense.

While they had no answers for Ohio State in a 42-0 shutout, they were hardly alone in failing to solve the Buckeyes. Yet their worst performance inexplicably came in a 46-43 win against an East Carolina team that went 4-8 and averaged only 25.3 points in their other 11 games. Shoring up those inconsistencies should be manageable for a defense that returns 15 of their top 17 tacklers.

A defense that allowed 279 first downs in 2019 needs to find more ways to get off the field more quickly. The linebackers need to get up to speed quickly to ensure that teams aren’t able to break through as easily in the second level. Cincinnati definitely cannot depend as heavily on turnover luck after finishing 10th nationally with 26 takeaways.

Focusing on the Bearcats secondary

A large share of those turnovers came from a secondary that snagged 16 interceptions. Ja’von Hicks led the team with five interceptions and returns at safety. Fellow safety Darrick Forrest is also back after snagging three picks. Starting cornerbacks Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant snatched four interceptions between them. Jarell White also picked off a pass from his linebacker spot.

Can they depend on that quintet snagging 13 or more interceptions again in 2020? Luckily for the Bearcats, they were more than just a ballhawking unit. While teams averaged 223 yards per game through the air, putting Cincinnati 60th in the FBS in passing yards allowed, they also finished 15th in pass efficiency defense.

Cincinnati needs an experienced defensive backfield to continue locking down opponents if they are going to have any chance of winning the battle against multifaceted attacks like those employed by Memphis and UCF.