TicketsOct. 25, 2005
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The University of Cincinnati visits Syracuse on Saturday for a 12 noon game at the Carrier Dome which will be televised regionally on the BIG EAST Game of the Week package on ESPN Regional and air in Cincinnati on WXIX-TV 19.
Both teams enter the contest in serious need of a victory. Cincinnati, 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league play, will be seeking its first BIG EAST Conference road victory and its first-ever win in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse, 1-6 and 0-4, will be out to end a four-game losing skid and nab its first conference victory.
Cincinnati had its six-game home contest win streak ended last Saturday in a 46-22 loss to Louisville. The Bearcats were unable to take full advantage of three Cardinal fumbles and committed a turnover of their own after reaching the Louisville 2-yard line late in the second quarter trailing 12-7.
Syracuse jumped out to a 17-7 lead, but despite benefitting from four turnovers and blocking two punts, the Orange fell at Pittsburgh, 34-17, last Saturday.
The game matches two of the nation's leading defensive backs. Cincinnati freshman cornerback Mike Mickens is leading the nation in passes defended (pass breakups plus interceptions), averaging 2.0 per game. Syracuse senior safety Anthony Smith is ranked third nationally in passes defended (1.71) and is second in interceptions (.71).
Cincinnati's passing offense, which has encountered problems with consistency over the past three games (.447 completion percentage, 186.3 yards per game), will be tested by a Syracuse defense which is ranked 11th nationally in fewest yards surrendered and 24th in pass efficiency defense.
The Bearcats are starting five first-year freshmen, making UC the youngest defensive unit in the nation (Northern Illinois is next closest with four). Despite their youth, those true frosh are making their mark. In addition to Mickens, who is leading the nation in passes defended and is fourth on the team in tackling (39), OLB Corey Smith is the team's tackling leader (52) and is third in tackles for loss. DT Thomas Claggett is tied for the lead in forced fumbles.
Senior wide receiver Derick Ross will be out to top the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yardage. He enters the game with 938 yards. Senior offensive tackle Steve Eastlake will be seeking his 32nd consecutive start.
UC vs. Syracuse
Saturday's game will be the sixth meeting between Cincinnati and Syracuse. The Orange have won five of the previous six contests. UC's lone win came in Cincinnati in 2000 when Jason Mammarelli booted a 47-yard field goal as time expired for a 12-10 victory. UC is 0-3 at Syracuse.
About Syracus
The Orange is ranked No. 24 nationally in pass efficiency defense, and is No. 11 in fewest yards allowed passing (175.7). Syracuse is 41st in total defense, surrendering 345.1 yards per game.
Anthony Smith, Syracuse's lone Ohio native (Hubbard, Ohio), is ranked third nationally in pass breakups (1.71). He ranks second nationally and first in the BIG EAST in interceptions (.71) and his 4.71 solo tackles-per-game average is No. 96. In last year's game vs. Cincinnati, Smith recorded 11 tackles, intercepted a pass and blocked a punt, earning BIG EAST co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Brendan Carney is 16th nationally and first in the BIG EAST in punting (43.9).
Greg Robinson is in his first season as head coach, replacing Paul Pasqualoni. Robinson was co-defensive coordinator at Texas in 2004 and previously spent 13 seasons in the NFL, nine as a defensive coordinator.
Last Meeting
Walter Reyes rushed for 117 yards and scored the game's first touchdown to lead Syracuse to a 19-7 win over Cincinnati on Sept. 18, 2004 at the Carrier Dome. Six turnovers, three in the red zone, hampered the Bearcats, who scored their lone TD on a 2-yard pass from Gino Guidugli to Brent Celek.
UC-Syracuse Ties
Bob Wylie, Syracuse's offensive line coach, held the same position at Cincinnati in 1996.
Honorary Captain
Jim Kelly, Jr., will serve as the honorary captain for Saturday's game. Kelly was the Bearcats' leading receiver in the 1973, 1974 and 1975 seasons, making a total of 76 receptions for 964 yards. He currently serves as analyst on the Bearcat football radio broadcasts. 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 meal with the team as well as the pregame as coin toss.
On This Date
Cincinnati is 2-8-3 in games played on Oct. 29. In 1983, UC settled for a 13-13 tie at Kentucky when Bearcat kicker Mike Morton missed a 39-yard field goal at the end of the game. Cincinnati played Kentucky, ranked No. 14, close before losing, 14-7, in 1949.
1994 at East Carolina - L, 35-21
1988 Louisville - L, 21-6
1983 at Kentucky - T, 13-13
1977 Temple - T, 17-17
1966 Tulsa - L, 13-0
1960 Xavier - L, 5-0
1955 Detroit - T, 0-0
1949 at Kentucky (No. 14) - L, 14-7
1938 at Ohio - L, 13-12
1932 Wittenberg - W, 25-6
1927 Denison - L, 3-0
1921 Wittenberg - L, 7-2
1904 Kentucky - W, 11-0
Captains
Three seniors and a junior have taken 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).
