TicketsNov. 4, 2005
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The University of Cincinnati takes on the best of the BIG EAST when the Bearcats host conference leader and 16th-ranked West Virginia on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The 7:30 p.m. game at Nippert Stadium will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
West Virginia, 7-1 overall and perfect in BIG EAST play with a 4-0 ledger, is ranked No. 16 in this week's ESPN poll and is No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. WVU is the highest ranked team to visit Nippert Stadium since No. 9 Wisconsin, an upset victim of the Bearcats, in 1999. The Mountaineers defeated Connecticut, 45-13, on Nov. 3 after being idle for two and a half weeks. On Oct. 15, WVU pinned a 46-44 triple overtime loss on Louisville.
Cincinnati evened its records at 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the BIG EAST with a 22-16 win at Syracuse on Oct. 29. The Bearcat defense keyed that victory, recording five sacks and holding the Orange to 52 yards rushing, and scored the game-winning touchdown when linebacker Kevin McCullough returned a fumble 17 yards early in the fourth quarter.
West Virginia's defense will present another challenge for Cincinnati. The Mountaineers are ranked No. 9 nationally in total defense, allowing just 290.0 yards per game, and are No. 16 against the rush, holding foes to 106.7 yards.The Bearcats have responded to a pair of previous defensive challenges this season. On Oct. 15, UC overcame Connecticut, which was ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense, for a 28-17 victory. On Oct. 29, Cincinnati defeated Syracuse, which was ranked No. 11 in pass defense.
The Wednesday contest will be the final home game of the season for Cincinnati, which has a 3-1 record in Nippert Stadium this season. UC has won six of its last seven contests in Nippert, the fifth-oldest NCAA Division I-A or I-AA stadium sill in use. Opened in 1916, Nippert is preceeded history by Harvard Stadium (1903), Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd/Grant Field (1914), the Yale Bowl (1914) and Cornell's Schoellkopf Stadium (1915). Though the permanent stadium first came into use in 1916, UC has been playing on the site since 1902.
The game will be the final home contest for 10 seniors: OG Ryan Brown, OT Steve Eastlake, P Chet Ervin, CB Walter Dudley, DE Donald Germany, DE Adam Roberts, WR Derick Ross, C Matt Webster, C Joel Yakovac, and LB Jonny Zwitt. They will be recognzied in pre-game ceremonies.
UC vs. West Virginia
Wednesday's game will be the 14th meeting between Cincinnati and West Virginia. The Mountaineers hold an 11-1-1 lead in the series. UC got its first victory, a 15-13 decision, the last time the two teams played, Sept. 13, 2003 in Morgantown.
About West Virginia
The Mountaineers boast the nation's ninth-leading rushing offense, averaging 229.4 yards on the ground. That rushing success is a team effort as no WVU rusher averages more than 43.4 yards per game.
West Virginia is ranked No. 9 in total defense, surrendering a paltry 290.0 yards per outing. The Mountaineers are stingiest against the rush, surrendering 106.7 yards per game to rank No. 16 nationally, while their pass defense (183.3) is No. 19.
The postponement of West Virginia's Oct. 22 game vs. South Florida due to Hurricane Wilma created an 18-day gap on their schedule between the Oct. 15 upset of Louisville and its Nov. 2 contest vs. Connecticut.
Dee McCann and Mike Lorello are tied for No. 24 nationally in interceptions, both averaging .43 per outing. Lorello is also No. 10 in forced fumbles (.43) and No. 34 in passes defended (1.14).
Last Meeting
Cincinnati overcame five turnovers and staged a stout defensive effort to upset West Virginia, 15-13, at Mountaineer Field on Sept. 13, 2003. Chet Ervin's 37-yard field goal with 1:59 to play in the third quarter provided the margin of victory. Ervin, who also kicked field goals of 44 and 43 yards in the first half and punted 10 times for a 42.5-yard average, was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week. Cedric Dawley had a 3-yard TD reception gave UC a 12-7 halftime lead. Rasheed Marshall connected with Travis Gavin for a 48-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to put the Mountaineers up, 13-12. WVU mounted a late scoring drive but missed a 48-yard field goal with 2:23 to play.
Last Time in Cincinnati
Cincinnati's fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell short as the Bearcats bowed to West Virginia, 35-32, on Sept. 14, 2002 in Cincinnati. The Mountaineers built a 35-17 lead after three quarters of play, getting two touchdowns each from Rasheed Marshall and Avon Cobourne. UC scored twice in the final period, the second TD coming with 5:39 to play. Cincinnati mounted two more scoring threats, the second ending in a missed 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired.
