TicketsThe Bearcats are back from Camp Higher Ground, students are back on campus, season two of Let It Fly is ending, and football is here. Ahead of the 2022 season opener on Saturday in Arkansas, here are 22 things I'll be watching this season:
No. 1In 2018 the Bearcats used a Power Five road game to launch the college career of QB Desmond Ridder. Can the program's next QB do the same? Contending for the gig are Ben Bryant, a fifth-year gunslinger returning to the red and black after a season abroad, and Evan Prater, the local kid with elite athleticism, sweet feet, and better hair. But regardless of who the starter is, Fickell will be the first to tell you he needs both ready. After he lost the starting job to Desmond Ridder in 2018, Hayden Moore got the nod—and the victory off the bench—in the Military Bowl. In 2019, Ben Bryant came in to pinch hit against Memphis in the regular season finale. The last two seasons—in which only Desmond Ridder made more than 20 pass attempts—are an anomaly in UC history. Since 2004, only once (Hayden Moore in the 2017 season) has a single QB commanded so much playing time.
The defensive side of the ball sees a couple of familiar faces back in the fold. Walter Stewart and Kerry Coombs are back in Clifton to pilot the defensive line and cornerbacks, respectively. Stewart haunted opposing offenses during some of the best years in program history, winning a trio of conference titles from 2009-2012 before a medical issue ended his playing days abruptly. Coombs, who will also coordinate special teams this season, was on Cincinnati coaching staffs under Brian Kelly and Butch Jones from 2007-11, sharing in three conference championships of his own.
No. 3Despite the attrition, that side of the ball still has weapons. The name fans will hear most often? Pace. The Pace brothers are going to be everywhere. Junior linebacker Deshawn exploded onto the scene a year ago to rack up 94 tackles and a team-best four interceptions. Senior Ivan (who transferred in from Miami OH) piled up an astounding 125 tackles for the RedHawks last year, good for tenth nationally.
No. 4Despite the departure of household names like Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant, the secondary will continue to be a force. Arquon Bush has been shining since a pair of interceptions as a true freshman in 2018, and he's going to star in 2022 alongside fellow veteran Ja'von Hicks and uber-talented breakout stars-to-be Bryon Threats and Ja'quan Sheppard.
No. 5Yet, for as much attention has been paid to Fickell's defenses, he's quietly building a legacy of solid running backs, from Mike Boone (who led the 2017 'Cats in rushing yards and just made the Broncos' 53-man roster) to Mike Warren, Gerrid Doaks, and Jerome Ford. Fickell's 2022 running back room may be his strongest yet. Ryan Montgomery (who will start at Arkansas) and Charles McClelland are known commodities. Corey Kiner brings all the hype worthy of a 4-star local recruit transferring in from LSU. And Myles Montgomery—the running back the average fan is probably least familiar with—is one of the roster's hidden gems.
No. 6More evident in its strength is the tight end corp. Seniors Josh Whyle and Leonard Taylor are the faces of the franchise, providing whoever the quarterback is with a consistent target over the middle. Next spring, they'll look to continue building Cincinnati's reputation as Tight End U, following Bearcats like Brent Celek, Josiah Deguara, and Travis Kelce into the NFL. Joining them is redshirt freshman Chamon Metayer, a man who is somehow able to run 22 miles per hour at 257 pounds.
No. 7Calling the shots for the offense is Gino Guidugli. A legend in his playing days, Guidugli ushered in a new leader in the UC record books by serving as Ridder's quarterback coach. Now he has the full arsenal at his disposal. What does a Guidugli offense look like? How will he deploy an embarrassment of riches? We won't have to wait long to find out.
No. 8The Bearcats hit Fayetteville Saturday looking to continue the fourth-longest streak in America: A run of 11-straight victories in season openers that stretches back to 2011. Opener wins since include Pittsburgh (2012), Purdue (2013), and UCLA (2018 and 2019).
