TicketsSept. 6, 2005
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Cincinnati vs. Penn State
Date: Saturday, Sept. 10, 2005
Time: 12:00 noon EDT
Site: Beaver Stadium (107,282 grass), University Park, Pa.
TV: ESPN+ (Dave Sims and Randy Wright), aired in Cincinnati on WXIX-TV 19.
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Jim Kelly and Scott Springer). Also available on-line via UCBearcats.com Records: Cincinnati 1-0, Penn State 1-0
Series: Penn State leads, 7-1
Last Meeting: Sept. 5, 1992 in Cincinnati;Penn State 24, Cincinnati 20.
Tickets: Available at Penn State. Tickets for all UC home games are on sale at the Athletic Ticket Office (9 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily) and are available on-line via www.UCBearcats.com, or by phone: 513-556-CATS.
The University of Cincinnati would like to see history repeat itself when the Bearcats visit Penn State on Saturday, Sept. 10 for a 12 noon contest. The game will be televised by ESPN+. It was exactly 22 years ago on this date, Sept. 10, 1983, that a trip into Happy Valley produced the biggest win for the Bearcat program as UC upset defending national champion Penn State, 14-3.
If you are looking for omens, this game has a few. That 1983 squad was led by a new quarterback, junior college transfer Troy Bodine. This year's UC offense is piloted by a redshirt freshman QB, Dustin Grutza. Also on the 1983 squad was fullback Donnie Goodman. His son, Dominick, is a true freshman wide receiver on the 2005 Bearcats.
Cincinnati has enjoyed both the good and the bad in appearances at Beaver Stadium. In 1986, UC held a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter over the eventual national champion Nittany Lions, but had another upset bid fall short, 23-17. In their last visit, in 1991, the Bearcats suffered their most one-sided loss ever, an 81-0 defeat.
UC opened the 2005 season on Sept. 1 with a 28-26 win over Eastern Michigan. Grutza passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in accumulating 225 yards of total offense to earn BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Four different running backs gained 50 or more yards--Bradley Glatthaar leading the way with 75--as the Bearcats piled up 293 yards rushing.
Penn State launched the 2005 campaign with a 23-13 win over BIG EAST newcomer South Florida on Saturday. The Nittany Lions, 4-7 in 2004, are fielding their most experienced team since the 2002 season, and after closing last year with wins over Indiana and Michigan State have a three-game win streak.
Saturday's game contains some trophy significance. Cincinnati, by moving into the BIG EAST Conference this season, is eligible for the prestigious Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, presented annually to Eastern collegiate football's top team. Penn State has won 25 Lambert Trophies.
The Bearcats are in their 118th football season. Cincinnati, which began grid play in 1885, boasts the nation's fifth-oldest Division I-A program, with only Rutgers (1869), Michigan (1879), Navy (1880) and Minnesota (1883) having longer histories. UC vs. Penn State The Nittany Lions lead in the series, 7-1. Penn State is 5-1 at Beaver Stadium and 2-0 in Cincinnati.
Last Meeting
Sept. 5, 1992 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Penn State scored 13 points in the third quarter and hung on for a 24-20 win over Cincinnati in the first game played in the remodeled Nippert Stadium. The game featured a paltry 478 yards total offense combined by both teams.
Last Time in Beaver Stadium
Penn State defeated Cincinnati, 81-0, handing the Bearcats their worse defeat ever, on Sept. 7, 1991. The Nittany Lions rolled up 706 yards in total offense.
Best of Trips, Worst of Trips
Cincinnati's visits to Beaver Stadium have featured the best of road trips and the worst of road trips. The Bearcats opened the 1983 season with a stunning 14-3 upset of the defending national champion Nittany Lions. In 1986, UC held a 17-14 fourth quarter lead over a PSU team which eventually went on to win the national title. Penn State staged a late scoring drive to regain the lead with 3:30 to play and added a safety for a 23-17 win. Cincinnati's last trip, in 1991, resulted in an 81-0 loss, the school's worst.
UC vs. the Big Ten
Cincinnati has an 8-36-2 record against teams that currently comprise the Big Ten Conference.
Dantonio vs. Penn State/Paterno
While Saturday's contest marks Cincinnati's first game vs. Penn State since 1992--the year in which many of the UC freshmen were entering kindergarten--it is old hat to Bearcat head coach Mark Dantonio. Dantonio has coached against Joe Paterno nine times, six while as secondary coach at Michigan State and three times while defensive coordinator at Ohio State. Dantonio's teams have won four of those nine meetings.
Coaching Ties
UC defensive line coach Ted Gill and Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden were both on the Ball State staff in 1981...Gill and PSU running backs coach Galen Hall both coached in the XFL in 2001, Gill for the LA Xtreme and Hall for the Orlando Rage...Hall was head coach at Florida in 1984 when the Gators defeated UC, 49-8.
