# 2022 Cincinnati Bearcats football team

The 2022 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bearcats, members of the American Athletic Conference, played their home games at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. 2022 was the program's sixth and final season under head coach Luke Fickell.
In September 2021, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12. On June 10, the American Athletic Conference and the three schools set to depart from the league (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF) announced that they had reached a buyout agreement that allowed those schools to join the Big 12 Conference in 2023. The 2022 season was the program's last season as a member of the AAC.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

Nine Bearcats were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, which was a school record, and was the third most of any school in the draft.
| Player | Position | Team | Round | Pick |
| Sauce Gardner | CB | New York Jets | 1 | 4 |
| Alec Pierce | WR | Indianapolis Colts | 2 | 53 |
| Bryan Cook | S | Kansas City Chiefs | 2 | 62 |
| Desmond Ridder | QB | Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 74 |
| Myjai Sanders | OLB | Arizona Cardinals | 3 | 100 |
| Coby Bryant | CB | Seattle Seahawks | 4 | 109 |
| Jerome Ford | RB | Cleveland Browns | 5 | 156 |
| Darrian Beavers | LB | New York Giants | 6 | 182 |
| Curtis Brooks | DT | Indianapolis Colts | 6 | 216 |

### Coaching changes

On January 1, 2022, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock who had been the Bearcats offensive coordinator the last five years left the school to take the same role at LSU. On January 5, 2022, Brian Mason who had been with Cincinnati for the previous 5 seasons, including the last four as special teams coordinator was hired by Notre Dame in the same role. On January 13, 2022, it was reported that cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano who spent the last two years at Cincinnati had accepted the safeties coaching job at Ohio State.
On January 17, 2022, The Athletic reported that UC was promoting quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli to Offensive coordinator, and that Wide receivers coach Mike Brown was expected to add the role of passing game coordinator, previously held by Guidugli. Cincinnati also promoted Safeties coach Colin Hitschler to Co-defensive coordinator. Also on January 17, 2022 it was announced that Cincinnati was hiring current Central Michigan offensive line coach Mike Cummings in the same role at Cincinnati.
On January 18, 2022, The Athletic reported that Kerry Coombs was being hired as the new cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator. Coombs joins Cincinnati after serving most recently as defensive coordinator at Ohio State the previous two seasons. He also was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2012 to 2017 where he developed five first-round NFL draft picks. Coombs previously coached at Cincinnati from 2007 to 2011, overseeing defensive backs and special teams. Additionally, he coached with the Tennessee Titans (2017–18) and was head coach at Colerain High School, from 1991 to 2006.
On January 19, 2022, Cincinnati hired former Bearcats defensive linemen Walter Stewart to coach outside linebackers, Stewart played at Cincinnati 2008–2012. Prior to returning to Cincinnati Stewart coached at defensive line at Arkansas State. From 2019–2021 he was the defensive line coach at Temple, Defensive line at Northern Illinois in 2018. Prior to NIU Stewart was defensive line coach at Eastern Kentucky from 2016 and 2017. In 2015, Stewart coached defensive ends at Florida A&M after being on the Tennessee staff from 2013–14.
On February 21, 2022, Cincinnati announced it has promoted offensive graduate assistant Nate Letton to tight ends coach.
On March 3, 2022, it was reported that Greg Scruggs accepted an assistant defensive line coach position with the New York Jets. After the departure of Scruggs, Walter Stewart was promoted to become the defensive line coach and James Ross III was hired as the outside linebackers coach.

