CINCY BEARCATS
With 16 starters returning from last year's team that finished second in Conference USA and earned a bid to play in the Motor City Bowl, Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter knows that the 2002 Bearcats have the potential to be the most talented squad that he has coached in his nine seasons in Clifton. But Minter also knows that the 2002 schedule is a difficult one and, as he often says, "you cannot predict the future based on the past." The Bearcats can't afford to rest on their accomplishments of the previous two seasons if they want to accomplish even better things this fall.
The 16 starters and 40 lettermen who return give the Bearcats a good nucleus to work from while a group of talented underclassmen will be called on to fill in the gaps and provide depth to the squad.
The challenge ahead for Minter will be to find the best way to utilize the blend of players to find replacements for the six starters and 21 lettermen who have departed.
The offense returns the nucleus of the unit that ranked third all-time in total offense (4,579 yards) and fourth in scoring (29.1 ppg). Led by Conference USA Freshman of the Year Gino Guidugli at quarterback, running back DeMarco McCleskey and receivers LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger, the offense returns all but one skill position player.
The strength of the defense will be on the line and in the secondary. The secondary boasts the return of starters Ivan Fields and Doug Monaghan at safety and cornerback Zach Norton. Three starters are back on the line, including ends Antwan Peek and Derrick Adams and tackle DeMarcus Billings.
Special teams features 2000 Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin at kicker but will need to find a replacement for three-time All-Conference USA punter Adam Wulfeck.
The school-record 13-game schedule should provide Cincinnati with a significant challenge.
After opening the season at home on Labor Day (Sept. 2) against TCU, the Bearcats host consecutive home games against West Virginia (Sept. 14) and Ohio State (Sept. 21). It will be the first time that Ohio State has played a road game against another Ohio school since 1934 and the Buckeyes first appearance in Cincinnati since 1897.
The Offense
The bulk of the offense returns after a strong showing in 2001 and the coaching staff will be challenged to find new and creative ways to utilize the long list of skilled returners.
Though the offense returns eight starters and 15 members from last year's two-deep, there are several areas of concern.
The biggest comes on the offensive line where four regulars are back but Minter will have to find the replacements for a pair of All-Conference USA performers.
The lone starter gone among the skill performers is running back Ray Jackson, who was second on the team in rushing with 592 yards and third with 27 catches for 455 yards, the most receiving yards by a back in school history.
The strength of the offense will be the passing game where Gino Guidugli returns after throwing for 2,573 yards and 16 touchdowns. He will have all three starting wide receivers back - LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger - who combined for 142 catches for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Quarterback
Returners Yr. Att. Com. Yds. TD
Gino Guidugli So. 317 185 2,573 16
George Murray So. 14 8 130 1
The biggest question is which quarterback will backup starter Gino Guidugli?
Guidugli, the unanimous choice as the 2001 C-USA Freshman of the Year, is destined to start after setting school and conference records for passes attempted, completed, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense (2,498).
A fourth team Freshman All-America choice by The Sporting News, Guidugli was thrust into the starting lineup during the second week of the season when starter Adam Hoover suffered a season-ending injury.
Guidugli shined from the onset, completing 31-of-41 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in his debut against Army, bringing UC from behind three times in the fourth quarter. His 12-yard scoring strike to Tye Keith with seven seconds left capped the win.
The rest of the season proved to be a showcase for the brilliant passing and leadership skills of Guidugli as he guided the Bearcats back from double-digit deficits or to last-second scores five times during the year.
No game exhibited Guidugli's leadership skills better than the C-USA finale at Memphis. He led UC on a dramatic 11 play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes for a 36-34 win. Included in the drive was a miraculous 36-yard completion to Jon Olinger on a 4th-and-27 play, setting up the 13-yard scoring strike to Olinger with four seconds left.
The backup job will have plenty of combatants, including senior John Leonard, sophomore George Murray and freshman Billy Faulkner.
Leonard emerged from spring drills a year ago with the starting assignment only to be slowed, and then knocked out, by a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow. Surgery followed early in the fall and he will not be cleared to throw until early in the summer.
If healthy, Leonard possesses the experience and skills to claim the assignment. A transfer from Arizona State, he played in 10 games for the Sun Devils in 1999 and threw for 2,765 yards and 31 touchdowns in 1998 at El Camino College.
The primary stumbling block that will keep Murray from claiming the backup slot is that he is too talented to be relegated to bench duty.
Murray's athleticism has him destined to fill the slash role-quarterback, running back, receiver - made popular by Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart and exemplified by former Bearcat Chad Plummer. His size and quickness make him an excellent candidate for the fourth receiver slot while his running ability and field vision let him excel as a running quarterback.
Murray gave Bearcat fans a good view of his skills in the East Carolina game. Taking over for an injured Guidugli in the second half, he rushed for a pair of touchdowns to almost bring UC back from a 28-6 deficit.
