2011 Preview Stories
BEARCATS LOOK FOR PAYBACK AGAINST NC STATE
September 22, 2011 by nbesports · Leave a Comment
Cincinnati hosts Wolfpack on ESPN
By Raphielle Johnson
Finally what happens on the field takes center stage again after a tumultuous few days in college athletics, and while many will still think about the overall landscape the games will be a much-needed diversion for many. Cincinnati (2-1) kicks off the Week 4 for the Big East in front of a national television audience as they host NC State (2-1) at Nippert Stadium (8 PM, ESPN). It’s the second game of the season for the Bearcats against a respected opponent, and if they need any more motivation than that there’s always what happened in Raleigh last year.
A win on Thursday would be a boost for Butch Jones' program (Photo Credit: Al Behrman/AP)
Russell Wilson led the Wolfpack to a 30-19 win that wasn’t as close as the final score would lead one to believe. But Wilson is now at Wisconsin, meaning that Mike Glennon in the signal-caller that Cincinnati will have to deal with. Glennon, one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the Class of 2008, is a 6-6 passer who doesn’t offer the same threat with his legs that Wilson did (Wilson threw for 333 yards and three touchdowns) but can get it done through the air.
Glennon (who is mobile) is coming off of his best game as a starter, completing 17 of 20 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-13 win over South Alabama. On the season, Glennon has completed 64% of his passes, throwing for 248 yards per game and eight touchdowns to just one interception.
“He’s extremely smooth,” noted Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones earlier this week. “He’s athletic now, he can scramble and make some plays, but you’re looking at a 6-6 kid who can seal, rush and is very poised in the pocket and he throws with great rhythm. He has a great sense of the rhythm and timing of their throw game.”
Glennon is also fortunate to have two of the best targets in the ACC at his disposal. Wide receiver T.J. Graham and tight end George Bryan are the two players the Bearcat secondary must keep an eye on in the passing game, because if they fail to do so Dana Bible’s offense can pick them apart in a way similar to what Tennessee did. Graham’s 12 receptions are second on the team through three games but his yardage (252 receiving yards) leads the way by a wide margin. His listed backup, Tobais Palmer, leads the team with 13 receptions, and they’re the lone Wolfpack players in double figures in catches to this point in the year.
“I believe he’s the fifth all-time leading returner in the history of the ACC,” said Jones of Graham. “He’s extremely dynamic with the ball in his hands either in the return game or in the receiver position. He has the ability to flip field position in a hurry.”
Bryan may have just four receptions through three games, but the preseason All-ACC selection is more than capable of getting hot at any time. NC State goes with a two-headed attack at running back with Mustafa Greene out until October due to a foot injury. Junior James Washington and senior Curtis Underwood are the backs in this system, averaging a combined 130 yards per game, with Underwood having the tandem’s lone 100-plus yard rushing game with 114 in the opener against Liberty.
Cincinnati may not have been great against the pass in Knoxville but they haven’t been particularly good against the run either. The Bearcats currently rank last in the Big East in rush defense, allowing 127.7 yards per game. Defensive tackles Derek Wolfe and John Hughes in addition to middle linebacker JK Schaffer need to control the middle of the field if Cincinnati is to force Glennon to deal with long-yardage situations.
Defensively the Wolfpack arrive in Cincinnati a bit banged up, but they aren’t to be underestimated due to the presence of senior linebacker Audie Cole. Cole leads the team with 29 tackles through three games, and in 2010 was tied for the team lead in tackles with 97. Cole’s moved from the SAM to middle linebacker this season, and to have a player as experienced as Cole in the middle of things is a benefit for head coach Tom O’Brien. Dwayne Maddox is one player who NC State will ask to step up, along with safeties Brandan Bishop and Earl Wolff, and the hope is that their scheme can do enough to confuse Zach Collaros and company.
“I don’t think that will have much of an impact because they do so many things that challenge you in preparing for them and then with a short week of preparation,” noted Jones of the Wolfpack injuries. “All their fires and movement and different blitz schemes and coverages, they’re skilled in the back end.”
Defensive end Jeff Rieskamp is dealing with a shoulder injury but is expected to start, but linebacker Terrell Manning is not listed on the pregame two-deep due to a knee injury. Add in the injuries that hit the defensive tackles (J.R. Sweezy and Thomas Teal are both out until sometime next month), and it could be a nice day for Isaiah Pead on the ground. Pead has rushed for 257 yards and four touchdowns, and as a team the Bearcats average a conference-best 239 yards per game on the ground.
NC State ranks ninth in the ACC in total defense (due in large part to a pass defense that’s 11th in the league), and that’s against a schedule that outside of their loss to Wake Forest hasn’t overwhelmed. Add in the likes of Anthony McClung, Kenbrell Thompkins and D.J. Woods, and Collaros should be able to move the Bearcats down the field through the air. But if Cincinnati struggles to run the football they’re going to get themselves in trouble.
“Our players have great confidence in what we’re doing,” said Jones. “One thing is very evident and that’s Isaiah Pead is a very good player. He’s one of our weapons. D.J. Woods continues to get better and better the more reps that Kenbrell Thompkins gains.”
Obviously this will be a stiffer challenge for Cincinnati than last week’s game against Akron was, a beating that provided the bonus of getting to rest a number of key players in the second half. There won’t be such luck against NC State, and a key for both teams will be turnovers especially in the passing game.
The Wolfpack (seven interceptions) and Bearcats (six) rank third and fourth respectively in interceptions nationally, and a short field via turnover or kicking game will prove costly for whichever team gets into this kind of trouble. If Cincinnati is to show that they’re more than capable of rebounding from last season’s tumble this is a game they have to win.
Pick: Cincinnati -7.5 (31-20)
Last Week: 5-2 overall (5-1 ATS)
Overall: 17-6 overall (11-8 ATS)
