TicketsSept. 24, 2007
STORY LINES
- Ranked No. 24 in the AP and the first team outside USA Today's Top 25 poll, Cincinnati heads west to face San Diego State. Carrying a seven-game win streak, its longest streak since Sid Gillman's squad started the 1954 campaign 8-0, kickoff is slated for 10 p.m. (ET).
- Cincinnati and San Diego State have never met on the gridiron. Its first trip to Qualcomm Stadium, UC plays in three NFL venues during the 2007 campaign.
- Head coach Brian Kelly looks to become the first Bearcats rookie mentor since Russ Cohen in 1935 to start undefeated in his first six games.
- The Bearcats have outscored their first three opponents by a count of 180-30. Ranked No. 4 in scoring defense nationally, Cincinnati leads the country in turnover margin (+3.75 per game). It has forced 19 takeaways (7 fumbles, 12 interceptions).
SERIES INFORMATION
- Cincinnati and San Diego State are meeting for the first time.
- It has been 49 years since Cincinnati's last trip to play football in California.
- The only program the Bearcats have faced from California is Pacific which discontinued its football program in 1996. The Bearcats were 5-3 against the Tigers, including a 1-3 record when traveling to Stockton, Calif.
Cincinnati owns a 2-2 all-time record against Mountain West Conference member institutions.
UC is 2-1 against TCU and 0-1 when facing Air Force. Each of those matchups occurred prior to Mountain West Conference membership.
BEARCATS LOOK TO CEMENT THEMSELVES IN TOP 25: After its fourth consecutive win, No. 24 Cincinnati is 4-0 for the first time since the start of the 1954 campaign. One week after stomping Marshall 40-14, the Bearcats travel from the banks of the Ohio River to the Pacific Coast to meet San Diego State (1-2) on Saturday at 10 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS.
VOTERS TAKE NOTICE: Receiving consideration for the first time in more than 30 years, this week the Associated Press ranked Cincinnati No. 24 in the country. It marks the first time since Oct. 25, 1976 that the AP pollsters gave recognition to the Bearcats. Cincinnati received 84 votes from the coaches' poll and are the first team outside of the Top 25. UC tallied 164 votes in the AP poll.
SCOUTING THE AZTECS: After posting a 52-17 victory over Portland State in its home opener, San Diego State (1-2) welcomes Cincinnati to Qualcomm Stadium. In his second year as head coach, Chuck Long owns a record of 4-11 (.267). The Aztecs started the season by dropping consecutive matchups on the road at Pac-10 foes Washington State (45-17) and Arizona State (34-13).
CONTINUING THEIR WINNING WAYS: It may be a new season, but the Bearcats continue to ride the momentum created in the second half of the 2006 campaign. Dating back to the 30-11 win over then-No. 7 Rutgers on Nov. 18, 2006, the Bearcats have won seven games in-a-row. Going back to the 17-3 victory over Syracuse on Oct. 28, 2006, the Bearcats have won nine of their last 10 contests.
STREAKING BEARCATS: With the 40-14 triumph over Marshall, Cincinnati won its seventh consecutive game. The seven-game win streak is the longest for a UC football team since the 1954 season. That year, Sid Gillman's squad started the year victorious in eight games in-a-row and finished 8-2. Over the 1953-54 seasons, Gillman directed the Bearcats to 16-straight victories, the longest win streak in program history before moving on to the Los Angeles Rams and later, the San Diego Chargers.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: With a reputation for defense, Cincinnati has added a potent offensive punch in 2007. The Bearcats have scored 180 points (45.0 per game) in its first four games, a number never attained before in the first four games of any season in school history. In 1912, the Bearcats scored 165 points in the first four games including a 124-0 romp of Transylvania in the first game of the season, but no team has matched the scoring capabilities accomplished thus far by the 2007 Bearcats.
FRESH FACES: With the graduation of 15 seniors from its 2006 two-deep roster, including 10 starters, there are plenty of new faces on the field for Cincinnati. 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. A total of 16 Bearcats have made their first career starts thus far this season.
