Cincinnati Football Preview

Antwan Peek

With 16 starters returning from last year's team that finished second in Conference USA and earned a bid to play in the Motor City Bowl, Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter knows that the 2002 Bearcats have the potential to be the most talented squad that he has coached in his nine seasons in Clifton.

But Minter also knows that the 2002 schedule is a difficult one and, as he often says, "you cannot predict the future based on the past."

The Bearcats can't afford to rest on their laurels of the previous two seasons if they want to accomplish even better things this fall.

The 16 starters and 40 lettermen who return give the Bearcats a good nucleus to work from while a group of talented underclassmen will be called on to fill in the gaps and provide depth to the squad.

The challenge ahead for Minter will be to find the best way to utilize the blend of players to find replacements for the six starters and 21 lettermen who have departed.

The offense returns the nucleus of the unit that ranked third all-time in total offense (4,579 yards) and fourth in scoring (29.1 ppg). Led by Conference USA Freshman of the Year Gino Guidugli at quarterback, running back DeMarco McCleskey and receivers LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger, the offense returns all but one skill position player.

The strength of the defense will be on the line and in the secondary. The secondary boasts the return of starters Ivan Fields and Doug Monaghan at safety and cornerback Zach Norton. Three starters are back on the line, including ends Antwan Peek and Derrick Adams and tackle DeMarcus Billings.

Special teams features 2000 Lou Groza Award winner Jonathan Ruffin at kicker but will need to find a replacement for three-time All-Conference USA punter Adam Wulfeck.

The school-record 13-game schedule should provide Cincinnati with a significant challenge.

After opening the season at home on Labor Day (Sept. 2) against TCU, the Bearcats host consecutive home games against West Virginia (Sept. 14) and Ohio State (Sept. 21). It will be the first time that Ohio State has played a road game against another Ohio school since 1934 and the Buckeyes first appearance in Cincinnati since 1911.

QUARTERBACK

The biggest question is which quarterback will backup starter Gino Guidugli?

Guidugli, the unanimous choice as the 2001 C-USA Freshman of the Year, is destined to start after setting school and conference records for passes attempted, completed, passing yards, touchdowns and total offense (2,498).

A fourth team Freshman All-America choice by The Sporting News, Guidugli was thrust into the starting lineup during the second week of the season when starter Adam Hoover suffered a season-ending injury.

Guidugli shined from the onset, completing 31-of-41 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns in his debut against Army, bringing UC from behind three times in the fourth quarter. His 12-yard scoring strike to Tye Keith with seven seconds left capped the win.

The rest of the season proved to be a showcase for the brilliant passing and leadership skills of Guidugli as he guided the Bearcats back from double-digit deficits or to last-second scores five times during the year.

No game exhibited Guidugli's leadership skills better than the C-USA finale at Memphis. He led UC on a dramatic 11 play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes for a 36-34 win. Included in the drive was a miraculous 36-yard completion to Jon Olinger on a 4th-and-27 play, setting up the 13-yard scoring strike to Olinger with four seconds left.

The backup job will have plenty of combatants, including senior John Leonard, sophomore George Murray and freshman Billy Faulkner.

Leonard emerged from spring drills a year ago with the starting assignment only to be slowed, and then knocked out, by a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow. Surgery followed early in the fall and he was not cleared to throw until early in the summer.

If healthy, Leonard possesses the experience and skills to claim the assignment. A transfer from Arizona State, he played in 10 games for the Sun Devils in 1999 and threw for 2,765 yards and 31 touchdowns in 1998 at El Camino College.

The primary stumbling block that will keep Murray from claiming the backup slot is that he is too talented to be relegated to bench duty.

Murray's athleticism has him destined to fill the slash role -quarterback, running back, receiver - made popular by Pittsburgh's Kordell Stewart and exemplified by former Bearcat Chad Plummer. His size and quickness make him an excellent candidate for the fourth receiver slot while his running ability and field vision let him excel as a running quarterback.

Murray gave Bearcat fans a good view of his skills in the East Carolina game. Taking over for an injured Guidugli in the second half, he rushed for a pair of touchdowns to almost bring UC back from a 28-6 deficit.

With the skilled trio ahead of him, Faulkner will most likely redshirt this fall to allow him time to adjust to collegiate football. He threw for 6,096 yards and 63 touchdowns in four years at Harrison County (Ky.) High.

