Cincinnati Preview
November 09, 2006 11:00 AM | General
November 9, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Rich Rodriguez hopes some changes in the secondary and a more aggressive attitude will help jump start the West Virginia defense this Saturday afternoon when the Mountaineers take on Cincinnati in a Big East game at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 |
||
| Freshman Franchot "Boogie" Allen is expect to make his first career start at corner this Saturday.
Pete Emerson photo |
True freshman Franchot “Boogie” Allen is expected to make his first start at corner going up against Cincinnati’s big, physical wide receiver corps.
“Antonio (Lewis) is a little nicked up with his shoulder but he should be available for Saturday. Boogie is a big, physical guy that can run well,” said Rodriguez. “Cincinnati has got big, physical receivers.”
Rodriguez also mentioned that freshman Guesly Dervil could see more playing time in the secondary this weekend as well.
Cincinnati brings a 5-4 record into Morgantown, having won its last two conference games against South Florida and Syracuse at home. The Bearcats have played one of the toughest schedules in the country this year having already faced No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Louisville and No. 20 Virginia Tech.
Because of that, Rodriguez doesn’t expect a large and raucous crowd to bother Cincinnati on Saturday.
“I don’t think it will be much of a factor because they’ve been in that venue,” Rodriguez said. “It helps for us being at home and if we have a great crowd -- which I would expect with everybody into the game -- it always gives our guys an extra boost.”
Rodriguez sees a young and improving Bearcat team with plenty of playmakers on defense.
“I think their rush defense is first in the league,” he said. “They’ve been on a five-game roll where no one has rushed for more than 100 yards against them. They’re playing very aggressively and I think they are going to be very confident coming in.
“It’s going to be a physical, tough game. Our guys have got to prepare for a very tough and physical game. Everybody has played has said the same thing about them,” Rodriguez said.
Two speedy corners in John Bowie and Mike Mickens have allowed Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio to be aggressive up front.
“They put their corners in a lot of man-to-man coverage,” Rodriguez said. “They’ve got great speed with probably two of the fastest corners in the league. They’ve very athletic; their safeties will hit you, their linebackers are active and they’ve got one of the best nose guards in the league. They’ve got a good, aggressive scheme and they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”
Results against Ohio State holding the Buckeyes to just three first-quarter points and leading Virginia Tech in the second half in Blacksburg have gotten Rodriguez’s attention.
“I thought they held their own last year being extremely young and this year all those guys are playing and playing better,” he said. “They’ve done a pretty good job against everyone playing a pretty good schedule. They’ve played Ohio State, Louisville and Virginia Tech. The Virginia Tech was in the third quarter and it was like 9-7 or something like that.”
Sophomore Dustin Grutza has settled in at starting quarterback after splitting time with backup Nick Davila. Grutza is completing 61.6 percent of his passes for 1,423 yards and eight touchdowns. Five of his eight TD passes have come in the last four games.
“He’s been solid with the ball,” Rodriguez said. “They don’t want their quarterback to make mistakes and their skill guys – their running backs and wide outs – are big, physical guys. (Brent) Celek is one of the best tight ends in the league and I think without question he’s a pro prospect.”
Celek is the team leader with 27 receptions and 344 yards. Celek holds all of UC’s tight end receiving records and had a career-high 81 receiving yards in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky.
Earnest Jackson and Bill Poland each stand 6-3 and have combined for 33 catches this year at wide receiver. Six-two, 225-pound junior Greg Moore is Cincinnati’s top ball carrier gaining 522 yards while averaging 80.8 yards over his last five games.
Butler Benton and Bradley Glatthaar are both 200-plus-pounders who will also get carries. Rodriguez expects Cincinnati to try and pound the football and then open it up with play action passes.
“You’re not sure what you’re going to see especially with an open week,” he said. “I would think they are going to try and play physical, downhill football, do some play action on first and second down and hit their tight end a little bit to keep our defense off balance.”
Game time is noon and the contest will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Briefly:
 |
||
| Steve Slaton ran for 156 yards and scored a touchdown against Louisville last Thursday night.
AP photo |
“He tweaked it in the game along with the funny bone. That’s where the problem came but he’s fine now. He’s still taking treatments.”
Slaton injured his right wrist last year against Connecticut and may elect to have corrective surgery on it once the season is over.
“There are a variety of things the trainers think it might be,” Rodriguez said. “It might be a bone and it might be a ligament. He’s had that all season.”
The wrist ailments have done little to impair the Heisman Trophy contender. Slaton comes into the Cincinnati game ranked second in the nation in rushing averaging 151.8 yards per game. Slaton ran for 156 yards and a touchdown in three quarters of action against Louisville.
The coach noted that Warren Young suffered a slight concussion and was held out of Tuesday’s practice
“It may not be game time but also field position or what type of kick do we want,” Rodriguez said. “There are a lot of variables to who our punter will be.
“It’s not a question of Scott (Kozlowski) kicking bad but a matter of Pat kicking so well. Pat has really progressed in practice doing some of the different kicks that we want.”
Rodriguez was pretty happy with Dykes’ performance at nose last Thursday against Louisville.
“He can play all of the positions but our defense relies on the nose guard being pretty salty in there. He’s got to be able to hold the point pretty good,” Rodriguez said. “He’s probably the strongest D-lineman we’ve got and he’s got the most experience. With Liebig being banged up I thought that was a pretty good move.”
White has also completed 34 of 53 passes for 477 yards and a touchdown during that same span of games.
No quarterback in the country since the start of the 2005 season has rushed for more yards than White, who now shows 1,696 yards in 20 games.