FOR STARTERS: Cincinnati has utilized seven first-time starters in the young 2007 season. 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). The following week, against Oregon State, Khalil El-Amin made his first career start at the right tackle.
KELLY REMAINS UNBEATEN WITH BEARCATS: Dating back to the 2007 International Bowl, Brian Kelly is 5-0 as head coach of the Bearcats and off to one of the fastest starts in Cincinnati history. Kelly is the first rookie mentor to start 5-0 at UC since Russ Cohen began his first season 7-0 in 1935.
UC vs. TEAMS FROM CALIFORNIA: Cincinnati owns an all-time mark of 5-3 (.625) against teams from the Golden State.
FACING THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: Saturday night's trip to San Diego State marks Cincinnati's fifth fray against a current member of the Mountain West Conference. UC is 2-2 against current members of the league.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Off to a 3-0 start at home in 2007, over the past four seasons, the Bearcats are 20-6 (.769) when playing at Nippert Stadium. They posted a 6-1 mark at home in 2006, including a 30-11 victory over then-No. 7 Rutgers, the highest ranked foe ever to fall at UC.
PLAYING TAKEAWAY: Through four games UC leads the nation with a giveaway/takeaway margin of +3.75 per game. The Bearcats have yielded one interception and two fumbles, but have created 19 turnovers (7 fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions). They notched four fumble recoveries to go with two interceptions against Southeast Missouri State and followed with six interceptions and a fumble recovery in the win over Oregon State. The Bearcats forced four takeaways at Miami (OH). Mike Mickens ended up with an interception and fumble recovery against Marshall.
TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE: Taking advantage of the opponents' miscues, the Bearcats have scored 79 points off of opponents' turnovers through the first three games of the season. Cincinnati posted 27 points off of turnovers against Southeast Missouri State and scored 24 points off of Oregon State miscues. Fourteen of the Bearcats' 47 points at Miami (OH) came after RedHawk turnovers. They scored off of both takeaways, resulting in 14 points against Marshall.
ON THIS DATE: Cincinnati is 7-4 all-time when playing on Sept. 29. After winning five of their first six games played on Sept. 29, the Bearcats dropped three of their next four on this date. The last time Cincinnati played on this date was Sept. 29, 1990, when UC won 27-24 at Kent State.
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, was defensive tackle Terrill Byrd. 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.
SCOUTING REPORT: Noted for his ingenious offensive schemes, Brian Kelly has moved Cincinnati to a no-huddle offense that emphasizes stretching the field and finding openings to attack via the run or pass. After the 40-14 romp of Marshall, UC is ranked 12th nationally in scoring (45.0 points per game) and 43rd in total offense (429.5 yards per game). The Bearcats employ three and four wide receivers and one back in a variety of formations and groupings.
THE MATCHUP: Cincinnati's offense matches up with a San Diego State defense that gave up 458 yards of total offense in a 52-17 win last week over Portland State. Three games into the season, the Aztecs defense is listed 67th against the run (155.3 yards per game) and 118th against the pass (375.0 yards per game). The Aztecs defense returned four starters from a year ago, led by Corey Boudreaux who has carded 21 tackles this year.
PENCHANT FOR POINTS: Cincinnati has scored 180 points in its first four games, a number never reached in the first four games of any season in school history. In 1912 the Bearcats scored 165 points in the first four games, including a 124-0 romp of Transylvania in the season opener, but no team has matched the 45.0 points per game accomplished thus far by the 2007 Bearcats.
GRUTZA PROVES READY TO START ONCE AGAIN: After seeing no action in the first two games, signal caller Dustin Grutza received the call to start on short notice against Marshall. Minutes before kickoff, Grutza was given the order to start for the second week in-a-row. The junior completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards, including two touchdowns against the Herd. The previous week, Grutza completed 25-of-35 passes for a career-high 290 yards and two touchdowns at Miami (OH).
