CINCINNATI — All the hype and anticipation is finally about to subsidie. A season of so many high hopes and expectations kicks off this afternoon for the Cincinnati Bearcats. But this isn’t just another Bearcats season starting. It’s a season that has Cincinnati ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll to start the season, meaning that there actually is a realistic path for the Bearcats to crash the College Football Playoff. That realistic path means going undefeated, which could happen. After going toe-to-toe with Georgia last year in the Peach Bowl in Georgia’s backyard in Atlanta- also known as my birthplace- this Bearcats program has proven they can play with anybody.
To go undefeated, that means Cincinnati will have to beat both Indiana and Notre Dame- two teams ranked in the top 25- on the road. Whether this team is able to accomplish that tall order will be decided by the first week of October, so regardless of what happens there will still be plenty to play for after the game at Notre Dame. Even if Cincinnati loses one or both against Indiana and Notre Dame, there will still be a full conference slate to run the table against once again, a potential conference championship to play for and quite possibly a second straight New Year’s Six bowl berth to snag. But beat both Indiana and Notre Dame, and woah nelly will there be plenty to play for come the start of conference play.
There is also plenty to play for today. First off, because it is a game, and every game matters, especially in college football. Second, it’s a rivalry game which adds to the intensity that every game presents, just ask Luke Fickell on his thoughts on the Battle for the Victory Bell and college football rivalries in general. With that, here is this week’s Bearcats football preview as the Bearcats prepare to take on Miami (OH) this afternoon.
The game: 8. Cincinnati vs. Miami (OH) – 3:30 p.m., Nippert Stadium – Cincinnati, Ohio
TV: ESPN+ (Connor Onion, Bobby Carpenter)
Radio: 102.7 WEBN and 700WLW (Dan Hoard, Jim Kelly Jr., Mo Egger)
Last time out: Anybody who followed the Bearcats closely in 2020 were witnesses to one of the most successful seasons in school history. Unfortunately, they were also witnesses to the devastating loss in the Peach Bowl against Georgia, a game in which the Bearcats led for the majority of. Winners of 31 games over the last three years, the Bearcats now enter this season with the highest preseason ranking ever for a Group of Five team at No. 8. Reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Year Desmond Ridder and Coach of the Year Luke Fickell return to lead the Bearcats as they look to defend their AAC championship, with maybe some icing on the cake this season.
Miami heavily felt the effects of COVID-19 on college football last season, as they only played three games total in 2020. That means they only got to play three games in their title defense season, defending their 2019 MAC championship. The RedHawks overcame a slow start in 2019 to finish strong in the regular season and earn a subsequent berth into the MAC championship game, which they won beating Central Michigan. Head coach Chuck Martin returns for his eighth season as head coach in Oxford, and has a lot of intriguing talent on both sides of the ball to work with this season.
Opening Thoughts: What better way to kick off the season than with a rivalry? That’s what the Bearcats will do this afternoon when they host the Miami (OH) RedHawks in the 125th Battle for the Victory Bell. Enough with opening up against Austin Peay. This is how you open a season, against your rival. That is, your rival you have won 14 straight games against. A win this afternoon would not only extend the Bearcats winning streak against Miami (OH) to 15 straight wins, but also tie the series all-time at 59 wins apiece.
When the Bearcats have the ball: When Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder led the Bearcats offense onto the field last year in the first four games, my thought process was hoping Ridder wouldn’t hold back the offense from reaching its potential. But heading into this year when Ridder leads the offense out onto the field, I’m wondering how high his ceiling is. Is the reigning AAC Offensive Player of the Year a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy? Is he a potential first-round draft pick?
However high his ceiling is, he is the leader of an offense that made dramatic strides last year to rank 17th nationally in scoring and 24th in total offense. That amounts out to 37.5 points per game and 451 yards per game. But where strides were made last year was the Bearcats offense becoming multidimensional and balanced. No longer leaning on the running game, especially when it came to Ridder’s play at quarterback, the Bearcats averaged 212.4 yards on the ground and 238.6 yards through the air. Ridder averaged a solid 229.6 yards per game passing last year, and that included back-to-back 300-yard performances against ECU and UCF to close out the regular-season. But he didn’t even remotely abandoned his athleticism as a runner, as Ridder turned in a solid 592 rushing yards over 10 games with seven scores, including a career-high 179 yards rushing against SMU in game four.
Last year’s leading rusher Gerrid Doaks graduated, but there is incoming talent to help make up for his departure. Clear the roads for “the Stanger” a.k.a, junior running back Jerome Ford. A transfer from Alabama, Ford burst onto the scene in Clifton last year with 116 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against Memphis, then followed that up with two scores against ECU and a scintillating 77-yard scamper through the Bulldogs defense in the Peach Bowl. Behind Ford is Charles McClelland, who looks to finally showcase his potential after going through torn ACLs in both knees thus far in his Bearcats career.
