Bearcats get a great win over Mizzou

What a great game!  I was worried about how Cincinnati would fare against Missouri's fast paced offense and full-court pressure, but they proved up to the task.  The Bearcats came out with great intensity and played awesome defense to hold the #9 scoring team in the nation 18 points below their average on under 40 percent shooting.  UC only turned the ball over 11 times against a press that forces an average of 18 a game.  Mick Conin had this team ready to play and it showed.  As the Bearcats gained control and then took the lead in the 1st half, some of the players looked possessed.  Missouri was not prepared for the Bearcats tenacious defense or their physical play and the Bearcats outmuscled them inside offensively and on the glass.  A great all around win.

Now UC faces UConn.  The advantages of this matchup is that Cincinnati knows their opponent well and has extra incentive to avenge a regular-season loss.  This disadvantage is that their opponent knows them.  I had hoped that UC would avoid facing a Big East team early on, because most teams aren't used to the physical style of play characteristic of the Big East.  UConn is hot right now and full of confidence.  Hopefully the mental and physical drain of playing 5 games in 5 days will start to catch up to them.  If UC comes out with the same intensity they showed last night, they can win.

Cincinnati 47 Connecticut 45 Highlights

Some extended highlights from the #5 Bearcat's win Saturday night at Nippert.

Too close for comfort

UC escaped with a wild 47-45 win versus Connecticut on Saturday. In a weekend that saw #4 Iowa and #8 Oregon lose, Cincinnati was fortunate to get a win.

The atmosphere at Nippert stadium was excellent. As always, fans were asked to "come early, be loud, wear black" and they did all of those things. Playing in primetime on ABC made for an electric environment. However, as the game wore on and Connecticut kept coming up with big plays in the 2nd half, you could feel the energy ebb as fans grew nervous. After the game, it was reported, that Brian Kelly had to give his players a pep talk to remind them that they had won and should celebrate. Maybe the fans need a pep talk too. I've never seen a crowd depart a stadium in such a sullen mood after a win. Everyone has become so used to the Bearcats cruising to victory, that we weren't ready to enjoy a hard-fought win.

The UC offense was spectacular with 711 yards of total offense and no turnovers. Zach Collaros had a brilliant performance. Mardy Gilyard was unstoppable and Armon Binns continues to make teams pay for covering him one-on-one. Credit also has to go to Jake Rogers, who has been shaky at times. He was perfect and accounted for 17 points on 4 field goals and 5 extra points, some in pressure situations.

The defense looked good for a half, but Connecticut beat them up in the 2nd half. You have to give UConn credit--even down 20 in the 2nd half they never quit. This is a good team that has now lost 5 games by a combined 15 points. The Huskies have a huge offensive line--their smallest starter is 315 pounds--and a bruising fullback that wore down the smaller quicker Bearcats defense. Even from my seats in the upper deck I could tell that some of the Connecticut lineman were the size of a small mountain.

Even championship teams have some close games, and winning those games makes you better. "It was actually good for our guys," Kelly said. "Because we hadn't been in this kind of adversity all year." So now the players, and fans, have a short week to prepare for West Virginia on Friday, which struggled to get their offense going in a win over Louisville this weekend. I imagine it will be a spirited week of practice for the Bearcats. The close game against UConn should refocus the team and coaches, especially on defense, going into the final three games. It couldn't have come at a better time.

ABC Coverage Map for Connecticut @ Cincinnati

It seems that ABC is making UConn @ UC their top game Saturday night.  They are sending their #1 broadcast team of Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, & Lisa Salters to Nippert to cover the game. 

Here is the coverage map for the game. 

While it seems the UC game is being shown to a small percentage of the country geographically, on a population basis, 46% of the country will get UConn @ Cincy, 35% will see Oklahoma @ Nebraska, and 19% will get USC @ Arizona State.  Not bad, but I would like for more voters and fans in SEC and Big 10 country to see the UC game.  UC needs a strong performance on a national stage to overcome the bias in the polls.

Cincinnati Football Tickets available

The UConn @ Cincinnati game this Saturday at 8pm was originally listed as a sellout, but UConn has returned their allotment, so tickets are now available.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.CATSTIX.com, by phone at 1-877-CATS-TIX, or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center in Varsity Village. It's going to be a beautiful night for football. Let's sell this out for the national TV audience.

In addition, UC has received their allotment of tickets for the final game of the season at Pitt. This game may decide the Big East championship and possibly UC's undefeated season. These tickets may be ordered by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. Tickets are only $30 and its only a 4.5 hour drive (287 miles) from the UC campus to Heinz field in Pittsburgh. If you don't want to drive, UC is offering two bus trips through Provident travel. One is an overnighter, the other is not. Details are here.

I already have my tickets and would love to see Bearcat fans buy the entire allotment we've been given and more. Additional tickets are still available for $30 through the Pitt website. Let's make this a home game!!