TicketsBy Bill Koch
GoBEARCATS.com
TAMPA – If it weren't for Hurricane Irma, which hit Florida a month ago and forced a reshuffling of the American Athletic Conference schedule, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats would be enjoying their bye week this week, doing some self-scouting and healing from the bumps and bruises they've accrued through the first half of the season.
Instead, they've spent the week trying to figure out a way to end a three-game losing streak when they face No. 18 South Florida on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
"It didn't throw us off completely," UC coach Luke Fickell said of the schedule change, "other than trying to picture where you're gonna be and when you can get that little break. We're gonna play who they put up against us. We're gonna play at the times that they tell us to. It's on us to be able to handle those situations."
Frankly, the Bearcats (2-4 overall, 0-2 in the AAC) have much bigger concerns than a change in their schedule, starting with a defense that has struggled over the last three weeks, allowing an average of 43.6 points per game to No. 25 Navy, Marshall and No. 20 Central Florida, which scored 51 points in three quarters before the game was called due to heavy rain and lightning.
"It's about gaining some confidence," Fickell said. "That's where we are right now. Navy put us in a little bit of a tough situation. Sometimes you get your confidence knocked down a little bit. You've got to go back out there and you've got to believe in the things that you're doing. You've got to find ways to continue to get better."
UC will face off against a USF team that is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the American in their first season under former Texas and Louisville head coach Charlie Strong. The Bulls, who are coming off a bye week, have won 10 straight games dating to last year. They've scored 30 or more points in their last 22 games, one game shy of the NCAA record set by Oregon between 2011 and 2012.
USF features a spread offense that has produced 510 yards per game, including 309 rushing yards. They have three of the top seven rushers in the league in Darius Tice (438 yards), D'Ernest Johnson (432 yards) and senior quarterback Quinton Flowers (395 yards). Flowers, the engine that makes the offense run so smoothly, also ranks fourth in the league in pass efficiency with 934 yards and 10 touchdown passes against two interceptions.
"He's really dynamic in his ability in what they do to spread the field and give him space," Fickell said. "If and when he takes off he can change a game. They're down 16-0 in their opening game against San Jose and in the second quarter he decides to take over and they had no answers for him. He can make plays with his feet. He can extend plays. He can take off and run the distance. This is probably the most explosive quarterback that we'll face."
The UC offense has had its issues as well, ranking at the bottom of the league in total offense with 331.3 yards per game. Junior quarterback Hayden Moore has shown flashes of improvement lately, though. He has completed 129 of 242 passes for 1,375 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions. Fickell cited Moore and the offensive line as two areas of improvement when asked this week to assess his team's performance during the first half of the season. But this week Moore will face a USF offense that has picked off 14 passes, four more than any other team in the country.
UC leads the overall series against USF, 8-5, and beat the Bulls as recently as 2014. But the following season, USF hung 65 points on the Bearcats in a 65-27 victory in Tampa and beat UC again last year at Nippert Stadium, 45-20. UC hasn't beaten USF in Tampa since 2011.
"We are a product of our experiences," Fickell said. "You've got to address a little bit of what has happened in the past. I still think it comes down to that emotional factor of things. When things don't go well and that adrenaline is drained, it has a reciprocal effect on more people than you would believe."
The Bearcats, looking to end a six-game conference losing streak, still have one game remaining after this one – at home next week against SMU – before they reach their bye week. A creditable showing against USF could go a long way toward setting the tone for the second half of the season after a trying first half.
"It's gonna be a tough matchup," said middle linebacker Jaylyin Minor. "They're a high-tempo team. They kind of remind me of UCF, the team we played last week. They like to air the ball out, but they also run the ball a lot more. They've got two good running backs that I've been playing against for the past two years. And then their quarterback. They've all been there for the past three or four years. They're a very mature team."
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
TAMPA – If it weren't for Hurricane Irma, which hit Florida a month ago and forced a reshuffling of the American Athletic Conference schedule, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats would be enjoying their bye week this week, doing some self-scouting and healing from the bumps and bruises they've accrued through the first half of the season.
Instead, they've spent the week trying to figure out a way to end a three-game losing streak when they face No. 18 South Florida on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
"It didn't throw us off completely," UC coach Luke Fickell said of the schedule change, "other than trying to picture where you're gonna be and when you can get that little break. We're gonna play who they put up against us. We're gonna play at the times that they tell us to. It's on us to be able to handle those situations."
Frankly, the Bearcats (2-4 overall, 0-2 in the AAC) have much bigger concerns than a change in their schedule, starting with a defense that has struggled over the last three weeks, allowing an average of 43.6 points per game to No. 25 Navy, Marshall and No. 20 Central Florida, which scored 51 points in three quarters before the game was called due to heavy rain and lightning.
"It's about gaining some confidence," Fickell said. "That's where we are right now. Navy put us in a little bit of a tough situation. Sometimes you get your confidence knocked down a little bit. You've got to go back out there and you've got to believe in the things that you're doing. You've got to find ways to continue to get better."
UC will face off against a USF team that is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the American in their first season under former Texas and Louisville head coach Charlie Strong. The Bulls, who are coming off a bye week, have won 10 straight games dating to last year. They've scored 30 or more points in their last 22 games, one game shy of the NCAA record set by Oregon between 2011 and 2012.
USF features a spread offense that has produced 510 yards per game, including 309 rushing yards. They have three of the top seven rushers in the league in Darius Tice (438 yards), D'Ernest Johnson (432 yards) and senior quarterback Quinton Flowers (395 yards). Flowers, the engine that makes the offense run so smoothly, also ranks fourth in the league in pass efficiency with 934 yards and 10 touchdown passes against two interceptions.
"He's really dynamic in his ability in what they do to spread the field and give him space," Fickell said. "If and when he takes off he can change a game. They're down 16-0 in their opening game against San Jose and in the second quarter he decides to take over and they had no answers for him. He can make plays with his feet. He can extend plays. He can take off and run the distance. This is probably the most explosive quarterback that we'll face."
The UC offense has had its issues as well, ranking at the bottom of the league in total offense with 331.3 yards per game. Junior quarterback Hayden Moore has shown flashes of improvement lately, though. He has completed 129 of 242 passes for 1,375 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions. Fickell cited Moore and the offensive line as two areas of improvement when asked this week to assess his team's performance during the first half of the season. But this week Moore will face a USF offense that has picked off 14 passes, four more than any other team in the country.
UC leads the overall series against USF, 8-5, and beat the Bulls as recently as 2014. But the following season, USF hung 65 points on the Bearcats in a 65-27 victory in Tampa and beat UC again last year at Nippert Stadium, 45-20. UC hasn't beaten USF in Tampa since 2011.
"We are a product of our experiences," Fickell said. "You've got to address a little bit of what has happened in the past. I still think it comes down to that emotional factor of things. When things don't go well and that adrenaline is drained, it has a reciprocal effect on more people than you would believe."
The Bearcats, looking to end a six-game conference losing streak, still have one game remaining after this one – at home next week against SMU – before they reach their bye week. A creditable showing against USF could go a long way toward setting the tone for the second half of the season after a trying first half.
"It's gonna be a tough matchup," said middle linebacker Jaylyin Minor. "They're a high-tempo team. They kind of remind me of UCF, the team we played last week. They like to air the ball out, but they also run the ball a lot more. They've got two good running backs that I've been playing against for the past two years. And then their quarterback. They've all been there for the past three or four years. They're a very mature team."
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.