TicketsSept. 18, 2006
The University of Cincinnati faces its second consecutive Top 25 opponent when the Bearcats visit Virginia Tech on Saturday (Sept. 23). The 12 noon contest will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
Cincinnati brings a 1-2 record into the game following last Saturday's 37-7 loss at No. 1 Ohio State. Virginia Tech, ranked No. 10 by USA Today and No. 11 in the Associated Press polls, is 3-0 and coming off a 36-0 shutout of Duke.
The Bearcats will be facing one of the nation's top defensive teams. Virginia Tech is ranked first in scoring defense, surrendering just 3.3 points per game, and is eighth in total defense (204.7 yards), fifth in pass efficiency defense and 30th in rushing defense (82.7).
UC will seek more consistency from its offense, which is ranked 91st nationally in total yardage. The Bearcats led the Buckeyes through much of the first half due to its ball-control passing game, but failed to take advantage of a pair of scoring opportunities in the second quarter.
Cincinnati holds a 4-3 lead in the series vs. Virginia Tech. The Bearcats won the last time the two teams met up, blanking the Hokies, 16-0, in Blacksburg.
The Bearcat receiver corps continues to be productive. Last week, first-year sophomore Derrick Stewart recorded career highs with five catches for 64 yards. Jared Martin, a redshirt freshman, caught a 22-yard TD pass. Tight end Brent Celek topped the UC career record for a tight end for receiving yards and needs 12 catches to reach the mark for receptions.
A Quick Look at the Bearcats
The Bearcats are seeking more productivity from their rushing attack and more consistency from the passing game. UC is averaging just 53.3 yards rushing per game, though that figure was affected by a minus-4 yard showing at Ohio State when the Bearcats lost 59 yards on eight sacks. Bradley Glatthaar continues to lead the three-man running back attack. He is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and shares the team scoring lead with a pair of TDs.
Dustin Grutza has completed a gaudy 66.7 percent of his passes to generate 552 yards and three TDs. Top Bearcat targets are senior tight end Brent Celek (12 receptions, 146 yards), who has been a major cog in the passing game over the last three seasons, and sophomore wide receiver Dominick Goodman (13 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD), who leads the team in all-purpose yards (305) and shares the lead in scoring.
Goodman broke loose for a 53-yard kickoff return in last weekend's loss to No. 1 Ohio State and ranks second in the BIG EAST and 16th nationally with his 29.0 yards-per-return average.
Cornerback John Bowie leads the defense with 18 total tackles, followed by safeties Dominic Ross and Haruki Nakamura who each have 15 stops. Corey Smith, who missed the first game as well as most of preseason practice due to injury, returned to the starting lineup at outside linebacker vs. Ohio State and recorded 9 tackles and a half a TFL. He has already moved into a tie for fourth place on the team tackles list with 14.
What a Difference a Year Makes
A season ago, Cincinnati ranked as one of the nation's youngest Division I-A football teams. The Bearcats had just eight returning starters and 30 of the 44 players on last year's depth chart had one season or less playing experience. The Bearcats boast more experience this season. Though still a young team in terms of playing experience, UC has starters returning at 17 positions. The defense, which a season ago started as many as six first-year freshmen, has 10 returning starters.
Back-to-Back Ranked Foes
Saturday's contest with No. 11 Virginia Tech will mark the seventh time that Cincinnati has played Top 25-ranked opponents in back-to-back games. While facing the Hokies on the heels of a game with No. 1 Ohio State is a daunting challenge, the games against UC's highest ranked back-to- back foes occurred in 1986 when the Bearcats faced No. 5 Penn State and No. 1 University of Miami on successive weekends. Those two teams played for the national title that season.
On This Date...
Cincinnati is 2-6 in games played on Sept. 23. In 1989, UC beat Miami University, 30-14 for is only victory of the 1-9-1 season.
Captains
Seniors, tight end Brent Celek and strong safety Dominic Ross, will lead Cincinnati onto the field as teams captains throughout the 2006 campaign. Both are entering their third year as starters.
Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Saturday's game will be the eighth meeting in football between Cincinnati and Virginia Tech. The two teams first met in the 1946 Sun Bowl game in El Paso, Texas. Cincinnati defeated Virginia Tech, 18-6 in that contest.
It was 39 years before the two schools played again. A series was launched in 1985, with the Bearcats winning the first two games by margins of 31-14 in Cincinnati and 24-20 in Blacksburg. The 1986 contest in Blacksburg saw the Bearcats overcome a second half deficit and score the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
In their last meeting, in 1995, Cincinnati upset Virginia Tech, 16-0. The Bearcats turned three second quarter turnovers into a pair of touchdowns and a field goal. Tech rebounded from that setback to win its next 10 games, the final victory a 28-10 blasting of Texas in the Sun Bowl.
About the Hokies
Virginia Tech has won all three of its games this season by a combined 109-10. Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina is the lone team to score on the Hokies' defense this season in a 35-10 setback. Tech leads the nation in scoring defense, surrendering a mere 3.3 points per game. The defense is ranked eighth, giving up 204.7 yards. The Hokies are fifth in pass efficiency defense and 30th at defending the run.
UC-Virginia Tech Connections
Cincinnati offensive coordinator Don Treadwell served as running backs coach at North Carolina State in 1999 while current Virginia Tech quarterbacks coach Mike O'Cain was head coach there...Hokie offensive tackle Aaron Brown is a native of Cincinnati and earned SuperPrep All-American honors at Princeton High.
UC vs. Virginia Programs
Cincinnati has a 13-7 record against teams from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition to owning a 4-3 record vs. Virginia Tech, UC is 3-3 vs. Richmond and 3-1 vs. William & Mary.
Goodman Provides Good Target
Touted by the coaching staff throughout preseason camp, Dominick Goodman has quickly become the Bearcats' top receiving target. The Cincinnati product has caught 13 passes for 139 yards, including two for touchdowns, in three games this year. He has already surpassed last season's totals of 12 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns in nine games in 2005. The 6-1, 200-pound sophomore is ranked second in the BIG EAST in receptions per game (4.3).
Goodman, who was MVP of the Ohio Division I high school championship game in 2004 as a quarterback, recorded the first multiple receiving TD game since Hannibal Thomas' UC record-tying three TD catches vs. Southern Miss. on Nov. 6, 2004. Also a threat as a kickoff returner, he leads the Bearcats in all-purpose yardage.
Bowie a Comeback Candidate
John Bowie could be one of college football's comeback player of the year stories. Last season, Bowie was sidelined by an arm injury suffered in Cincinnati's second game of the season. In making his return this fall, Bowie has not just picked up where he left off but is playing the best football of his college career. The senior cornerback leads the Bearcats in tackles after three games, having recorded 18. He had a career-high 10 tackles vs. Pittsburgh. Bowie had entered the 2006 campaign with 18 career tackles.
BIG EAST Champion
John Bowie already has a pair of BIG EAST Conference championships. The senior cornerback won the 100 meters and anchored UC's winning 4x100 relay at the league championship meet in June. He also placed third in the 200 meters. It was the first season in which he had competed in track since high school.
Smith Is Back
Corey Smith returned to the starting lineup for last Saturday's game vs. No. 1 Ohio State. The sophomore outside linebacker, who earned Freshman All-American honors last season, recorded a team-high nine tackles, five of them solos, and half a sack. Smith missed most of preseason practice and sat out the first game due to a hamstring injury. He returned to action in the Sept. 8 game vs. Pittsburgh and recorded five tackles in a limited appearance.
Smith was the Bearcats' leading tackler as a first-year freshman in 2005 when a shoulder injury ended his season after nine games. His 60 stops ranked fourth in the final stats.
