Know The Foe: All Pokes Previews Cincinnati's Matchup Against Oklahoma State

The Bearcats are underdogs entering Boone Pickens Stadium.

CINCINNATI — All Pokes site editor Kade Kimble caught up with us this week and dove into three questions the Bearcats likely need to answer in an upset quest over Oklahoma State.

Check out Kade's thoughts on the game from the Cowboys perspective.

1. Is there any strong strategy to slow down Ollie Gordon II?

At this point, it doesn't seem like there's an ideal way to stop him. However, slowing him down could hinder Oklahoma State's offense significantly. Cincinnati is going to have the best front seven the Cowboys have seen this season. Mike Gundy knows that, and seeing how he game plans for it will be interesting.

For the Bearcats, stopping Gordon in the backfield and draining him and the offensive line of any momentum will be key for them early.

2. How shaky is the back end of the secondary

While Kendal Daniels is one of the team's best defenders and eventually likely a pro football player, the rest of the safety group is shaky in the sense of allowing big plays. Streaky is a good word to use for the secondary. Trey Rucker will make big tackles as often as he will miss them. Cameron Epps will come down with an interception as often as he'll allow a touchdown.

So, watching how the safety corps plays in this game will be interesting and the timing of their big plays or mishaps will be crucial.

3. Can Bowman hit big plays or is he not consistent enough and who's his top receiving threat?

Bowman is going to take what the defense gives him. He'll spread the ball out to three different receivers, those being Rashod Owens, Jaden Bray, and Brennan Presley. With those three receivers, Bowman targets each of them on quick passes and accompany that with Gordon running the ball, forcing the safeties down to support the defense.

If the Cowboys can successfully do that, Bowman has shown the capability to put balls in a good spot for his receivers on deep throws. Owens and Bray are the two to watch if the Cowboys take deep shots, and Presley will be more of a decoy on shorter routes. It's certainly not guaranteed, but if Cincinnati is too honed in on the short game, Bowman and the Cowboys are certainly capable of going deep.

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