RUNNING BACK

The running game should be once again centered around senior DeMarco McCleskey, who has led the team in rushing in two of his first three seasons.

McCleskey will take on an even larger role as 2001 running mates Ray Jackson (592 yards, 7 TD's) and Nathan Wize (106, 2) have departed.

McCleskey combines the strength to run inside with the quickness and field awareness needed to get around the edge to become an explosive offensive performer. He led the team with 765 yards rushing a year ago, moving into eighth place on the UC career rushing chart with 2,126 yards.

Joining McCleskey in the lineup will be juniors Tedric Harwell, David Harris and Booker Vann, and sophomores Richard Hall and E.J. Lilly.

Harwell emerged from spring drills as the leading candidate for increased playing time after playing in eight games last year. He is the quickest of the backs, owning 4.49 speed in the 40, and his running style compliments McCleskey well.

One of the most decorated backs in Cincinnati High School football history, Hall is the most intriguing of the backs.

The 1998 Ohio Player of the Year after rushing for 2,855 yards and 42 touchdowns as a senior at Wyoming High, Hall sat out the 2001 season after transferring from Ohio State. He practiced with the team last year, earning the award as the top offensive player on the scout team, but he has not played in a game since high school.

Harris has earned a reputation for his play on special teams but a pair of knee injuries have hampered his development in the backfield. Almost two years removed from his last injury, he showed his ability with a 83-yard, two touchdown rushing effort in the spring game.

Lilly walked onto the team last year and impressed the coaches on special teams. He will most likely see time in the backfield in short-yardage situations where he can use his blocking skills. Vann, a transfer from Kent State, dominated play during spring drills and could be in line for action this fall.

WIDE RECEIVER

The versatility of the receiving unit is one of the strengths of the offense. The three returning starters - LaDaris Vann, Tye Keith and Jon Olinger - rank among the best in school history. The trio combined to make 142 catches for 1,949 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago, a figure unmatched at UC in over 30 years

The UC record holder for career receptions, Vann begins his senior campaign with career totals of 133 catches for 1,739 yards. He led Conference USA and ranked 16th in the nation with 73 catches for 902 yards a year ago to earn first team all-league honors.

Vann caught four or more passes in every game a year ago to extend his reception streak to 32 straight games, two short of the school record.

Vann is especially effective when he gets the ball on the run, which allows him to use his open-field running ability to turn a short catch into a long gain.

Keith is the most unheralded of the primary receivers, owning career totals of 86 catches for 1,172 yards and six touchdowns. He is one of only 13 receivers to catch passes for more than 1,000 yards in a career and he has an ongoing streak of multiple receptions in 17 straight games.

Keith complements Vann well, owning the speed and instincts to catch the ball down the field. When opponents key on Vann too much, Keith has shown the ability to take over a game.

Such was the case at Army last year when he caught a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes, including the game-winner with seven seconds left.

Olinger emerged as the deep threat in the offense a year ago, making 27 catches for 469 yards with seven touchdowns, the third-highest TD total in school annals.

At 6-3, Olinger is the biggest target among the receivers and combined with his 4.61 speed in the 40, makes him the team's best deep threat. He has proven adept at fighting off defenders to make the tough grab, evidenced by his performance at Memphis last year when he made six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

As good as the first three receivers are, the rest of the rotation is equally as inexperienced.

Only two other returning receivers - sophomores Daven Holly and George Murray - have caught passes in their careers and sophomore Kevin Hazel and freshmen Carl Jones and Derick Ross have yet to play a down.

Murray, who will also see some time at quarterback, has minimal playing time at receiver though his size, speed and athleticism give him the perfect skills for the spread passing attack.

Holly was slow to mature in 2001 and saw his playing time diminish as other receivers emerged. He is the fastest player on the team, owning a 4.39 average in the 40.

OFFENSIVE LINE & TE

A strength of the offense for most of the last decade, this will be a transition year for the offensive line as only four regulars, including three starters, return from a year ago.

The line will be centered around the veterans, seniors Kirt Doolin (6-4, 300) and Josh Gardner (6-4, 284), junior Josh Shneyderov (6-2, 272) and sophomore Kyle Takavitz (6-4, 299).

Doolin will get the nod at left guard, marking his third year in the starting lineup while Shneyderov, the team's offensive lineman of the year in 2001, will open at center for the second straight year.

