TicketsSept. 25, 2006
The University of Cincinnati and Miami University clash for the 111th time in their celebrated football rivalry on Saturday, Sept. 30 at UC's Nippert Stadium. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m.
Long known as the "oldest rivalry west of the Alleghenies," this annual grudge match is the fifth-longest in NCAA Division I-A in terms of the number of games played. In terms of longevity, the rivalry, which began in 1888 as the first college football game played in the state of Ohio, is the second-oldest in Division I-A.
The saying is that you can throw out the records in a rivalry such as this, and both teams would probably like to do just that. Cincinnati enters with a 1-3 slate and a three-game losing streak. Miami has not won in four outings in 2006.
The victor claims the Victory Bell, something the RedHawks have done in four of the last five clashes to take a 59-44-7 lead in the all-time series.
Cincinnati will hope to see continued improvement in its rushing offense. In last week's loss at No. 10 Virginia Tech, the Bearcats, who had managed just 31 yards rushing in their previous two games, gained 121 vs. the Hokies defense that was ranked No. 8 nationally.
This "backyard brawl" of two campuses located 30 miles apart contains a lot of connections. Cincinnati offensive coordinator Don Treadwell and tight ends/tackles coach Mark Staten played and later coached at Miami while defensive coorindator Pat Narduzzi previously held the same position for the RedHawks. A total of 20 players, 10 on each side, are former high school teammates.
Countdown to Kickoff
10 John Bowie made a season-high 10 tackles and returned a fumble 24 yards against Pittsburgh.
9 Quarterback Dustin Grutza has thrown a touchdown pass in nine of his last 11 games.
8 With a fumble recovery and interception at Virginia Tech, the Bearcat defense has registered eight takeaways this season.
7 Two of wide receiver Derrick Stewart's seven catches have been 51 yard pass plays.
6 Cincinnati's aggressive defense boasts six different players averaging four tackles per game.
5 Punter Brian Steel is fifth in the BIG EAST, at 38.1 yards per attempt and has 12 punts inside the opponents' 20 yard line.
4 Tight end Brent Celek and wide receiver Dominick Goodman are tied for fourth in the BIG EAST in receptions with 15.
3 Kicker Kevin Lovell split the uprights from 34 and 46 yards at Virginia Tech and is a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals this season.
2 Dominick Goodman is No. 2 in the BIG EAST and 11th nationally with his 29.3 yards per kickoff return average.
1 Jared Martin's 22-yard touchdown at Ohio State marked his first career catch.
A Quick Look at the Bearcats
The Bearcats achieved their goal of getting more productivity from their rushing attack in last week's game. UC, held to 31 yards on the ground over its previous two games, rushed for 121 yards vs. Virginia Tech's No. 8-ranked defense. The running back by committee was effective with Butler Benton gaining 52 yards and Greg Moore adding 48. The two share the team rushing lead.
Dustin Grutza has completed 32 of 42 passes (.761) over his last two games and has a 130.03 passing efficiency rating. Tight end Brent Celek and wide receiver Dominick Goodman share the team lead in receiving, each with 15 while eight different Bearcats have five or more receptions.
The offense showed it could execute the big play, breaking off a 40-yard run by Benton and a 51-yard Grutza-to-Derrick Stewart pass play.
Defensively, the load has been shared with six different players averaging over four tackles per game. Cornerback John Bowie (21 tackles) owns a slight edge over middle linebacker Kevin McCullough (20) and free safety Haruki Nakamura (20) for the team tackling lead.
Pass-rush specialist Angelo Craig (4.5) owns a slight lead over defensive tackle Terrill Byrd (4.0) in tackles for loss. Strong safety Dominic Ross has a pair of interceptions, one last Saturday that set up a UC field goal.
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.
On This Date...
Cincinnati is 3-8 in games played on Sept. 30. The Bearcats have lost their last four games played on this date.
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 recognizes former UC players and coaches by naming them honorary game captains. The honorary captains participate with the elected captains in the pregame coin toss.
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.
Long touted as "the oldest rivalry west of the Alleghenies," the Cincinnati-Miami rivalry is the fifth longest, in terms of games played, in NCAA Division I-A. The two teams have met 110 times, five fewer than Minnesota-Wisconsin, which boast the longest rivalry.
