TicketsBy Bill Koch
GoBEARCATS.com
CINCINNATI – Put aside for a moment the historical significance of a rivalry that began in 1888 or the fact that the University of Cincinnati has won 11 in a row against Miami (Ohio) in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell.
When the Bearcats (1-1) take the field at Miami's Yager Stadium on Saturday at 8 p.m. to face the RedHawks in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell, they'll be a team in need of a victory regardless of the opponent.
UC hasn't beaten a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision since Oct. 22 of last year when the Bearcats knocked off East Carolina at Nippert Stadium. Since then, they've lost six straight to FBS opponents and haven't beaten one on the road since they knocked off Purdue last Sept. 10 in West Lafayette, Ind.
After a lackluster performance in its season opener against Austin Peay, UC made strides last week in its 36-14 loss to the Wolverines. The Bearcats were within three points late in the third quarter before the Wolverines reeled off 19 straight points.
"It wasn't a shock to me that we were staying with them because I know the caliber of team that we have and the things that we're capable of of doing," said senior linebacker Jaylyin Minor.
Minor, who's from Navasota, Tex., said he was puzzled when he was first told about the rivalry between UC and Miami.
"I was thinking about the University of Miami (in Florida) when I first heard of it," he said. "I was thinking how is that a rivalry game? And then they were saying, 'This is Miami of Ohio. It's about 45 minutes down the road.' And then they told me about the bell and everything. That's when I found out how serious it was."
Now in his third year at UC, Minor has experienced first-hand how hard the RedHawks play when they face the Bearcats. It's true that they have lost 11 in a row to their neighborhood rivals – and many of those have been blowouts – but the last three games have been close. That's why Minor has learned to expect an all-out effort from the Miami players.
"You'll watch them on film," he said, "and then you'll see them in the game and it's like now they're a totally different team. They play to a higher level just because they're playing us. Whenever they see UC, they take it up a notch."
The RedHawks (1-1) are in their fourth season under head coach Chuck Martin, who took over a program that went 0-12 in 2013, averaging only 9.8 points per game, making them the second-lowest scoring team in the country. They went 2-10 in Martin's first season in 2014, 3-9 in 2015 and then turned the corner last year when they finished the regular season with six straight victories before losing, 17-16, to Mississippi State in the St. Petersburg, leaving them with a 6-7 record.
They're looking for even better things this year behind junior quarterback Gus Ragland, who took over as the starter in 2016 after Miami started 0-6 and transformed the RedHawks into a bowl participant.
"It's not just the quarterback play," said UC coach Luke Fickell. "It's the leadership. And you can see that. I think that might be the biggest thing. They just look like they have a little bit more confidence. They have a little bit of an 'it' factor and as that momentum increased obviously they played a lot better. And that's what this game's all about.
"You could see it with us last year. When you've got some momentum, everybody feels good. When things start to roll the other way it's really difficult to stop it. You've got to find a way, whether you're in the midst of a game or whether you're in the midst of a season."
Ragland has completed 34 of 67 passes in two games this season for 641 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. He's been sacked five times.
"They put him in a lot of quarterback run situations," Fickell said. "He has the ability to extend the play with his feet."
Ragland's favorite target is 6-foot-4 junior wide receiver James Gardner, who caught five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns last week in the RedHawks' 31-10 win over Austin Peay, a Football Championship Subdivision team that UC beat 26-14 in its season opener. Gardner has caught 13 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns in two games this season.
The Bearcats have picked up where they left off last year in terms of struggling offensively. They average only 224 yards per game, which ranks last in the American Athletic Conference. They're hoping for a boost this week from redshirt freshman running back Gerrid Doaks, who made his first college appearance last week against Michigan and gained 25 yards on six carries. Fickell said Doaks will have an expanded role this week playing behind starter Mike Boone.
Sophomore quarterback Ross Trail also is available this week after dealing with an abdominal injury that he suffered near the end of the preseason, although junior Hayden Moore will start for the third straight game. Against then-No. 8 Michigan last week, Moore was 15-for-40 for 132 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
Despite UC's recent domination, Miami still leads the series with UC, 59-55-7. The RedHawks, who are favored to end their Victory Bell losing streak, will no doubt play with their usual fire against UC on Saturday. They certainly have plenty of motivation.
"That's what I was thinking about the other night," said UC offensive tackle Korey Cunningham. "I saw that bell and I saw 11 years in a row that they haven't had it. They're definitely gonna come out hungry, ready to get the bell, ready to beat us, not having done that in a long time. We're definitely gonna get their best shot."
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 in January, 2015.