A much longer streak will be called into question in Week 3. The Bearcats meet rival Miami at Paycor Stadium, serving as a visiting team in only the technical sense of the word. The meeting will be the 126th in the history of The Battle for the Victory Bell. It's the oldest non-conference rivalry in the nation and mathematically the most balanced. After 15 consecutive Cincinnati victories, the all-time series record sits at 59-59-7. A win on September 17 would give UC the edge for the first time since 1915. While the game isn't part of UC's home schedule, the Bearcats faithful should control the environment. In the 2014 edition of the rivalry, a student section-record 10,333 students packed the north end zone. Can this year's Ruckus bring the same noise downtown?
No. 11Cincinnati's comeback victory in Bloomington set the season's trajectory a year ago, and on September 24, the Hoosiers will seek payback in Clifton. They'll be fighting historical precedent. The Bearcats are 4-0 against teams from Indiana in the last decade and undefeated in Power 5 non-conference games at Nippert since 2002. This six-game streak includes Miami FL in 2015 (shout out to Hayden Moore), NC State in 2011 (shout out to Zach Collaros), and Oregon State in 2007 (shout out to Marcus Barnett).
Nos. 12 & 13It's a year of transition for the league, with Cincinnati and three other programs departing for the Big 12 next summer. A simplified schedule means each conference team will play the inverse of its 2021 slate. UC beat Temple, UCF, and SMU by an average score of 52-13 and broke Tulsa's heart with a late-game Houdini act. Each of those four teams now gets a chance at revenge in their building. The Bearcats scored colossal road wins over UCF and #16 SMU in 2020, but pandemic restrictions kept home-field advantage at a minimum. The last time Cincinnati visited Dallas in front of a packed crowd, James Wiggins ran away with a walk-off INT in overtime. The last time they saw a packed FBC Mortgage Stadium was 2018's College GameDay showdown, the most recent UCF victory over the 'Cats. Those October road games will be the season's defining stretch.
Nos. 14 & 15On the flip side, the Bearcats will see their 27-game Nippert win streak challenged early and often. Only Clemson has a longer run of dominance in its home stadium. The first conference team to get a crack will be South Florida on October 8 for Homecoming. Come out to Nippert to "Pump It Up" against the Bulls.
No. 16The season's guaranteed Nippert at Night game falls on November 11, a Friday night game that sees the Bearcats play host to ECU. Facing the Pirates on a Friday night has become a tradition under Fickell. This year's game follows Friday night matchups in 2018, 2020, and 2021.
No. 17The Bearcats are trending towards a sellout in all six regular season games at Nippert Stadium, which would be a first in the program's history. If you haven't gotten your seats, do it now. Limited single-game tickets remain.
Cincinnati has made a lot of enemies en route to becoming the two-time defending conference champions. Winning a third-consecutive title would make history. Six Bearcats teams have gone back-to-back, starting with London Gant's teams of 1933 and 1934, but no era has included a three-peat. As we saw in 2021, College Football Playoff trips require outside help. But a conference title is entirely within Cincinnati's control, and Fickell wants to win a third-straight championship before exiting the league in July. The Bearcats will look to go out on top and finish off an AAC win streak that stretches back to 2019.
Nos. 20 & 21The 2022 season figures to be another one to remember, and some changes to the game-day experience will play a part. An updated team entrance and some enhanced hype videos are on deck. If you're one to get rowdy at the start of the fourth quarter, make sure you're in the building on September 10. Want to see the Bearcats like never before? Field-level suites are available for the first time in stadium history. (Seriously, contact Tony Theobald at tony.theobald@uc.edu or 513-556-6271 for more info. They're going to be really cool.)
No. 22Your hard-working creative team will be on-hand to document it all. Do you like mind-blowing TikToks revealing the week's uniform? We got that. Excellent game day graphics every week? You're covered. Weekly columns all season? You're reading the first of the season right now. Make sure you're following @GoBearcats and @GoBearcatsFB so you don't miss a moment.
Up NextYour 21st-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats face No. 19 Arkansas on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Fayetteville. The game will air on ESPN.
The 2022 home opener comes in Week 2. The Bearcats face Kennesaw State on September 10 at 3:30 p.m. inside Nippert Stadium in a game that will air on ESPN+. Don't have seats yet? Act now. Ticket availability is extremely limited!