Gardner, who enters his final campaign having started all 35 career games, will once again start at right tackle.

Takavitz, a C-USA All-Freshmen team honoree a year ago, is the leading candidate to start at left tackle after serving as the top reserve at both left guard and tackle last year.

Freshman Joel Yakovac (6-2, 294), who was considered one of the top reserve linemen a year ago but was afforded the opportunity to redshirt, emerged from spring practice as the starter at right guard.

The rest of the line rotation will be determined during preseason drills from competition among a dozen players vying for playing time.

The list includes tackles Clint Stickdorn (6-6, 299, So.), Jeremy Schlicher (6-6, 285, So.), Steve Eastlake (6-6, 287, So.) and Richard Deutch (6-5, 319, Fr.), guards Adam Shorter (6-6, 286, So.), Jon Perron (6-4, 319, So.), Travis McGee (6-3, 299, Jr.), Ryan Brown (6-2, 298, Fr.) and Sean Cahill (6-2, 258, Fr.) and centers Matt Mercer (6-3, 298, So.), and Matt Webster (6-3, 254, Fr.).

Anthony Colton (6-4, 280, Jr.), a junior college transfer, should factor into the rotation when he joins the squad in August.

The tight end battle should be a good one as the roster includes four players who add various dimensions to the lineup.

Sophomore A.J. Lucius and redshirt freshman Justin LaForgia return and they will be joined by junior college transfers Dennis Hart and Russ Owens.

Lucius, who was the primary backup last year, is the best blocker of the group. He has added almost 25 pounds to his frame since enrolling at UC and his strength numbers rank among the best on the team.

LaForgia may still be a year away but his receiving potential is unmatched. He combines the size (6-5, 212) and running ability to be a receiving threat all over the field.

Hart is the best natural receiver among the group, catching 74 passes for 1,495 yards and 13 touchdowns in two seasons at Compton (Calif.) Community College.

LINEBACKER

Even though two of the three starters return from the linebacker unit, the lineup is not set in stone as a number of young players will be given the opportunity to display their skills during spring practice and claim a spot.

Minter knows that the linebackers need to play better as a group in order for the Bearcats to improve their rushing defense that allowed 176.8 yards per game to rank 75th in the nation a year ago.

The lone loss is Lewis Carter, who was second on the team with 93 tackles, including 16 for losses.

Seniors Willis Edwards and Jason Hunt are the returning starters and they will be joined by juniors Jason Russell, Tyjuan Hagler and Tommy Simpson and sophomores Jamar Enzor, Jermaine Wilson, Akanni Turner and Jamey Murphy.

Edwards is the most experienced of the group, having started 14 games during his career, and he will move back to middle linebacker after playing outside last year. He was fourth on the team with 78 tackles last year, finishing second in both sacks (5) and tackles for loss (16).

Hunt joined the program last August and immediately claimed a starting assignment but it took awhile for him to get fully acclimated to the defensive system. After making 26 tackles during the regular season, he showed the form that led to him earning junior college All-America honors by making a career-high 10 stops in the Motor City Bowl. He was slowed during the spring by a shoulder injury but should be ready for preseason drills.

Russell heads into fall camp as the leader in the race for the final starting slot, even though he did not play a down in the position last year. A tall and lanky defender, Russell has impressed the staff with his natural instincts for the position.

The challenge for the incumbent starters will come from the sophomore class - Enzor, Williams, Turner and Murphy - each of played well during spring drills and are in line for increased playing time this fall.

It would not be surprising to see any, or all of them, emerge as starters.

Simpson could prove to be the wild card in the battle, even though he has not played organized football since earning first team All-Florida honors in 1999.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The most veteran unit is the defensive line where the ends Peek and Adams and tackle Billings are expected to get the lion's share of playing time with seniors Matt Tupuola, Ka'Son Love, Darryll Ransom and Ben Piening, sophomore Andre Frazier and freshmen A.J. Xhudo and Adam Roberts vying for the remaining action.

Peek is the catalyst, using his 4.54 speed and superior strength to overwhelm opponents.

A first team All-Conference USA pick a year ago, Peek holds school records for quarterback sacks in a game (4 vs. Louisiana-Monroe), season (12.5) and career (21).