The Bearcats featured a balanced statistical record amongst its pass-catchers with four players amassing over 300 receiving yards. Three of those players return this season, including the returning leader in receiving yards and touchdowns in tight end Josh Whyle. Whyle will be bookended at tight end by Leonard Taylor, who shined in the Sunshine State last year with a 6-reception, 76-yard and touchdown performance at UCF. Alec Pierce and Michael Young Jr. return to help stretch the field, and each had three touchdowns and over 300 yards receiving last year. And don’t forget about players like Tre Tucker and Jordan Jones.
Miami on defense: It starts up front, and that holds true with Miami’s defense. Since 2018, the RedHawks rank second in the MAC with 80 sacks, including 13 despite only playing three games last season. Junior and two-time all-MAC defensive end Kameron Butler anchors the front line 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks in his last 17 games played, and he was aided last year by now senior Dominique Robinson’s 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Behind Miami’s budding defensive line is the linebacking corps anchored by sophomore Ivan Pace Jr., who in 2019 matched the NCAA record for sacks in a game with six. Senior Ryan McWood also had a strong 2019 season with 99 tackles. The secondary is led by junior safety Sterling Weatherford and senior safety Mike Brown, who will be starting his 27th straight game for the red and white and had two interceptions returned for a touchdown in 2019.
When Miami has the ball: Remember when the Bearcats defense sacked RedHawks quarterback Brett Gabbert five times back in 2019? Whether you believed it or not at the time, Gabbert went on to win the MAC Freshman of the Year while guiding the RedHawks to the MAC conference title. He’ll lead an offense that includes senior running back Jaylon Bester, who amassed 749 yards and 14 touchdowns in the championship ’19 season. Bester missed the shortened 2020 season with an injury, as did fellow running back in sophomore Tyre Sheton. Leading Miami in pass-catching is senior Jack Sorenson, whose final game last season saw him torch Akron for 177 yards and four touchdowns against Akron. Sophomore James Burns also returns after averaging 25.3 yards per receptions as a freshman in 2019.
Bearcats on defense: This defense is loaded, and that’s with factoring in all the players they lost from last year. Start up front with returning senior defensive end Myjai Sanders, a freak of an athlete and edge rusher who posted seven sacks and 10.5 takles for loss last year. Seniors Curtis Brooks and Malik Vann round out the defensive front with eight combined tackles for loss and 4.5 combined sacks in 2020. The linebackers feature a combination of veterans and youth, as senior Darian Beavers returns for his super-senior season and will be aided in experience by senior Joel Dublanko and junior Ty Van Fossen. Beavers is a monster at linebacker, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two interceptions. Van Fossen moves into the starting spot at strong side linebacker, coming off a five-tackles for loss, two-sack season, while Dublanko a season where he posted 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The secondary is strong, once again. Junior first team All-American Ahmad Garnder returns for his third season as cornerback, and opposite him is senior Coby Bryant. Gardner is extremely difficult to throw against, and more often than not will find the ball when opposing quarterbacks target him considering his three interceptions and six pass breakups last season. But Bryant was even better with four interceptions and seven pass break-ups. Seniors Bryan Cook and Ja’von Hicks man the two safety positions, and they’ll look to fill key players in Luke Fickell’s first four years in safeties Darrick Forrest and James Wiggins.
Frankie’s Gameplan to Victory
1. Respect the rivalry – For as much as I think the Bearcats should not be playing a game against Miami (OH) every year, and at all for that matter, the fact is that this is the longest-running rivalry west of the Allegheny Mountains. So regardless of what I think of the rivalry, the players have to respect it. And considering Luke Fickell has preached respecting the rivalry at press conferences over the years leading up to Miami game, this Bearcats team should come out with the intensity needed to win a rivalry game.
2. Overcome pregame jitters – All the hype anticipation is going to cease on Saturday afternoon, but how long will it take for them to? Especially with this being a rivalry game, how long will it take for the Bearcats to settle in, get in rhythm? Entering Saturday afternoon’s game as a 22.5-point favorite, it’s crucial for the Bearcats to not let the RedHawks hang around for too long and stomp their feet as the far-and-away superior team
3. Trench warfare – In addition to respecting rivalries, Luke Fickell has constantly lamented how he wants the Bearcats football program to be driven by the offensive and defensive lines. Both lines will have new faces heading into the season-opener, but the expectations remain the same: to protect Desmond Ridder and get after the opposing quarterback, in this case Miami’s Bret Gabbert.
Game Pick: Bearcats 41 Miami 14
It’s hard to make a prediction on the first game because these two teams have only been going up against themselves in Fall Camp leading up to this season-opener. But given that Miami only played three games last year and the experience the Bearcats have returning, I like the Bearcats chances to take control of the game and comfortably win their 15th straight Battle for the Victory Bell.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 