UC Primed to take control of the Big(L)East
Posted by UFreak in 
How much does WVU miss Richy Rod?…..A TON!…..Bill Stewart is certainly a respectable guy, and an awesome grandpa too, I’ll bet. He is NO Richy Rod though, and the Mountaineers are going to fall back into the unranked abyss for a spell. At the very least-for the short term! Everyone was all wrapped up in the fuzzy-warm story of how Grandpa Bill took over the team amidst the turmoil of Richy jumping ship, and destroyed Stoops’ Sooners in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl game. The last great game they’ve played!
That memory might be all these mountaineers have to grip to, as they watch the changing of the Guard in the Big(L)East. Cincinnati has the direction and the Coach, to become the staple Big(L)East team for the next decade! That is, of course, unless BEE-rye Kelly decides his paychecks are too small and jumps off and into Notre Dame…and obviously that’s a valid concern. Still, with RECORD numbers of student filling the ranks, and a sizable bank account (figuratively speaking) left over from the Nancy Zimpher years, UC could secure Kelly with a powerful contract that just might keep him in town. Now, it “might” come at the expense of the Basketball program!….As were the days of yore, when Huggy-Chicken ran the roost and Football was intentionally suppressed! The smart people seem to think Cronin is just WAITING to fill the void after Pitino retires from Louisville. Apparently lowering the basketball budget is also something Mick sees (and now FEELS) as part of the pending UC future.
Back to WestVirginny!…..They were handed an 11-point loss to Offensively challenged Auburn, on “The Plains”! and now, they’re bragging about beating Colorado (HEY!,..Colorado, how do you miss 3 FG;s in one game?)! Yeah, the same team that Toledo hung 54 on (Colorado), the Mountaineers are boasting about beating by eleven! THAT’S how much they miss Richie Rod, even if they’ll never (pride and hatred) say it!
Oct. 1
at West Virginia 35 … Colorado 24
Noel Devine ripped off a 77-yard touchdown run and Jarrett Brown connected with Jock Sanders for a six-yard score and Brad Starks for a 48-yard touchdown as West Virginia won a sloppy game. Colorado stayed alive on a 36-yard Rodney Stewart touchdown run and got a 29-yard touchdown catch from Scotty McKnight, but three interceptions, three missed field goals from Aric Goodman, and two short touchdown runs from West Virginia’s Ryan Clarke were too much to overcome. The Mountaineers turned it over four times, all on fumbles.
Player of the Game: West Virginia RB Noel Devine ran 22 times for 220 yards and a touchdown
Colorado: Passing: Cody Hawkins, 27-52, 292 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Rodney Stewart, 21-105, 1 TD, Receiving: Scotty McKnight, 9-98, 1 TD
West Virginia: Passing: Jarrett Brown, 12-19, 148 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Noel Devine, 22-220, 1 TD, Receiving: Brad Starks, 3-68, 1 TD
What It All Means: West Virginia gave Colorado several chances to take over the game, but the Buffs didn’t take advantage. The defense couldn’t slow down Noel Devine and the Mountaineer running game, but the bigger problem was CU’s own ineffectiveness on offense. Cody Hawkins threw 52 times, but the passing game only gained 292 yards with three rough interceptions. To have any chance at Texas next week, the offense has to be perfect while the defense can’t give up the big plays it allowed in Morgantown.
Richie Rod, on the other hand, has seemingly weathered the early storm and has his team “on-the-grow” in Ann Arbor (who Buckeye fans think is a whore,…???). Some much he might even get that “comped” round of Golf in this year, at the University course he’s wanted so badly.(It’s a private course you know: http://www.worldgolf.com/courses/usa/michigan/annarbor/university-of-michigan-golf-course-private.html). You do have to look past that close game against Indiana to FULLY appreciated the Phoenix Richie is experiencing!