Peek's development as an all-around player is evident in his tackle totals. He had 37 stops with a pair of caused fumbles as a sophomore in 2000 but improved those numbers to 60 tackles with a school record five caused fumbles last year. He is a standout on special teams as well, owning four blocked field goals and one blocked punt in his career.

A three-year starter, Adams has earned a reputation as a player capable of making big plays. He totalled 53 tackles with 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss a year ago.

Billings moved into the starting lineup last season after two years as a reserve and provided steady play. He made 34 tackles, including seven for losses.

Frazier is the most promising of the younger players. A former walk-on, he made the Conference USA All-Freshmen squad last year after making 41 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

More is expected this year from Tupuola and Love, each of whom joined the team last August after two seasons in junior college. The coaching staff feels that their productivity will increase now that they have had a season to acclimate themselves to the UC defensive system.

Ransom, the brother of former Bearcat and current Kansas City Chiefs standout Derrick Ransom, has played in 29 games over his first three seasons, showing steady progress.

Piening, a Conference USA All-Freshman team choice in 1998, showed great improvement last fall following a redshirt season in 2000 until he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He will use the spring period to continue rehabilitating the knee in hopes of being cleared to return in August.

Although Xhudo and Roberts are first-year freshmen, their play during spring practice showed that they could make an impact. The duo, who joined the program in January after playing last year at Milford Academy, each recorded a pair of sacks in the spring game.

SECONDARY

With three starters and a fourth regular returning, the secondary can be counted on to continue its strong all-around play.

But like several other positions on the team, the depth will have to come from a group of generally untested underclassmen.

The duo of senior free safety Ivan Fields and sophomore strong safety Doug Monaghan will lead the unit while cornerbacks Zach Norton and Blue Adams will provide the one-on-one cover skills needed to let the defense utilize its various formations.

Fields will start for the third straight year. He was third on the team with 86 tackles last year, playing all but 28 downs all season. He uses his 4.45 speed and 37 1/2" vertical jump to be one of the biggest hitters on the team.

Monaghan, a second team Freshman All-America choice by The Sporting News, led the team with 101 tackles to become only the second UC player to record 100 or more tackles as a freshman.

Norton took over as a starter for the final nine games last year, making 41 tackles with a team-high three interceptions. He combines 4.54 speed with a team-best 39 1/2" vertical jump to excel in pass coverage.

Adams has been a regular in the secondary since earning second team Freshman All-America honors from The Sporting News in 1998. He was hampered by knee problems early in his career but rebounded to make 26 tackles with a pair of interceptions in a backup role last year.

Junior college transfers Franklin Callicott and James Julian, each of whom will join the team in August, should help to provide experience and depth.

The reserves will come from a group that consists of senior Frank Lang, juniors John Hinson, Marvin Allen and Steve Reynolds, sophomores Monyell Williams and twin brothers Jeremy and Jonathan Jackson and freshmen Mike Brown and Corey Tanner.

SPECIAL TEAMS

There is no question as to who will handle the kicking chores as All-American senior Jonathan Ruffin returns to cap a brilliant kicking career.

At the other end of the spectrum is the punting job where three players will compete to replace the big shoes left empty by the departure of three-time all-league choice Adam Wulfeck.

Ruffin, the school's record-holder for field goals made (43) and kick scoring points (214), has made 38 of his 45 field goal attempts over the last two season. He has scored in a school-record 33 straight games.

He was a consensus All-America choice and the recipient of the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker after making 26-of-29 field goals in 2000.

For an encore, Ruffin set the UC season record for extra points made, connecting on all 36 attempts last year. He will take a streak of 58 consecutive extra points made into the 2002 season, five short of Eric Richards' record 63 set from 1994-97.

Who will replace Wulfeck as punter will probably not be decided until the week before the season opener as freshmen Joe Wolke and Chet Ervin, sophomore Kyle McDaniel and senior John Leonard will continue to compete for the punting chores during preseason practice.

Wolke, who made the team as a walk-on last year after averaging 40.2 yards per punt as a high school senior, was the steadiest during spring drills. McDaniel, a transfer from Kentucky, posted a 41.1 yard average in high school.

Ervin was a second team All-Kentucky pick last year at Henry County High, leading Northern Kentucky with a 42.6 average.

Leonard, who only started punting during spring practice as a way to help out while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, is the dark horse in the race. He has the strongest leg of the group but will need to improve his mechanics to be more consistent.