Grutza Claims the Starting QB Duties
After sharing the spotlight with Nick Davila for the first two games, Dustin Grutza became the Bearcats' full-time No. 1 quarterback for the contest vs. No. 1 Ohio State. The sophomore responded by completing 18 of 22 passes for 202 yards and the Bearcats' lone TD. Grutza has completed 67 percent of his passes (48 of 72) this season. He has an efficiency rating of 133.71.
Career Day for Stewart
Derrick Stewart enjoyed the top performance of his short Bearcat career in UC's loss to No. 1 Ohio State. The sophomore wide receiver recorded career highs with five catches for 64 yards, breaking free on one of his receptions of a 28-yard gaine. Stewart showed his big-play potential by hauling in a 51-yard pass from Dustin Grutza in UC's opener vs. Eastern Kentucky.
Carvitti Makes the Most of Start vs. EKU
After recording one sack as a backup a year ago, senior Tony Carvitti notched two sacks in his first career start at defensive tackle in the season opening win over Eastern Kentucky. The Cincinnati native is tied for the team lead in sacks and ranks sixth in the BIG EAST Conference. The Cincinnati native also set a career high with four tackles in the win over Eastern Kentucky. The Bearcat defensive unit totaled four quarterback sacks and eight tackles for loss in the 31-0 triumph over EKU.
Hoke Filling Big Shoes on the Defensive Front
Anthony Hoke is not only filling the vacancy created at defensive end with the graduation of Adam Roberts, he is also taking up Roberts' role as a big play performer. Hoke leads the Bearcast in tackles for loss (3.0) after three games just as Roberts led the team in TFLs all of last season.
Celek Reaching TE Marks
Brent Celek has topped one career record for a tight end and is approaching another. After last week's three catches for 39 yards, the senior has 800 career receiving yards, topping the mark of 791 set by Kris Bjorson in 1989-92. Celek is only 12 catches away from Bjorson's career mark of 81. The senior has already established a new mark for touchdown catches by a TE with 11.
Celek Streak Continues
Brent Celek has extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 15. Celek, who leads UC in receiving yards (146) and is second in receptions (12), has caught at least one pass in 23 of his last 24 contests. He opened the season with a career-high 81 yards receiving in the win over Eastern Kentucky that he accumulated on six catches.
Defense Gives Rude Welcomes
Cincinnati served as an unfriendly host in its first two home games. UC opened the 2006 season with a 31-0 shutout win over Eastern Kentucky, the school's first blanking in 123 games. The Bearcats went 28:57 into their second game before yielding their first score. UC has surrendered an average of 303.5 yards and 16.5 points in its first two home games.
Continuing to Create Takeaways
After registering three take-aways in each of its first two games, the Cincinnati defense failed to come up with the football in last Saturday's game vs. No. 1 Ohio State, while the UC offense committed three turnovers, all on interceptions. Cincinnati is ranked 54th nationally in turnover margin (0.0). The defense recorded three fumble recoveries in the loss to Pittsburgh one week after collecting three interceptions against Eastern Kentucky. Sophomore DeAngelo Smith leads UC in takeaways. Smith picked off a pass vs. EKU and scooped up a muffed punt against Pitt.
Young Bearcats See First Action
A total of 13 Bearcats saw their first action in a college game in Cincinnati's season-opening victory over Eastern Kentucky. Four were first-year freshmen and seven were redshirt freshmen.
Two of the rookies were starters. Jeffrey Linkenbach and Marcus Waugh, both redshirt freshmen, started at left tackle and fullback.
Leg of Steel
Replacing Chet Ervin, who rewrote the UC record book for career punts and punting yardage over his four seasons was a heady task for Brian Steel. The junior has made good thus far. Steel has pinned the opposition inside the 20 yard line on 10 punts and is averaging 38.2 yards per punt.
Steel averaged 44.2 yards per try against Pittsburgh. His 64-yard punt set a new career long. Against Eastern Kentucky, Steel boomed three punts inside the EKU 20. Five of his six punts required fair catches. The Colonels were unable to return a punt.