### Offseason departures
#### Transfers

Outgoing
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | New School |
| De'Arre McDonald | S | 6' 1" | 205 | Sophomore | Murfreesboro, TN | Middle Tennessee |
| Marquez Bell | WR | 6' 0" | 160 | Freshman | Lake City, FL | Old Dominion |
| Marcelo Mendiola | OL | 6' 5" | 285 | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Bowling Green |
| Zeiqui Lawton | DE | 6' 3" | 240 | Freshman | Charleston, WV | West Virginia |
| Joey Groeber | OL | 6' 3" | 330 | Senior | Williamsburg, OH | Youngstown State |
| Mychal Keys | DL | 6' 4" | 246 | Junior | Columbus, OH | |
| Jordan Jones | WR | 6' 2" | 190 | Senior | Smackover, AR | Missouri State |
| Jack Perry | QB | 6' 1" | 201 | Senior | Mountain View, CA | Western Illinois |
| Alex Bales | K | 6' 0" | 168 | Junior | Westfield, IN | Oregon |
| Jalen Monrrow | DE | 6' 4" | 258 | Sophomore | Lafayette, IN | Illinois State |
| Sterling Miles | DE | 6' 5" | 220 | Freshman | West Bloomfield, MI | Eastern Michigan |
| Iesa Jarmon | CB | 6' 0" | 175 | Freshman | Cincinnati, OH | Buffalo |
Incoming
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. School |
| Ryan Coe | K | 6' 3" | 225 | Senior | McDonald, PA | Delaware |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | 6' 0" | 239 | Senior | Cincinnati, OH | Miami (OH) |
| Ben Bryant | QB | 6' 3" | 214 | Graduate Student | LaGrange, IL | Eastern Michigan |
| Nick Mardner | WR | 6' 6" | 190 | Senior | Mississauga, Canada | Hawaii |
| Dartanyan Tinsley | OL | 6' 5" | 315 | Senior | Owensboro, KY | Kentucky Christian |
| Corey Kiner | RB | 5' 10" | 213 | Sophomore | Cincinnati, OH | LSU |
| Noah Potter | DL | 6' 5" | 250 | Sophomore | Mentor, OH | Ohio State |

### Recruiting

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Mario Eugenio DE | Tampa, Florida | Gaither High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Nov 27, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Derrick Shepard DT | Kettering, Ohio | Archbishop Alter High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | Dec 11, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Oliver Bridges CB | Potomac, Maryland | The Bullis School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Aug 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| J.Q. Hardaway CB | Phenix City, Alabama | Central High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 15, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Stephan Byrd RB | Canal Winchester, Ohio | Canal Winchester High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Nov 9, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jovanni Bermudez WR | Egg Harbor City, New Jersey | Cedar Creek High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Nov 15, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Marcus Peterson TE | Lake City, Florida | Columbia High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jun 27, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| C.J. Doggette Jr. DL | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington Central High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Mar 6, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Ethan Green OT | Fremont, Ohio | Fremont Ross High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Feb 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kalen Carroll CB | Greenwood, Indiana | Center Grove High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jul 6, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Luther Richesson QB | Nashville, Tennessee | David Lipscomb High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Nov 10, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: |||||||
| Quincy Burroughs WR | Jacksonville, Florida | Raines High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Feb 10, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Patrick Body Jr. CB | Monroeville, Pennsylvania | Gateway High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | Jul 10, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Cincear Lewis S | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Kalamazoo Central High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 13, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyler Gillison DL | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington Central High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Mar 13, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jonathan Thompson LB | Columbus, Ohio | St. Francis De Sales High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Mar 27, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Luke Dalton OT | Woodstock, Illinois | Marian Central Catholic High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | Aug 8, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jonathan Harder OT | Lewis Center, Ohio | Olentangy High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 285 lb (129 kg) | Aug 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Ken Willis CB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Colerain High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Jun 21, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 42 247Sports: 48 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 Cincinnati Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. "2022 Players Commitments – Cincinnati". ESPN.com. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. "2022 Cincinnati Bearcats football team". 247sports.com. |||||||

