TicketsSept. 22, 2005
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The University of Cincinnati and Miami University clash for the 110th time in their celebrated rivalry on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Miami's Yager Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m. EDT and a national television audience, courtesy of ESPN2, will look on.
The trite saying is that you can throw out the records in a rivalry like this, but just in case, Cincinnati enters with a 2-1 ledger while Miami is 1-2.
Cincinnati, which won last year's clash, 45-26, in Nippert Stadium, will be seeking to reverse a streak of bad fortunes in games played at Miami. The Bearcats have lost four of their last five meetings in Yager Stadium, the lone win a 52-42 shootout in 1999.
The UC-Miami series, long know as "the oldest rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains", is the fifth-longest in terms of games played in Division I-A. The two teams first met in 1888 in the first intercollegiate football game played in the state of Ohio. No other rivalry of 90 or more games is older. The victor claims the Victory Bell.
Cincinnati hopes that the clash with Miami will serve to perk up its offense. The Bearcats were held to 273 yards in total offense, only 88 via the air, in their 7-3 win over Western Carolina on Sept. 17. UC was in a similar situation leading into last season's game, and exploded for a 2004 season-high 599 yards of total offense in a 45-26 victory over MU.
Offensive production, particularly from the passing game, has not been a problem for Miami. The RedHawks rank 13th nationally in passing offense (299.3 yards per game). Quarterback Josh Betts is No. 21 individually in total offense with receivers Ryne Robinson and Martin Nance both ranking in the top 20 in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game.
The Miami game represents the final tuneup for the Bearcats before they enter their first season of BIG EAST Conference play. UC is in its first season in the BIG EAST, and opens league grid play on Oct. 8 at Pittsburgh.
Saturday's game finds three members of the Cincinnati coaching staff on the opposite side of this rivalry. Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi held the same position for the RedHawks in 2003 while offensive coordinator Don Treadwell and tight ends aide Mark Staten played and later coached at Miami.
UC vs. Miami Wednesday's game will be the 110th meeting between Cincinnati and Miami and the 93rd consecutive season the two teams have faced off, excluding the 1943 and 1944 seasons when World War II suspended football at UC. The two teams first played in 1888 in the first college football game to take place in the state of Ohio. More detailed information about the rivalry can be found on page 4 of this release.
UC vs. the MAC Wednesday's game is Cincinnati's second vs. a Mid-American Conference team this season. UC, which defeated Eastern Michigan, 28-26, in the season opener, is 82-91-11 vs. teams which currently comprise the MAC.
Last Meeting Richard Hall rushed for 238 yards and three touchdowns and Gino Guidugli passed for 258 yards and two scores as Cincinnati defeated Miami, 45-26, on Sept. 11 last season in Cincinnati. The Bearcats rolled up 599 yards in total offense. More game details on page 3 of this release.
Last Time in Oxford Cincinnati's attempt to come back from a 25-point deficit in the fourth quarter fell short as the Bearcats lost to the RedHawks, 42-37, on Sept. 27, 2003. The Bearcats contributed to their demise, turning the ball over five times, four on fumbles. Two fumbles and an 18-yard punt set up short MU scoring drives which enabled Miami to take a 28-0 lead early in the second period. UC came back twice, first cutting the margin to 28-17 by intermission. After Miami took a 42-17 lead with 13:27 remaining in the game, the Bearcats rallied for three touchdowns.
UC-MU Coaching Ties Three members of the University of Cincinnati coaching staff have ties with Miami University. In addition to defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, who served in the same capacity in 2003 at Miami, offensive coordinator Don Treadwell and tight ends and tackles coach/recruiting coordinator Mark Staten both played for the RedHawks, while earning their undergraduate degrees at the school and later coached at their alma mater. Treadwell, a receiver on the MU teams of the early 1980s, was running backs and wide receivers coach at Miami in 1992 and 1993. Staten was a four-year starter on the defensive line in the early 1990s and returned to Miami following his pro career to finish his degree and launch his coaching career...UC offensive line coach Dan Roushar and Miami running backs aide DeAndre Smith coached together at Northern Illinois in 2001-02.
On This Date Cincinnati is 6-4 in games played on Sept. 28. Miami (Ohio) has been the opponent for two of those contests. UC defeated MU, 30-23 in triple overtime, in 1996, the Bearcats' first-ever overtime game.
2002 at Temple W, 35-22
1996 Miami (Ohio) W, 30-23 (ot)
1991 Miami (Ohio) L, 22-9
1985 at Kentucky L, 27-7
1974 Louisville W, 7-6
1968 Xavier W, 17-14
1963 atArmy L, 22-0
1957 at Wichita State W, 19-13
1946 Kentucky L, 26-7
1935 Dayton W, 25-0
First Wednesday Wednesday's game will be a first for Cincinnati. The Bearcats have never before played a regular season game on a Wednesday.
Honorary Captain Doug Rosfeld, who served as captain of the 2000 Bearcats, will be the honorary captain for the Miami game. Head coach Mark Dantonio began recognizing former UC players and coaches by naming them honorary game captains last season. The honorary captains participate with the elected captains in the pregame coin toss.
