TicketsNov. 14, 2005
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The University of Cincinnati will be out to rebound from last week's loss to BIG EAST Conference leader and No. 13 West Virginia when the Bearcats visit USF on Saturday for a 12 noon contest at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be televised regionally by ESPN Regional as the BIG EAST Game of the Week.
The Bearcats, 4-5 overall and 2-3 in BIG EAST play, will be trying to keep their hopes for bowl eligibility alive in Saturday's contest while the Bulls, 5-3 overall and second in the BIG EAST at 3-1, will be out to become bowl eligible. That is a reversal of roles when the two teams met in Cincinnati last November. UC clinched its winning season with a 45-23 victory which sent USF to only its second losing season in the program's history.
In USF, which blanked Syracuse, 27-0, last Saturday, the Bearcats will be facing a team similar to West Virginia, to which they lost, 38-0, on Nov. 9. Like the Mountaineers, the Bulls boast a potent rushing attack, ranked 10th in this week's NCAA stats. USF is averaging 234.8 yards on the ground. Andre Hall has been responsible for 123.8 of that average to rank fourth nationally in rushing. Also like West Virginia, the Bulls also rely on a strong defense. USF is ranked No. 18 in total defense allowing 305.8 yards per game. The Bulls are No. 37 vs. the rush (128.9), No. 13 in passing defense (176.9) and No. 14 in scoring defense (17.9).
Cincinnati freshman Mike Mickens continues to rank among the leaders in passes defended. The first-year cornerback is tied for fourth nationally, averaging 1.56 passes defended per game.
Sophomore Anthony Hoke is ranked No. 20 nationally in forced fumbles (.20) and Kevin McCullough is No. 58 in tackles for loss (1.19).
The game matches one of the oldest Division I-A football programs against the nation's newest team. Cincinnati, which launched football in 1885, is preceded by only Rutgers (1869), Michigan (1879), Navy (1880) and Minnesota (1883) in terms of longevity. USF, which made its football debut in 1997 at the I-AA level and achieved I-A status in 2000, is the nation's newest I-A team.
Bearcat senior Chet Ervin could become Cincinnati's all-time punter during Saturday's contest. Ervin needs six more punts to reach the UC career record of 236 and 194 yards to top the yardage mark of 9,244.
UC vs. USF
The teams began playing in 2003 and have split the two games in which they have faced off thus far. USF won, 24-17, in double overtime in Tampa in 2003 with UC retaliating with a 45-23 victory in Cincinnati last season.
About USF
The Bulls boast the nation's 10th-ranked rushing offense, averaging 234.8 yards per game. Andre Hall, ranked fourth nationally in rushing (123.8 yards per game) and 13th in all-purpose yards (153.1), leads that attack.
USF is No. 18 in the latest NCAA rankings for total defense, allowing 305.8 yards per game. The Bulls are No. 37 in rushing defense and No. 13 in pass defense.
USF is No. 9 nationally in sacks, averaging 3.38 per game, and No. 25 in tackles for loss (7.13). Stephan Nicholas is No. 29 individually in sacks (.75).
USF is the nation's newest Division I-A football program. USF football debuted in 1997 at the I-AA level, and achieved I-A status in 2000.
USF has had just two losing seasons--its first and its most recent--in its grid history. The Bulls are 60-36, which includes a 40-20 record as a Division I-A team.
The Bulls have relied upon football-rich Florida in building their team. Only eight players on this year's roster are from out-of-state.
Last Meeting
Gino Guidugli passed for a career-best 377 yards to lead Cincinnati to a 45-23 victory in Cincinnati on Nov. 20, 2004. USF got off to a 10-7 lead but UC rallied to tie the game at 17-all in the second quarter. With 1:25 remaining in the first half, Bill Poland hauled in a 49-yard touchdown pass from Guidugli to put the Bearcats in front for good. UC rolled up 577 yards in total offense.
Last Time in Tampa
DeJuan Green broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run in the second overtime and Lee Roy Selmon Jr. intercepted a Cincinnati pass to lift USF to a 24-17 victory in Tampa on Oct. 31, 2003. The Bearcats held the upper hand through most of the contest, scoring first on Mike Daniels' 2-yard pass from Gino Guidugli and taking a 10-7 lead with Chet Ervin's 38-yard field goal. USF tied the contest with a 30-yard field goal by Santiago Gramatica with 3:33 to play. The two teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime.
Honorary Captain
Linood Marshall, a defensive standout on the Bearcat teams of the early 1980s, will be the honorary captain for Saturday's game. Marshall was a three-year starter at linebacker (1981-82-83) who served as a team captain in 1983. He is currently a businessman in the Jacksonville area. 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 1-5 in games played on Nov. 19. For many years, this weekend was an open date on the UC schedule to give the Bearcats time to prepare for their annual Thanksgiving Day game vs. rival Miami (Ohio).
1994 Tulsa.......................... W, 28-13
1988 East Carolina................ L, 49-14
1983 at Miami (Ohio)............. L, 14-10
1977 at Vanderbilt................... L, 13-9
1966 at Memphis.................. L, 26-14
1960 Miami (Ohio)................... L, 10-6
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
Six Bearcats have earned BIG EAST weekly awards for their game performances this season.
Kevin McCullough was named Defensive Player of the Week following Cincinnati's win over Syracuse on Oct. 29. McCullough scooped up a fumble and returned it 17 yards for what proved to be the winning touchdown, and recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss.