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Dodd Trophy | Luke Fickell | HC | |
| Biletnikoff Award | Nick Mardner | WR | Sr. |
| John Mackey Award | Josh Whyle | TE | Sr. |
| John Mackey Award | Leonard Taylor | TE | Sr. |
| Butkus Award | Deshawn Pace | LB | Jr. |
| Butkus Award | Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | Sr. |
| Outland Trophy | Dylan O'Quinn | OL | Sr. |
| Outland Trophy | Jake Renfro | OL | Jr. |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Deshawn Pace | LB | Jr. |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | Sr. |
| Lou Groza Award | Ryan Coe | K | Sr. |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Wilson Huber | LB | Sr. |
| Allstate AFCA Good Works Team | Wilson Huber | LB | Sr. |
| Paul Hornung Award | Ryan Montgomery | RB | Sr. |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Deshawn Pace | LB | Jr. |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | Sr. |
| Lombardi Award | Lorenz Metz | OL | Sr. |

### American Athletic Conference preseason media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at AAC Media Day on July 28, 2022. Cincinnati, the defending champions, were narrowly pipped by Houston to be preseason favorites, while obtaining 3 more votes for No.1.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Houston | 243 (7) |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 242 (10) |
| 3 | UCF | 225 (7) |
| 4 | SMU | 187 |
| 5 | Memphis | 162 |
| 6 | East Carolina | 157 |
| 7 | Tulane | 115 |
| 8 | Tulsa | 93 |
| 9 | South Florida | 71 |
| 10 | Navy | 61 |
| 11 | Temple | 28 |

## Schedule

The Bearcats' 2022 schedule consists of six home games, five away games, and one neutral site game. Cincinnati will host two of its four non-conference games; against Kennesaw State (FCS) and Indiana. The Bearcats will travel to Arkansas to open the season in a one-game non-conference matchup, and also have play a neutral site matchup vs Miami (OH) at Paycor Stadium in the annual battle for the Victory Bell rivalry game.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 19 Arkansas* | No. 23 | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback StadiumFayetteville, AR (SEC Nation) | ESPN | L 24–31 | 74,751 |
| September 10 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 19 (FCS) Kennesaw State* | | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN+ | W 63–10 | 39,014 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Miami (OH)* | | Paycor StadiumCincinnati, OH (Victory Bell) | ESPNU | W 38–17 | 30,109 |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Indiana* | | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN2 | W 45–24 | 38,464 |
| October 1 | 7:00 p.m. | at Tulsa | | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman StadiumTulsa, OK | ESPNU | W 31–21 | 21,111 |
| October 8 | 2:30 p.m. | South Florida | No. 24 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN+ | W 28–24 | 38,577 |
| October 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at SMU | No. 21 | Gerald J. Ford StadiumUniversity Park, TX | ESPN | W 29–27 | 23,566 |
| October 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at UCF | No. 20 | FBC Mortgage StadiumOrlando, FL (rivalry) | ESPN | L 21–25 | 44,313 |
| November 5 | 4:00 p.m. | Navy | | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPNU | W 20–10 | 38,461 |
| November 11 | 8:00 p.m. | East Carolina | | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ESPN2 | W 27–25 | 38,199 |
| November 19 | 4:00 p.m. | at Temple | No. 25 | Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA | ESPNU | W 23–3 | 14,673 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 19 Tulane | No. 24 | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | ABC | L 24–27 | 37,989 |
| December 17 | 11:30 a.m. | vs. Louisville* | | Fenway ParkBoston, MA (The Keg of Nails, Fenway Bowl) | ESPN | L 7–24 | 15,000 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) – Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### At No. 19 Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Bearcats | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 19 Razorbacks | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas
* Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) • Wind: SW 6 mph
* Game attendance: 74,751
* Referee: Jason Autrey
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Rod Gilmore (analyst), and Tiffany Blackmon (sideline)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | CIN | ARK |
| First downs | 24 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 77–438 | 72–447 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–113 | 45–224 |
| Passing yards | 325 | 223 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26–43–1 | 18–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:24 | 28:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 26–43, 325 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Corey Kiner | 12 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 5 receptions, 77 yards |
| Arkansas | Passing | KJ Jefferson | 18–26, 223 yards, 3 TD |
| Arkansas | Rushing | Raheim Sanders | 20 carries, 117 yards |
| Arkansas | Receiving | Trey Knox | 6 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD |

