SB Nation - Tony Miliano

Drive by Drive | Cincinnati Bearcats vs Austin Peay

Matt Opper — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:00:25 -0000

We are all officially in the darkest four months of every calendar year. The four months between the end of the Bearcats season on the hardwood and the start of festivities in Nippert Stadium. This is also the four worst months of the year for Bloggers. Seeing as there are no sports to cover, (unless you want to talk about the fledgling Baseball team), the only content that exists is the things we choose to write about. There are a couple of features in the wing to bridge the gap one of which is what follows below, a drive by drive look at all 13 Football games from the 2011 season starting with the season opening contest against the Austin Peay Governors.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
1	40	1	0	40	:18

Whatever intrigue existed in this game between UC and Austin Peay was evaporated within 18 seconds. First Ralph Abernathy IV took his first collegiate touch 60 yards on the opening kick. Next Isaiah Pead took his first touch of the game 40 yards on one of his patented cutback specials. Tony Miliano missed the extra point UC 6 AP 0

Play of the Drive Since there is only one play on the drive its obviously Pead's sprint. His first touch TD was a sign of the season to come.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
8	34	4	4	4.25	4:40

The Gov'nah's actually showed some fight early in the game picking up three first downs. AP QB Jake Ryan completed 3 of 4 passes for 24 yards and generally looked competent in his first bit of action. It didn't last.

Play of the Drive: J.K. Schaffer was gifted an interception after Ryan's pass went through the hands of Peay's back up RB Wes Kitts and right to Schaffer. J.K. returned the pick 11 yards setting UC up on the Peay 48.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
7	48	2	5	6.8	1:35

After taking possession of the ball UC bombarded the Peay defense with the passing game to little result. Zach Collaros was 2 of 5 for the drive completing passes of 10 and 13 years to Pead and Anythony McClung respectively. The latter of which set the Cats up with first and 10 at the 13. Pead took it from there UC 13 AP 0

Play of the Drive: Pead proving that he was better than Austin Peay again.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
3	8	2	1	2.6	1:39

After giving up a couple first downs on the initial series the Bearcats buckled down after giving up 8 on the initial play of the series to Ryan White. The first three and out on the season.

Play of the Drive: Walter Stewart breaking up a pass on 3rd and 2.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
5	32	5	0	6.4	1:39

Pead and George Winn ripped of runs of 24 and 8 yards on the first two plays of the drive. After that the offense stalled failing to pick up two yards on three plays giving up possession on the Peay 38.

Play of the Drive: There are actually two of them. On second and 2 and again on fourth and 1 Bajakian tried to utilize Zach Collaros as a power runner. It didn't work. This is something of a theme from the season. As 2011 wore on Pead and Winn took over that part of the running game.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
3	-2	3	0	-.67	1:34

The drive went like this. Sack by Chris Williams, run of 6 yards, sack/fumble by Derek Wolfe recovered by Maalik Bomar

Play of the Drive: Its the strip sack of Ryan by Derek Wolfe turning in his first big play of the year

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
4	36	2	2	9	1:22

Another short field and another easy TD. Statistically the Bearcats offense wasn't great in 2011, but they made a living off short fields. Zach was 2 of 2 on the drive including a 13 yard strike to Kenbrell Thompkins for his first score as a Bearcat. UC 20 AP 0

Play of the Drive: The first play of the drive. Right off the turnover Bajakain called up a reverse on the unsuspecting Gov's. D.J. Woods raced for 24 yards before being tripped up.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
3	0	1	2	0	1:38

Nothing, just nothing at all for the Govs

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
14	95	6	8	6.7	5:09

At this point the foot was off the accelerator and the Bearcats were in cruise control.At this point Isaiah Pead was done and Quatro, Winn and Poteat got the carries. Zach went 5 of 8 for 60 yards and the score to D.J. Woods.UC 27 AP 0

Play of the Drive: The deep pass to Woods.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
10	28	6	4	2.8	5:56

Peay managed three first downs, but traversed just 28 yards in total. But a couple of penalties set them back as they failed to cross midfield.

Play of the Drive: On third and 10 Walter Stewart pressured Ryan into a throw that J.K. wound up breaking up

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
10	78	7	3	7.8	3:48

This drive was the first appearance of the wildcat on the season for UC. Jordan Luallen subbed on three plays, all runs for 8,9 and 8 yards before subbing back out as Zach threw a TD on a textbook smash concept to Anthony McClung UC 34 AP 0

Play of the Drive: McClung. Smash.

Plays	Yards	Runs	Passes	Per Play	Possession
3	25	0	3	7.8	:19

After Adrian Witty forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. UC ran two plays to little success before a bust in the Gov secondary parted the red season for McClung to pick up his second in the span of about 30 seconds. UC 41 AP 0

Thus ended all relevant action for this game, and with it my coverage of the game which stops when the second string goes in. If you wish to see all the greatest hits from the second half such as Adam Fearing Scored, Munchie Legaux has Dreadlocks and Jordan Luallen is Athletic ESPN's video archive for the game is available here. Stay tuned for the next edition which will be the bloodletting against Tennessee.

