Cincinnati vs. Miami (Ohio) Football 2009
No. 10 Bearcats Meet Mistake-Prone RedHawks in Rivalry Game
The RedHawks and Bearcats will meet for the 114th time, squaring off in a 1 p.m. EST game at Oxford, Ohio. Miami holds a 59-47-7 edge in the series, and is 14-7-2 when playing Cincinnati in Oxford.
But in the 2009 version of the Victory Bell game, Miami will be a heavy underdog. Cincinnati is 4-0, and ranked No. 10 in the nation. The RedHawks are 0-4.
Cincinnati has won 11 regular season games dating back to last season. Miami has lost nine straight.
Cincinnati is scoring 43.2 points per game, ranking fifth of 120 teams in the NCAA Bowl Subdivision. Miami is giving up an average of 41.8 and ranks 119th.
Cincinnati has forced nine turnovers and committed three. Miami has forced three turnovers, and committed 16 – more than anybody in the Bowl Subdivision.
Still, coach Mike Hawyood’s RedHawks can move the ball. They managed 552 yards in a 29-19 Mid-American Conference loss to Kent State last week. And a freshman quarterback making his first start was responsible for most of them.
Coach Brian Kelly's Cincinnati team overcame its second tough challenge in a row last weekend, defeating Fresno State 28-20. A week before that, the Bearcats won at Oregon State, 28-18.
Cincinnati's will be playing as a Top 10 team for the first time. The Bearcats had never been ranked higher than 12th before moving up to the No. 10 spot in this week's AP poll.
Saturday's matchup will be the first actual home game for Miami. The RedHawks' first home date, a Sept. 5 meeting with Kentucky, was played at Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium.
The game is not scheduled to be televised.
Gilyard, Pike Rate High on NCAA Lists
Cincinnati receiver Mardy Gilyard ranks fourth in the FBS in receiving yards (442) and he’s eighth in receptions per game (8.0) and receiving yards per game (110.5). The senior has caught six TD passes, and also scored on a rush and punt return. His eight touchdowns tie him for fifth in the FBS.
Quarterback Tony Pike is fifth in passing efficiency with a 172.75 ranking. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior has completed 70.5 percent of his 132 passes for 1,223 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's been intercepted just twice.
Cincinnati is averaging 476.8 yards per game, and boasts the fifth-best passing offense in the FBS with a 344.8 average. And Gilyard and Pike aren't the only ones having productive seasons.
Sophomore D.J. Woods has made 18 catches for 261 yards and a touchdown, and Armon Binns has 17 receptions for 196 yards.
The Bearcats also have effective backs in Jacob Ramsey and Isaiah Pead. Ramsey has run 24 times for 175 yards, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. The senior's also caught eight passes for 88 yards and two TDs. Speedy sophomore Pead has rushed 34 times for 165 yards and three TDs.
Cincinnati Defense Holds Up Well vs. Fresno
The Cincinnati defense got shoved around by Fresno, which dominated the possession clock. But the Bearcats made two huge stops in the fourth quarter.
One came courtesy of linebacker Craig Carey, whose interception halted a Fresno drive inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line. That was the eighth interception made by the Bearcats this season.
J.K. Schaffer has come up with two of those picks, and the sophomore linebacker has broken up three other passes in addition to making 23 tackles. Defensive back Aaron Webster also has two picks, in addition to 20 tackles.
Linebacker Andre Revels leads the Bearcats with 28 tackles, and redshirt freshman DB Drew Fey has 25 tackles despite missing a game. Other leaders include linebacker Demetrius Jones (23 tackles, 4 tackles for losses), lineman Alex Daniels (20 tackles), lineman Ricardo Mathews (16 tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks) and linebacker Walter Stewart (3 sacks).
Cincinnati is allowing 314 yards per game. The Bearcats allowed a season-high 443 vs. Fresno.
RedHawks Keep the Ball in the Air
Zac Dysert was given the starting nod at quarterback for Miami last week, and the 6-foot-4 freshman completed 31 of 53 passes for 337 yards. He did throw two interceptions, but he also ran for 107 yards on 17 carries.
Strangely enough, that made him the team's leading rusher. He has 22 rushes for 143 yards. That's 37 more than Andre Bratton, the top running back.
Bratton, though, has played only two games because of a groin injury. The senior, who rushed 12 times for 68 yards vs. Kent State, has 19 carries for 106 yards in 2009. The RedHawks' leader in rushes – Thomas Merriweather – has just 86 yards on 41 attempts.
Dyser is 36-for-64 passing for 412 yards on the season, with two TDs and four interceptions. The man he replaced, Daniel Raudabaugh, is 59-for-111 for 569 yards, with two TDs and five picks.
Junior Armand Robinson is Miami's leading receiver with 23 catches for 264 yards. Jamal Rogers has 18 catches for 143 yards, and Eugene Harris adds 16 receptions for 226 yards and two TDs.
Turnovers Killing RedHawks
The RedHawks lost to Kent State despite gaining over twice as many yards (552 to 250). The trouble was that they turned the ball over five times for the second straight week. Miami also did it in 48-26 MAC loss to Western Michigan.
Of course, the turnovers aren't just killing scoring opportunities, they're keeping the defense on the field.
At least, they're giving players like Andre Wedge and Jordan Gafford opportunities to make a lot of tackles. Sophomore linebacker Wedge and junior defensive back Gafford have made 39 apiece, and Wedge has made a team-high 4-5 tackles for losses.
Defensive back Anthony Kokdal has contributed 31 tackles, and DB Brandon Stephens has two interceptions and three pass breakups for the RedHawks.
Miami is giving up 387.2 yards per game. Its offense is gaining 388.8.
Big East Showdown Looms for Cincinnati
Twelve days after meeting Miami, Cincinnati will play at South Florida in a crucial Big East game on Oct. 15. South Florida, which upset Florida State last week, is also 4-0.
Miami will play at Northwestern in a non-conference game Oct. 10
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