### No. 18 (FCS) Kennesaw State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 (FCS) Owls | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Bearcats | 7 | 14 | 21 | 21 | 63 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: N/A
* Game attendance: 37,014
* Referee: Kevin Randall
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Tony Simeone (play-by-play) and Taylor McHargue (analyst)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | KSU | CIN |
| First downs | 15 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 76–253 | 53–525 |
| Rushes–yards | 61–142 | 30–232 |
| Passing yards | 111 | 293 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–15–1 | 20–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 38:08 | 21:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kennesaw State | Passing | Xavier Shepard | 4–11, 60 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT |
| Kennesaw State | Rushing | Preston Daniels | 21 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD |
| Kennesaw State | Receiving | Iaan Cousin | 4 receptions, 71 yards |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 16–19, 201 yards, 3 TD |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Myles Montgomery | 5 carries, 104 yards 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Jadon Thompson | 4 receptions, 68 yards |

### Vs. Miami (OH)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bearcats | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| RedHawks | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Paycor Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: 5 mph
* Referee: Tim Rich
* TV announcers (ESPNU): John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | CIN | MIA |
| First downs | 25 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 72–478 | 57–183 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–137 | 36–67 |
| Passing yards | 341 | 116 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 27–36–1 | 9–21–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:16 | 28:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 26–35, 337 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 18 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 8 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD |
| Miami (OH) | Passing | Aveon Smith | 9–21, 116 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Miami (OH) | Rushing | Kevin Davis | 7 carries, 32 yards |
| Miami (OH) | Receiving | Mac Hippenhammer | 4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD |

### Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hoosiers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Bearcats | 10 | 28 | 0 | 7 | 45 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Partly Cloudy • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: 5 mph
* Game attendance: 38,464
* Referee: Luke Richmond
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | IU | CIN |
| First downs | 27 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 104–348 | 70–394 |
| Rushes–yards | 38–68 | 30–40 |
| Passing yards | 280 | 354 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 31–66–2 | 24–40–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:01 | 29:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Connor Bazelak | 31–66, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Shaun Shivers | 19 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD |
| Indiana | Receiving | Cam Camper | 10 receptions, 126 yards |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 24–40, 354 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 9 carries, 25 yards |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 10 receptions, 185 yards, 3 TD |

### At Tulsa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bearcats | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Golden Hurricane | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
at Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, Oklahoma
* Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT (7:00 EDT)
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) • Wind: NE 6 mph
* Game attendance: 21,111
* Referee: Hank Johns
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Jay Alter (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | CIN | TLS |
| First downs | 15 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 59–364 | 83–285 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–198 | 45–36 |
| Passing yards | 166 | 249 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15–27–1 | 19–38–2 |
| Time of possession | 25:00 | 35:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 15–27, 166 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Corey Kiner | 12 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 5 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD |
| Tulsa | Passing | Davis Brin | 18–36, 237 yards |
| Tulsa | Rushing | Deneric Prince | 18 carries, 71 yards, 2 TD |
| Tulsa | Receiving | Keylon Stokes | 6 receptions, 106 yards |

### South Florida

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 24 Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Saturday, October 8, 2022
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 38,577
* Referee: Nate Black
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Taylor McHargue (analyst)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | USF | CIN |
| First downs | 19 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 64–363 | 60–413 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–224 | 37–221 |
| Passing yards | 139 | 193 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 11–21–0 | 16–23–2 |
| Time of possession | 32:29 | 27:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Florida | Passing | Gerry Bohanon | 11–21, 139 yards |
| South Florida | Rushing | Gerry Bohanon | 14 carries, 121 yards |
| South Florida | Receiving | Xavier Weaver | 7 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 15–21, 178 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 21 carries, 182 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tre Tucker | 7 receptions, 64 yards |

