Cincinnati Will Be Without Their Star RB This Week

Cincinnati’s rolling into Salt Lake City with a tough assignment ahead, and one of their best offensive weapons is likely staying home. Senior running back Evan Pryor is expected to be out for the Bearcats’ matchup against Utah this weekend, and that’s a real shake-up for a team that’s leaned on him to set the tone offensively.

Pryor’s been a legit difference-maker all year. He leads Cincinnati in rushing with nearly 500 yards on just 66 carries and was averaging over seven yards per carry. That kind of production doesn’t just get replaced overnight. And against a physical Utah defense that takes pride in stuffing the run, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Head coach Scott Satterfield confirmed that Pryor probably won’t be available this weekend, which means the Bearcats are going to have to shuffle their backfield and find answers fast. Tawee Walker, a senior who’s been quietly solid all year, is expected to take the bulk of the load. Walker’s already logged over 90 carries this season and ran for 84 yards last week when Pryor exited with the injury. He’s not new to the moment, but asking him to carry the full load against Utah on the road is a big ask.

This one’s going to test Cincinnati’s depth in a real way. The Bearcats have built their offense around balance, with quarterback Brendan Sorsby doing work through the air while Pryor and Walker handle the heavy lifting on the ground. Without Pryor in the mix, Utah can afford to get a little more aggressive up front, and that puts a ton of pressure on Satterfield to keep things unpredictable.

It also puts a spotlight on the offensive line, which will need to win more battles than usual if the Bearcats want to keep their win streak alive. Cincinnati’s quietly riding a seven-game heater and climbing up the Big 12 ladder, but a slip-up here would stall a lot of that momentum.

Losing Pryor is a blow, no doubt. But this is where you find out what kind of team you really are. Depth matters in this league. So does toughness. And Cincinnati’s about to find out if they’ve got enough of both to keep rolling without their top guy.