With the skilled trio ahead of him, Faulkner will most likely redshirt this fall to allow him time to adjust to collegiate football. He threw for 6,096 yards and 63 touchdowns in four years at Harrison County (Ky.) High.
Wide Receiver
Returners Yr. Rec. Yds. TD
LaDaris Vann Sr. 73 902 3
Tye Keith Sr. 42 578 4
Jon Olinger Sr. 27 469 7
Daven Holly So. 4 28 0
George Murray II So. 1 23 0
The versatility of the receiving unit is one of the strengths of the offense. The three returning starters - LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger - rank among the best in school history. The trio combined to make 142 catches for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago, a figure unmatched at UC in over 30 years
The UC record holder for career receptions, Vann begins his senior campaign with career totals of 133 catches for 1,739 yards. He led Conference USA and ranked 16th in the nation with 73 catches for 902 yards a year ago to earn first team all-league honors.
Vann caught four or more passes in every game a year ago to extend his reception streak to 32 straight games, two short of the school record.
Vann is especially effective when he gets the ball on the run, which allows him to use his open-field running ability to turn a short catch into a long gain.
Keith is the most unheralded of the primary receivers, owning career totals of 86 catches for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns. He is one of only 13 receivers to catch passes for more than 1,000 yards in a career and he has an ongoing streak of multiple receptions in 17 straight games.
Keith complements Vann well, owning the speed and instincts to catch the ball down the field. When opponents key on Vann too much, Keith has shown the ability to take over a game.
Such was the case at Army last year when he caught a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes, including the game-winner with seven seconds left.
Olinger emerged as the deep threat in the offense a year ago, making 27 catches for 469 yards with seven touchdowns, the third-highest TD total in school history.
At 6-3, Olinger is the biggest target among the receivers and combined with his 4.61 speed in the 40, makes him the team's best deep threat. He has proven adept at fighting off defenders to make the tough grab, evidenced by his performance at Memphis last year when he made six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
As good as the first three receivers are, the rest of the rotation is equally as inexperienced.
Only two other returning receivers - sophomores Daven Holly and George Murray - have caught passes in their careers and freshmen Carl Jones and Derick Ross have yet to play a down.
Murray, who will also see some time at quarterback, has minimal playing time at receiver though his size, speed and athleticism give him the perfect skills for the spread passing attack.
Holly was slow to mature in 2001 and saw his playing time diminish as other receivers emerged. He is the fastest player on the team, owning a 4.39 average in the 40.
With 16 starters returning from last year's team that finished second in Conference USA and earned a bid to play in the Motor City Bowl, Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter knows that the 2002 Bearcats have the potential to be the most talented squad that he has coached in his nine seasons in Clifton. But Minter also knows that the 2002 schedule is a difficult one and, as he often says, "you cannot predict the future based on the past." The Bearcats can't afford to rest on their accomplishments of the previous two seasons if they want to accomplish even better things this fall.
The 16 starters and 40 lettermen who return give the Bearcats a good nucleus to work from while a group of talented underclassmen will be called on to fill in the gaps and provide depth to the squad.
The challenge ahead for Minter will be to find the best way to utilize the blend of players to find replacements for the six starters and 21 lettermen who have departed.
The offense returns the nucleus of the unit that ranked third all-time in total offense (4,579 yards) and fourth in scoring (29.1 ppg). Led by Conference USA Freshman of the Year Gino Guidugli at quarterback, running back DeMarco McCleskey and receivers LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger, the offense returns all but one skill position player.
The strength of the defense will be on the line and in the secondary. The secondary boasts the return of starters Ivan Fields and Doug Monaghan at safety and cornerback Zach Norton. Three starters are back on the line, including ends Antwan Peek and Derrick Adams and tackle DeMarcus Billings.
Special teams features 2000 Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin at kicker but will need to find a replacement for three-time All-Conference USA punter Adam Wulfeck.
The school-record 13-game schedule should provide Cincinnati with a significant challenge.
After opening the season at home on Labor Day (Sept. 2) against TCU, the Bearcats host consecutive home games against West Virginia (Sept. 14) and Ohio State (Sept. 21). It will be the first time that Ohio State has played a road game against another Ohio school since 1934 and the Buckeyes first appearance in Cincinnati since 1897.
The Offense
The bulk of the offense returns after a strong showing in 2001 and the coaching staff will be challenged to find new and creative ways to utilize the long list of skilled returners.
Though the offense returns eight starters and 15 members from last year's two-deep, there are several areas of concern.
The biggest comes on the offensive line where four regulars are back but Minter will have to find the replacements for a pair of All-Conference USA performers.
The lone starter gone among the skill performers is running back Ray Jackson, who was second on the team in rushing with 592 yards and third with 27 catches for 455 yards, the most receiving yards by a back in school history.