Player Ties
Penn State redshirt freshman tackle Gerald Cadogan and Cincinnati freshman defensive end Tyler Clifford were teammates at Portsmouth (O.) High where they played for Tyler's father Curt...Penn State junior safety Dominic Johnson is a Cincinnati native who played at North College Hill High...Cincinnati has three players from the Keystone State; junior cornerback Antonio Horton is from Rochester, Pa., freshman defensive end Donnell McKenzie is from Aliquippa, and senior center Joel Yakovac is from Mt. Lebanon.
On This Date
Cincinnati is 2-2 in games played on Sept. 10. The most heralded of these contests is the 1983 visit to Penn State in which the Bearcats upset the defending national champion Nittany Lions, 14-3.
1994 Syracuse............................... L, 34-19
1988 at Boston College.................... L, 41-7
1983 at Penn State........................ W, 14-3
1977 Northwestern Louisiana.......... W, 41-0
Honorary Captain
The honorary captain for Saturday's game vs. Penn State is Donnie Goodman. Goodman, who played on the 1982 and 1983 UC teams, was one of the heroes of the 1983 upset of Penn State. The fullback rushed 17 times for 61 yards and scored UC's second touchdown, and made eight receptions for 69 yards in that victory. Son Dominick is a first-year freshman on this year's team. Head coach Mark Dantonio began recognizing former Bearcat players and coaches by naming them honorary game captains last season. The honorary captains participate with the elected captains in the pregame coin toss.
Captains
Three seniors and a junior will take on the leadership role as team captains. The four, who were elected by their teammates, are offensive tackle Steve Eastlake (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), defensive end Adam Roberts (Brooklyn, N.Y./Milford (Conn.) Academy), wide receiver Derick Ross (Marion, Ohio/Harding), all seniors, and junior tight end Brent Celek (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle).
Five-Year Review
The results of the last five seasons indicate that Cincinnati has had more success than Penn State. The Bearcats have a 33-29 record for this span, and appeared in four bowl games. UC finished either first or second in the Conference USA race in four of those five years. Penn State was 26-33 during this same period with one bowl appearance.
Grutza Earns BIG EAST Honors
Dustin Grutza's successful debut as a college quarterback was capped by his earning BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Grutza passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in the Bearcats' 28-26 victory over Eastern Michigan in the season opener. The redshirt freshman from Maysville, Ky., completed 17 of 26 passes for 176 yards and ran for 49 yards, including a 21-yard TD.
Young Bearcats See First Action
A total of 15 Bearcats saw their first action in a college football game in Cincinnati's season-opening victory over Eastern Michigan. Seven were first-year freshmen and five others were redshirt freshmen. Four of those frosh were in the starting lineup: true freshmen Terrill Byrd (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) at defensive tackle, Corey Smith (Salem, NJ/Salem) at outside linebacker, Mike Mickens (Huber Heights, OH/Wayne) at cornerback and redshirt freshman Dustin Grutza (Maysville, KY/Mason County) at quarterback.
Eastlake Builds on Streak
Steve Eastlake, one of the few veterans on the Bearcat offense, will try to extend a personal streak in Saturday's contest. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 26th consecutive start at right tackle, a position at which he has been a fixture since 2003.
Notes from the Eastern Michigan Game
Dustin Grutza became the first freshman to start at quarterback in a Cincinnati season opener since at least post-World War II, according to available records.
The 293 yards rushing compiled by the Bearcats was the most since UC gained 341 vs. Miami (Ohio) in the second game of last season.
The Bearcat ground attack was evenly distributed with four backs gaining 50 or more yards and quarterback Dustin Grutza adding 49. Bradley Glatthaar led the way with 75 yards on 14 carries, followed by Butler Benton (13-64 yards), Greg Moore (7-50) and Mike Daniels (10-50).
Just as the ball-carrying was widely distributed, there was balance in the passing game. Grutza employed eight different receivers, three wideouts, a tight end and four running backs.
Glatthaar (14 att., 75 yards) and Moore (7-50) set career highs for rushing attempts and yards.
Adam Roberts set career highs for tackles for loss (3) and sacks (2).
Kevin McCullough's 7 total tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss were career bests.
Cincinnati improved to 70-38-10 in season openers and 50-37-3 in home openers.
Mike Daniels had two kickoff returns for 53 yards. He had a 43-yard gain on his second return, but a holding penalty nullified it to a 16-yard return.
Hair-Rinsing Experience
Thursday's victory proved to be a hair-rinsing experience for Brent Celek. The Bearcats' junior tight end had abstained from washing his hair since the beginning of summer workouts--a span of nine weeks and counting--vowing not to wash it until UC's first victory.
