TicketsCINCINNATI – The Cincinnati football team returns home on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. "Homecoming" matchup with South Florida at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats have won 29 straight at home and 17 consecutive games against American Athletic Conference opponents. Both streaks will be on the line against the Bulls, who are 1-4, but played Florida close (31-28 loss) in Gainesville.
The Bearcats have been led in recent weeks by a playmaking defense that leads the country in defensive touchdowns (four), sacks (23) and TFLs (50).
Cincinnati tied an AAC-record with 11 sacks in the 31-21 win at Tulsa in the conference opener last weekend, while sophomore running back Corey Kiner tallied his first collegiate 100-yard game (12 carries, 106 yards) as the Bearcats' ground got rolling against the Golden Hurricane.
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and senior defenders Jabari Taylor and Ja'Von Hicks previewed the upcoming game versus USF and recapped the first part of the season at UC's weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Bearcats Stopped the Run, and the Quarterback, at Tulsa
Cincinnati gave up 297 rushing yards to Tulsa one year ago in Nippert Stadium. Senior defensive end Jabari Taylor said stopping the run was on his mind this season against the Golden Hurricane.
The Bearcats did just that on Saturday, but also stopped the quarterback – over and over, and over again. UC recorded 11 sacks, to tied a conference record set by Houston in 2016, and finished with 15 tackles for loss – its most in 20 years, in addition to allowing a season-low 36 rush yards.
"One of our main focuses was shutting down the run," Taylor said. "At the end of the day, they had 297 yards rushing last year and I am not going lie to you that was kind of all that was on my mind all game and I was hoping they would run the ball a little more, but we were making the plays that we needed to."
2. USF Has Talent on Offense
USF enters Saturday at 1-4, but the Bulls have showed flashes of brilliance on offense this season. The Bulls had over 400 yards of total offense in the loss to ECU and quarterback Gerry Bohannan, a transfer from Baylor, tallied more than 330 yards of total offense and four scores against the Pirates.
USF is also led by all-conference running back Bryan Battie, a preseason All-American returner, who is one of the most versatile players in the country.
"It's homecoming weekend, which is exciting, there is a little bit more energy and excitement on campus and it is where we feel most comfortable, so we expect a great atmosphere on Saturday," Fickell said. "I expect a team that will come back in here, fighting, scratching, clawing, that's what we would expect. They have a lot of talent, speed, I think on both sides of the football, their return game is really special at times, so we have to be really prepared."
Battie on the ground has 397 yards (7.7 per carry) with three scores, in addition to leading the nation in 2021 with three kick-return touchdowns.
3. Deshawn Pace Breaks Out
Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has been the breakout star of the 2022 season thus far, but it was his brother, Deshawn, who had the play that ignited the Bearcats early in the Tulsa victory.
His 18-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Cincinnati a 7-0 lead in the game and he also had a sack in the second quarter.
The junior had 94 tackles and four interceptions a year ago. This season, his numbers haven't been as gaudy, and much of that is thanks to his brother's dominance, but also the defensive line making plays in the backfield.
Many opponents aren't even making it to the second level.
"When things aren't getting to the second level sometimes (because of excellent defensive-line play), those second-level guys don't have as many opportunities to make plays," Fickell said. "So, you've got to look at it as a whole and I think that's where I think we are getting better at that and recognizing understanding that it may be a little bit different, and you just got to focus on making the plays that come your way."
4. Speaking of Colerain
Deshawn Pace and his brother, Ivan Pace Jr., both starred at local Cincinnati High School, Colerain, but so did fellow defensive starters senior safety Ja'Von Hicks and redshirt junior defensive end Eric Phillips. Redshirt freshman Dontay Corleone has emerged as one of the league's top defensive lineman, too, and plays first team reps in a rotation with starter Jowon Briggs. Freshman Ken Willis is also on the roster, giving the Bearcats' defense a Colerain feel.
"It is extremely cool," Hicks said. "I finally get the chance to play with Dontay [Corleone], it is my first time actually playing with him, but overall, it feels good. I feel like the connection between all four or five of us from there and we are all playing very well."
Hicks also relished in the program's addition of longtime Colerain head coach Kerry Coombs (1991-06) as the cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator.
"It's awesome," he said. "You can tell the pride he has for Colerain and how hard he is on the former Colerain players. Not that he is not hard on everybody else, but he expects a lot from us, and I feel like we have been able to achieve the things that he is expecting out of us."
5. Homecoming Makes for an Even Better Time in Clifton
This will be the final homecoming for Taylor and several other seniors in their additional years of eligibility. Saturday's game comes right before the perfectly-placed bye week at the season's midway point, and the Bearcats will then be on the road the first two games back.
All that matters is the game at hand, and given Taylor's six-year career at UC, Homecoming means even more for him, and fans looking to learn more about the weekend's festivities can do so at the university's alumni site.
"It is always a great experience; everybody gets to come home including the past players," he said. "It is nice to see all those guys on the sideline or the locker room, guys from 2018- 2020 teams as well as last year. It brings another level of excitement; they bring more support to this current team. Having them come home this weekend, it feels like a family instead of just a team."