### At SMU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Bearcats | 10 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 29 |
| Mustangs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
at Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, Texas
* Date: Saturday, October 22, 2022
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT (12:00 EDT)
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 73 °F (23 °C) • Wind: S 16 mph
* Game attendance: 23,566
* Referee: Kevin Randall
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | CIN | SMU |
| First downs | 16 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 77–379 | 71–259 |
| Rushes–yards | 42–179 | 31–80 |
| Passing yards | 200 | 179 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–35 | 21–40–1 |
| Time of possession | 36:46 | 23:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 18–35, 200 yards |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 16 carries, 129 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Jadon Thompson | 4 receptions, 69 yards |
| SMU | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 15–25, 105 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| SMU | Rushing | Camar Wheaton | 8 carries, 53 yards |
| SMU | Receiving | Jordan Kerley | 3 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD |

### At UCF

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 20 Bearcats | 0 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 |
| Knights | 10 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 25 |
at FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, Florida
* Date: Saturday, October 29, 2022
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 82 °F (28 °C) • Wind: NE 10 mph
* Game attendance: 44,313
* Referee: Luke Richmond
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | CIN | UCF |
| First downs | 18 | 30 |
| Plays–yards | 64–333 | 84–505 |
| Rushes–yards | 18–35 | 52–258 |
| Passing yards | 298 | 247 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–46 | 22–32 |
| Time of possession | 22:55 | 37:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 25–45, 298 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Ryan Montgomery | 3 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tre Tucker | 10 receptions, 110 yards |
| UCF | Passing | Mikey Keene | 15–21, 176 yards |
| UCF | Rushing | RJ Harvey | 18 carries, 88 yards, 2 TD |
| UCF | Receiving | Kobe Hudson | 5 receptions, 74 yards |

### Navy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bearcats | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Saturday, November 5, 2022
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Mostly Cloudy • Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Wind: N 19 mph
* Game attendance: 38,461
* Referee: Nate Black
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)
* Game summary: ESPN
| Statistics | NAVY | CIN |
| First downs | 15 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 59–260 | 55–354 |
| Rushes–yards | 53–176 | 20–55 |
| Passing yards | 84 | 299 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 4–6 | 25–35 |
| Time of possession | 33:13 | 26:47 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Maasai Maynor | 4–6 81 YDS |
| Navy | Rushing | Xavier Arline | 12 Car 87 YDS |
| Navy | Receiving | Nathan Kent | 1 REC, 32 YDS |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 25–35 299 YDS, 2 TDS |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 11 Car, 60 YDS |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 10 REC 132 YDS 2 TDS |

### East Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 5 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 25 |
| Bearcats | 7 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Friday, November 11, 2022
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 58 °F (14 °C) • Wind: SE 12 MPH
* Game attendance: 38,199
* Referee: Henry Johns
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| Statistics | ECU | CIN |
| First downs | 22 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 79–450 | 57–310 |
| Rushes–yards | 33–174 | 26–66 |
| Passing yards | 276 | 244 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–45–0 | 14–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 36:20 | 23:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| East Carolina | Passing | Holton Ahlers | 26–46, 280 yards, 2 TD |
| East Carolina | Rushing | Keaton Mitchell | 16 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD |
| East Carolina | Receiving | C. J. Johnson | 7 receptions, 123 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 14–30, 244 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Charles McClelland | 10 carries, 39 yards |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tyler Scott | 7 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD |

### At Temple

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 25 Bearcats | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Owls | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: Saturday, November 19, 2022
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 14,673
* Referee: Nate Black
* TV announcers (ESPNU): Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
| Statistics | CIN | TEM |
| First downs | 22 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 78–388 | 55–202 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–131 | 19–35 |
| Passing yards | 257 | 167 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 21–35 | 21–36–2 |
| Time of possession | 36:51 | 23:09 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Ben Bryant | 9–18, 130 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Ryan Montgomery | 14 carries, 58 yards, 1 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Tre Tucker | 4 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD |
| Temple | Passing | E.J. Warner | 21–36, 167 yards, 2 INT |
| Temple | Rushing | Darvon Hubbard | 7 carries, 30 yards |
| Temple | Receiving | Jordan Smith | 5 receptions, 40 yards |

