UC Big East title rings are in

Here they are folks, the biggest, baddest and boldest rings yet at the University of Cincinnati. A full story to come later on in the summer when I have time to tell it.

For the first time in three attempts, my last name was spelled correctly on the side of the ring. Come see the Bearcats in action on Saturday April 24th in Nippert Stadium for the annual spring game at 7 p.m.

Maybe you'll see a few of these:

NOTE: I am under the impression that most of the players from last year's squad were given their rings today after practice. Last season we did not receive our rings until well after the team received theirs in a ceremony at UC. (To my knowledge there was no ceremony this year because of the coaching changes that occurred) In the event that the players have not received their jewelry, there's a good possibility I'll get in trouble for this... Well, it wouldn't be the first time

ESPN blogger looks at UC football gameday traditions

I love reading ESPN.com’s Big East blog written by Brian Bennett. During the offseason Bennett looks to make his blog relevant and interesting by proposing topics to his readership. Last month he told readers to send him their favorite gameday traditions in the Big East. On Friday he posted the responses from Cincinnati Bearcat fans.

(Read Bennett’s blog here: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8299/big-east-gameday-traditions-cincinnati)

However, he missed out on some big gameday traditions at UC. Bennett mentioned the band’s march down the stadium steps before the game, the team’s “Cat Walk” from the hotel through a fan tailgating area and the Bearcat mascot crowd surfing through the student section. But, Bennett missed some of my favorite gameday traditions.

My favorite UC football gameday tradition has to be the huge, green hydraulic lifts that sit in front of the Dieterle Vocal Arts Center in the south end of the stadium. Very few people notice them when the action is on the field, but that’s where I’m busy every gameday.

Even though it's not green, you can see my vantage point during this 2008 game against EKU (Thanks to my dad for snapping a few photos during that game)

Sure it’s awfully selfish of me to say that something I’m a part of is the biggest gameday tradition in UC football, but why can’t it be? Hanging forty feet above the concrete below, you get a full view of the stadium, which, when full, can be almost deafening. When Nippert Stadium is packed in fans wearing all black in a night game, the sight is amazing.

When the students begin to pass the Bearcat up the bleachers, I have a unique view, along with my counterpart from the opposing school. When we stand up and look out across the field, we have an amazing view of everything that Bennett mentioned as gameday traditions (minus the pregame walk through the tailgate area).

And what about the cannon that fires off after every Bearcat touchdown? I’m a fan, even though sometimes I still jump up on the lift when it fires off unexpectedly. Instead Bennett publishes two testimonials from band members, who say it’s the best tradition in college football.

I actually agree with Harold from Chicago, who says his favorite thing is, “Waiting for band members to trip and fall.” Is there any better reason to watch the band running down the stadium steps?

In a few weeks the Bearcats football program will begin spring practice under new head coach Butch Jones. Jones, the program’s third coach in five years, has huge shoes to fill after Brian Kelly’s departure for greener pastures at Notre Dame. We’ll see if the program will continue the dominance of the Kelly era or take a step back under Jones.

Check back tomorrow for some NASCAR news and notes (if all goes well!).

Quarterbacks White and Mauk put on show in 2007 WVU-UC game

Ben Mauk picked apart the West Virginia defense to the tune of 323 yards and two touchdowns while his counterpart Pat White ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns of his own two years ago when the Mountaineers visited Cincinnati. West Virginia took the game 28-23 and handed the Bearcats their third and final loss of the 2007 season.

It was also the last time Brian Kelly and the ‘Cats lost a home game.

West Virginia rushed for 295 yards total and held onto the ball for just over 36 minutes, keeping Mauk and the high powered Bearcat offense off the field. Mauk completed 19 of his 34 throws for an average of 17 yards a completion.

It was once again the Marcus Barnett show for the ‘Cats. The redshirt freshman from Upper Marlboro, Maryland caught ten of Mauk’s passes for 210 yards. He scored both touchdowns through the air.