Jonathan Ruffin, who won the Lou Groza Award in 2000 after leading the nation in field goals, was the honorary captain for the Sept. 17 Western Carolina game. A native of Metairie, La. who was forced to evacuate the New Orleans area due to Hurricane Katrina, was representing those affected by hurricane's damage as funds were collected for the Red Cross. Donnie Goodman, who scored one of two touchdowns in UC's 1983 upset of Penn State, served as the honorary captain for the Sept. 10 game vs. the Nittany Lions, and LaVar Glover, a defensive back on the 1998-2001 teams, was the honorary captain for the Sept. 1 Eastern Michigan contest.
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).
Ross Nabs BIG EAST Honor Roll Honors UC junior safety Dominic Ross was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for his performance in the Bearcats' 7-3 win over Western Carolina on Sept. 17. Ross entered the game in the fourth quarter and made two key interceptions to stop WCU. The first ended a drive on the UC 2-yard line with 5:46 remainin. The second, at the UC 37 with 22 seconds to play, clinched the victory.
Ross was the second Bearcat to earn BIG EAST honors this season. Dustin Grutza was named BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week after passing for two touchdowns and running 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.
Notes from the Penn State Game Bradley Glatthaar became the first Bearcat to rush for over 100 yards this season by recording career highs of 107 yards and 18 rushing attempts. UC gained 185 yards on the ground but was outgained in total offense, 284-273. First-year freshmen Trevor Anderson and Cedric Tolbert made their first starts at defensive end and safety, respectively. They joined true freshmen Terrill Byrd (defensive tackle), Corey Smith (outside linebacker) and Mike Mickens (cornerback) on the starting defense. Sophomore Jon Tobin made his first-ever start, taking over the right guard position. It was Tobin's first game action as a Bearcat and he became the third player to start at right guard this season. Tobin suffered a knee injury late in the third quarter which casts shadows over his immediate status. Mike Daniels tied a UC single game record with his seven punt returns, joining Tinker Keck (1997 vs. Kansas) and Charlie Bland (1973 vs. Villanova) in the record book. Daniels gained 42 yards on those returns. The 7-3 score was the lowest scoring game UC has been involved in since a 7-3 loss to Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 21, 1981.
Tight Ends are Top Targets The Bearcat tight ends have been the big play performers in the Cincinnati passing attack to date. Junior starter Brent Celek is UC's second-leading receiver with 10 catches and leads the team in receiving yardage with 120. Freshman backup Connor Barwin is second in receiving yardage with 100 yards on three catches.
Freshmen Lead Bearcat Defense Cincinnati may have the youngest defensive unit in the nation. In their last game (Sept. 17 vs. Western Carolina), the Bearcats started six freshmen--five first-year frosh and one seeing his first action this season after redshirting in 2004. UC opened the season with three freshmen starters, all "true" freshmen: Defensive tackle Terrill Byrd, outside linebacker Corey Smith and cornerback Mike Mickens. Trevor Anderson and Cedric Tolbert, also first-year frosh, were promoted to starting status for the Western Carolina win along with redshirt freshman Ryan Manalac at middle linebacker.
Those freshmen are holding their own. Smith leads the Bearcats in tackles (24) with Mickens (16) third and Tolbert (8) tied for eighth.
Watching the Clock One area in which Cincinnati has been dominant this season is controlling the football. UC averaged over 35 minutes of possession time in its first two games and after three contests has averaged 33:01 minutes per game, over six minutes per game more than its foes.
Young Bearcats See First Action Over the first three games, a total of 20 Bearcats have seen their first college game action. Nine are first-year freshmen and six others are redshirt freshmen. Seven of those frosh have been starters: true freshmen Trevor Anderson (Detroit, MI/Crockett Tech) at defensive end, Terrill Byrd (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) at defensive tackle, Corey Smith (Salem, NJ/Salem) at outside linebacker, Mike Mickens (Huber Heights, OH/Wayne) at cornerback, Cedric Tolbert (Xenia, OH/Xenia), and redshirt freshman Dustin Grutza (Maysville, KY/Mason County) at quarterback and Ryan Manalac (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington) at middle linebacker.
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 projected five senior starters on offense and defense, entering the 2005 season, second fewest to Rice which has three projected senior starters.
Eastlake Builds on Streak Steve Eastlake, one of the few veterans on the Bearcat offense, will try to extend a personal streak in Wednesday's contest at Miami. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 28th consecutive start at left tackle, a position at which he has been a fixture since 2003. For a point of comparison, all other offensive linemen have a combined total of 13 games of starting experience.
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.
Cat Attack Diversified The Cincinnati passing attack has been diversified through the team's first three games among the wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. Here is how the passing targets break out:
Rec % Yards %
Wide Receivers......... 25 45% 216 37%
Running Backs.......... 18 32% 148 25%
Tight Ends..............13 23% 220 38%
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.
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. 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 play their first-ever BIG EAST Conference game, visiting Pittsburgh on Oct. 8. A kickoff time has not yet been finalized. The game will inaugurate a new rivalry trophy, the River City Rivalry.