Tickets"I'm proud of our guys because they [never quit]. They've had their backs against the wall over this past week, taking a gut punch." - Luke Fickell
The Bearcats are still alive.
There's something to be said for resiliency. The Bearcats aren't strangers to the week-in, week-out grind of college football. Last year, we talked about the titanic weight of perfection and how it may have started to catch up with that team in the dog days of the season. They took some lumps and needed some squeakers against the likes of Navy and Tulsa. But, despite what some will try to tell you, a close victory doesn't weigh the same as a loss. Not nearly.
These Bearcats have lost. They lost twice after not losing a single game in each of the last two regular seasons. There are key contributors on this team (see, for example, Deshawn Pace and Tyler Scott) who have never had to work through defeat and prepare for another game the following week. It's an essential skill in a sport where normal teams lose. The Bearcats have been abnormal for a couple of years.
Look around the country, and you'll find good teams who lost and were crushed by the weight of defeat, turning a one-week heartbreak into a multi-game tragedy, upending their seasons in the process. Look around at our conference, and you can find examples.
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This bunch has pushed through the losses, however. They've pushed through the departure of the most significant graduating class in program history. They've pushed through the adjustment period that comes with a new offensive coordinator, new special teams coordinator, and new defensive line coach. They've pushed through devastating injuries to veteran leaders Jake Renfro and Malik Vann, never mind week-to-week injuries to the likes of Scott, Corey Kiner, and Jabari Taylor.
The Bearcats have fought expectations and outside noise, but this season has been different. These are body blows. "Gut punches."
Yet, following a 25-21 setback in Orlando, Cincinnati got right in a 20-10 victory over Navy. Ben Bryant had one of his best games as a starter, connecting on 25 of 35 attempts for 299 yards and a pair of TDs to Tyler Scott. Ryan Coe continues to dominate after the rocky outing in Arkansas. He's 9-for-10 on field goals in the last three weeks, which is a level of consistency the Bearcats haven't had under Fickell, maybe longer.
This team is 7-2 on the year and 4-1 in the American. Most importantly, they still have it all in front of them. Keep winning, and they can return to the conference championship game for the fourth year in a row.
A lot has to go right for a team to win a football game. This fact is obvious when you're losing, but it's easy to forget when a team has won at the rate Cincinnati has. It hasn't always been pretty, but sports aren't pretty, especially at the collegiate level. I don't think we'd like it if they were. This team has shown the ability to roll up its sleeves and do what needs to be done. They've got their work cut out for the rest of the season, starting with a daunting Nippert at Night date on Friday with a good East Carolina team.
The Bearcats are still alive, and there's plenty left to fight for.
A Nippert at Night appetizer. 😍 pic.twitter.com/6u0LVX0gdp
— Cincinnati Bearcats (@GoBEARCATS) November 5, 2022
Up Next
The Bearcats have a short week before the long-awaited return of Nippert at Night, Cincinnati's first night game at home since a 52-3 victory over Temple on October 8, 2021. Tickets to this week's game are sold out, but fans can find seats at StubHub, our official secondary ticket provider, HERE.
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