Of the major rivalries still going on, the UC-Miami rivalry shares the honor of being the oldest with North Carolina-Wake Forest, which also first played in 1888.
The team's first meeting, on Dec. 8, 1888 in Oxford, was the first intercollegiate football game played in the state of Ohio.
The series has been played each year since 1909 with the exception of 1943 and 1944 when Cincinnati suspended football due to World War II.
The games were played on Thanksgiving Day, from 1912 through 1960 (the teams met again on Thanksgiving in 1963 and 1984). Though the first game was played in Oxford, from 1899 through 1970 the games were played in Cincinnati, with all but the first two contests taking place on what is now Nippert Stadium.
The series is noted for its close games--the outcomes of 49 previous meetings have been determined by a touchdown or less.
One of the most dramatic finishes of a UC-MU game was the 1968 meeting. Cincinnati rallied for 16 points in the final six minutes and won the game on Jim O'Brien's 47-yard field goal as time expired.
You don't have to go back far in history to find similar examples.
The 1994 game featured a similar ending. Miami tied the game at 14-all with 2:31 to play but the Bearcats' regained the lead on Jon Bacon's school-record 58-yard field goal with 1:19 to play. Miami tied the game on a 37-yard field goal by Chad Seitz as time expired.
The following season, UC tied the contest with a field goal with 32 seconds remaining, but Miami's Ty King returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for the game-winning score.
The 1996 game was decided in three overtimes and the 1997 game went two overtime periods.
Other Key Games
In 1923, Bearcat Jimmy Nippert was injured during the game and later died. His grandfather, James Gamble, donated $250,000 to finish the construction of the stadium as a memorial to his grandson.
Prominent surgeon and UC supporter Dr. Reed Shank suffered a fatal heart attack during the 1953 game. A year later, the Reed Shank Pavilion, a seating expansion, was dedicated in his honor.
The 1935 game, an 8-7 UC victory, was sparked by Bearcat captain Ray Nolting who played with a broken jaw.
Both teams entered the 1946 game with 7-2 records and a Sun Bowl bid at stake. UC won, 13-6.
The Victory Bell
The winning team in the Cincinnati-Miami game gets to carry the Victory Bell back to its campus. Lore holds that the bell originally hung in Harrison Hall on the Miami campus and tolled in celebration of early MU victories. The bell was allegedly "borrowed" by UC fans in the 1890s as the rivalry intensified and became a trophy exchanged by the teams according to the result of the annual football clash.
The bell disappeared in the 1930s--MU fans claimed that UC followers were tired of seeing Miami carry it off each year, though evidence is not conclusive to support that theory--and reappeared at the 1946 UC-Miami game and is on display at MU's alumni center. The current trophy is a replica of that bell.
UC vs. Miami
Saturday's game will be the 111th meeting between Cincinnati and Miami and the 94th 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
Saturday's game will be Cincinnati's first of two contests vs. Mid-American Conference foes this season. UC, which hosts Akron on Oct. 7, is 86-94-12 vs. teams that currently comprise the MAC.
Last Time in Cincinnati
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, 2004.
More Rivalry Notes
The Cincinnati-Miami series is the fifth-most played rivalry in Division I-A in terms of games played, preceded by Minnesota-Wisconsin (115), Missouri-Kansas (114), Nebraska-Kansas (112), Texas-Texas A&M (112).
The only long-running Division I-A rivalry that predates the Cincinnati-Miami rivalry is that between Wake Forest and North Carolina. The two teams first met less than two months before the first UC-MU game.
When the two teams first met, on Dec. 8, 1888, they played the first intercollegiate football game in the state of Ohio.
UC-MU Coaching Ties
Three members of the Cincinnati coaching staff have ties with Miami. 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.
C-Club Day
Saturday will be C-Club Day at Nippert Stadium with all members of the University of Cincinnati's lettermen's association--from all sports, male and female--earning recognition throughout the game. All C-Club members will be invited to the field for pregame ceremonies. C-Club will have a hospitality tent at Cattitude at Varsity Village. Letterwinners wishing to activate their membership can do so by going to www.GoBearcats.com.