West Virginia’s 3-3-5 “stack” defense—which became a staple under then Mountaineer and current Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez—didn’t give UC fits through the air, but the ‘Cats only ran for 84 yards. Granted, much of the time UC was trailing and had to throw to get back in the game, but West Virginia’s defense did not hesitate to yield some yardage to the Bearcats through the air.

UC trailed 28-10 early in the fourth and was able to narrow the gap to 28-23 with 2:26 left on the clock but Jake Rogers’s onside kick fell in the hands of the Mountaineers’ Franchot Allen. Steve Slaton and company picked up a few first downs and the game was over.

Everyone who remembers last season’s tilt in Morgantown will recall that the Mountaineers scored 13 points in the final 1:11 to force overtime. West Virginia had to settle for a field goal and it took UC just three plays (Pike to Goodman for 10 yards—with a roughing the passer penalty, Ramsey rushed for five yards to the WVU two, and Pike hit Kazeem Alli for the two yard score) to win the game 26-23.

Alli celebrates after he caught the winning pass from Tony Pike last season in Morgantown

What kind of game will unfold this evening? Since the game is sold out, I suggest you tune in to ESPN2 at 8PM to see how everything turns out.

And remember…Country Roads, Take me home, to the place, I belong

Oregon State ready for rematch with #17 ranked UC Bearcats

Two seasons ago the UC Bearcats kicked off their season with two straight home games on Thursday nights. The first, a 59-3 win over SEMO was chronicled last week by myself (read more: http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2009/09/southeast-missouri-state-gears-for.html)

But, the second was a much more anticipated matchup with the Oregon State Beavers in a game that would be televised nationwide by ESPN as a part of their Thursday Night Football series. Chris Fowler, Craig James and Doug Flutie all sat in the booth just feet from myself as I endured my second game helping video coordinator John Sells “mark” the plays from the sideline angle.

More importantly, the Bearcats had an opportunity to knock off a team that one season earlier beat the vaunted USC Trojans at their place in Oregon. Bearcat Head Coach Brian Kelly said that this game was an opportunity to put UC on a national stage. It was an opportunity to make his program nationally relevant.

And did he make a point on national TV.

Behind the performance from the defensive backfield—who forced six interceptions—and quarterback Ben Mauk, who threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns, the Bearcats won handily 34-3. By beating a team that was receiving votes in national polls, the Bearcats threw their name into the ring as a team that wanted some national respect

“This is a first step in that direction,” Kelly said. “It sends the message that the University of Cincinnati needs to be looked at as a Top 25 program. Now, the first coat of paint is on. We’re not a finished product.”

And not only did the Bearcats pick off six passes, they got the job done on special teams too. A muffed punt that was recovered on the two yard line lead to a touchdown run by Bradley Glatthaar (an Elder High School grad) and a blocked punt was recovered in the endzone by Marcus “Bones” Barnett in the thrashing of the Beavers.

“We wanted to show everybody our ability, let them know what we can do,” Barnett said after the game. “We’re here.” And he wasn’t kidding. After this game the Bearcats started getting votes in national polls, and three weeks later they headed to San Diego ranked #24 in the AP Writers Poll.

It was the start of something special in the city of Cincinnati, something that led over ten thousand Bearcat fans to travel down to Miami, Florida for last season’s Orange Bowl berth. That game in 2007 brought 25,000 plus into Nippert Stadium. By comparison, last week’s beatdown of Southeast Missouri State brought 30,000 and some into the ‘Nip.

Enthusiasm is growing in Cincinnati for the Bearcats. Some might even call it “Cat Scratch Fever”, the song that plays when the Bearcats take to the field at Nippert on gamedays. Well, there’s no doubt that what Brian Kelly has done here in two seasons is special, but don’t tell him that.

After last weekend’s game he said, “Special to me is winning every game. That would be special. We’ve won two games. I’ll tell you whether we’re special or not at the end of the season.”

The Bearcats could become even more special with a win this weekend in Oregon. Check back with me on Sunday or Monday for photos of Reser Stadium, where the #17 Bearcats and #24 Beavers will mix it up on Saturday evening at 6:45 Eastern. If you’ve got Fox Sports Net Ohio, watch the game. You won’t be disappointed.