GoBEARCATS.com
CINCINNATI – Put aside for a moment the historical significance of a rivalry that began in 1888 or the fact that the University of Cincinnati has won 11 in a row against Miami (Ohio) in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell.
When the Bearcats (1-1) take the field at Miami's Yager Stadium on Saturday at 8 p.m. to face the RedHawks in the annual Battle for the Victory Bell, they'll be a team in need of a victory regardless of the opponent.
UC hasn't beaten a team from the Football Bowl Subdivision since Oct. 22 of last year when the Bearcats knocked off East Carolina at Nippert Stadium. Since then, they've lost six straight to FBS opponents and haven't beaten one on the road since they knocked off Purdue last Sept. 10 in West Lafayette, Ind.
After a lackluster performance in its season opener against Austin Peay, UC made strides last week in its 36-14 loss to the Wolverines. The Bearcats were within three points late in the third quarter before the Wolverines reeled off 19 straight points.
"It wasn't a shock to me that we were staying with them because I know the caliber of team that we have and the things that we're capable of of doing," said senior linebacker Jaylyin Minor.
Minor, who's from Navasota, Tex., said he was puzzled when he was first told about the rivalry between UC and Miami.
"I was thinking about the University of Miami (in Florida) when I first heard of it," he said. "I was thinking how is that a rivalry game? And then they were saying, 'This is Miami of Ohio. It's about 45 minutes down the road.' And then they told me about the bell and everything. That's when I found out how serious it was."
Now in his third year at UC, Minor has experienced first-hand how hard the RedHawks play when they face the Bearcats. It's true that they have lost 11 in a row to their neighborhood rivals – and many of those have been blowouts – but the last three games have been close. That's why Minor has learned to expect an all-out effort from the Miami players.
"You'll watch them on film," he said, "and then you'll see them in the game and it's like now they're a totally different team. They play to a higher level just because they're playing us. Whenever they see UC, they take it up a notch."
The RedHawks (1-1) are in their fourth season under head coach Chuck Martin, who took over a program that went 0-12 in 2013, averaging only 9.8 points per game, making them the second-lowest scoring team in the country. They went 2-10 in Martin's first season in 2014, 3-9 in 2015 and then turned the corner last year when they finished the regular season with six straight victories before losing, 17-16, to Mississippi State in the St. Petersburg, leaving them with a 6-7 record.
They're looking for even better things this year behind junior quarterback Gus Ragland, who took over as the starter in 2016 after Miami started 0-6 and transformed the RedHawks into a bowl participant.
"It's not just the quarterback play," said UC coach Luke Fickell. "It's the leadership. And you can see that. I think that might be the biggest thing. They just look like they have a little bit more confidence. They have a little bit of an 'it' factor and as that momentum increased obviously they played a lot better. And that's what this game's all about.
"You could see it with us last year. When you've got some momentum, everybody feels good. When things start to roll the other way it's really difficult to stop it. You've got to find a way, whether you're in the midst of a game or whether you're in the midst of a season."
Ragland has completed 34 of 67 passes in two games this season for 641 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. He's been sacked five times.
"They put him in a lot of quarterback run situations," Fickell said. "He has the ability to extend the play with his feet."
Ragland's favorite target is 6-foot-4 junior wide receiver James Gardner, who caught five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns last week in the RedHawks' 31-10 win over Austin Peay, a Football Championship Subdivision team that UC beat 26-14 in its season opener. Gardner has caught 13 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns in two games this season.
The Bearcats have picked up where they left off last year in terms of struggling offensively. They average only 224 yards per game, which ranks last in the American Athletic Conference. They're hoping for a boost this week from redshirt freshman running back Gerrid Doaks, who made his first college appearance last week against Michigan and gained 25 yards on six carries. Fickell said Doaks will have an expanded role this week playing behind starter Mike Boone.
Sophomore quarterback Ross Trail also is available this week after dealing with an abdominal injury that he suffered near the end of the preseason, although junior Hayden Moore will start for the third straight game. Against then-No. 8 Michigan last week, Moore was 15-for-40 for 132 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.
Despite UC's recent domination, Miami still leads the series with UC, 59-55-7. The RedHawks, who are favored to end their Victory Bell losing streak, will no doubt play with their usual fire against UC on Saturday. They certainly have plenty of motivation.
"That's what I was thinking about the other night," said UC offensive tackle Korey Cunningham. "I saw that bell and I saw 11 years in a row that they haven't had it. They're definitely gonna come out hungry, ready to get the bell, ready to beat us, not having done that in a long time. We're definitely gonna get their best shot."
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 in January, 2015.