Carvitti Takes Advantage of Opportunity
Four years ago, Tony Carvitti arrived at UC as a walk-on candidate. Almost immediately, the Cincinnati native earned playing time on the special teams, and later he saw action as a pass rush specialist. Carvitti, who eventually earned a scholarship, earned his way into the starting lineup this season at defensive tackle. The 6-foot, 250-pound senior recorded two sacks in the season opener and currently is a team co-leader in that category.
Hoke, Craig Filling Big Shoes
The 2006 Bearcats had one vacancy to fill on their starting defense--the end position occupied by Adam Roberts. Roberts was a big play performer for UC last season, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks. Juniors Anthony Hoke and Angelo Craig are filling that position as well as the role. The duo has combined for 8.0 tackles for loss. Hoke, the starter, has 3.5 TFLs while Craig, who plays primarily as a pass rush specialist, leads the team with 4.5 TFLs.
Celek Reaching TE Marks
Brent Celek has topped one career record for a tight end and is approaching another. The senior has 845 career receiving yards, topping the mark of 791 set by Kris Bjorson in 1989-92. Celek is only 10 catches away from Bjorson's career mark of 81. He 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 16. Celek, who leads UC in receiving yards (191) and is tied for the lead in receptions (15), has caught at least one pass in 24 of his last 25 contests. He opened the season with a career-high 81 yards on six catches in the win over Eastern Kentucky.
Defense Gives Rude Welcomes
Cincinnati has served as an unfriendly host at home. 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 a score. UC has surrendered an average of 303.5 yards and 16.5 points at home.
Continuing to Create Takeaways
After registering six takeaways and a +3 turnover margin in its first two games, Cincinnati currently has a -1 turnover margin. Sophomore DeAngelo Smith and senior Dominic Ross share the UC lead in takeaways with two each.
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.
First-year freshman Ricardo Mathews saw his first college action in last Saturday's game vs. Virginia Tech.
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 15 passes for 148 yards, including two for touchdowns, in four 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 fourth in the BIG EAST in receptions per game (3.75).
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 (86.2 yards per game).
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 four games, having recorded 21. 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 the Sept. 16 game vs. No. 1 Ohio State and has started the last two contests. The sophomore outside linebacker, who earned Freshman All-American honors last season, recorded a team-high nine tackles, five of them solos, vs. OSU and has made 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in his last two games. 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 67.4 percent of his passes (62-of-92) this season. He has an efficiency rating of 130.03.
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 12 punts and is averaging 38.1 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
Greg Moore, rushed for 48 yards on 16 carries, including a one-yard TD plunge, was named UC's Offensive Player of the Week for the Virginia Tech game. Kevin McCullough, who totaled 6.5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble from his linebacker spot, was the Defensive Player of the Week. Kicker Kevin Lovell was the Specialist of the Week.
Quartet with Starting Strings
Four Bearcats own starting streaks of 15 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 24 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 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 Carvitti, Brent 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.
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.
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 1-1 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.
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.
Historical Nippert Stadium
Nippert Stadium is the fifth-oldest NCAA Division I-A or I-AA stadium still in use. Opened in 1916, Nippert Stadium is preceeded in 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.
Richard E. Lindner Center and Varsity Village
The future arrived for the University of Cincinnati athletics program in May with the completion of the Richard E. Lindner Varsity Village. The term "village" aptly applies because the close location and interconnection of the facilities provides ease of use and access to services for all of the sports teams and their student-athletes, similar to that of a small town. There was nothing small about the vision for Varsity Village, a $105 million project.
The focal point of Varsity Village is the Richard E. Lindner Center. Located between Nippert Stadium and Fifth Third Arena, the new futuristic eight-story structure houses offices, locker rooms, meeting and support space for each of UC's teams. The emphasis of the Lindner Center programming is on the student-athlete. One entire floor of the building is devoted to the Nancy Hamant Academics Center, which contains study facilities for UC's 530 student-athletes, including over 80 computer stations.
Other features include Marge Schott Stadium for baseball, Ben and Dee Gettler Stadium for soccer and track, a new tennis center, and the Keating Aquatics Center. Nippert Stadium also benefitted with new seating, video boards and the FieldTurf playing surface.