TicketsSept. 3, 2007
- Cincinnati vs. Oregon State Notes
SERIES NOTES
Cincinnati and Oregon State are meeting for the first time on the gridiron.
The Bearcats have never tangled with a program from Oregon.
Cincinnati has never hosted a team from the Pacific-10.
Boasting a 2-1 all-time record against the Pac-10, it has been more than 30 years since Cincinnati has faced a team from the "Conference of Champions". On Oct. 9, 1976, Cincinnati traveled to Arizona State and came away with a 34-7 victory over the Sun Devils. It marked the Bearcats' second win over ASU in as many games.
UC is 2-0 all-time vs. Arizona State and 0-1 vs. Washington.
BEARCATS HOPE TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS AGAINST OREGON STATE: Following a 59-3 victory over Southeast Missouri State in the most-anticipated unveiling in recent history, Cincinnati (1-0) faces a major test when it hosts Oregon State (1-0) on Thursday night in a game that is being carried nationally by ESPN.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS: One of the preseason favorites in the Pac-10 Conference, Oregon State has earned the right to participate in bowl games in four of the last five years. Coming off a 10-4 campaign a year ago, seventh-year head coach Mike Riley is 39-34 (.534) including three bowl victories with the Beavers. The Beavers defeated Utah convincingly, 24-7 in their season opener. OSU is in the middle of its three-game non-conference schedule in which they travel to Cincinnati this week before returning to Corvallis to host Idaho State on Saturday, Sept. 15.
FRESH FACES: With the graduation of 15 seniors from its 2006 two-deep roster, including 10 senior starters, there are plenty of new faces on the field for Cincinnati this season. The Bearcats have had to replace four offensive starters, four defensive starters, and their punter, long snapper and kicker from a class that went to two bowl games. As many as 15 Bearcats are projected to make their first career starts in the season opener.
FOR STARTERS: Cincinnati utilized six first-time starters in the 2007 season opener against Southeast Missouri State. The offense showcased five players making their first start for the Bearcats (Marcus Barnett, Marshwan Gilyard, Chris Jurek, Ben Mauk and Ken Rodriguez), while the defense used first-time starter (Andre Revels).
LUCKY SEVEN: When Brian Kelly came on board to lead the Bearcats on Dec. 4, 2006, he brought with him seven assistant coaches from Central Michigan. The lone holdover from the previous Cincinnati staff was Tim Hinton who moved from running backs to linebackers coach. Kelly hired former Colerain High School head coach Kerry Coombs once he arrived at UC.
KELLY WINS HOME DEBUT: Beginning his first full season as head coach of the Bearcats, Brian Kelly became the 13th coach in Cincinnati history to win his first home game. UC head coaches are 13-8-1 in home debuts.
THROWN IN THE FIRE: There was plenty of on-the-job training in the Bearcats' season opener, as six redshirt freshmen landed spots on the two-deep. Cincinnati currently has one redshirt freshman (Jason Whitehead) listed on the defensive two-deep. On offense, UC has two redshirt freshmen (Marcus Barnett and Jason Kelce) projected to start in the opener and three redshirt freshmen (Mike Windt, Jake Rogers and Brandon Yingling) could see action on special teams.
UC VS. TEAMS FROM OREGON: Steeped in tradition on the gridiron, Cincinnati has never faced a team from the State of Oregon.
BEARCATS FROM OREGON: The Bearcats do not list any players or coaches with ties to the State of Oregon.
OPENING ON THE RIGHT NOTE: Cincinnati is 72-38-10 (.642) all-time in season openers. UC has opened the season with a win in five of its last six seasons.
KICKING OFF THE YEAR AT HOME: The 2007 campaign marks the third consecutive season in which Cincinnati begins the year with a home game. When opening the season at home, UC owns an impressive 37-14-3 record for a .713 winning percentage all-time. The Bearcats have won six straight home openers, dating back to Sept. 2, 2002, when they needed overtime to out duel TCU, 36-29. They have started the home schedule with a victory in eight of the last nine years.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Off to a 1-0 start at home in 2007, over the past four seasons, the Bearcats are 18-6 (.750) when playing at Nippert Stadium. They posted a 6-1 mark in 2006, including a 30-11 victory over then-No. 7 Rutgers, the highest ranked foe ever to fall at UC.
