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By Bill Koch
Go.BEARCATS.com
CINCINNATI - Unlike last spring when Gunner Kiel still had to prove himself to win the starting quarterback job for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, Kiel began spring practice Thursday morning in the Sheakley Athletics Center indoor bubble as the undisputed leader of what is expected to be a potent offense.
In fact, he might be a little more undisputed than head coach Tommy Tuberville would like.
"If we're going to get it done, he's got to get it done, with nothing but freshmen behind him," said Tuberville, who's beginning his third season at UC.
There's no reason to believe that Kiel, a junior who transferred from Notre Dame two years ago, won't get it done, as long as he can stay healthy. He led the American Athletic Conference last year in passing efficiency, completing 233 passes in 390 attempts for 250.3 yards per game. He tied the school record for touchdown passes with 31 and was intercepted 13 times.
But for the Bearcats to get all they can out of Kiel's substantial ability, Tuberville believes the running game must improve, not only to provide more balance to the offense, but to help protect Kiel, who was frequently hurt last year as opposing defenses zeroed in on him.
"We've got to run the ball better," Tuberville said. "If we can do that, it will make the quarterback better. It keeps him from getting hit more and it makes our passing game better, so we're going to work on our running game a lot this spring. We've got good running backs. We've got a good scheme. We know what we can do throwing the ball. I think that will help our quarterback."
UC finished 9-4 in 2014 and lost to Virginia Tech, 33-17, in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md.
The Bearcats have no shortage of talented backs, led by sophomore Mike Boone, who was pressed into action as a true freshman last year due to injuries to other backs and responded by gaining 650 yards on 101 carries in nine games for a 6.4-yard average per carry. Departed senior Rod Moore was also impressive, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
Hosey Williams and Tion Green also return after injuries sidelined them last year. Williams was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury against Memphis and Green was finished after suffering an abdominal tear in game three at Ohio State.
The Bearcats ranked fourth in the league in rushing offense last year with 156.5 yards per game, but started slowly in that category, which is when Kiel was especially vulnerable. He suffered bruised ribs in game four against Memphis and although he started every game, he finished only eight and dealt with the injury all season.
Boone was one reason why the running game improved as the season went on.
"He came in and helped us win football games as a true freshman," Tuberville said. "I wish we could have redshirted him, but we now know what he can do and he knows he can get better. We've got Tion back and we've got Hosey back. Those guys have played a lot of football. You've got the kid from Lawrenceburg (Chad Banschbach) back from (shoulder surgery). And you've got Bobby Brown, who really came in last year and he's going to be a good football player for us. And we signed two that'll be here this summer."
UC will also use the spring to re-tool the offensive line.
"That's what spring practice is for," Tuberville said. "We've just got to be able to come out of this spring with a good two-deep that we feel know what they're doing."
With Munchie Legaux gone, the Bearcats must find a capable backup for Kiel. That likely won't happen until this summer because UC is operating with only two scholarship quarterbacks in spring practice - Kiel and freshman Hayden Moore. Jarred Evans, a senior who was a junior college transfer last year, remains suspended as he deals with a legal matter from last October.
If Evans doesn't return, that leaves Kiel to be backed up by two freshmen - Hayden Moore out of Clay, Ala., and Ross Trail from Wynne, Ark. The benefit for Kiel is that he enters the season knowing that he's the man. There will be no competition for the starting job. The down side is that there's no one with experience to step in if Kiel gets hurt again.
That's all the more reason for Tuberville to focus on the running game this spring.a He already knows he has a deep and talented receiving corps with Johnny Holton, Mekale McKay, Chris Moore, Max Morrison, Shaq Washington, and highly rated incoming freshman Kahlil Lewis.
"Last year we lost quarterbacks because we were throwing the ball so much the other teams were teeing off on 'em," Tuberville said. "We've got to take the ball out of the quarterback's hands a little bit to slow the front down and give ourselves a chance for our offensive linemen to have success. We know what we've got at wide receiver. Nobody's got a better group than what we've got. The best way to help them is to get a running game and get more zone average."
The Bearcats will have 14 more practices this spring, culminating with the spring game on April 4 at Sheakley. They'll open the 2015 season on Sept. 5 vs. Alabama A&M in newly renovated Nippert Stadium after playing last year at Paul Brown Stadium while the $86-million project was underway at Nippert.
Bill Koch covered UC Athletics for 27 years - 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer - before joining the staff of GoBEARCATS.com as featured columnist in January, 2015.