QUARTERBACKS ON THE READY: Cincinnati utilized three quarterbacks in the 40-14 victory over Marshall. Dustin Grutza got the call to start and tossed a pair of touchdowns for the second straight week. The starter in the first two games of the season, Ben Mauk entered in the second quarter and finished 6-of-7 passing for 77 yards and a score. Tony Pike handled UC's final drive in his first action since Game 1.
MAUK ARMED FOR COMEBACK STORY: A graduate-transfer, Ben Mauk continues to live his comeback season at Cincinnati. Twelve months after suffering a catastrophic arm injury, that required four pins in his right shoulder at Wake Forest, Mauk was the starting quarterback for Cincinnati in its first game of the 2007 season. The Kenton, OH product completed 18-of-27 in his debut for the Red and Black. One week later, he connected on 15-of-23 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in the 34-3 victory over Oregon State. After sitting out the trip to Miami (OH), Mauk owns a passer rating of 170.49 and has completed 68.4 percent of his pass attempts.
MAUK EARNS THIRD STARTING NOD: Ben Mauk continues to show he deserves to be Cincinnati's starting quarterback. In the season opener, he completed 18-of-27 pass attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns. 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. Mauk started the first game of the 2006 season vs. Syracuse, before suffering a season-ending injury.
ENJOYING THE RED ZONE: Cincinnati has been nearly perfect at scoring when penetrating the opposition's 20 yard line. UC scored on its first 12 drives inside their opponents' red zone before a missed field goal at Miami (OH) stopped the streak. Cincinnati has converted 19-of-22 red zone trips (.864) into points this season.
BENTON LEADING THE GROUND GAME: Butler Benton is pacing the Bearcats' running game with 228 yards on 50 attempts for a 4.6 yards per carry average.
RAMSEY RUNS WILD: Sophomore running back Jacob Ramsey provided the final blow with a 42-yard dash to pay dirt, in the 40-14 triumph over Marshall. Arguably the fastest player on the Cincinnati roster, Ramsey finished the night with 90 all-purpose yards (3 carries for 48 yards) and (2 kickoff returns for 42 yards). Second on the team with 154 rushing yards, Ramsey is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
BARWIN PROVES TO BE A GOOD TARGET: Tight end Connor Barwin was a favorite receiving target at Miami (OH), setting career highs with six receptions for 109 yards in the 47-10 victory. He followed the performance by making three catches for 39 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown grab, against Marshall The junior is ranked third on the team in receptions with 14 catches for 196 yards.
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.
RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE: The senior triumvirate of Butler Benton, Bradley Glatthaar and Greg Moore, have all eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for their careers and are splitting the carries for the fourth and final year together. The group keyed a ground game that rushed for 217 yards against Marshall. The Bearcats totaled 314 yards on the ground against Southeast Missouri State. Sharing the load was evident at Miami (OH), where Glatthaar collected 43 yards, Benton rushed for 42 and Moore gained 41 of UC's 141 rushing yards.
MOORE PROVIDES MORE: The Bearcats' top rusher in 2006 with 709 yards, Greg Moore is a threat as a rusher and receiver. Highlighted by his 30-yard scamper, Moore paced Cincinnati with 70 yards on six carries in the win over Marshall. Moore rushed for 41 yards, but scored on a 13-yard reception at Miami (OH). He toted the load three times for nine yards against Oregon State and made two catches for 63 yards in the 34-3 victory. Moore's 50-yard catch and run for touchdown against the Beavers was the longest reception of his career. The senior totaled 28 yards on five rushes, but added 47 yards on two pass receptions in the season opener.
ALL HE DOES IS SCORE TOUCHDOWNS: Bradley Glatthaar is the most efficient rusher in the running back rotation, totaling four touchdowns on 23 carries this season. The senior rushed three times for three yards and collected a pair of scores against Southeast Missouri State. Glatthaar toted the ball twice, including a two-yard score vs. Oregon State. In his most-extensive work of the year, he totaled 47 yards on 11 carries, including a five-yard touchdown at Miami (OH).
TIGHT END COMPETITION: A common theme up and down the offensive side, UC has three veterans vying for time at tight end. A converted wide receiver, Earnest Jackson has five catches for 54 yards. Connor Barwin has made 14 receptions for 196 yards. Formerly a fullback, Doug Jones scored on a five-yard run at Miami (OH).