What does this all mean?….It means UC is in the driver’s seat BABY!, the one left empty by WVU, Louisville, and USF primarily. Rutgers is strongly considered the next best team (now) in the conference, and of course UC destroyed them IN New Jersey(What exit?) a few weeks ago! ….UConn, Pitt and Syracuse are out looking in, and this was supposed to be a DOWN year for Kelly’s Hero’s; following an Orange Bowl season that saw all but one defender leave! Mardy Gilyard and Private Pike have made it look easy, but they’ve had a lot of help too! This team could be scary good if they’re able to maintain this focus and keep this Coach. So much in fact, that the Basketballer fans might just get over the loss of the POWERFUL CUSA teams from years past! They were paper-tigers anyway!…under .500 in the Tourney, only one Final 4?….The Football team will beat that with another BCS Bowl appearance THIS year!
One of the GOOD ONES!
MARDY GILYARD!. Today Paul Daugherty filled the Sports page with a good read (rare, sure!), but it was Gilyard who provided the inspiration. This story is so good (the real life one, not perticularly Daugherty’s) that it should be a movie so the whole nation can understand what this kid has done with his life. If you missed the story in the paper, and I can understand if you did, here it is: GILYARD
What the NFL has produced in wr’s is usually some ass-hat like TO, Chud Johnson or the old Randy Moss…..What Mardy Gilyard has become, and I’d hope he stays, is certainly anything but “them”! This is not a reflection on any lack of talent (he’s shown us that already!), but strictly on the fact he’s done what he has, and NOT been lost on the lessons. This kid deserves everything he’s gonna get, playing on Sunday’s next year, and hopefully he can inspire more players to follow in his footsteps. These are the players the media should be exploiting over-and-over, not the ones with the sh.tty attitudes and lack of respect.
IF you take one thing from Paul D’s story, take this: …”Every day I get here, I feel so blessed”. I relish every millie-second I have here. I don’t expect nothing. Sometimes, you might feel like people owe you something. I don’t”.
I’ve long waited for the UC Football program to become relevant, and having one of the leaders on this team turn out like this guy makes it all that much sweeter. Great job, great talent, Mr Gilyard.
It would by MY Xmas wish that SOP and his family of Bungle-brass do whatever they can to bring him in as Chud’s replacement, for 2010!…sadly, he doesn’t quite have that negative element that SOP covets so much.
Tim Tebow-like?….Did they REALLY say that…
…about THESE Cincinnati Bearcats?….Yes they did, and deservingly so! 47-15 AT Rutgers? Mr Kelly, what are you gonna say when the Bungles come calling?….Please say you like winning more than the move to their semi-Pro program!
UCincinnati Bearcats Football; there just might be a DOMinant Football program in this town now, and they look damn good!
PIKE TO GILYARD!,…TOUCHDOWN!!!!!…get use to it guys, those two are 2 GOOD players. 362 yards, 3 TD’s (one INT) and Gilyard hauled in 8 passes for 89 yards and a TD! They rushed well, which was huge, considering they haven’t done that much in the past. They blew past the 500 yard mark on Offense and that was done in game one, ON the road!….Hard to imagine this will be maintained, but think of the possibilities!…Great game UCats!….& nice work Mr Kelly!
PRIME TIME CATS?……looking GOOD!
UC Football – 2009
UC Football 2009 KICKS-OFF, officially, with BEARCAT BOWL III!!!!!….Saturday April 25th, 2009 @ The NIP!…7pm (dress for rain!)
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2009-2010 SCHEDULE
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| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result |
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| Sat., Sep. 5 | at Rutgers * | Piscataway, N.J. | TBA |
| Sat., Sep. 12 | vs. Southeast Missouri State | Nippert Stadium | TBA |
| Sat., Sep. 19 | at Oregon State | Corvallis, Ore. | TBA |
| Sat., Sep. 26 | vs. Fresno State | Nippert Stadium | TBA |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | at Miami (OH) | Oxford, Ohio | TBA |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | at USF *  |
Tampa, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | vs. Louisville * | Nippert Stadium | TBA |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | at Syracuse * | Syracuse, N.Y. | TBA |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | vs. Connecticut * | Nippert Stadium | TBA |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | vs. West Virginia * |
Nippert Stadium | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | vs. Illinois | Nippert Stadium | TBA |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | at Pittsburgh * |
Pittsburgh, Pa. | TBA |
…….I’m UCrazy, and I approve this schedule
Meet your NEWEST UCats!
