TicketsApril 3, 2010
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team wrapped up its second week of spring practice Saturday under variable skies at Nippert Stadium.
The 2.5 hour workout marked the first time this spring the Bearcats went to live hitting, with only the quarterbacks exempted. Practice also featured a 70-play scrimmage.
It was faculty/instructor appreciation day and also the first competition Saturday of the spring. Over 70 members of the UC faculty were on hand for a pre-practice reception and a group picture with head coach Butch Jones, the UC coaching staff, and student-athletes.
"It was a great oppotunity and huge success," Jones said. "We had an outstanding turnout and it was our chance to say thank you for everything they do for every young man in our football family. It was also a chance to educate them on the life of a student-athlete, and help them understand our vision and the importance of academics in our football program."
Since Jones' arrival in January, UC has improved its team GPA from a 2.4 to a 2.8. Thirty-two student-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or above for the recent winter quarter.
On the field Saturday, the defense won the day, 78-74 over the offense. It came down to the final drill of the afternoon, but two-straight incompletions by the offense in the red zone gave the defense a four-point margin.
Also on the Nippert turf today were former Bearcats standouts Mardy Gilyard, Brad Jones, and Mike Mickens, as well as former assistant coach Larry Zierlein. Zierlein, who spent 1997-2000 at UC as the offensive line coach/running game coordinator, has coached in the NFL since 2001, most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Following the usual pre-practice activities (walk-through, team stretching, position group drills), UC moved into a modified version of the Oklahoma drill. The three-stage drill pits an offensive lineman against defensive lineman, linebacker on tight end, and defensive back on wide receiver. A running back starts behind the offensive lineman and must make his way through all three stages without getting tackled.
The team moved into some position-on-position drills, including work on blitz pick-up, ball security, and punting and punt return.
The 70-play scrimmage came towards the end of practice after 7-on-7 and passing skeleton.
UC opens the third week of spring football on Tuesday. The Bearcats will hold three workouts a week leading up to Bearcat Bowl IV, set to take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday April 24, 2010 inside Nippert Stadium. The game will be televised by FS Ohio. Spring workouts, with the exception of Bearcat Bowl IV, are closed to the general public.