### No. 19 Tulane

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Green Wave | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 24 Bearcats | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: Friday, November 25, 2022
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 37,989
* Referee: Luke Richmond
* TV announcers (ABC): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| Statistics | TULN | CIN |
| First downs | 22 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 70–383 | 69–337 |
| Rushes–yards | 48–221 | 43–235 |
| Passing yards | 162 | 102 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13–22–0 | 10–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:59 | 26:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tulane | Passing | Michael Pratt | 13–22, 162 yards, 1 TD |
| Tulane | Rushing | Tyjae Spears | 35 carries, 181 yards, 2 TD |
| Tulane | Receiving | Shae Wyatt | 3 receptions, 62 yards |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Evan Prater | 10–26, 102 yards, 1 INT |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Ryan Montgomery | 17 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Will Pauling | 2 receptions, 41 yards |

### Vs. Louisville (Fenway Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bearcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 37 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 15,000
* Referee: Jeff Servinski
* TV announcers (ESPN/Bowl Season Radio): Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), and Kelsey Riggs (sideline)/Travis Jones (play-by-play), John Denton (analyst), and David Beaudin (sideline)
| Statistics | CIN | LOU |
| First downs | 10 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 53–127 | 72–419 |
| Rushes–yards | 38–44 | 40–287 |
| Passing yards | 83 | 132 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–15–0 | 13–23–2 |
| Time of possession | 27:31 | 32:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Evan Prater | 7/15, 83 yards, TD |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Ethan Wright | 8 rushes, 43 yards |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Blue Smith | 2 receptions, 32 yards |
| Louisville | Passing | Brock Domann | 13/21, 132 yards, TD, INT |
| Louisville | Rushing | Maurice Turner | 31 rushes, 160 yards |
| Louisville | Receiving | Jaelin Carter | 4 receptions, 50 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 21 | 21 | 20 | RV | RV | 22 | 21 | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 19 | 19 | RV | RV | 21 | 21 | RV | RV | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | 25 | 24 | — | — | Not released |

## After the season
### Awards and AAC honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date Awarded |
| Mason Fletcher | Special Teams Player of the Week | September 19, 2022 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | Defensive Player of the Week | September 26, 2022 |
| Tyler Scott | Offensive Player of the Week | September 26, 2022 |
| Mason Fletcher (2) | Special Teams Player of the Week | October 24, 2022 |
| Ryan Coe | Special Teams Player of the Week | November 21, 2022 |
American Athletic Conference Individual Awards :
| Player | Award | Ref. |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | AAC Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Mason Fletcher | AAC Special Teams Player of the Year | |
All-AAC :
| Player | Position | Team |
| Jowon Briggs | DL | 1 |
| Dontay Corleone | DL | 1 |
| Mason Fletcher | P | 1 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | LB | 1 |
| Ja'Quan Sheppard | CB | 1 |
| Josh Whyle | TE | 1 |
| Ryan Coe | K | 2 |
| Ja'Von Hicks | S | 2 |
| Tyler Scott | WR | 2 |
| James Tunstall | OT | 2 |
| Joe Huber | OT | Hon. |
| Dylan O’Quinn | OG | Hon. |
| Reference: * Denotes Unanimous Selection |||

### All-Americans

NCAA Recognized All-American Honors :
| Player | AFCA | AP | FWAA | TSN | WCFF | Designation |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | Consensus |
| The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. |
Other All-American Honors :
| Player | Athletic | Athlon | BR | CBS Sports | CFN | ESPN | FOX Sports | Phil Steele | SI | USA Today |
| Ivan Pace Jr. | 1st | | 1st | 1st | | 1st | 1st | 1st | | 1st |