WINNING THE TURNOVER WAR: A year ago, Cincinnati finished -0.46 turnovers per game, it looks to change that trend in 2007. In the season opener, the Bearcats gave up allowed one interception and one fumble, but created six turnovers (4 fumbles, 2 interceptions) to exit the first week of the season +4 in the all-important category.
ON THIS DATE: Cincinnati is 1-2 all-time when playing on Sept. 6. On Aug. 30, 1996, UC dropped a 34-14 decision to Tulane. On Sept. 6, 1986, the Bearcats won at Virginia Tech, 24-20. That win is sandwiched by a 41-27 loss at Virginia Tech on Sept. 6, 1980 and a 31-17 setback at Tulane on Sept. 6, 1997.
FEEL LIKE PART OF THE FAMILY: As a member of the BIG EAST Conference, Cincinnati enjoys ample television exposure. The Bearcats are set to appear on the ESPN Family of networks in each of their first four games of the 2007 season. This week's matchup against Oregon State is set to air on ESPN. Coming up, the Bearcats enjoy back-to-back weeks on ESPN Regional, when they travel to Miami (OH) and host Marshall.
SWEAT IN THE WEIGHT ROOM ALREADY PAYING DIVIDENDS: Director of strength and conditioning Paul Longo has already proved himself a welcome addition to the Cincinnati athletics department. Given a mission by Brian Kelly when he came on board in January 2007, Longo has molded the Bearcats into a new team able to handle the rigors of the tempo and pace preached by the head football coach.
RETURNING WITH HOPES OF MORE all-big east AWARDS: The Bearcats return three juniors who received All-BIG EAST recognition a year ago. Named to the first- team defense in 2006, defensive tackle Terrill Byrd is back for his junior campaign. Cornerback Mike Mickens and right guard Trevor Canfield were both all-league second team selections.
IT'S ACADEMIC: Cincinnati's football program was honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as one of 32 teams in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision to graduate 70 percent or more of their student-athletes. The survey involved the freshman class from the academic year of 2001-02 UC was one of four BIG EAST teams to be honored.
SHARING THE CAPTAIN DUTIES: Head coach Brian Kelly did not select captains for the 2007 campaign. The Bearcats sent seniors Mike Daniels and Anthony Hoke to midfield for the coin toss against Southeast Missouri State.
SCOUTING REPORT: Noted for his ingenious offensive schemes, Brian Kelly has to move Cincinnati to a no-huddle offense that emphasizes stretching the field and finding openings to attack via the run or pass. After the 59-3 victory over Southeast Missouri State, UC is ranked third nationally in rushing with 314 yards and fifth in both total offense (615 yards) and scoring offense (59 points). The Bearcats employ three wide receivers and one back in a variety of formations and personnel groupings.
THE MATCHUP: Cincinnati's offense matches up with an Oregon State defense that gave an impressive performance in its 24-7 victory last week against Utah. Oregon State yielded 18 rushing yards and 196 yards of total yards against the Utes. After one week of play, the Beavers' defense is ranked 11th against the run, 17th in total yards and 20 in points allowed. The Beavers return 32 letterwinners back on defense, led by senior linebacker Derrick Doggett who totaled 87 tackles and 14.5 for loss last season.
BEARCATS ECLIPSE THE 600-YARD MARK: The Cincinnati offense totaled 615 yards against Southeast Missouri State for the third-highest total in program history. It marked the fifth time in program history and the first time since a 45-38 win over Miami (OH) on Sept. 13, 1986 in which UC amassed more than 600 yards of total offense.
CHALKING UP FIRST DOWNS: Cincinnati's 33 first downs against Southeast Missouri State equaled the second-most first downs in a game by the Bearcats.
ENJOYING THE RED ZONE: Every team wants to score when it drives inside the opponent's 20 yard line, but Cincinnati converted all seven of its chances into points in the 59-3 victory over Southeast Missouri State. Efficient on 33 of 42 possessions (78.6 percent) inside the opposition's 20 yard line a year ago, during the 2006 season the Bearcats converted 5 of 5 Red Zone opportunities twice (vs. Eastern Kentucky, at Connecticut).
