Cincinnati gets ready to face Fighting Irish

CINCINNATI (AP) — Luke Fickell understands that bye weeks can come in handy during a grueling college football season.

He’s just not sure that the week off enjoyed by his Cincinnati players came at the best time.

The No. 7 Bearcats were off last week after improving to 3-0 by coming back from a 14-0 deficit on the road to beat Indiana, 38-24. Cincinnati’s fifth-year coach would’ve preferred to maintain that momentum.

“Obviously, coming off a bye week is a little different,” Fickell said Tuesday during his weekly media session. “I’m not one of those guys who loves bye weeks. It kind of messes with your rhythm. I know there are some benefits to bye weeks, though it’s not about getting healthy three weeks into the season. Not having a game on Saturday means some guys sleep better. They get some much-needed mental rest, but it was real nice to come out yesterday and get some practice in. Getting back into the routine of what is obviously a big week is kind of where we are.”

Fickell knows what’s at stake this week as Cincinnati prepares to travel to South Bend to face No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0), led by former Bearcats coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman, who filled the same job at Cincinnati before leaving this year for the Fighting Irish. Cincinnati offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has served two terms on the Notre Dame coaching staff, including seven years as an assistant to Kelly.

And Cincinnati second-year graduate transfer Michael Young Jr., a wide receiver, previously played at Notre Dame.

Those relationships are just two of many shared by the two top10 teams going into Saturday’s game, their first against each other since 1900. Long-standing relationships with opposing coaches are nothing new to Fickell.

“It’s the nature of the business,” he said. “A lot of coaches are buddies and friends who you might’ve worked