| Blake Annen | TE |  |
6-4 | 215 | - | 5.3 |  |
Upper Arlington , OH | |
| Maalik Bomar | LB | |
6-1 | 187 | 4.5 | 5.6 | |
Cincinnati, OH | |
| DeMarkus Bracy | TE | |
6-4 | 235 | - | 5.2 | Flint, MI | ||
| Austen Bujnoch | OL | |
6-5 | 265 | 4.8 | 5.6 | |
Cincinnati, OH | |
| Angel Clybourn | LB | |
6-1 | 225 | 4.6 | 5.3 | |
Blairstown, NJ | |
| Andre Cureton | OL | |
6-6 | 280 | - | 5.3 | |
Indianapolis, IN | |
| Romel Dismuke | DB | |
5-8 | 180 | 4.5 | 5.3 | |
Cleveland, OH | |
| Ricky Harris | DT | |
6-2 | 321 | 5 | 5.5 | |
Westerville, OH | |
| Michael Hilty | DE | |
6-4 | 227 | - | 5.3 | |
Powell, OH | |
| Everett Horne | DB | |
5-9 | 160 | 4.5 | 5.5 | |
Cincinnati, OH | |
| Jamar Howard | WR | |
6-4 | 210 | 4.5 | 5.8 | Visalia, CA | ||
| Malik James | DB | |
6-1 | 190 | 4.4 | 5.6 | |
Torrance, CA | |
| Reuben Johnson | DB | |
5-9 | 175 | 4.4 | 5.4 | Atco, NJ | ||
| Josh Jones | WR | |
6-1 | 205 | 4.5 | 5.6 | |
Cincinnati, OH | |
| Mitch Kessel | OL | |
6-5 | 245 | 4.75 | 5.4 | |
Birmingham, MI | |
| Tristin Marvin | LB | |
6-3 | 200 | - | 5.2 | Cincinnati, OH | ||
| Sean McClellan | DT | |
6-4 | 245 | 4.9 | 5.3 | |
Cincinnati, OH | |
| Mitch Meador | DE | |
6-3 | 230 | - | 5.3 | |
Greenwood, IN | |
| Patrick O’Donnell | K | |
6-4 | 205 | - | 5.1 | Wellington, FL | ||
| Ryan Paxson | DE | |
6-6 | 204 | - | 5.2 | |
Brighton, MI | |
| Will Saddler | LB | |
6-5 | 225 | - | 5.6 | |
Columbus, IN | |
| Dan Sprague | DE | |
6-3 | 250 | - | 5.3 | Worthington, OH | ||
| Jordan Stepp | DT | |
6-0 | 286 | 4.7 | 5.7 | |
Indianapolis, IN | |
| Chris Williams | DB | |
5-11 | 185 | 4.5 | 5.8 | |
Cincinnati, OH |
Chris Williams, from Winton Woods, lends 4-star credibility to this Kelly Klass!….ranked 59th nationally, and 5th in the Big East.
Following their accession as Big Dog in the BigEast, some might have picture this class a little more “Rosey”…..but, the reality is that you need to maintain a level, before the high riches are yours. heck, UWV hasn’t needed a top 10 class to stay in the hunt for the last several years, and Boise State was built primarily on 2′s and 1-stars!
Kelly’s done a FINE job, and will continue to build up the program…..Jamar Howard (a 4-star WR) should help right away, and when teamed up with Vidal Hazelton in 2010, should form a GREAT 1-2 receiving tandum!
VIVA Vidal! (Hazelton)
Wide Receiver Vidal Hazelton, of USCw fame, is seriously considering the UCincy Football program?-(his other option is Syracuse?…REALLY!?!?!?)….with the 4-star DB they just hauled in, this could be the early start of some GOOD things in Clifton, this year!
