TicketsOct. 16, 2006
The University of Cincinnati seeks its first BIG EAST Conference victory of the 2006 season when the Bearcats host USF on Sunday, Oct. 22. The 8 p.m. contest at Nippert Stadium will be televised nationally as ESPN's Sunday Night Showdown.
The Bearcats hope that their home field and an unranked foe will be a formula for success on Sunday. UC dropped a heartbreaking 23-17 decision at No. 7 Louisville last Saturday. Three of the losses on Cincinnati's 3-4 ledger were to teams ranked in the top 10 at the time they faced UC, and all were on the road. Cincinnati is 3-1 on its home turf.
Cincinnati's rejuvenated rushing attack is averaging 195 yards per game on the ground and 335.2 yards of total offense over its last four games. Ranked No. 64 in the nation in rushing, UC has eclipsed the 200 yard mark against Miami University (253) and Louisville (212).
Cincinnati's defense, which has held its last three opponents to an average of 59 rushing yards per game, is ranked 20th in the NCAA against the run, allowing 93 rushing yards per game. USF is No. 32 in rushing offense, at 164.7 yards per game and No. 35 in total offense (379.4 yards per game).
The matchup pairs two of the BIG EAST's top punt returners. Cincinnati's Derrick Stewart is No. 21 in the nation, averaging 11.1 yards per return, while USF's Ean Randolph is second in the country at 19.2 yards per punt return.
The meeting will be just the fourth in the series between BIG EAST foes. Sandwiched between USF wins at Raymond James Stadium, UC won the only previous meeting in the Queen City, 31-16 in 2004.
Countdown to Kickoff
10 Senior safety Dominic Ross tallied a team-high 10 tackles at Louisville.
9 Nine different Bearcats have sacked the quarterback this season.
8 Junior running back Greg Moore is eighth in the BIG EAST in rushing at 55.0 yards per game.
7 With two touchdown passes at Louisville, sophomore signal caller Dustin Grutza has seven TD strikes this season.
6 UC had received the opening kickoff in six straight games, before Louisville won the toss and elected to receive last week.
5 Brian Steel is fifth in the BIG EAST at 37.8 yards per punt.
4 Ranked 12th in the nation in kickoff returns, Dominick Goodman returned four kickoffs for 94 yards at Louisville.
3 Sophomore Derrick Stewart in third in the BIG EAST and 21st in the NCAA in punt returns at 11.1 yards per return.
2 Senior linebacker Kevin McCullough snagged the second interception of his career a week ago at Louisville.
1 Senior Brent Celek is one catch away from UC's career record of 81 receptions by a tight end. Celek is tops in the BIG EAST in catches by a tight end (24) and seventh overall.
A Quick Look at the Bearcats
Cincinnati continues to pound at the opposition with its resurgent running game and aggressive defense.
Greg Moore paced the Bearcats against No. 7 Louisville with 96 rushing yards on 19 carries. The offense rushed for 212 yards on 52 carries. One week after rushing for 72 yards against Akron, quarterback Dustin Grutza set a new career-high with 75 yards on the ground at Louisville. Grutza completed 10-of-27 passing for 129 yards and a pair of scores. The sophomore is completing 60.4 percent of his passes and has seven touchdowns against eight interceptions on the year.
After being shutout of the end zone for the first five games of the year, senior tight end Brent Celek has scored in back-to-back games, snaring an eight-yard TD pass at Louisville. Celek leads UC with 24 receptions for 305 yards. He needs one more catch to equal the program's all-time mark for catches by a tight end (81).
Sophomore wide receivers Dominick Goodman (18 catches, 172 yards and 2 TDs) and Derrick Stewart (14 catches, 264 yards and 2 TDs) provide the outside threats for UC. Eight different Bearcats are averaging one reception or more per game.
Safeties Haruki Nakamura and Dominic Ross pace the Bearcats' defense with 37 tackles each. Mike Mickens is third with 35 hits and Kevin McCullough is fourth with 32 stops. Angelo Craig leads the team in tackles for loss (6.5) and shares the team lead in quarterback sacks with Trevor Anderson (2.5). Ross leads the team with three interceptions.
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 6-5-2 all-time in games played on Oct. 22. In 1921, UC carded its second-highest point total in program history in a 115-0 trouncing of Kentucky Wesleyan. The last Bearcats' victory on this date came in 1977 when Tulsa fumbled on three of its first four possessions and UC converted each ensuing drive into a touchdown. Freshman fullback Gus Tucker rushed 19 times for 143 yards, including three scores in the first half of the 28-0 shutout.
UC vs. the Sunshine State
Cincinnati has been facing off against teams from Florida since 1938. UC owns an all-time mark of 6-19 (.240) against teams from the Sunshine State.
Bearcats from Florida
The Bearcats have taken advantage of the Citrus State and currently have four players from Florida.
