Aug. 3, 2008

Since I was covering the Cincinnati Masters in Mason for the (ahem) New York Times on Sunday, I didn't go for the first practice in Higher Ground. In lieu of that, I've broken down the team by offense, defense and special teams and talked about what each unit needs to have happen and what it doesn't want to have happen this season. Digest this while I go out to Higher Ground on Monday afternoon.

I was going to write this leading into Thursday's season-opening practice, but there are still some kinks to be worked out on the blog. Soon, we'll have comments and an e-mail address where you can reach me. It's pretty much going to be awesome.

Offense:

What UC needs to see: Dustin Grutza taking over the QB position and making it his.

Demetrius Jones isn't physically ready yet, and there are still questions - I think even by the coaches - whether Grutza can handle this job. If Grutza dominates from the beginning, that'd be a pretty good indication that he can have (at least some of) the success Ben Mauk had last year. This, of course, assumes Mauk won't be eligible to play. Anything less, and Jones, when he's healthy, will challenge for the starting spot.

What UC hopes to see: A renewed running game.

The three seniors last year - Butler Benton, Greg Moore and Bradley Glatthaar - combined for 1,092 yards, but together, they ... I don't know ... just weren't all that impressive on a consistent basis. There's a reason Jacob Ramsey took over toward the latter part of the season. He was the best of the bunch, and he should take that confidence and experience into his junior season. He'll be pushed by John Goebel and a host of freshmen who will look to cut into his playing time, but if Ramsey and Goebel can make a nice 1-2 punch, that would take some pressure of Grutza.

What UC doesn't want to see: Offensive line problems. To be honest, I don't see this happening. The Bearcats lost one of their best in Digger Bujnoch, but Trevor Canfield will take over his leadership role, along with returning starter Khalil El-Amin and (sometimes starters) Jeff Linkenbach and Chris Jurek. The only question is offensive guard Jason Kelce, who was moved from center last season and hasn't logged a ton of game time. Coaches seem confident in him, though.

What UC needs to see: Defensive ends to replace Angelo Craig and Anthony Hoke.

There's no question the performances of those two graduated standouts contributed to a secondary that recorded many interceptions. I'm really interested to see how Connor Barwin performs here. I think he's going to be just fine, because of his work ethic and athleticism. Lamonte Nelms showed promise last year, finishing with 10 tackles for a loss and 4 ½ sacks, both of which were third-best on the squad. Craig and Hoke were very good - Hoke, especially - but Barwin and Nelms should be fine replacing them.

What UC hopes to see: Brandon Underwood getting academically eligible and the safety position settling.

BK says Underwood is a certainty to be eligible, and we know he's worked hard - and taken a ton of credit hours - this summer to make sure that's true. Right now, BK says Underwood is the third cornerback behind Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, but if you remember, coaches worked Smith at safety last year. I think Underwood eventually bumps Smith into one of the safety spots. Brad Jones will replace Haruki Nakamura at free safety, but it's unclear whether Jones will have the same type of success.

What UC doesn't want to see: More off-field disappointment from Terrill Byrd.

Nobody questions Byrd's talent or that he'll be one of the leaders of UC's defense. He just has to make sure he keeps himself clean off the field. Last year, if you'll recall, he was suspended for a game after missing class, and this year, he won't play in the Eastern Kentucky game after he was cited for marijuana possession and then missed his court date. If he acts like a senior leader on and off the field, though, he'll be an integral part of the defense.

Special teams:

What UC needs to see: More brilliance from Kevin Huber.

It'd be tough to have a better punting year than Huber last season. He averaged 46.9 yards per kick (with a long of 62) and he logged 20 kicks inside the 20-yard line. You could argue he was the team's MVP last year. He also was a Ray Guy award finalist (and probably should have won). The Bearcats would enjoy more of the same.

What UC hopes to see: Improvement from the kickoff return teams.

Marty Gilyard, in limited time, probably had the most success here last season, averaging 29.4 yards per kick on seven attempts, and DeAngelo Smith had the team long with a 52-yard return. But was anybody wowed by the Bearcats kick-off returns? On the preseason two-deep, Smith and Gilyard are the co-No. 1s. I wonder if anybody else will challenge them

What UC doesn't want to see: A repeat of last season from Jake Rogers. Rogers, now a sophomore, said he never lost confidence in himself last year, but who could blame him if he did? At times, he looked brilliant. At times, he looked like a backup - on the Warsaw High School team. You have to believe his leash will be short this season. He was 11 of 19 last year and 1-for-6 from between 40 and 49 yards. You know Brandon Yingling would like a chance to take over that spot, but if Rogers gets himself together mentally, he would be an effective weapon for the Bearcats.