Cincinnati Preview
November 07, 2005 04:04 PM | General
November 7, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia takes its perfect 4-0 Big East Conference record into Nippert Stadium to face an improving Cincinnati Bearcat team Wednesday night in a game that will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
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| Running back Jason Colson carries a pair of defenders into the end zone during last Wednesday night's win against Connecticut in Morgantown.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Cincinnati (4-4) is coming off a 22-16 victory at Syracuse on Oct. 29 and it has won two of its last three games. The Bearcat defense limited Syracuse to just 52 yards rushing and scored the game-winning TD when linebacker Kevin McCullough returned an Orange fumble 17 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.
“They’re playing with a lot of confidence and I’m very impressed with their athletic ability,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. “Their guys play very, very hard and I know it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Dustin Grutza completed 16 of 25 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown and tailbacks Bradley Glatthaar and Greg Moore combined to run for 133 yards on 25 carries against Syracuse. Glatthaar, a sophomore, ranks eighth in the conference in rushing averaging 63.2 yards per game. Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio goes three-deep at the tailback position giving carries to promising sophomore Butler Benton as well.
“They’ve got three outstanding tailbacks that are all big and physical,” Rodriguez said. “Those three concern me and they’ve gotten our attention.”
Grutza beat out junior college All-American Nick Davila in spring practice and is putting together a fine freshman campaign. In eight games this season, Grutza is completing 53 percent of his passes for 1,279 yards and eight touchdowns. In a loss at Penn State earlier this year, Grutza completed 27 of 47 passes for 286 yards and a score.
“For a redshirt freshman I think he’s been really composed,” said Rodriguez. “The thing you worry about with young players is consistency and I think they’re more confident in him the last couple of weeks with the way he’s played.”
Six-three, 200-pound sophomore Earnest Jackson is developing into a big-play threat at wide receiver and shows a team-leading 22 catches for 311 yards and three scores. He is coming off a career-high seven-catch performance in the win at Syracuse.
“I think Jackson is a really great athlete,” Rodriguez noted. “You see him play and he’s a big, strong, fast guy. Their skill players on offense have done a great job.”
Senior Derick Ross also shows 22 receptions and ranks second to Jackson on the team in receiving yards with 246. Tight end Brent Celek is a factor in the passing game as well ranking third on the team in receptions with 21 including having a career-long 47-yard catch in the loss to Pitt.
“He’s one of the best in the league,” Rodriguez mentioned.
Cincinnati’s offensive line is more experienced on its left side with seniors Steve Eastlake and Ryan Brown playing alongside senior center Matt Webster. Freshman Trevor Canfield will start at right guard and sophomore Digger Bujnoch is expected to start at right tackle.
Defensively, Cincinnati is extremely young with 10 of its 22 players the two-deep roster being either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Senior defensive end Adam Roberts is the lone returning starter from last year’s front seven and he has had a consistent year. Roberts is UC’s leader in sacks with four and co-leader in TFL with 8.5.
“They play hard and I think their coaches are doing a really good job with them,” Rodriguez said of Cincinnati’s young defense.
Both starting defensive tackles are true freshmen in Thomas Claggett and Terrill Byrd, as well as starting defensive end Trevor Anderson. The Bearcats have a total of five first-year freshmen starters on defense. Cincinnati ranks last in the conference in total defense giving up 386.6 yards per game and scoring defense allowing 29.0 points per game.
On the flip side, West Virginia (7-1) brings the conference’s No. 1-rated defense into the Queen City. The Mountaineers are permitting just 269.9 yards per game including a very stingy 94.9 yards per game on the ground.
“They can very easily adjust to the multitude of formations that they see throughout the season,” said Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio, who coordinated Ohio State’s defense the year the Buckeyes won the national title. “From a player’s standpoint they learn certain techniques; it’s simple yet very comprehensive so they’re able to play very fast in it. They’re a very aggressive defense and they play down hill.”
UC’s second-year coach says his team must try and establish a running game to be effective moving the ball against the Mountaineers Wednesday night.
“That’s who we are,” he said. “I don’t think that we’re a football team that can come back and throw 60 times a game and be ultra successful. We have to do a little of both and we have to stay balanced and keep them off balanced by doing that.”
Rich Rodriguez confirmed Monday that both tailback Steve Slaton and fullback Owen Schmitt should be ready for Wednesday’s game, as well as co-starting quarterback Adam Bednarik, though redshirt freshman Pat White will get his second consecutive start.
White completed seven of 16 passes for a season-high 106 yards against Connecticut and ran 12 times for 63 yards and a pair of 14-yard touchdowns. For the season White has completed 38 of 68 passes for 478 yards and four touchdowns. He also ranks second on the team in rushing gaining 367 yards and scoring three TDs.
“Pat White has a knack of taking a play when he’s in trouble and turning that into a huge play for them,” Dantonio said. “I’m very impressed with how they came back against Louisville and how they played against Connecticut.”
Slaton ranks third in the Big East averaging 88.3 yards per game and he rushed for 71 yards and scored a touchdown in one half of action last Wednesday against Connecticut. Schmitt is averaging a team-best 7.5 yards per rush.
Brandon Myles is West Virginia’s top pass catcher with 26 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Darius Reynaud is the only other receiver with double-figure receptions, showing 16 for 156 yards and two scores.
Senior Mike Lorello and junior Kevin McLee are one and two in tackles with 55 and 53 respectively. Lorello also has six tackles for losses, three sacks, three interceptions and has forced four fumbles.
“They fly around and they do a great job of stopping the run and forcing turnovers,” said Dantonio. “They’ve been pressuring the quarterback of late and they’ve got some excellent players in Lorello and (Jahmile) Addae. They’re good up front moving people in and out.”
The Mountaineers will bus to Cincinnati Tuesday morning in time for a light afternoon workout at Nippert Stadium. Dave Barnett, Craig James and Holly Rowe will once again call the game for ESPN.
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