Chet Ervin earned Special Teams Player of the Week following the Syracuse win, in which he punted six times for a 46.0-yard average, twice pinning the Orange on their 1-yard line.
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.
Bradley Glatthaar 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.
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.
Adam Roberts was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll after posting three tackles for loss in the Oct. 29 win over Syracuse.
Mickens Tops in Pass Defense
First-year freshman cornerback Mike Mickens is ranked fourth nationally in passes defended. Mickens has 13 breakups and one interception in nine games this season, giving him an average of 1.56 passes defended.
Mickens continues to add to his impressive resume as a first-year defensive back. The Greater Dayton area product (Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne High) had three pass breakups in the Oct. 22 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 ended 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. 58th nationally in tackles for loss with 1.19.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Hoke is 20th nationally in forced fumbles, averaging .33.
Freshman defensive tackle Thomas Claggett, and sophomore linebacker Anthony Williams are tied for No. 74 in forced fumbles with a per-game average of .22.
Roberts Rolls
Senior defensive end Adam Roberts played a large role in Cincinnati's last two victories. Roberts keyed UC's defensive dominance in the Bearcats' 28-17 win over Connecticut on Oct. 15 by recording five tackles, all solo, and had a pair of sacks and a pass breakup. In the 22-16 win over Syracuse on Oct. 29, Roberts had three TFLs among four tackles. With Syracuse 3rd-and-goal on the UC 2, Roberts threw Orange running back Damian Rhodes for an 8-yard loss to force Syracuse into a field goal in the third quarter. Roberts is second at UC with 8.5 TFLs and leads the Bearcats with four sacks.
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 64 stops and is third on the squad with 7.0 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 29 tackles over his last four games.
Glatthaar Scoring Streak Halted
Bradley Glatthaar had compiled a streak of six consecutive games in which he had scored at least one touchdown this season. The sophomore running back had scored seven TDs in UC's first six games. Going back to the 2004 season, Glatthaar had scored a touchdown in 10 of the Bearcats' last 12 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.
Good Efforts from Goodman
Freshman Dominick Goodman is emerging as a multi-faceted threat. Though he has played in only seven of the Bearcats' nine games, Goodman has quickly climbed into second place for UC in all-purpose yards. He has amassed 504 yards, 22 as a rusher, 134 as a receiver and 348 via kickoff returns.
In last week's game vs. West Virginia, Goodman piled up 105 all-purpose yards, 59 on three pass receptions, 38 on three kickoff returns and eight on a pair of runs.
In the Oct. 29 win over Syracuse, Goodman had nine yards on two carries and picked up a pair of first downs, caught two passes for 11 yards and had a 19-yard kickoff return.
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 third on the team in receptions with 25 and third in receiving yardage with 264. 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 fifth in receiving yardage with 135 on six catches.
Celek Upping Numbers and Credentials
Brent Celek has already eclipsed the numbers he piled up last season as a receiver from the tight end position. Celek, who is third on the team in both receptions and receiving yards, has made 25 catches for 264 yards. A year ago, he amassed 22 receptions for 254 yards. The one statistical category in which he trails last year's pace is in touchdown receptions. In 2004, Celek set a UC record for TD catches by a tight end with eight. The junior has two this season.
Celek is compiling the third-best season by a Cincinnati tight end. Joe Koynock caught 44 passes for 496 yards in 1990, which stand as UC records for a tight end. Kris Bjorson had 40 receptions for 409 yards in 1991.
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. USF. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 34th 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 37 games of starting experience.
Freshmen Lead Bearcat Defense
Cincinnati has the youngest defensive unit in the nation. The Bearcats have started six first-year freshmen, and as many as five at a time. Those starting true frosh are tackles Terrill Byrd and Thomas Claggett, end Trevor Anderson, outside linebacker Corey Smith, cornerback Mike Mickens and safety Cedric Tolbert. 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 has made six starts and Claggett has had three starts. Tolbert started the Western Carolina game.
Those freshmen are holding their own. Smith leads the team in tackles (64) and is third in tackles for loss (7.0). Mickens is fourth in tackles (47) and leads the team in passes broken up (13). Claggett is second at UC in forced fumbles (2) and with 17 tackles is climbing that list.
Ervin Climbing Career Charts
Senior Chet Ervin is climbing the UC career punting records lists. Ervin is third in career punts with 230 and is second in career punting yards with 9,050. The career record for punts is 236, established by Jeff Blaylock (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.
Nakamura Gets Them By The Dozen
Sophomore Haruki Nakamura turned in his third 12-tackle performance of the season in the Nov. 9 West Virginia game. Nakamura, who had five solo stops, posted a sack and was credited with a quarterback hurry. 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 63 total stops.
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.
Derick Ross Reaches Millennium Mark
Cincinnati senior wide receiver Derick Ross has topped the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yardage. The senior enters his final two games with 1,027 yards on 72 career catches. He is the Bearcats' leading receiver this season with 27 receptions for 290 yards.
Sack Attack
Pressuring the quarterback has been a key to Cincinnati's defensive success. The Bearcats have recorded 11 sacks in their past two victories over Connecticut and Syracuse. UC has made 15 sacks in its four victories.
UC notched 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 Bearcats had five sacks, with linebacker Kevin McCullough leading the way with 1.5, in the Oct. 29 win over Syracuse.
Looking Ahead
Cincinnati closes out the 2005 regular season with a visit to Rutgers on Nov. 26. Kickoff from Rutgers Stadium is 1:00 p.m. The game will be televised regionally by Fox Sports New York.