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Cincinnati Spring Game | What To Watch For

Matt Opper — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:25:35 -0000

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Tomorrow is Bearcat Bowl VI. Just for a refresher the start time is 4PM at Nippert Stadium. Not that anyone who has managed to find this blog needs to be refreshed, still custom is custom. Almost all of the talk about spring Football has revolved around the Quarterback position and who will replace Zach Collaros. It has been framed by the coaches and the media as a "competition" between Munchie Leguax, Brendon Kay, and Patrick Coyne. It hasn't actually been a competition since mid March. Barring injury or a meltdown of catastrophic proportions Munchie will be taking the snaps against Pitt to start the season. But that doesn't mean that there aren't position battles to pay attention to in BB6.

The biggest piece from the 2011 offense that has to be replaced isn't Zach Collaros, it's Isaiah Pead. Pead always brought a level of athleticism and big play explosiveness that was hard to match. But as a Senior he learned how to grind out tough yards and that made him a complete back. Right now three guys are vying to replaced iPead, George Winn, Jameel Poteat and Ralph Abernathy IV. No matter what happens in the spring game those three guys will head into the season splitting carries more or less equally.

Receiver will continue to be the strength of the skill position groups with the top three at the end of the year (Anthony McClung, Kenbrell Thompkins and Alex Chisum) all coming back, not to mention two thirds of the rotation at Tight End in Travis Kelce and Blake Annen coming back. There are some guys who can push their way into the mix among the receivers and TE's, Dyjuan Lewis and Chris Moore for example, but that will be decided in the fall camp more so than in this setting.

The place to watch for changes and general chaos is along the offensive line. Regardless of what the media says the Bearcats are returning three starting offensive linemen Sean Hooey, Eric Lefeld and Austen Bujnoch. The only guy who has been 100 per cent all spring long has been Lefeld. Hooey is less than 100 percent after his ankle surgery earlier this year. Bujnoch had off season shoulder surgery as well. The three of them compose the starting Left and Right Tackles (Lefeld and Hooey) and Bujnoch will start at Guard, presumably left.

Where the intrigue lies is at the other guard spot and center where Dan Sprauge, Sam Longo, Andre Cureton, and anyone else capible of playing battle for the two remaining spots*. You can bet that the starting five will include the returning starters and two of those three in some order. The spring game means the most to those guys so pay attention to lineplay.

* My hunch is that Sprauge starts at center, Cureton at right guard. Purely a guess though.

Defensively almost everything is sorted. Coming into the spring four starters had to be replaced. Derek Wolfe and John Hughes at defensive tackle, J.K. Schaffer at Middle Linebacker and Wesley Richardson at Free Safety. Flash forward 14 practices and just one position is still up for grabs.

Camaron Beard and Jordan Stepp have been cemented as the starting tackle duo. Solomon Tentman has come all the way back from a devastating knee injury to be the man in the middle of the defense. That just leaves Free Safety to figure out. A trio of guys are competing for the spot. Malcolm Murray a JUCO transfer last season who tore his ACL and missed the majority of the season. Adrian Witty a converted corner back who is going to try and do his best Ahmad Black impression. Lastly is Pat Lambert who has been exclusively on special teams duty since losing his nickle back job to Chris Williams early in 2010.

