It?s never an easy thing to march into the Valley and play a Pat Hill team. Sure, the Bulldogs lost the nation?s top rusher when Ryan Mathews left for the NFL, but don?t make the mistake of thinking that this team can?t bite.
The opening game for the Cincinnati Bearcats and their new coach Butch Jones will be a test. Can the offense still produce jaw-dropping numbers? Will the defense be able to overcome its weaknesses and silence the critics? Can Cincinnati capture a third consecutive Big East title?
We?ve already seen one of the conference favorites go down on the road thank to Pitt?s loss at Utah. Now the Bearcats must strive to avoid a similar fate when they head to Fresno.
UC's transition to Butch Jones should be mostly painless as the system will stay intact
Coming into last season, the experts were betting against the Bearcats because the team only returned 1 defensive starter. The commonly held belief was that the stop unit would be unable to do its job well enough to allow Tony Pike and company to get back to the BCS. As it turned out, those concerns were unfounded.
Cincinnati rode an incredible offense and 2 different quarterbacks all the way to an undefeated regular season, a second straight Big East title, and a berth in the Sugar Bowl. Of course, Brian Kelly?s departure and the blowout in New Orleans ended 2009 on sour notes, but no one should overlook what the team accomplished.
Now coming into 2010, the experts are again predicting doom and gloom because UC has A) a new coach, and B) only returns 5 defensive starters. How did these clowns not learn their lesson last year? The Bearcats probably won?t have a season like they did in 2009, but to doubt them because of the defense is an exercise in stupidity. If they can excel with only 1 veteran player, 5 should be a boon.
And worrying about Butch Jones is groundless. He took over for Kelly at Central Michigan when Kelly came to UC, so he knows the system. Jones was once an assistant with WVU, so he knows the conference. And a brief glance at his record with CMU is all one needs to understand that the man is a winner. Jones won?t hold Cincinnati back this season. If the team does stumble, it will be because of a tough schedule and significant improvements among the Big East?s other power programs.
With Tony Pike graduated, the Bearcats are Collaros' team now
As for the matchup in Fresno, expect the Bearcats to flex their offensive muscles from the outset. Zach Collaros takes over as the team?s full-time signal caller after filling in for the injured Tony Pike last season. His scrambling ability combined with a strong throwing arm more than makes up for his lack of height. He has tailback Isaiah Pead returning to the backfield, and D.J. Woods and Armon Binns are back at wide receiver, though Mardy Gilyard has moved on to the next level. Tight end Ben Guidugli should be another reliable target; expect all the skills players to get involved against the Bulldogs.
Pat Hill always fields quality teams, and this year?s squad should be no exception. The entire offensive line returns from last year and the ?Dogs get 8 starters back on both sides of the ball. But the defense was pretty terrible last season and will need to prove itself before Fresno can be considered a true threat.
Cincinnati should win this road game and get off to a good start in 2010.
(this is not my play, but thought it was worth passing along, and a good read)
The opening game for the Cincinnati Bearcats and their new coach Butch Jones will be a test. Can the offense still produce jaw-dropping numbers? Will the defense be able to overcome its weaknesses and silence the critics? Can Cincinnati capture a third consecutive Big East title?
We?ve already seen one of the conference favorites go down on the road thank to Pitt?s loss at Utah. Now the Bearcats must strive to avoid a similar fate when they head to Fresno.
UC's transition to Butch Jones should be mostly painless as the system will stay intact
Coming into last season, the experts were betting against the Bearcats because the team only returned 1 defensive starter. The commonly held belief was that the stop unit would be unable to do its job well enough to allow Tony Pike and company to get back to the BCS. As it turned out, those concerns were unfounded.
Cincinnati rode an incredible offense and 2 different quarterbacks all the way to an undefeated regular season, a second straight Big East title, and a berth in the Sugar Bowl. Of course, Brian Kelly?s departure and the blowout in New Orleans ended 2009 on sour notes, but no one should overlook what the team accomplished.
Now coming into 2010, the experts are again predicting doom and gloom because UC has A) a new coach, and B) only returns 5 defensive starters. How did these clowns not learn their lesson last year? The Bearcats probably won?t have a season like they did in 2009, but to doubt them because of the defense is an exercise in stupidity. If they can excel with only 1 veteran player, 5 should be a boon.
And worrying about Butch Jones is groundless. He took over for Kelly at Central Michigan when Kelly came to UC, so he knows the system. Jones was once an assistant with WVU, so he knows the conference. And a brief glance at his record with CMU is all one needs to understand that the man is a winner. Jones won?t hold Cincinnati back this season. If the team does stumble, it will be because of a tough schedule and significant improvements among the Big East?s other power programs.
With Tony Pike graduated, the Bearcats are Collaros' team now
As for the matchup in Fresno, expect the Bearcats to flex their offensive muscles from the outset. Zach Collaros takes over as the team?s full-time signal caller after filling in for the injured Tony Pike last season. His scrambling ability combined with a strong throwing arm more than makes up for his lack of height. He has tailback Isaiah Pead returning to the backfield, and D.J. Woods and Armon Binns are back at wide receiver, though Mardy Gilyard has moved on to the next level. Tight end Ben Guidugli should be another reliable target; expect all the skills players to get involved against the Bulldogs.
Pat Hill always fields quality teams, and this year?s squad should be no exception. The entire offensive line returns from last year and the ?Dogs get 8 starters back on both sides of the ball. But the defense was pretty terrible last season and will need to prove itself before Fresno can be considered a true threat.
Cincinnati should win this road game and get off to a good start in 2010.
(this is not my play, but thought it was worth passing along, and a good read)