GOODIE LEADS INEXPERIENCED GROUP OF RECEIVERS: The top receiver a year ago, Dominick Goodman serves as the leader of a talented, receiving corps. Goodman has eight catches for 103 yards this season after finishing with 40 catches, including five for touchdown in 2006.
GILYARD MAKING COMEBACK OF HIS OWN: After sitting out the 2006 campaign, Marshwan Gilyard is making the most of his second chance. Gilyard totaled eight catches for 134 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown against Southeast Missouri State. Gilyard leads UC with 202 receving yards and is second with 15 receptions.
ENJOYS SUCCESS IN FIRST START: Redshirt freshman Marcus Barnett is tops on the team with 19 catches for 190 yards. Barnett paced Cincinnati with six catches for 77 yards against Marshall. He totaled a team-high five receptions for 61 yards in the win over Oregon State.
SCOUTING REPORT: Boasting seven returning starters on one of the BIG EAST's top defensive units, the Bearcats are allowing 7.5 points per game, to rank No. 4 in the country in scoring defense. Topping the national board with 19 takeaways, the `Cats are listed 12th in pass efficiency defense (93.99 rating), the Bearcats are 28th in total defense (308.0 ypg) through the first four games of 2007.
THE MATCHUP: Cincinnati's defense faces a San Diego State offense that is operated by quarterback Kevin O'Connell. The Aztecs' quarterback is averaging 298.7 yards per game through the air, completing 61.1 percent of his throws (60-of-113). O'Connell has tossed six touchdowns and two interceptions in three games. Brandon Bornes is a big-play back, with 184 yards on 37 carries (5.0 yards per rush). Brett Swain leads the receiving corps with 16 catches for 336 yards. Boasting a 21.0 yards per catch average, Swain has scored three touchdowns, including a 75-yarder. The Aztecs amassed 596 yards of total offense against Portland State. They are listed 15th in the nation with 313.0 passing yards per game and 35th in total offense (439.3 ypg).
STINGY BEARCATS: Tops in the BIG EAST and fourth nationally in scoring defense, the Bearcats have allowed 30 points (7.5 ppg) through four games. The last time Cincinnati allowed fewer than 30 points through its first four games of the season was the 1977 campaign. In 1977, UC used a pair of shutouts and gave up 23 points on its way to a 3-0-1 start.
SACK ATTACK ON REDHAWKS QUARTERBACKS: Led by Terrill Byrd's two sacks, Cincinnati carded five quarterback sacks in the triumph at Miami (OH). On the RedHawks' first play from scrimmage, Anthony Hoke hit the quarterback, forced a fumble and recovered it to foreshadow a long afternoon for the Red and White field generals. Cincinnati is tied for 12th in the country with 10 sacks this season. The five quarterback sacks were the most by UC since it notched five on Oct. 29, 2005 in a 22-16 win at Syracuse.
STUFFING THE GROUND GAME: One week after holding Oregon State to 36 yards on 21 carries, Cincinnati limited Miami (OH) to 56 yards on 24 rushing attempts. The trend continued against Marshall, who collected 80 yards on 35 carries. Over the last three games, UC has yielded an average of 57.3 rushing yards per game. The 36 yards rushing by Oregon State marked the fewest allowed by the Bearcats since they held Akron to 36 yards rushing in a 20-14 win a year ago.
MICKENS IS ALWAYS AROUND THE FOOTBALL: Heralded cornerback Mike Mickens snatched an interception and also recovered a fumble in the first quarter of Cincinnati's 40-14 victory over Marshall. Mickens leads the Bearcats with five turnovers created this season. The junior 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. He added his third interception at Miami (OH). The two-time all-BIG EAST performer has finished each of his first two seasons in the top 10 nationally in passes defended.