Nakamura Earns BIG EAST Honor
Haruki Nakamura was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for his performance in the Bearcats' season opening win over Eastern Kentucky. The 5-10, 185 junior, in his second season as the starting free safety, made six tackles and recorded an interception in the 31-0 shutout. He was UC's leading tackler in 2005 with 76.
Cincinnati Player Honors
Dominick Goodman, who achieved career highs with eight receptions for 80 yards, was named UC's Offensive Player of the Week for the Pittsburgh game. Trevor Anderson, who recorded six tackles and a tackle for loss from his defensive end position, was the Defensive Player of the Week. Punter Brian Steel was the Specialist of the Week.
Quartet with Starting Strings
Four Bearcats own starting streaks of 14 games or more. Terrill Byrd, Brent Celek, Dustin Grutza and Haruki Nakamura started all 11 games in 2005, plus all three contests of the 2006 campaign.
Celek owns the longest streak of consecutive starts, having made 23 starts in-a-row. The tight end has not missed a start since the 24-19 win at East Carolina on Sept. 25, 2004.
Smith Named to Butkus List
Cincinnati sophomore Corey Smith has been named to the watch list for the 2006 Butkus Award. The award, initiated in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Fla., annually honors the nation's top linebacker. Smith, a 6-1, 220-pound native of Salem, N.J., was the Bearcats' third-leading tackler from his outside linebacker position as a first-year freshman in 2005. He recorded 64 stops before suffering an injury which sidelined him for the final two games.
Other Bearcat Honors
Eight Bearcats earned were cited by various preseason football publications. Trevor Anderson, Mike Mickens (first team), Earnest Jackson, Haruki Nakamura (second team) and Freddie Lenix (third team) were named to the preseason All-BIG EAST team by Phil Steele's College Football. Brent Celek, Terrill Byrd, Lenix and Mickens were nationally ranked at their respective positions.
Academic Honors
Cincinnati placed nine players on the BIG EAST All-Academic team last season. Holdovers from those selections are seniors Tony CarvittiBrent Celek, Bill Poland and Dominic Ross; juniors Digger Boujnoch and Jon Carpenter and redshirt freshman Ryan Manalac.
UC Football Captures Academic Honors
The UC football program earned honorable mention status in the American Football Coaches Association's Academic Achievement Award recognition. UC was one of 28 schools to achieve a graduation rate of 70 percent or better for the entering freshmen class of 2000-01. It marked the second time in the past four years that the Bearcats have been honored.
There's No Place Like Home
Head Coach, Mark Dantonio's squads are 8-4 (.667) when playing at Nippert Stadium. After playing the first two games of the 2006 campaign at home, the Bearcats are 1-1 at Nippert this season. In 2004, Dantonio's club went 4-1 at home.
Lucky Seven Home Dates
Off to a 1-0 start at home, Cincinnati is hoping that playing seven home games is its lucky number. No strangers to playing seven home dates, UC has played seven or more home games 24 times in program history. In 1953, Sid Gillman's squad notched the only 7-0 home mark in UC history on its way to a 9-1 record. Most recently, in 2002 Cincinnati hosted seven games.
Ohio Bearcats
There is a definite home grown flavor to the Cincinnati football team. Sixty-two of the 102 players on the roster are from the Buckeye state. During Mark Dantonio's tenure as head coach, 34 of the 64 players signed were from Ohio.
For Fans' Sake
Cattitude, the popular pregame party before every home football game on the UC campus, moves to the Sheakley Lawn just east of Nippert Stadium in front of the new Lindner Center. Renamed Cattitude at Varsity Village, the event features food, drinks, music, promotions, tented seating and visits by the UC Band, Cheerleaders and Dance Team. The party starts two and a half hours before kickoff.
Also back this year is the Bearcats Kids Zone. Located in the Marge Schott Baseball Stadium, next to Cattitude at Varsity Village, the Kids Zone features inflatable games, music, give-aways and visits from the UC Bearcat. The Kids Zone opens two and a half hours before kickoff.