UC vs. USF
Sunday night's game is the fourth between Cincinnati and USF. The two sides began playing in 2003 and the home team has won each time. USF is up 2-1 in the series.
USF won 24-17 in double overtime in Tampa in 2003, with UC retaliating with a 45-23 victory at Nippert Stadium in 2004. USF claimed a 31-16 triumph at Raymond James Stadium last season.
About USF
The Bulls boast the nation's 35th-ranked offense, averaging 379.4 yards per game.
Quarterback Matt Grothe is ranked 12th in the country in total offense at 264 yards per game. The redshirt freshman is averaging 65.7 yards per game on the ground and 198.3 yards through the air.
USF is No. 34 in the current NCAA rankings for total defense, allowing 292.4 yards per game. The Bulls are No. 43 in rushing defense and No. 36 in pass defense.
USF is No. 7 nationally in pass efficiency defense, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a 96.6 rating.
USF is one of the nation's newest Division I-A football programs. USF football debuted in 1997 at the I-AA level, and achieved I-A status in 2000.
USF has had just two losing seasons--1997 and 2004 --in its grid history. The Bulls are 66-41, which includes a 46-25 record as a Division I-A team.
The Bulls have relied upon football-rich Florida in building their team. Only nine players on this year's roster are from out-of-state.
Last Meeting
Andre Hall rushed the ball 29 times for 100 yards to lead the USF rushing attack in a 31-16 win over Cincinnati. Trailing 10-7 in the third quarter, UC turned the ball over twice in the third quarter. The first resulted in a 26-yard interception return for TD. The second, was a USF fumble recovery that resulted in a touchdown drive.
Last Time in Cincinnati
Gino Guidugli passed for 377 yards to lead Cincinnati to a 45-23 victory on Nov. 20, 2004. USF got off to a 10-7 lead but UC rallied to tie the game at 17-17 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.
Bearcat and Bull Connections
Cincinnati rookie defensive back Jason Whitehead played alongside USF wide receivers Amp Hill and Jason Sherman at First Coast High in Jacksonville, Fla.
Captains
Seniors, tight end Brent Celek and strong safety Dominic Ross, lead Cincinnati onto the field as teams captains throughout the 2006 campaign. Both are in their third year as starters.
UC Schedule Tough
Three of Cincinnati's four losses were to teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time they faced the Bearcats. UC suffered a 37-7 loss to Ohio State, ranked No. 1 in both polls, on Sept. 16; lost to Virginia Tech (No. 11 AP/No. 10 USA Today) on Sept. 23; and dropped a 23-17 nail-biter to Louisville (No. 7 in both polls) last weekend. All of those games were on the road.
The four teams to defeat Cincinnati have a combined record of 23-3 (Pittsburgh 6-1, Ohio State 7-0, Virginia Tech 4-2, Louisville 6-0). UC has played the 34th most difficult schedule in the country, according to the Sagarin Ratings of strength of schedules.
The Bearcats have two more ranked opponents on the horizon, No. 4 West Virginia on Nov. 11 and No. 19 Rutgers on Nov. 18.
Bearcats Establish the Run
Cincinnati has put increased emphasis on its rushing attack over the last four games. UC has averaged 195 yards rushing over the stretch and a healthy 4.2 yards-per-carry.
After rushing for 121 yards vs. Virginia Tech on Sept. 23, UC piled up 253 rushing yards Miami University. UC totaled 194 yards on 53 carries against Akron and posted 212 yards on the ground at Louisville.
Not only has the running game become more consistent, it has also produced big plays. Greg Moore broke free for a 55-yard run and Butler Benton scampered for a 37-yard touchdown vs. Miami. Benton had a 40 yard gain vs. Virginia Tech. Dustin Grutza ran for 24 yards against Akron and set a new career long with a 29-yard scamper at Louisville.
Pounding out Yards
UC ran the ball a season-high 53 times and totaled 194 yards on the ground in the 20-14 win over Akron. The increased production from the running game generated a season-high 424 yards of total offense. The Bearcats followed with a season high water mark of 212 rushing yards on 52 attempts at Louisville.
Since totaling minus-4 yards rushing and 212 yards of total offense at Ohio State, UC has totaled 1,341yards of total offense (335.3 yards per game).
More from Moore
Greg Moore has been a major factor in Cincinnati's improved running game. The junior from Dayton, Ohio keyed the Sept. 30 win over Miami University by gaining 119 yards on 20 carries, both career highs. Moore, totaled 96 yards on 19 carries at Louisville. Over the last four games, he is averaging 78.8 yards per outing and 4.5 yards per carry.
Grutza Moving Team with Arm and Feet
Dustin Grutza has proven to be an effective offensive leader with both his arm and his feet. The third-year sophomore has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,113 yards and seven touchdowns. More recently, Grutza has sparked the offense with his timely running. He rushed for 72 yards in the Oct. 7 win over Akron and topped that with a career-best 75 yards in 17 carries vs. No. 7 Louisville.