Bearcats Earn BIG EAST Honors
Bradley Glatthaar is the latest Bearcat to earn BIG EAST Conference honors. The sophomore running back was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll for the week of Oct. 15 after rushing for a career-high 123 yards and two touchdowns in UC's 28-17 win over Connecticut.
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.
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 remaining. The second, at the UC 37 with 22 seconds to play, clinched the victory.
Mickens Tops in Pass Defense
Freshman cornerback Mike Mickens is ranked first nationally in passes defended for the second straight week. Mickens has 13 breakups and one interception in seven games this season, giving him an average of 2.0 passes defended.
Mickens continues to add to his impressive resume as a first-year freshman defensive back. The Greater Dayton area product (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne High) had three pass breakups in last Saturday's loss to Louisville, the second straight game in which he had three PBUs. His interception in the closing minutes of UC's Oct. 15 win vs. Connecticut silenced the Huskies final scoring threat and preserved the 28-17 victory. Mickens, who also had seven tackles vs. Louisville, is UC's fourth-leading tackler with 39 stops.
Other Defensive Dandies
Junior linebacker Kevin McCullough is tied for No. 49 nationally in tackles for loss with 1.25.
Freshman defensive tackle Thomas Claggett, and sophomore linebackers Anthony Hoke and Anthony Williams are tied for No. 52 in forced fumbles with a per-game average of .29.
Senior defensive end Adam Roberts is ranked No. 62 nationally in sacks with a per-game average of .57.
Corey Seeks Freshman Honors
Playing on a defense stocked with freshman standouts, Corey Smith is making a bid for conference and national all-freshman honors. The 6-1, 215-pound outside linebacker is Cincinnati's leading tackler with 52 stops and is tied for third on the squad with 5.5 tackles for loss. Smith recorded 13 total tackles, including nine solo stops, vs. Western Carolina--a season high by a Bearcat defender. He has recorded 41 tackles over his last five games.
Glatthaar Scoring Streak Halted
Bradley Glatthaar had his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown stopped at six in last week's loss to Louisville. The sophomore running back has played a key role in the Cincinnati offense throughout the season, having scored seven touchdowns in UC's first six games, at least one in each contest. Going back to the 2004 season, Glatthaar has scored a touchdown in 10 of the Bearcats' last 13 games.
Glatthaar turned in the second century rushing performance of his career when he gained a personal-best 123 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Oct. 15 win over Connecticut. He scored on runs of 9 and 72 yards, the latter a career long.
Glatthaar became the first Bearcat to rush for over 100 yards this season when he recorded 107 yards in a career-high 18 rushing attempts in the Sept. 17 win over Western Carolina.
Roberts Rolls
Senior defensive end Adam Roberts played a large role in Cincinnati's defensive dominance in the 28-17 win over Connecticut on Oct. 15. Roberts recorded five tackles, all solo, and had a pair of sacks and a pass breakup. Roberts leads UC with four sacks and is ranked 62nd nationally with a .57 average per game.
Good Efforts from Goodman
Freshman Dominick Goodman is emerging as a multi-faceted threat. Though he has played in only four games, Goodman has quickly climbed into second place at UC in all-purpose yards. He has amassed 360 yards, 291 via kickoff returns. Goodman piled up 81 yards on four kickoff returns in last Saturday's game vs. Louisville.
Goodman was one of the bright spots for the Cincinnati offense in the Sept. 28 loss at Miami (Ohio), piling up 141 all-purpose yards, gaining 64 yards on five pass receptions and returning four kickoffs for 77 yards. Goodman snagged a 24-yard pass from Dustin Grutza in the second quarter, UC's longest pass play of the night. He then hooked up with Nick Davila four times for 50 yards on the Bearcats' final scoring drive, and scored when he made a leaping catch of a deflected pass on a four-yard TD.
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 second on the team in receptions with 20 and has UC's most receiving yardage with 242. Celek caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Dustin Grutza in the Oct. 8 game vs. Pittsburgh, the longest reception of Celek's career. Freshman backup Connor Barwin is fourth in receiving yardage with 135 on six catches, and leads the team with his 22.5 yards-per-reception average.
Celek Upping Numbers and Credentials
Brent Celek has picked up where he left off last season, which could mean conference and national accolades for Cincinnati's junior tight end. Celek heads into Saturday's game second on the team in receptions with 20. His 242 yards receiving is tops among the Bearcats. Last season, Celek recorded 22 receptions for 254 yards and eight touchdowns, the latter figure representing a UC record for TDs by a TE. With the exception of the scoring plays, Celek is well on his way to exceeding those totals.
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 vs. Syracuse. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 32nd 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 29 games of starting experience.
Freshmen Lead Bearcat Defense
Cincinnati, has the youngest defensive unit in the nation. The Bearcats are starting five first-year freshmen--tackles Terrill Byrd and Thomas Claggett, end Trevor Anderson, outside linebacker Corey Smith and cornerback Mike Mickens. Northern Illinois, which has started up to four true frosh, is the only Division I-A team which comes close.
