LaVell Edwards Stadium - Provo, UT
Kickoff: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: BYU -6.5, Total: 65.5

Two schools with uncertain quarterback situations will square off Friday night when Cincinnati visits BYU.

The Bearcats are hopeful that top QB Gunner Kiel (head) will be ready to return to action in this game, and the feeling is mutual for Cougars No. 1 QB Tanner Mangum (hamstring). Both are considered probable to play. Cincinnati has alternated SU wins and losses all season, but finally got an SU/ATS combination win in its last game on Oct. 1, a 34-23 home victory over 7-point favorite Miami. That gives the team two straight ATS wins following three straight ATS defeats. After dropping two straight games to end September, BYU has won both October contests including a narrow 45-38 victory versus 10-point underdog East Carolina to fall to 4-2 ATS this season. These two schools are meeting for the first time ever, but they did face three common opponents last season and each had similar outcomes of 2-1 SU, with the Bearcats average score being 31 to 24 and the Cougars being more offensive with a 39 to 30 average score. There is good reason to wager on either side on Friday, as Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS versus winning teams in the past three seasons while BYU is 5-1 ATS after allowing 375+ passing yards in its last game under Bronco Mendenhall. Besides the quarterback ailments, the news is mostly positive concerning other injuries for both schools. The Bearcats have three offensive players upgraded to probable with RB Mike Boone (ankle) and WRs Chris Moore (leg) and Johnny Holton (leg). The Cougars have DB Michael Davis (legal) questionable, but three others are probable in OL Ului Lapuaho (leg), LB Harvey Langi (undisclosed) and CB Micah Hannemann (undisclosed).

Which team will win this first-ever meeting between these schools on Friday? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2015 regular season and bowl season.

Cincinnati has averaged a hefty 39.0 PPG on 587 total YPG and 6.8 yards per play, and the offense has been even more potent in two road games with 41.5 PPG and 649 total YPG. If junior QB Gunner Kiel (868 pass yds, 7.8 YPA, 5 TD, 5 INT) is forced to miss a second straight game, the team is very confident in freshman backup QB Hayden Moore (1,061 pass yds, 9.3 YPA, 7 TD, 5 INT). After throwing for 557 yards and 4 TD in a loss in Memphis on Sept. 24, he passed for 279 yards and 2 TD in last week's win over Miami. Moore's only downfall is his tendency to force the issue with 5 INT over his past three games. Whoever is under center knows they have a deep receiving corps with four receivers having more than 250 yards through the air and five receivers with two touchdown catches already. The Bearcats have also done a great job running the football with 207 YPG on 4.6 YPC. This has helped the team earn a strong 31:29 average time of possession in 2015, including 35:07 at home. RBs Tion Green (383 rush yds, 5.0 YPC, 3 TD) and Hosey Williams (351 rush yds, 5.2 YPC, 2 TD) are both capable of carrying the load, while speedster RB Mike Boone (220 rush yds, 9.6 YPC, 3 TD) appears to finally be healthy. The defense hasn't been very good, surrendering 30.6 PPG and 397 total YPG, and these numbers spike to 43.0 PPG and 509 total YPG in two road games. While the run-stop unit has given up 167 YPG on 4.6 YPC, the passing defense is allowing 230 YPG on 7.4 YPA. More importantly, Cincinnati has failed to force multiple turnovers in a game this season, producing only four takeaways over five contests.

BYU's offense is averaging a pedestrian 27.7 PPG on 408 total YPG, but those numbers climb to 36.7 PPG and 476 total YPG at home. The ground game has been disappointing with only 126 YPG on 3.6 YPC, but the air attack is gaining 282 YPG on 7.0 YPA. Freshman QB Tanner Mangum has thrown for 1,416 yards (7.1 YPA), 9 TD and 5 INT, but he needs to get rid of the football quicker having taken 18 sacks already. But he has been outstanding in two October games, throwing for 697 yards, 5 TD and 2 INT in wins over UConn and East Carolina. Three Cougars receivers have nearly identical yardage totals for the season with WRs Devon Blackmon (342 rec yds), Mitchell Juergens (341 rec yds) and Mitch Mathews (339 rec yds). But Mathews has been the touchdown maker with 6 TD already. Both RBs Adam Hine (312 rush yds, 5.8 YPC) and Algernon Brown (252 rush yds, 5.0 YPC) have run effectively this year, and should both be touching the football more. Defensively, BYU has allowed 26.3 PPG and 401 total YPG, but hasn't really excelled in one area. The Cougars have surrendered 156 YPG on 4.3 YPC on the ground and 245 YPG on 7.5 YPA and 60% completions through the air. What has saved this defense is turnovers, as the unit has forced multiple turnovers in five of six games, including three takeaways three times to total 13 for the season.