STOPPING A HEISMAN HOPEFUL: Touted as a Heisman Trophy hopeful prior to the season, Oregon State's Yvenson Bernard found little running room against the Cincinnati defense. UC held the 2006 all-Pac-10 running back to 30 yards on 16 carries and 17 yards on seven receptions to quickly put a halt to the hype.
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.
SMITH MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF: In his first year starting opposite an All-BIG EAST performer, cornerback DeAngelo Smith has had no trouble making a name for himself. Smith shares the team lead with three pickoffs, highlighted by a 54-yard interception return for touchdown at Miami (OH). Smith is tied for ninth in the country with six passes defended (3 interceptions, 3 pass breakups).
BEARCATS RECORD SIX PICKOFFS: The Cincinnati defense collected six interceptions, the second-highest single-game total in UC history during the 34-3 victory over Oregon State. The last time the Bearcats tallied six interceptions in a game came in a 35-13 loss to North Texas State on Nov. 5, 1966
NAKAMURA PACKS A PUNCH: The leader of the secondary, Haruki Nakamura shares the team lead with 23 tackles (9 solo, 14 assists). Nakamura totaled six tackles and two interceptions in the victory over Oregon State. The senior safety paced Cincinnati with eight tackles (2 solo, 6 assists) and a forced fumble vs. Southeast Missouri State. The Bearcats' active leader with 162 career stops, Nakamura paced the team with 76 tackles during the 2005 campaign.
BYRD UNCAGED: Having to sit out the first game of the season, junior defensive tackle Terrill Byrd responded the following week with three tackles, including one for loss against Oregon State. One week later, Byrd totaled two quarterback sacks to lead the defense at Miami (OH). He totaled five tackles, including 2.5 for loss in the victory over Marshall. 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 have already played a large role this season in the Bearcats' success. Three first-year starters junior punter and holder Kevin Huber, redshirt freshman long snapper Mike Windt and redshirt freshman kicker Jake Rogers are making names for themselves as specialists.
HUBER AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE: Junior Kevin Huber entered the season with seven career punts for a 38.1 average, but has shown to be the best in the country in the early going. Huber is averaging 49.6 yards on 16 punts this season. Huber boomed a career-long 62-yard punt at Miami (OH) and then kicked two 62-yarders in the victory over Marshall. Not only kicking long, Huber has notched eight punts inside the opposition's 20 yard line.
ROGERS REBOUNDS AFTER SHAKY START: Redshirt freshman Jake Rogers rebounded from his shaky start against Southeast Missouri State to convert field goals of 38 and 55 yards in the 34-3 victory over Oregon State. One week after converting 1-of-3 PAT kicks and missing a 47-yard field goal try in the season opener, Rogers put the Bearcats in front 3-0 in the first quarter with his 38-yard attempt. His 55-yarder in the third quarter was the second-longest field goal in UC football history. Rogers has split the uprights with a field goals in three consecutive games and is currently 4-of-7 on field goals and 16-of-18 on PAT kicks.
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 has been the Bearcat top returner early this season. Ramsey has returned five kickoffs for 112 yards, a 22.4 yards per return average. Ramsey saw limited action on kickoff coverage a year ago. Dominick Goodman has four returns for 88 yards (22.0 yards per return) to his credit this season. Marshwan Gilyard averaged 22.0 yards on eight kickoff returns in 2005 and has one return for 19 yards this season.
NAKAMURA PROVIDES STEADY HANDS ON PUNT RETURNS: Not known for owning breakaway speed, Haruki Nakamura has carded 19 yards on five punt returns. Nakamura registered a 12-yard return at Miami (OH). He totaled five punt returns for 2.8 yards per return a year ago.
BLOCK THAT KICK, AGAIN! One week after Cincinnati's Marshwan Gilyard contributed a blocked punt against Oregon State, Gilyard repeated the feat at Miami (OH). Against Oregon State, Gilyard's block was recovered in the end zone by Marcus Barnett. For the Bearcats, it was the first punt blocked and returned for touchdown since Antwuan Giddens accomplished the feat against Marshall in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl. Against Miami (OH), the Bearcats' 2006 scout team special teams player of the year's block went through the end zone for a safety.