MAUK EARNS THIRD STARTING NOD: Ben Mauk showed he deserved to be Cincinnati's starting quarterback by completing 18-of-27 pass attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the first half of the season opener. It marked the third straight season in which Mauk handled his team's first snap from center. In 2005 he started the season opener for Wake Forest vs. Vanderbilt and he started the first game of the 2006 season vs. Syracuse, before suffering a season-ending injury.
MORE THAN JUST AN ARM: On the first play from scrimmage of the 2007 season, Ben Mauk scampered 15 yards. He finished with 14 net yards after losing nine yards on a sack.
PLENTY OF TARGETS: The Bearcats' quarterbacks sighted 10 different receivers in the season opener. Paced by Marshwan Gilyard's eight catches for 134 yards, six different receivers caught two or more passes, while four players made one catch each.
PIKE PROVES TO BE A BIG CATCH: After two years as a reserve, Tony Pike entered the first game of the season with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter and engineered three consecutive scoring drives. The redshirt sophomore completed 6-of-9 pass attempts for 57 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown. Behind a 35-yard scamper, the Cincinnati native rushed three times for 67 yards.
GILYARD LOOKS GOOD IN COMEBACK OF HIS OWN: After sitting out the 2006 campaign because of academic eligibility, wide receiver Marshwan Gilyard made the most of his second chance. In his first game since the 2005 season finale, the Bearcats' scout team special teams player of the year last, Gilyard totaled eight catches for 134 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown in the first half of the Bearcats' 59-3 win over Southeast Missouri State.
RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE: The senior triumvirate of Butler Benton, Bradley Glatthaar and Greg Moore, enter their final campaign together after splitting the carries for three years. The group keyed a Cincinnati ground game that totaled 314 yards against Southeast Missouri State. Benton led the Bearcats with 101 yards on 12 carries in the season opener. Sophomore Jacob Ramsey added 76 yards on 16 carries in the second half. Glatthaar carried the ball three times for three yards, and collected a pair of touchdowns, while Moore rushed five times for 28 yards.
BENTON BREAKS OUT: Senior running back Butler Benton's 101 yards on the ground against Southeast Missouri State marked the second time in his career in which he surpassed the century mark on the ground. His only other 100-yard rushing performance came on Sept. 25, 2004 when he amassed 127 rushing yards on 27 carries at East Carolina.
MOORE PROVIDES MORE: The Bearcats' top rusher in 2006, senior running back Greg Moore totaled 28 yards on five carries, but added an additional 47 yards on two pass receptions in the season-opening victory. Cincinnati's leading rusher in 2006 with 709 yards, Moore made a total of 12 catches for 86 yards a year ago.
TIGHT END COMPETITION: A common theme up and down the offensive side UC has three veterans sharing time at tight end. A converted wide receiver, Earnest Jackson started for Cincinnati, but did not tally a catch. Junior Connor Barwin totaled three catches for 33 yards. Formerly a fullback, senior Doug Jones missed the season opener due to injury.
GOODIE LEADS INEXPERIENCED GROUP OF RECEIVERS: The top receiver a year ago, Dominick Goodman is back to serve as the leader of a talented, receiving corps. Goodman made one catch for no yards in the first game of the season. The Cincinnati product totaled 40 catches, including five for touchdown in 2006.
BARNETT ENJOYS SUCCESS IN FIRST START: Redshirt freshman Marcus Barnett caught three passes for 16 yards in his first game as a collegian. The
FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES: The Bearcats' offense returned four starters who will began the 2007 season at new positions. Tackles Digger Bujnoch and Jeff Linkenbach still bookend the offensive line, but they switched sides over the summer. Tight ends Earnest Jackson and Doug Jones were starters last year at wide receiver and fullback, respectively.