Celek's Streak Continues
Brent Celek has extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 19. Celek, who leads UC in receiving yards (305) and receptions (24), has caught at least one pass in 27 of his last 28 contests.
Celek Nears Receptions Mark
Brent Celek needs one more catch to equal the Cincinnati career record for receptions by a tight end. The senior enters Sunday's contest with 80 career grabs, one shy of the mark of 81 established by Kris Bjorson in 1989-92. Celek already owns the UC career marks for receiving yards (959) and TD receptions (13) by a UC TE.
Lovell Streaking
Kevin Lovell saw one streak end, but another continue for a school record in the 20-14 win over Akron. The senior had a string of seven successful field goals, dating back to last season, ended when a botched snap led to a kick that bounded off the upright late in the first half. Lovell, who had already booted a 46-yard field goal in the game, rebounded to add another from 35 yards out and made both PAT attempts, the second early in the fourth quarter extending his streak of PATs to 66, breaking the UC record of 65 set by Lou Groza Award-winning kicker Jonathan Ruffin in 2000-02. The senior kicker has now converted 68 straight PAT kicks.
Smith is Back
Sidelined for the first two games by an injury, Corey Smith has returned to his starting outside linebacker spot and returned to the form he showed in 2005 when he earned Freshman All-American honors. The sophomore recorded a team-high nine tackles, five of them solos, vs. No. 1 Ohio State in his first game back and has made 22 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in his last five games. He returned to action in the Sept. 8 game vs. Pittsburgh and recorded five tackles in a limited appearance.
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 after the 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 is tied for seventh on the team in tackles (26). He had a career-high 10 tackles vs. Pittsburgh.
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.
Goodman Provides Good Target
Touted by the coaching staff throughout preseason camp, Dominick Goodman has caught 18 passes for 172 yards, including two for touchdowns. He has surpassed last season's totals of 12 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.
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 (70.7 yards per game).
Many Happy Returns for Goodman
Dominick Goodman is averaging 29.1 yards per kickoff return to rank 12th nationally and third in the BIG EAST. Goodman broke free for a career-long 58-yard return vs. Miami and had a 53-yard return vs. Ohio State. His efforts have helped Cincinnati achieve a No. 15 ranking nationally in kickoff return average. The Bearcats are averaging 24.9 yards per kickoff return, third in the BIG EAST.
Stewart Masters the Big Play
Derrick Stewart is showing that he can be a big play performer in the Cincinnati offense and on the special teams. Stewart has had a pair of 51-yard receptions this season and had a 34-yard grab in traffic vs. Akron. His 20-yard TD catch provided the game-clinching score in the win over Miami University. The sophomore wide receiver recorded career highs with five catches for 64 yards in UC's loss to No. 1 Ohio State
Stewart is averaging 11.1 yards on 16 punt returns. He had an 82-yard return for a touchdown called back due to a penalty (he was credited with a 49-yard return on the play. He ranks third in the BIG EAST and 21st nationally in punt return average.
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 10.5 tackles for loss. Hoke, the starter, has 4.5 TFLs while Craig, who earned his first start against Akron, leads the team with six TFLs.
Defense Provides Rude Welcomes
Cincinnati has served as an unfriendly host. The Bearcats have not allowed an opposing team to rush for over 100 yards in any of their four home games and have surrendered an average of 58.8 yards rushing and 263.0 yards total offense as the home team.
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 in the loss to Pittsburgh. In back-to-back wins over rival Miami University and Akron, UC gave up a 36 yards in on the ground in each game.
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 16 punts and is averaging 37.8 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.
Quartet with Starting Strings
Four Bearcats own starting streaks of 18 games or more. Terrill Byrd, Brent Celek, Dustin Grutza and Haruki Nakamura started all 11 games in 2005.
Celek owns the longest streak of consecutive starts, having made 27 in-a-row. The tight end has not missed a start since the 24-19 win at East Carolina on Sept. 25, 2004.
Cincinnati Team Awards
Greg Moore carried the football 19 times for 96 yards at Louisville and was honored with the program's Offensive Player of the Week award. Terrill Byrd forced a fumble and registered two tackles to earn UC's Defensive Player of the Week award. After pouncing on a muffed punt for the second time this season, the Special Teams Player of the Week was DeAngelo Smith. Digger Bujnoch received the Offensive Lineman of the Week honor.
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.
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 Bujnoch 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 10-4 (.714) when playing at Nippert Stadium. After playing the first four games of the 2006 campaign at home, the Bearcats are 3-1 at Nippert this season. In 2004, Dantonio's club went 4-1 at home.
Lucky Seven Home Dates
Off to a 3-1 start (.750) 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.
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.
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, giveaways 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 preceded 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.