UC-West Virginia Ties
UC tight end Brent Celek and West Virginia offensive lineman Ryan Stanchuk both played high school football at LaSalle High in Cincinnati...Cincinnati LB Jon Carpenter and WVU defensive tackle Jason Karns were teammates and classmates at Lancaster (Ohio) High, where Carpenter's father Rob was head coach...UC defender Brad Jones and WVU running back Ryan Brinson were seniors on Canton (Ohio) McKinley High's state runner-up team in 2004.
Honorary Captain
Gino Guidugli will serve as honorary captain for Wednesday's UC-West Virginia game. Guidugli rewrote the Bearcat passing and total offense during his four seasons as the starting quarterback, which culminated last season. He was a free agent with the Tennessee Titans during the NFL pre-season. 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.
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).
On This Date
Cincinnati is 7-2-1 in games played on Nov. 9. In 1957, UC shut out Indiana, 21-0. In 1935, the Bearcats played West Virginia to a 7-7 tie.
1991 Middle Tennessee St. - W, 30-10
1985 Penn State - L, 31-10
1974 Ohio - W, 35-13
1968 Louisville - W, 37-7
1963 North Texas State - W, 39-7
1962 at Detroit - L, 15-14
1957 at Indiana - W, 21-0
1946 Xavier - W, 39-0
1940 at West Virginia - T, 7-7
1935 Marshall - W, 39-13
Bearcats Earn BIG EAST Honors
The Bearcats captured two of the three BIG EAST weekly awards this week. Junior linebacker Kevin McCullough was named Defensive Player of the Week and senior punter Chet Ervin earned Special Teams Player of the Week for their efforts in Cincinnati's 22-16 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. Ervin punted six times for a 46.0-yard average, twice pinning the Orange on their 1-yard line.
Senior defensive end Adam Roberts was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll, after posting three tackles for loss.
Other Bearcats 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.
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.
Mickens Tops in Pass Defense
First-year freshman cornerback Mike Mickens is ranked second nationally in passes defended. Mickens has 13 breakups and one interception in seven games this season, giving him an average of 1.75 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. 49 nationally in tackles for loss with 1.29.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Hoke is 19th nationally in forced fumbles, averaging .38.
Freshman defensive tackle Thomas Claggett, and sophomore linebacker Anthony Williams are tied for No. 69 in forced fumbles with a per-game average of .25.
Senior defensive end Adam Roberts is ranked No. 76 nationally in tackles for loss (1.13) and 82nd in sacks (.50).
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 Damein Rhodes for an 8-yard loss to force Syracuse into a field goal in the third quarter. Roberts leads UC with 8.5 TFLs and 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 56 stops and is fourth on the squad with 6.0 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 45 tackles over his last six 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 five games, Goodman has quickly climbed into second place for UC in all-purpose yards. He has amassed 399 yards, 310 via kickoff returns. Goodman piled up 81 yards on four kickoff returns in the Oct. 22 game vs. Louisville.
In the Oct. 29 win over Syracuse, Goodman rushed 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 21 and third in receiving yardage with 245. 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, 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 Wednesday's game second on the team in receptions with 21. His 245 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 Wednesday's contest vs. West Virginia. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 33rd 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 33 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 (56) and is fourth in tackles for loss (6.0). Mickens is fourth in tackles (43) and leads the team in passes broken up (13). Claggett is second at UC in forced fumbles (2) and with 16 tackles is climbing that list.
Ervin Climbing Career Charts
Senior Chet Ervin is climbing the UC career punting records lists. Ervin is third in both career punts with 222 and career punting yards with 8,726. 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 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 51 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 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 hosts West Virginia on Wednesday. Ross enters the game with 956 career yards on 65 receptions.
Running Wild
Cincinnati's rushing attack has been a major force of the Bearcat offense recently. Over the last three games, UC has averaged 199.0 yards rushing. UC 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.
Sack Attack
Pressuring the quarterback has been a key to Cincinnati's defensive success. The Bearcats have recorded 11 sacks in their past to victories over Connecticut and Syracuse. UC has made 15 sacks in its four victories and only two sacks in its four losses. 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
After the game vs. West Virginia, the Bearcats will hit the road for their final two games of the season. UC will have 10 days to prepare for their next contest, a Nov. 19 meeting at USF. The 12 noon contest will be televised by ESPN Regional as the BIG EAST Conference Game of the Week and air in Cincinnati on WQBC-TV 38. UC closes the season at Rutgers on Nov. 26.