Dantonio Second-Winningest Rookie Head Coach
Cincinnati's Mark Dantonio had the second-best record of any of the new 13 Division I-A head coaches in 2004, and the best among first-time head coaches. Dantonio directed UC to a 7-5 record, including a win over Marshall in the Fort Worth Bowl. Only Mike Price, who led UTEP to an 8-4 season, had a better record. Dantonio had the fifth-best season of any head football coach in his first season at Cincinnati.
How Young Are Those Cats
Cincinnati is one of the nation's youngest teams, in terms of returning starters and in terms of projected senior starters. UC has starters returning at eight positions--tackle Steve Eastlake, tight end Brent Celek and fullback Doug Jones on offense; end Adam Roberts, cornerback Antoine Horton and Dominic Ross and JaJuan Hall, who shared the strong safety position on defense; along with punter Chet Ervin and kicker Kevin Lovell. Only two schools have fewer returning starters, Navy with six and Marshall with seven. UC projects five senior starters on offense and defense, entering the 2005 season, second fewest to Rice which has three projected senior starters.
What a Difference a Year Makes
When the Bearcats opened the 2004 season, they boasted 26 seniors, 17 of whom were projected starters and seven more who were listed as backups. The total starting experience of the 2004 Bearcats was 256 games, 127 on offense and 129 on defense. The 2005 team enters the season with 85 games, 57 on offense and 28 on defense.
Cincinnati Begins BIG EAST Play
Cincinnati, which finished first or second in Conference USA in four of the past five seasons, begins play in the BIG EAST Conference this season. The Bearcats' first BIG EAST game will be on Oct. 8 when they visit Pittsburgh. UC's first BIG EAST home contest will be on Oct. 15 when Connecticut visits for Homecoming.
A New Trophy Game
The University of Cincinnati will add another trophy rivalry game to its football schedule. The Bearcats will begin battling the University of Pittsburgh in the River City Rivalry for a soon-to-be created trophy. UC already plays Miami University for the Victory Bell and the University of Louisville for the Keg of Nails. UC and Pitt, both located along the Ohio River, will begin playing each other on an annual basis with the Bearcats' entry into the BIG EAST Conference, beginning this season. The teams will clash for the first time as BIG EAST rivals on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
New Championship Trophy
The University of Cincinnati will be eligible for the coveted Lambert Meadowlands Trophy, which recognizes the best Division I-A team in the East, due to the Bearcats affiliation with the BIG EAST Conference. To be eligible for the Lambert, a school must either be located in the East or play half of its schedule against teams eligible for the Lambert Trophy. UC, along with new BIG EAST members Louisville and South Florida have been deemed eligible for the award since they will play at least half of their games against Lambert-eligible teams via their new conference alignment. The ECAC will conduct weekly polls and issue a final poll in early January to determine the trophy winner. The team will be presented with their awards at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Nippert Renovations
Fans have observed several changes in Nippert Stadium, all leading to enhanced decorum for Bearcat home football games.
A new 19-foot by 53-foot video board, with over twice the display area of the previous board, has been installed in the revamped scoreboard structure, which also contains a team statistics panel and 8-foot by 83-foot message center. Elements of the old video board will be installed in the Baseball Stadium and Gettler Track/Soccer Stadium, benefiting those playing venues.
New permanent seating has been constructed in the North end zone. The new seating structure also contains a full locker room for the visiting team, a first aid room and a halftime room for the Bearcats.
The FieldTurf playing surface has been replaced, with all markings and logos inlaid in the new artificial surface.
Entry and access to the stadium has been improved, with all barriers removed from the West, Northwest and South sides. The stadium now opens to Bearcat Plaza, outside of the Tangeman University Center, on the West side, adding to the atmosphere. Access via the East side is limited by the construction of the Richard E. Lindner Athletic Center.
Promotions Aplenty at UC
This Year Bearcat BIG EAST Bobblehead Night at the Bearcats' season opener was the first of a long line of promotions lined up for University of Cincinnati home football games this fall.
UC's Sept. 17 contest vs. Western Carolina will be the Skyline Chili Classic. Coupons will be available beginning in early September at all participating Skyline Chili locations which will allow fans to purchase two adult tickets for the price of one (limit four tickets per coupon). Additionally, the game has been designated as part of the NCAA's Take a Kid to the Game promotion, with youth age 12 and under receiving a free ticket when accompanied by an adult purchasing a regular priced ticket. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the UC Athletic Ticket Office, located at One Edwards Center. The UC-Western Carolina game will also be High School Band Day with several area high school bands participating in the pregame and halftime shows.
The first 5,000 fans entering the stadium for UC's Oct. 15 first-ever BIG EAST home game vs. Connecticut will receive a Bearcat BIG EAST ball cap to commemorate the occasion.
Looking Ahead
The Bearcats return to Nippert Stadium on Sept. 17 to host Western Carolina in the Skyline Chili Classic. Coupons facilitating the purchase of two tickets for the price of one are available at Skyline Chili locations throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. It will also be High School Band Day, with a number of area high schools performing with the UC Marching Band at halftime.