Byrd, Smith and Mickens have been starters all season. Anderson joined the starting lineup four games ago and Claggett became a starter in the Oct. 8 Pittsburgh game. Additionally, Cedric Tolbert, another true frosh, started at strong safety vs. Western Carolina on Sept. 17.
Those freshmen are holding their own. Smith leads the team in tackles (52) and is third in tackles for loss (5.5). Mickens is fourth in tackles (39) and leads the team in passes broken up (13). Claggett shares the UC lead in forced fumbles (2) and with 17 tackles is climbing that list.
Nakamura Tops in Stops
Sophomore Haruki Nakamura posted a pair of double-digit tackling performances this season. The Bearcat free safety set a career high with 12 tackles in the Sept. 10 game at Penn State, and matched that total on Sept. 28 vs. Miami (Ohio). Nakamura is second on the team in tackling with 50 total stops. He has made 28 tackles in his last four games.
Ervin Climbing Career Charts
Senior Chet Ervin is climbing the UC career punting records lists. Ervin is tied for No. 3 in career punts with 216 and is No. 4 in career punting yards with 8,450. The career record for punts is 236, established by Jeff Blaylock in 1991-94. Shaun Burdick (1983-86) holds the career mark for punting yards with 9,244. Ervin is ranked sixth in attempts and seventh in punting yards among the NCAA national active career leaders.
Dominic Ross Makes Key Plays
Junior Dominic Ross put together the two best performances of his college career during Cincinnati's games vs. Western Carolina and Miami. Ross, who did not start the Western Carolina game, replaced the injured Cedric Tolbert in the fourth quarter and made two interceptions, one on the 2-yard line to stop WCU's go-ahead scoring drive with 5:46 to play. His second pick, in the final minute, clinched the 7-3 victory. In UC's Sept. 28 contest at Miami (Ohio), Ross made a career-high 13 tackles, six of them solos, and had a tackle for loss. He has had 25 tackles over his last three games.
Derick Ross Seeking Millennium Mark
Cincinnati senior wide receiver Derick Ross will be out to top the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yardage when Cincinnati visits Syracuse on Saturday. Ross enters the game with 938 career yards on 64 receptions.
Running Wild
Cincinnati has topped the 200-yard mark in rushing twice this season. The most recent game was the Oct. 15 win over Connecticut, when UC gained 223 yards against the Huskies' defense, which entered the contest ranked No. 1 nationally in fewest yards allowed. Bradley Glatthaar ran for a career-high 123 yards.
The Bearcats rushed for 293 yards in their season-opener win over Eastern Michigan on Sept. 1.
The Cincinnati defense recorded six sacks in the Oct. 15 win over Connecticut, the most since UC had six vs. East Carolina last season (Sept. 25, 2004). Senior Adam Roberts and freshman Trevor Anderson each recorded two sacks, with Thomas Claggett and Anthony Hoke contributing one each. The sack attack doubled the Bearcats' season total.
bMany Happy Returns/b>
The Bearcats enjoyed one of their most productive games in terms of kickoff returns vs. Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 28.
Marshwan Gilyard nearly broke off a return for a touchdown. The first-year freshman was dragged down after a 60-yard return, the longest since Tedric Harwell took a kick back 71 yards vs. West Virginia in 2002. Gilyard is averaging a team-high 27.8 yards on five returns.
Dominick Goodman returned four kickoffs for a total of 77 yards, which featured a 27-yard return. Goodman is averaging 19.1 yards on 11 returns this season.
In the punt return department, Mike Daniels tied a UC single game record when he returned seven punts in the Sept. 17 game vs. Western Carolina. He compiled 47 yards on those seven returns.
Haruki Nakamura, who took over the punt return duties when Daniels was sidelined by injury, is averaging 12.4 yards on five returns.
Young Bearcats See First Action
Over the first seven games, a total of 30 Bearcats have seen their first college game action. Ten are first-year freshmen and 12 others are redshirt freshmen. Nine of those frosh have been starters: true freshmen Trevor Anderson (Detroit, MI/Crockett Tech) at defensive end, Terrill Byrd (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) and Thomas Claggett (Temple Hills, MD/Frederick Douglas), at defensive tackle, Corey Smith (Salem, NJ/Salem) at outside linebacker, Mike Mickens (Huber Heights, OH/Wayne) at cornerback, Cedric Tolbert (Xenia, OH/Xenia) at safety, and redshirt freshmen Dustin Grutza (Maysville, KY/Mason County) at quarterback, Trevor Canfield (Cincinnati, OH/Western Hills) at offensive guard, and Ryan Manalac (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington) at middle linebacker.
Looking Ahead
After the game at Syracuse, the Bearcats will then have 10 days to prepare for their next home game. BIG EAST leader and No. 17 West Virginia invades for a Wednesday, Nov. 9 showdown at Nippert Stadium. Game time is 7:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.