CINCINNATI — Cincinnati spent the first month of the season building an offensive identity around its running game. One ugly night in Arizona does not erase that, but it did show how different the Bearcats look when that part of the offense is taken away.

Through five games, Cincinnati still ranks 18th nationally with 230.8 rushing yards per game and is tied for seventh with 17 rushing touchdowns. Those numbers are a big reason the Bearcats are 4-1 despite coming off a 34-7 loss at Arizona.

Before that game, the rushing attack had been one of the most reliable parts of the offense.

Cincinnati averaged 270 rushing yards per game through its first four games and scored 16 touchdowns on the ground. The Bearcats were not simply running the ball often, either. They were averaging 6.5 yards per carry and using the ground game to create favorable situations for JC French IV and the passing offense.

Arizona changed that formula.

The Wildcats controlled the line of scrimmage, limited Cincinnati’s ability to establish rhythm, and forced the Bearcats into too many situations where the offense became predictable. Cincinnati managed only seven points after scoring at least 31 in each of its first four games.

There were missed opportunities that made the final score look worse. Cincinnati drove 86 yards to the Arizona 2-yard line in the second quarter and came away empty. Stephen Rusnak also missed a 53-yard field goal after MJ Cannon gave the Bearcats excellent field position with an interception.

Still, the larger problem was obvious. Cincinnati never made Arizona consistently respect the running game.

That is something Scott Satterfield and his staff have time to address during the bye week.

The Bearcats do not play again until Oct. 17, when they travel to Morgantown to face West Virginia. After that comes a difficult stretch against Texas Tech, Utah, and Houston, all of whom were ranked entering this week.

Cincinnati is not suddenly going to become a pass-first offense, nor should it.

The Bearcats have already shown what their best version looks like. They can control games on the ground, force defenses to commit extra bodies near the line of scrimmage, and create opportunities for French to attack downfield. That balance helped Cincinnati score 162 points through its first four games, an average of 40.5 per game.

The Arizona loss was a reminder that the formula becomes much more difficult when the first part disappears.

Cincinnati still has one of the better rushing attacks in the country. The challenge now is making sure Arizona was an exception instead of the beginning of a trend.

The bye week gives the Bearcats time to reset before the schedule becomes much less forgiving.