For reference here is the spring roster


1	Kenbrell Thompkins	WR	6-1	196	SR-JC	Miami, Fla./Northwestern/El Camino CC
2	Dyjuan Lewis	WR	6-3	194	RS SO-RS	Indianapolis, Ind./Pike
4	Maalik Bomar	LB	6-1.5	220	SR-2L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
4	Munchie Legaux	QB	6-4.5	203	JR-1L	New Orleans, La./Edna Karr
5	Reuben Johnson	DB	5-10	196	SR-2L	Lawnside, N.J./Winslow Township
6	Anthony McClung	WR	5-11.5	165	JR-1L	Indianapolis, Ind./Pike
7	Shaq Washington	WR	5-8.5	159	SO-HS	Maple Hts., Ohio/Maple Hts.
8	Jordan Luallen	QB	6-3	214	RS JR-TR	Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove/Georgia Tech
8	Adrian Witty	DB	5-10	177	RS SO-RS	Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach
9	Dominique Battle	DB	5-11	185	RS SR-2L	Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage
9	Patrick Coyne	QB	6-1	233	RS FR-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Badin
10	Bennie Coney	QB	6-2	210	FR-HS	Plant City, Fla./Plant City
11	Deven Drane	DB	5-10.5	179	JR-1L	Plantation, Fla./Plantation
11	Brendon Kay	QB	6-4	229	RS SR-SQ	Marine City, Mich./Marine City
12	Trenton Norvell	QB	6-4	215	FR-HS	Daytona Beach, Fla./Seabreeze
13	Pat Lambert	DB	6-1	208	RS SR-2L	St. Cloud, Fla./Osceola
14	Tony Miliano	K	6-1.5	298	RS SO-RS	North Bend, Ohio/Elder
15	Chris Moore	WR	6-1	175	RS FR-HS	Tampa, Fla./Thomas Jefferson
16	Damon Julian	WR	6-2	209	SR-JC	Atco, N.J./Winslow Township/Pierce College
17	Malcolm Murray	DB	6-1	195	SR-JC	Glendale, Calif./Junipero Serra/Mount SAC
18	Travis Kelce	TE	6-6	255	RS SR-1L	Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights
19	Ralph David Abernathy IV	RB	5-6.5	160	SO-HS	Atlanta, Ga./Westminster School
20	Chris Williams	DB	5-11	180	SR-2L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
21	Camerron Cheatham	DB	5-8.5	195	RS SR-2L	Kalamazoo, Mich./Central
22	Jameel Poteat	RB	5-10	202	SO-HS	Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt
23	Chris Burrell	RB	5-7	170	SO-TR	Westwood, N.J./Don Bosco Prep/Temple
24	John Lloyd	P	6-1.5	238	RS SO-RS	Cincinnati, Ohio/CHCA
25	Arryn Chenault	DB	6-0	197	JR-1L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Fairfield
26	A.J. Fleak	K	6-1	231	RS FR-HS	Sunbury, Ohio/Big Walnut
26	Drew Frey	DB	6-3	200	RS SR-2L	Wilmington, Ohio/Clinton-Massie
27	Trenier Orr	DB	5-11	180	RS FR-HS	Winter Garden, Fla./Ocoee
29	Rob Rice	RB	5-10	178	RS FR-RS	Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas
30	Aaron Roberson	DB	5-11	183	SR-1L	Maple Heights, Ohio/Chanel/Gannon
31	Deionte Buckley	RB	5-9	195	FR-HS	Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
32	George Winn	RB	5-11	198	RS SR-2L	Southfield, Mich./U. of Detroit Jesuit
33	Solomon Tentman	LB	6-2	222	RS SO-RS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon
34	Pat O'Donnell	P	6-5	217	JR-1L	Lakeworth, Fla./Palm Beach Central
35	Eric Ernst	P	6-.5	177	RS FR-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas
35	Josh Russ	TE	6-5	231	RS FR-RS	Elyria, Ohio/Elyria Catholic
36	Marcus Foster	DB	6-1	190	FR-HS	Troy, Ohio/Troy
38	Adam Fearing	RB	5-9	182	SR-SQ	Dayton, Ohio/Carroll
39	Demitri Beal	DB	5-10.5	188	RS SO-RS	Pembroke Park, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna
40	Kevin Brown	DB	6-1	195	FR-HS	Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central
41	Kevin Hyland	LB	6-1.5	219	RS FR-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder
43	Nick Temple	LB	5-10	215	SO-HS	Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
44	Corey Mason	LB	6-2.5	229	RS SO-RS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder
46	Mitch Meador	LB	6-4	270	RS JR-1L	Greenwood, Ind./Whiteland Community
47	Colin Lozier	LB	6-0	220	SR-2L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain
48	Matt Staubach	TE	6-5	247	RS FR-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas
49	Anthony King	RB	5-11	206	JR-HS	Chicago, Ill./Ayersville
50	Innocent Macha	LB	5-11.5	216	SO-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon
51	Greg Blair	LB	6-2	240	SR	Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley/Lackawanna CC
52	Dwight Jackson	LB	6-1	213	SO-HS	Miami, Fla./Miami Central
54	Walter Stewart	DL	6-4.5	248	RS SR-2L	Ashville, Ohio/Teays Valley
55	Roney Lozano	DL	6-1.5	272	RS SO-1L	Miami, Fla./American
56	Errol Clarke	LB	6-2	210	FR-HS	Miami, Fla./Central
57	Clemente Casseus	LB	6-1	205	SO-HS	Mirimar, Fla./Everglades
58	Brandon Mills	DL	5-10	251	RS SR-2L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain
60	Sam Longo	OL	6-5	289	JR-TR	Spring Valley, Ohio/Bellbrook/Ohio State
61	Kirk Willis	LS	6-2	227	RS FR-HS	Granville, Ohio/Granville
62	Cory Keebler	OL	6-6.5	286	RS SO-RS	Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota East
63	Dan Sprague	OL	6-3	278	RS JR-SQ	Worthington, OH/Kilbourne
66	Sean McClellan	OL	6-4	281	RS JR-SQ	Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller
68	Daniel Murray	OL	6-2.5	284	RS FR-HS	San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines
69	Dominic Mainello	OL	6-3	266	JR-SQ	Fort Mitchell, Ky./Beachwood
70	Brandon Mitchell	DL	6-2	320	RS FR-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow
71	Eric Lefeld	OL	6-6	285	RS SO-RS	Coldwater, Ohio/Coldwater
74	Justin Murray	OL	6-5	245	SO-HS	Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore
75	Kevin Schloemer	OL	6-6.5	303	SO-RS	Liberty Township, Ohio/Lakota West
76	Austen Bujnoch	OL	6-4.5	274	RS JR-1L	Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder
77	Sean Hooey	OL	6-9	298	SR-1L	Litchfield, Mich./Hillsdale
78	Parker Ehinger	OL	6-7	278	RS FR-HS	Rockford, Mich./Rockford
79	Andre Cureton	OL	6-5.5	299	RS JR-1L	Indianapolis, Ind./Pike
80	Alex Chisum	WR	6-2.5	178	SO-HS	Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek
81	DeShawn Dowdy	TE	6-4	222	FR-HS	Akron, Ohio/North
82	Max Morrison	WR	6-1	166	RS FR-HS	Kenton, Ohio/Kenton
83	Danny Milligan	WR	5-8.5	172	RS SR-1L	Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier
85	Bruce Horner	WR	6-1	172	RS SR-1L	Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison
86	Blake Annen	TE	6-5	258	RS JR-1L	Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington
89	Demetrius Richardson	TE	6-2	243	SR-1L	Marlton, N.J./Cherokee/USMAPS
90	Camaron Beard	DL	6-5	278	RS SO-RS	Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral
91	Adam Dempsey	DL	6-2	260	SR-SQ	Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands
92	Silverberry Mouhon	DL	6-3.5	233	RS FR-HS	Norcross, Ga./Norcross
93	Brad Harrah	DL	6-5	250	RS SO-RS	Marion, Ohio/Marion Pleasant
94	Jordan Stepp	DL	6-.5	287	RS JR-1L	Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis
95	Jonathan Burt	DL	6-3	248	FR-HS	Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
96	Josh Posley	DL	6-2	238	FR-HS	Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
97	Chad Hannah	DL	6-5.5	218	RS FR-HS	Tampa, Fla./Gaither
98	Chad West	DL	6-6	240	RS FR-HS	Perry, Ohio/Perry
99	Dan Giordano	DL	6-4	261	RS SR-2L	Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East