Most should remember this big name player from 2005 recruiting, and how his Dad wasn’t going to sign the scholly paperwork for USCw, ’cause he wanted his son to go to PennState!….well, people laughed ’cause PennState was just about to implode, and their Coach was too old for the game!….Well,…maybe ”Papa-Haze” knew a little something?…eh? Anyway, this guy was, and still is, an explosive WR option!… Let’s hope B Kelly and the UCats have him forin the ’10 campaign!
Kelly might not have gotten the most out of his TEAM, while in Miami (Orange Bowl) but he IS, apparently, getting some good mileage out of the BIGEast Title! Vidal Sassoon, uh,…Hazelton, is huge for a couple of reasons. ONE, While he’ll only get ONE year to play, he WILL be doing so as a 5th year Senior!,- a mature player!….TWO: He’s going to have the motivation of a PRO career staring him in the face. THREE: Gilyard will have graduated, leaving him as the go-to guy, and FOUR: Big name players, help recruit other big-name players!
This is the Kelly era!…..and you gotta like what you see! I always knew College Football (in Cincy) could be bigger than College Basketball!……
UCincinnati Bearcats Football
The dream kinda melted away this year for the Bearcats, in the Orange Bowl. The ‘Cats seemed more caught up in the moment, more than they did over-matched by their opponent. Tony Pike, the Bearcat (rs)Junior QB seemed the MOST affected, throwing 4 INT’s and helping the VTech defense shut down a well constructed Bearcat game plan.
All this is well known, and even “weller” documented. While the Bearcats graduate a lot of starters, there is every reason to believe we are in store for a another good year in 2009. A trip to Pasadena might be a little optimistic but then again, so was an Orange Bowl trip THIS year! Could the Bearcats be Gator-good next year?….Who knows!?! The thing we do know is that UC is moving FORWARD, and they appear to be the only “game” in town that is!
The BEST news that came out of Miami on January 1st, was the re-commitment to the team that Mardy Gilyard pledged. How the Semi’noles, Gators and ‘Canes allowed this kid out of the State of Florida, is puzzling. Considering ALL the teams that recruit in Florida, its also odd to think he made his way to Cincinnati, of all possible locations. His early days weren’t filled with awards, even though he came from a class 5A State Champion level program, and earned several awards.
Mardy Gilyard in 2008: 81 catches for 1276 yards, 11 TD’s and 6 games with over 100 yards (one game against USF with 98yards rec.) in 13 regular season games, capped by a sensational 158 yard, 7-catch (one TD) performance against one of the best defenses in the country. This guy is Michael Crabtree good!…..They’re styles are different, and he’s not Michael Crabtree-”like”, but he’s Michael Crabtree-GOOD! UC wasn’t nearly as explosive as Texas Tech was obviously, but Gilyards impact on the team was just as strong. AND!, the key to their success involved getting him the ball as much as possible. Plus, I bet Crabtree never lived in his car after losing his scholly for a year, either!
I’m sure he’s got an NFL career in front of him, and from everything I’ve heard about this guy he’s deserving of all he’s got coming. Here’s just ONE thanks, to Mr Gilyard, for coming back to UC for his Senior season. Not exclusively for the impact he’ll bring to the Football team, but to finishing the education process too!
…”Pike to Gilyard, TOUCHDOWN!”…
CONGRATES TO UC!,…and the great fans!
UC had everything they needed last night…..The team, the Coach, the plays, and the support. The only thing they lacked was the big-game experience, and that may have cost them the game. They left a LOT of points out there, and though the picks were on Pike they all played a part in the loss.
GREAT season, and a great job by Kelly. He had a game plan that could have won, it just didn’t work out because of one intangible…..experience in this kind of game.
Four INT’s will be rememebred as the reason, but UC is in GOOD Hands with Pike -next season. They lose a LOT of Senior players, and that’s gonna be felt, but you just HAVE to be excited with the direction this team is taking…..Listen up Bungle-brass!…If UC can do it, you should be able to,…too!
VTech wasn’t the better team last night, they just were able to take what was given to them, and they handled the ‘it” better. “IT” was the big-game aura that comes from playing in the upper level bowl games. UC will be back!…not saying te BIGEast stinks and they’ll walk thru it, just that they are moving up in the College Football World and finally have a Coach to take them there.