The strength of the offense will be the passing game where Gino Guidugli returns after throwing for 2,573 yards and 16 touchdowns. He will have all three starting wide receivers back - LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger - who combined for 142 catches for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Quarterback
Returners Yr. Att. Com. Yds. TD
Gino Guidugli So. 317 185 2,573 16
George Murray So. 14 8 130 1
The biggest question is which quarterback will backup starter Gino Guidugli?
Guidugli, the unanimous choice as the 2001 C-USA Freshman of the Year, is destined to start after setting school and conference records for passes attempted, completed, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense (2,498).
A fourth team Freshman All-America choice by The Sporting News, Guidugli was thrust into the starting lineup during the second week of the season when starter Adam Hoover suffered a season-ending injury.
Guidugli shined from the onset, completing 31-of-41 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in his debut against Army, bringing UC from behind three times in the fourth quarter. His 12-yard scoring strike to Tye Keith with seven seconds left capped the win.
The rest of the season proved to be a showcase for the brilliant passing and leadership skills of Guidugli as he guided the Bearcats back from double-digit deficits or to last-second scores five times during the year.
No game exhibited Guidugli's leadership skills better than the C-USA finale at Memphis. He led UC on a dramatic 11 play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes for a 36-34 win. Included in the drive was a miraculous 36-yard completion to Jon Olinger on a 4th-and-27 play, setting up the 13-yard scoring strike to Olinger with four seconds left.
The backup job will have plenty of combatants, including senior John Leonard, sophomore George Murray and freshman Billy Faulkner.
Leonard emerged from spring drills a year ago with the starting assignment only to be slowed, and then knocked out, by a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow. Surgery followed early in the fall and he will not be cleared to throw until early in the summer.
If healthy, Leonard possesses the experience and skills to claim the assignment. A transfer from Arizona State, he played in 10 games for the Sun Devils in 1999 and threw for 2,765 yards and 31 touchdowns in 1998 at El Camino College.
The primary stumbling block that will keep Murray from claiming the backup slot is that he is too talented to be relegated to bench duty.
Murray's athleticism has him destined to fill the slash role-quarterback, running back, receiver - made popular by Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart and exemplified by former Bearcat Chad Plummer. His size and quickness make him an excellent candidate for the fourth receiver slot while his running ability and field vision let him excel as a running quarterback.
Murray gave Bearcat fans a good view of his skills in the East Carolina game. Taking over for an injured Guidugli in the second half, he rushed for a pair of touchdowns to almost bring UC back from a 28-6 deficit.
With the skilled trio ahead of him, Faulkner will most likely redshirt this fall to allow him time to adjust to collegiate football. He threw for 6,096 yards and 63 touchdowns in four years at Harrison County (Ky.) High.
Wide Receiver
Returners Yr. Rec. Yds. TD
LaDaris Vann Sr. 73 902 3
Tye Keith Sr. 42 578 4
Jon Olinger Sr. 27 469 7
Daven Holly So. 4 28 0
George Murray II So. 1 23 0
The versatility of the receiving unit is one of the strengths of the offense. The three returning starters - LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger - rank among the best in school history. The trio combined to make 142 catches for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago, a figure unmatched at UC in over 30 years
The UC record holder for career receptions, Vann begins his senior campaign with career totals of 133 catches for 1,739 yards. He led Conference USA and ranked 16th in the nation with 73 catches for 902 yards a year ago to earn first team all-league honors.
Vann caught four or more passes in every game a year ago to extend his reception streak to 32 straight games, two short of the school record.
Vann is especially effective when he gets the ball on the run, which allows him to use his open-field running ability to turn a short catch into a long gain.
Keith is the most unheralded of the primary receivers, owning career totals of 86 catches for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns. He is one of only 13 receivers to catch passes for more than 1,000 yards in a career and he has an ongoing streak of multiple receptions in 17 straight games.
Keith complements Vann well, owning the speed and instincts to catch the ball down the field. When opponents key on Vann too much, Keith has shown the ability to take over a game.
Such was the case at Army last year when he caught a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes, including the game-winner with seven seconds left.
Olinger emerged as the deep threat in the offense a year ago, making 27 catches for 469 yards with seven touchdowns, the third-highest TD total in school history.
At 6-3, Olinger is the biggest target among the receivers and combined with his 4.61 speed in the 40, makes him the team's best deep threat. He has proven adept at fighting off defenders to make the tough grab, evidenced by his performance at Memphis last year when he made six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
As good as the first three receivers are, the rest of the rotation is equally as inexperienced.
Only two other returning receivers - sophomores Daven Holly and George Murray - have caught passes in their careers and freshmen Carl Jones and Derick Ross have yet to play a down.
Murray, who will also see some time at quarterback, has minimal playing time at receiver though his size, speed and athleticism give him the perfect skills for the spread passing attack.
Holly was slow to mature in 2001 and saw his playing time diminish as other receivers emerged. He is the fastest player on the team, owning a 4.39 average in the 40.
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