Cincinnati Bearcats Football 2011 Season In Review | Special Teams

Matt Opper — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:55:56 -0000

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB | ST

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Alternate Title: I missed the return game.

When Bearcat fans are asked about the Brian Kelly era the mind jumps to the offense first and foremost. That isn't unreasonable or particularly unexpected. The litany of stars on that side of the ball is well known. Ben Mauk, Tony Pike, Dominick Goodman, Mardy Gilyard etc. Often overlooked when discussing those teams were Kevin Huber, Mike Windt, Jake Rogers and Charlie Howard, the core of the special teams on those teams. There are three phases to the game, Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Kelly's teams were known for the offense but won many a game with special teams.

This seasons special teams didn't win many games but were are real strength throughout the season and what's more got progressively better as the season wore on. See how they stack up to the average of the four previous seasons.

	Net Punting	Kickoff Coverage	FG%	PAT%	Punt Return	Kickoff Return	TD's	PS Rnking*
2011	41.34	18.9	68	94.3	6.89	24.10	2	29
2007-10 Avgerage	39.95	20.85	68.6	95.2	9.38	23.86	1.75	23.25

*Phil Steele compiles an aggregate special teams rating combining all of the above factors into one number and then sorting everyone by that number. The Bearcats had the best special teams in the country according to Steele in 2008 and the #8 group in 2009.

As you can see the only area where the 2011 special teams could properly be called a disappointment was in the punt return game which was always an adventure. And it wasn't just one person, Isaiah Pead, D.J. Woods and Danny Milligan all had a hand at returning punts. Pead was excellent in limited opportunities, but he also had a nearly catastrophic muff against Vanderbilt.

Hi My Name Is Ralph and I Will Be Back Here For a While

The breakout player on special teams in the 2011 season was Ralph Abernathy IV. The quarkback had the return job from day one and isn't likely to give it up before he graduates. Like all freshman he was inconsistent all year long but every once in a while he would put it together for a big return. He finally broke through and got a touchdown in the Liberty Bowl

Much more where that came from.

Pat O'Donis

I thought for a while there that Kevin Huber was a once a decade kind of player. A punter who is a difference maker. As it turns out those kind of guys are becoming a bit more common at UC because Pat O'Donnell was a weapon this year. He averaged 43.81 yards per punt which was good for 17th in the country and 1st in the Big East. He also unleashed a 76 yarder against N.C. State.