SCOUTING REPORT: Boasting seven returning starters on one of the BIG EAST's top defensive units, the Bearcats gave up 262 yards of total offense to Southeast Missouri State. Ranked 31st nationally in total defense (309.2 ypg) in the final 2006 statistics, Cincinnati gave up just 87 passing yards in the season opener.
THE MATCHUP: Cincinnati's defense faces an Oregon State offense that features returning all-Pac 10 running back Yvenson Bernard. The third-leading rusher in OSU history, has rushed for 2,813 yards and 27 touchdowns during his career. The Beavers ranked racked up 241 rushing yards and 370 yards of total offense in last week's matchup against Utah.
BEARCATS THWART THREATS BY FORCING TURNOVERS: Cincinnati used an interception in the end zone and two fumble recoveries in their own territory to hold Southeast Missouri State to three points the first half of the 59-3 season-opening triumph. The Bearcats forced a total of four fumbles and two interceptions in the victory.
LIMITING THE PASSING NUMBERS: Cincinnati limited Southeast Missouri State to 87 yards through the air in the season opener. The 87 yards on 12-of-22 pass attempts were the fewest allowed by a UC defense since holding Rhode Island to 58 yards on 2-of-5 pass attempts in a 31-24 victory on Nov. 8, 2003.
STRENGTH ON THE OUTSIDE: Outside linebackers Leo Morgan and Corey Smith provide ample experience for the Bearcats defense. A starter in 13 consecutive games, Morgan tallied one tackle a week ago. With his own streak of 13 straight starts, Smith carded four solo stops, forced a fumble and notched a pass breakup vs. Southeast Missouri State.
NAKAMURA PACKS A PUNCH: The leader of the secondary, Haruki Nakamura paced Cincinnati with eight tackles (2 solo, 6 assists) and a forced fumble vs. Southeast Missouri State. The Bearcats' active leader with 153 career stops, Nakamura paced the team with 76 tackles during the 2005 campaign.
MICKENS PICKS `EM: Heralded cornerback Mike Mickens started his season with two interceptions and six tackles in the victory over Southeast Missouri State. Mickens' first pick off stopped a drive in the end zone; he stepped in front of a pass and returned the second interception 45 yards for a touchdown. The two-time all-BIG EAST performer has finished each of his first two seasons in the top 10 nationally in passes defended. His three interceptions and 15 pass breakups a year ago, listed him eighth in the final 2006 NCAA numbers.
BYRD CAGED FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE GAME: Defensive tackle Terrill Byrd had his streak of 24 consecutive starts come to an end when he served a one-game suspension against Southeast Missouri State. The 2004 Gatorade National High School Defensive Player of the Year, Byrd is a returning first-team all-BIG EAST performer.
SCOUTING REPORT: Special teams will play a large role this season if the Bearcats are to be successful and they have three first-time starters at key positions. Junior Kevin Huber entered the season with seven career punts (38.1 avg.), and is also the holder for placements. Redshirt freshmen Mike Windt earned the long-snapping duties during the preseason and was nearly flawless in his first outing. The battle continues between redshirt freshmen Jake Rogers and Brandon Yingling for the kicking duties.
KICKING UP THE KICK RETURN GAME: Dominick Goodman who averaged 25.8 yards per return is back for another year as the deep kickoff return man. DeAngelo Smith, who averaged 20.2 yards on four kickoff returns, is also ready to return kickoffs. An experienced kickoff and punt returner, Mike Daniels is an able reserve. Daniels is seventh on UC's all-time list in kickoff returns (40) and eighth in kickoff return yardage (777).
NEW NAMES IN RETURN GAME: Sophomore Jacob Ramsey made his first kickoff return a productive one with a 20-yard return against Southeast Missouri State. Arguably the fastest player on the Bearcats roster, Ramsey was used on kickoff coverage a year ago. Marshwan Gilyard averaged 22.0 yards on eight kickoff returns in 2005, but Gilyard returned his only attempt for seven yards in the season opener.
NAKAMURA PROVIDES STEADY HANDS ON PUNT RETURNS: Not known for owning breakaway speed, Haruki Nakamura made the Bearcats' lone punt return for three yards against Southeast Missouri State. Nakamura carded five punt returns for 2.8 yards per return a year ago.