The Bearcats have won 29 straight at home and 17 consecutive games against American Athletic Conference opponents. Both streaks will be on the line against the Bulls, who are 1-4, but played Florida close (31-28 loss) in Gainesville.
The Bearcats have been led in recent weeks by a playmaking defense that leads the country in defensive touchdowns (four), sacks (23) and TFLs (50).
Cincinnati tied an AAC-record with 11 sacks in the 31-21 win at Tulsa in the conference opener last weekend, while sophomore running back Corey Kiner tallied his first collegiate 100-yard game (12 carries, 106 yards) as the Bearcats' ground got rolling against the Golden Hurricane.
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and senior defenders Jabari Taylor and Ja'Von Hicks previewed the upcoming game versus USF and recapped the first part of the season at UC's weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Bearcats Stopped the Run, and the Quarterback, at Tulsa
Cincinnati gave up 297 rushing yards to Tulsa one year ago in Nippert Stadium. Senior defensive end Jabari Taylor said stopping the run was on his mind this season against the Golden Hurricane.
The Bearcats did just that on Saturday, but also stopped the quarterback – over and over, and over again. UC recorded 11 sacks, to tied a conference record set by Houston in 2016, and finished with 15 tackles for loss – its most in 20 years, in addition to allowing a season-low 36 rush yards.
"One of our main focuses was shutting down the run," Taylor said. "At the end of the day, they had 297 yards rushing last year and I am not going lie to you that was kind of all that was on my mind all game and I was hoping they would run the ball a little more, but we were making the plays that we needed to."
2. USF Has Talent on Offense
USF enters Saturday at 1-4, but the Bulls have showed flashes of brilliance on offense this season. The Bulls had over 400 yards of total offense in the loss to ECU and quarterback Gerry Bohannan, a transfer from Baylor, tallied more than 330 yards of total offense and four scores against the Pirates.
USF is also led by all-conference running back Bryan Battie, a preseason All-American returner, who is one of the most versatile players in the country.
"It's homecoming weekend, which is exciting, there is a little bit more energy and excitement on campus and it is where we feel most comfortable, so we expect a great atmosphere on Saturday," Fickell said. "I expect a team that will come back in here, fighting, scratching, clawing, that's what we would expect. They have a lot of talent, speed, I think on both sides of the football, their return game is really special at times, so we have to be really prepared."
Battie on the ground has 397 yards (7.7 per carry) with three scores, in addition to leading the nation in 2021 with three kick-return touchdowns.
3. Deshawn Pace Breaks Out
Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. has been the breakout star of the 2022 season thus far, but it was his brother, Deshawn, who had the play that ignited the Bearcats early in the Tulsa victory.
His 18-yard interception return for a touchdown gave Cincinnati a 7-0 lead in the game and he also had a sack in the second quarter.
The junior had 94 tackles and four interceptions a year ago. This season, his numbers haven't been as gaudy, and much of that is thanks to his brother's dominance, but also the defensive line making plays in the backfield.
Many opponents aren't even making it to the second level.
"When things aren't getting to the second level sometimes (because of excellent defensive-line play), those second-level guys don't have as many opportunities to make plays," Fickell said. "So, you've got to look at it as a whole and I think that's where I think we are getting better at that and recognizing understanding that it may be a little bit different, and you just got to focus on making the plays that come your way."
4. Speaking of Colerain
Deshawn Pace and his brother, Ivan Pace Jr., both starred at local Cincinnati High School, Colerain, but so did fellow defensive starters senior safety Ja'Von Hicks and redshirt junior defensive end Eric Phillips. Redshirt freshman Dontay Corleone has emerged as one of the league's top defensive lineman, too, and plays first team reps in a rotation with starter Jowon Briggs. Freshman Ken Willis is also on the roster, giving the Bearcats' defense a Colerain feel.
"It is extremely cool," Hicks said. "I finally get the chance to play with Dontay [Corleone], it is my first time actually playing with him, but overall, it feels good. I feel like the connection between all four or five of us from there and we are all playing very well."
Hicks also relished in the program's addition of longtime Colerain head coach Kerry Coombs (1991-06) as the cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator.
"It's awesome," he said. "You can tell the pride he has for Colerain and how hard he is on the former Colerain players. Not that he is not hard on everybody else, but he expects a lot from us, and I feel like we have been able to achieve the things that he is expecting out of us."
5. Homecoming Makes for an Even Better Time in Clifton
This will be the final homecoming for Taylor and several other seniors in their additional years of eligibility. Saturday's game comes right before the perfectly-placed bye week at the season's midway point, and the Bearcats will then be on the road the first two games back.
All that matters is the game at hand, and given Taylor's six-year career at UC, Homecoming means even more for him, and fans looking to learn more about the weekend's festivities can do so at the university's alumni site.
"It is always a great experience; everybody gets to come home including the past players," he said. "It is nice to see all those guys on the sideline or the locker room, guys from 2018- 2020 teams as well as last year. It brings another level of excitement; they bring more support to this current team. Having them come home this weekend, it feels like a family instead of just a team."