Sound In The Kicking Game

I was really impressed with the way Tony Miliano kicker this year. His freshman year was better than that of last years kicker Jake Rogers. Miliano doesn't really have the big leg or range of Rogers but his week to week consistency is better. The biggest thing he needs to work on for next year? Getting more height off the ground on his kicks. He had 6 kicks blocked on the year, almost all of them off pressure straight up the middle. It was a good year for Miliano but there is room for improvement.

Orion Woodard And Other Coverage

quietly, very quietly the Bearcats developed into one of the best kickoff coverage teams in the country. A big reason for that was the play of Orion Woodard. Woodard wound up finishing 15 on the team in tackles with 25. Not a bad tally for a guy who plays 8 a game with the chance to make a tackle. But it wasn't just Woodard everyone brought the thunder on kickoff. Ask Steven Clarke.

For the post season my rating of the special teams is an 8. This was a solid effort, but the group as a whole is capable of more and will have high expectations next year.

Give your rating and drop your comments about the phrase O'Donis and other special teams related things down below.

Poll

Rate The Cincinnati Bearcats Special Teams In 2011

10

0 votes

9

1 votes

8

8 votes

7

9 votes

6

2 votes

5

0 votes

4

0 votes

3

0 votes

2

0 votes

1

0 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Autozone Liberty Bowl Week | The Special Teams Battle

Matt Opper — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:09:03 -0000

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday |Thursday | Friday

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One the themes that I have harped on in previewing the 53rd Liberty Bowl is that like all Bowl Games, the marginal aspects of the game will come to bear during the course of this game. The most marginal aspect of every game is the special teams, not because the kicking game doesn't matter. Instead because they rarely get the attention that they deserve in the coverage of the sport. But the Bearcats have won games with special teams and have gotten huge momentum turning plays all season long from the special teams.

For what it's worth Vanderbilt has a pretty sold special teams unit themselves. The question is, which team will get that big momentum swinging play on Saturday from the kicking game. The whole purpose of this is to figure you which team is most likely to capitalize on their special teams opportunities.

	Net Kickoffs	Touchbacks	Kickoff Returns	Net Punting	Punt Returns	Punts <20	Field Goal Percent	Blocks	Touchdowns
Cincinnati	19.08	9	22.57	39.09	7.48	25	72.7	1	1
Vanderbilt	18.49	8	22.54	38.18	6.21	21	53.8	1	1

For the most part the Bearcats and the Commordores are more or less equal on special teams, with one crucial exception. The Bearcats are far better at putting points on the board via the kicking game. That is obviously something that would be circled a few times in the game plan.

One other thing that I want to point out is that Pat O'Donnell is a huge weapon for the Bearcats special teams. Not only has he knocked more punts inside the 20 yard line but he has also done it far more frequently. Consider this 45 per cent of all his punts have been downed inside the 20. Compare that with 35 per cent of Vanderbilt's punts.

Neither team is particularly explosive in the return game. Though Andre Hal and Ralph Abernathy are capable of ripping off big returns. Hal has even taken one 96 yards for a score against Georgia, but neither return man is what you would call consistent. UC does have the option to deploy Isaiah Pead as a return man which shifts things in the Bearcats favor a bit.

I think the bottom line, at least for me is that the Bearcats have an advantage on special teams because the coverage units are excellent for a start. UC has plenty of ability to play the field position game. But most of all the Bearcats are better at putting points on the board. That is always important, doubly so in a low scoring affair, which I think this game will be.

Cincinnati Bearcats 35 Connecticut Huskies 27 | Box Scorin

Matt Opper — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:38:56 -0000

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The Bearcats clinched a share of their third Big East Championship in four years today. That is a remarkable feat, one that I certainly never saw coming in August. I wouldn't classify the UConn game as a vintage performance, because this entire year hasn't been about playing Football that pleases the eye. The Bearcats just win, and today was a just win kind of day, and the Bearcats won the game by hitching their wagon to to defensive line and letting them dominate.

Defense

Walter Stewart made one of the more incredible plays you will ever see on a Football field and was generally excellent all day long. His stat line wasn't great, 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a sack, but he obviously deserves recognition for that moment of singular brilliance.
Derek Wolfe was quiet during the month of November, but he was very, very loud in December. Get a load of this stat line. 10 total tackles, 5 TFL, and 2.5 sacks. His 9.5 sacks and 19.5 TFL are single season records for a Defensive Tackle
J.K. Schaffer topped the century mark for tackles with 11 on the day including 1 for loss plus a forced fumble and recovery.
John Hughes was a man possessed today with 9 tackles, 4 TFL and a sack.
Deven Drane played a good game at corner. It's going to be nice having him around for two more years. He has a chance to be special.

I suppose I should say something nice about Drew Frey and his pick six. It was nice. Moving on.
The stat of the game for the defense was the third down defense. UConn converted just three of 16 third downs. That kind of play wins ball games

Offense

The running game was a bit off today. Just 102 yards on the day and 2.5 yards per carry. That's not an indictment of the playcalling, which some have tried to make, but more a reflection of a simple fact, UConn is damn good against the run.
The player that made the difference today was Munchie Legaux. He was excellent in the first half, but suffered, along with the entire offense, from sloppy execution in the second half. I don't think that Munchie is ever going to be a guy who completes 65 or 70 per cent of his passes for a season. But he does enough good things in the course of a game to win.
Anthony McClung managed to have a career day while still making two or three crucial errors. It was weird. Still, it's going to be nice having him Kenbrell Thompkins and the excellent Alex Chisum back next year.

Special Teams

It was a rough day for the Bearcats special teams. Coverage was pretty good against Nick Williams, the most dangerous returner in the Big East. Ralph Abernathy IV had a couple of really nice returns. Tony Miliano was steady with his PATs but Pat O'Donnell had his worst game of the year with a 35 yard average and a couple of shanks, though he did down three inside the 20.

Bearcat Football Senior Week | 29 Shane Popham & 36 Ben Pooler

Matt Opper — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:00:37 -0000

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For both of these players this will be their second senior day. Pooler and Popham both transfered to UC using the Ben Mauk Rule from Atlantic Coast Conference schools. For Popham, the Northern Kentucky native it was Wake Forest. For Pooler it was the soon to be sinking Maryland ship. Both arraived on campus this off season expecting to compete and win starting jobs. For Pooler things went according to plan, he was the Bearcats starting Strong Side Linebacker for the first three games of the year and tallied 11 tackles and a TFL. And then he injured his knee and was lost for the season thrusting Nick Temple into a starting role where he has thrived. Popham could never quite best Tony Miliano in the off season losing the competition at the very end of training camp. Miliano has been impressive for a freshman. Even though neither transfer has been a 100 per cent success both should get their due.

Zach Collaros Lost For Season, Worst Fears Confirmed

Matt Opper — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:29:10 -0000

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This isn't exactly a surprise, given the type of injury, the way it took place, and perhaps most tellingly Zach's reaction to it. But it is official now.

Collaros got hurt in the second quarter of a 24-21 loss to West Virginia, when his leg bent back awkwardly on a sack. Backup Munchie Legaux came into the game and nearly rallied the Bearcats to the win, before Tony Miliano's game-tying 31-yard field goal was blocked with no time left.

This is obviously a big blow for an offense that has come to depend on Collaros not only for his running and passing, but for his incredible leadership. Collaros is a player who wills his team to win, whom his teammates have come to respect, trust and rally around.

There will be time to discuss the legacy of Zach Collaros to this program in the coming days and months. But for now all eyes turn to Munchie Legaux to see if he can finish the job that Zach Collaros started. Meanwhile the "OMG how can you ever win without Zach Collaros!?!" storyline is only going to escalate from here. But hold the rope as they say.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. West Virginia Mountaineers | Gameday Links

Matt Opper — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:32:04 -0000

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Preview: UC vs. West Virginia // cincinnati.com

"We have to turn it up a little bit because we’re in a vulnerable spot," Smith said. "And we can either go up or go down. I believe in my teammates. I believe in my coaches and I think - I believe - we’re fighters. I think we’re going to come out and respond."

Scouting report: Cincinnati vs. West Virginia // cincinnati.com

Special teams The Bearcats have put together the best kicking game in the Big East, with Pat O'Donnell leading the league in punting and Tony Miliano tied for the league lead in field goal efficiency after last week's 4-for-4 performance at Pitt. West Virginia's Tavon Austin is a dangerous return man. He leads the Big East with a 14.5-yard punt return average and is second with a 25.5-yard kickoff return average, including a 100-yard touchdown return against against Marshall. Kicker Tyler Bitancourt is tied with Miliano in field goal percentage with 12 successful kicks in 15 attempts.

Four Stats For Victory // Paul Dehner

Win the turnover battle. UC ranks third in the country in turnover margin (+13), behind only Oklahoma State and LSU. West Virginia ranks 60th with a 14 giveaways and 14 takeaways. Whether it be Walter Stewart tipping a pass intercepted by Cam Cheatham or Drew Frey diving to snag an overthrown pass, UC has found itself in the right spots all season. The turnover binge has defined their defense. It must again to keep WVU's attack off the field. Zach Collaros efficiently avoiding red zone turnovers -- as he did against Pittsburgh -- will be imperative, as well. Don't be afraid to take three, because this game will likely be decided by that number.

Walter Stewart's hard work paying off at UC // cincinnati.com

"They took me in and really gave me the right path," Stewart said. "They just told me there's a lot more to life than hanging out and not doing anything. That's how football came along. As a freshman, they told me you can pick something that you want to do and we'll put you in it. It didn't matter that it was football. It could have been Key Club or anything. They just told me to get active and they would support me in whatever I decided to do."

West Virginia tries to avoid third straight Big East loss // Charleston Daily Mail

"Effort gives you a chance," he said. "There are talented teams across the country that can go out there and play average and still win the game. There are only a few of them - there aren't many. Very few teams can line up and have just that much more talent and, regardless of what kind of effort they play with, can win the game. There are only a few of them. We're obviously not one of them. In order to win, we have to play with effort all the time." Jones said Cincinnati has had similar issues. The Bearcats followed their only loss at Tennessee with three wins by a combined 102 points. They led the games 59-0, 21-0 and 27-0. In the past three, though, Cincinnati has trailed 6-0, 7-0 and 13-6 and had trailed at halftime once and been tied twice.

Players get Holgorsen's message // Big East Blog // ESPN

"I think he means he wants us to step our game up another level and be excited about what we're doing," Rigg said. "He doesn't want us to play. He wants us to have fun and play hard for each other. He’s stressed he wants more energy, more effort, to play harder and get to the ball on defense to force turnovers. With these last three games, we need to step our level up higher."

West Virginia's Holgorsen asking his leaders to step up // Post-Gazette

"[Collaros] He's the guy that makes the thing go for them," said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. "He's willing his team to be able to get victories. He's determined. He's been there for a long time, and you can tell that he gets people around him to play better."

Must Win For West Virginia // Metro News

"It’s a weekly challenge of getting your guys ready to go," Holgorsen said. "We’re not overmatched, and we’re not going to be overmatched in any of the games that we play in this year. It’s a matter of how hard we play and about how well we play together as a team."

The constant talk about needing to play with energy from Holgo The Barbarian is a good sign for UC. Usually when a coach has to tell his guys to play with energy its already too late.

West Virginia at Cincinnati // College Football News

They’ll trade blows with the Mountaineers in a seesaw battle, but that knack for enduring this fall when the game hangs in the balance will truly come in handy in the waning moments. In a tremendous back-and-forth duel between the quarterbacks, Collaros will lose the statistical battle, but win the war by piloting the game-winning drive in a frenzied fourth quarter.

Predictions: Big East Week 11 // Big East Blog // ESPN

West Virginia at Cincinnati, noon, ABC. When the season started, I penciled the Mountaineers in for a win in this game. But now that I have watched both teams play, it is hard to pick West Virginia. The reason -- Cincinnati is simply a much more physical team both on the offensive and defensive lines. They attack more, they are more aggressive, and they are playing with a passion that has been sorely lacking from West Virginia. This one could turn into a shootout as I anticipate both teams taking advantage of matchup problems in the secondary. But Cincinnati has won each of its close games this season and will pull this one out. The magical season continues. Cincinnati 40, West Virginia 38.

What to watch in the Big East: Week 11 // Big East Blog // ESPN

Get physical. Cincinnati plays a physical brand of football. Can West Virginia match up, especially on defense? The Mountaineers have been sorely lacking in that area the past three games and are going to have a monster challenge trying to tackle Isaiah Pead, the best running back they have faced this season.

Video: Big East game of the week // Big East Blog // ESPN

November 10th Jump Off

Matt Opper — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:00:45 -0000

Yes, this is a gif of Silvio Burlesconi and Houston Nutt as Kid N' Play. Don't ask why, just enjoy

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West Virginia Week

Butch Jones' impact? Check Antonio Brown // cincinnati.com
There is a reason that its really hard to find someone with a bad word to say about Butch Jones. He has always gone to battle for his guys.

Mountaineers Lack Excitement, Support on Game Day // WVU Mountaineer Sports

This may sound like a simple plan moving forward, but in speaking with members of the Mountaineers squad Tuesday evening, it is clear that support for each other has been an issue. One of the biggest messages in team meetings and on the practice field this week has been for the offense to outwardly show excitement toward the defense and for the defense to do the same toward the offense.

That doesn't sound good. Also there is a good bit in here for chest bump aficionados

With Backs Against the Wall, WVU Must Have Sense of Urgency // WVU Mountaineer Sports

"This is the situation that we did not want to be in," Defensive End Bruce Irvin said. "Me and Julian and the rest of the seniors, we talked about this after the NC State game last year. We want to be able to control our own destiny. We don't want to have to depend on Louisville to lose or Cincinnati."

Motivation // Hail WV

Saturday at noon we may see the team we expected to see all season. If we do Cincy will take a massive beatdown. If not it’s back to the Motivational blackboard for coach. I think the fellas will be ready hit somebody. Hard.

There is the classic levelheadedness we have all come to expect from WVU fans. They never get beat, everyone else gets lucky

Hide your Couches! Mountaineer Nation is Coming to Town. // Bearcats Nation

If there is one crux of the West Virginia offense it’s the linemen and that’s not saying much. The Mountaineers have allowed 16 sacks this season which is middle of the pack nationally. I’ll get the actually keys to this game on Friday but (spoiler alert!) one of them is hitting Geno Smith whether it be a sack or even after the ball is thrown. Syracuse wrote the book on shutting down Holgorsen’s offense a few weeks ago and in that game Orange players were constantly knocking down Smith whether or not he had the ball in his hands. WVU’s offensive line looked porous against the Orange’s pass rush and the Mountaineer’s offense looked out of sorts all night as a result. In that game, Syracuse sacked Smith four times and in the Louisville game last Saturday the Cardinals sacked him three times. Both games resulted in Mountaineer losses so it doesn’t take a genius to know what this defense needs to do to succeed on Saturday.

"Must Win" Games and the 3-3-5 // Hail WV

When the fans designate a game "must win" and the team loses, all kinds of havoc ensues. In the case of the Mountaineers a familiar refrain is heard through out the mountains and hollows. "Fire Casteel!" " scrap the 3-3-5!" Before we go further let me say I support Coach Casteel. I am also a realist. If Coach needs to go then so be it. Just make damn sure it is for the right reasons. Coach got the job done when Rod was here. The worst loss in WVU history and a lost chance at a National Championship the opponent score 13 frigging points. 13 points and a offensive guru could only manage 9. Coach got the job done when Stew was here. No way he goes 9-4 for 3 seasons without Coach Casteel with that anemic offense. He can get the job done now. Maybe.

Any opposing coach would be thrilled to see WVU drop the 3-3-5

Isaiah Pead improves all-around game // Big East Blog // ESPN

Pead certainly has been a handful to bring down this season. When asked for an evaluation of the running back, West Virginia linebacker Doug Rigg said, "He's an explosive player. You have to account for him. A lot of teams we've played say he was the best running back they played against."

The other thing is that Isaiah never gives up on plays, even when he should. Call it the Zach Collaros disease

UC's Tony Miliano kicks into gear // cincinnati.com

Tony Miliano, who is tied for the Big East lead in field goal percentage, forms half of a duo that has given UC the best kicking game in the league. He has made 12 of 15 field goal attempts with a long kick of 48 yards.

The return game is a borderline disaster, but Pat O'Donnell and Milano have been stellar

WVU Football Player Interviews: Cincinnati Week // WVU Mountaineer Sports

Northern Kentucky Round Up

Cincinnati v NKU Recap by Bucky Cooper // Bearcats Blog

Yancy Gates: Is determined. Motivated. Inspired. Whatever verb you want to use, this guy finally gets it. I kind of feel bad for people that go up against him this year. I don’t care about his stat line in games like this, even though he had a nice line of 19 points along with 8 boards. He’s hustling, playing solid defense, and most importantly being a vocal leader on the court. I expect Yancy to lead this team to great things in the 2011-2012 basketball season.

The Morning After: UC 66, NKU 54 // Paul Dehner

"Some of my concerns about our season reared their head tonight because we don't really have a perimeter guy who views himself as a dirty-work guy," Cronin said in his opening statement. "Both our perimeter guys had seven turnovers and they each had one more rebound than John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. That's not going to get it."

UC’s freshmen still feeling their way // UC Athletics Blog

Ge'Lawn Guyn scored three points with two rebounds. Sanders was scoreless, missing two 3-point shots and failing to grab a rebound. The player who seems most at ease so far is Guyn, who could grow into a capable backup for Cashmere Wright at point guard. Sanders is said to be a prolific scorer with a great feel for the game. He should get better with more experience.

Guyn is showing his age, he will turn 21 before the start of conference play.

Recruiting

Taft defensive lineman Adolphus Washington will take an official visit to UC this weekend // High School Sports Blog

Taft senior defensive lineman Adolphus Washington will take an official visit to UC this weekend, according to Taft coach Mike Martin. Washington, who is 6 feet 4 and 260 pounds, is considering schools that include UC, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan State, according to Martin.

Really long odds on Washington or Dwayne Stanford signing with UC. Washington seems headed for the land of probation, AKA Ohio State

Around The Big East

Ranking the Big East: Forwards // Bearcats Blog
Ambitious attempt from Scott

Big East awards tracker // Big East Blog // ESPN
Butch Jones is the leader for Coach of the Year

Reading This Will Make You A Hacker With A Sense of Humor (Not Really)

Anonymous 101: Introduction to the Lulz // Wired.com

It wasn’t until I downloaded and listened to Lulz: A corruption of LOL’s second album, Corruption, that I grasped what Anonymous really is. It’s a culture. It takes cultures to have albums, idioms, and iconography, and I was swimming in these and more. Anonymous is a nascent and small culture, but one with its own aesthetics and values, art and literature, social norms and ways of production, and even its own dialectic language.