Big East: Brad Jones
Gilyard and Pike didn't do every drill because they did most of the same stuff at the NFL combine. But Gilyard did run the 40 and posted a time of 4.47 seconds, best of those who participated today.
Defensive lineman Alex Daniels pulled a muscle during his 40 but had some other impressive numbers. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times, tying Curtis Young for best on the team. Daniels also showed off a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump. Not bad for a 265-pounder.
Defensive back Brad Jones ran the 40 in 4.56 seconds, second-fastest behind Gilyard. Jones also had a 39-inch vertical. Safety Aaron Webster ran a 4.66 in the 40.
Linebacker Marcus Waugh, known as a workout warrior, benched 225 pounds 29 times.
Three keys in Cincinnati-Pitt game
Pittsburgh
1. Pound it on the ground: Pitt's main advantage in this game is its tough, experienced offensive line versus an undersized Cincinnati defensive front. UConn and West Virginia each ran for more than 200 yards against the Bearcats, and Big East leading rusher Dion Lewis should find lots of running room on Saturday. The best part for Pitt about running the ball is that it both keeps Cincinnati's offense off the field and it sets up ...
2. Play-action: Pitt's play-action game is the most effective one in the league because of that offensive line and the need to bring in extra defenders against Lewis. "Your linebackers get sucked up into the line because their play-action is just so good," Cincinnati linebacker Andre Revels said. "Hopefully the safeties don't"
That lets Bill Stull take shots down the field and often find star receiver Jonathan Baldwin in single coverage. "That's a matchup will take every time," Stull said. Cincinnati has a tough decision to make: does it bring safeties in to help against the run while risking getting burned deep or does it allow Lewis more chances to charge downhill?
3. Pressure Pike: Easier said than done. Cincinnati is one of the hardest teams to bring pressure against, having allowed just nine sacks in 11 games. But Pitt is leading the nation in sacks per game and has the best defensive line in the league. The best line the Bearcats faced until now, South Florida, managed to get some hits on Tony Pike and knocked him out of the game.
Even if it doesn't sack Pike, the Pitt defensive front four needs to hurry his throws and keep him out of rhythm, or else he will pick the secondary apart. The other tough thing is that the 6-foot-6 Pike is more elusive than he seems and can sidestep pressure to make throws downfield, which he did to great effect in last year's game at Nippert Stadium.
Cincinnati
1. Stop Jon Baldwin: Again, easier said than done. Baldwin is the Bearcats' biggest nightmare, a 6-foot-5 athletic monster who can't be handled alone by cornerbacks Brad Jones and Dominique Battle. "You put Baldwin against 99.9 percent of the defensive backs in this country -- I don't care if they're from the SEC, the Big Ten, it doesn't matter -- he's a matchup problem because of the way and the nature that they take their shots with him," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. West Virginia managed to slow down Baldwin, mainly by hurrying Stull into quick, inaccurate throws. But the two still hooked up for a 50-yard touchdown bomb late in the fourth quarter.
2. Establish a running threat: Against Illinois, the Bearcats could afford to be one-dimensional, handing the ball off just nine times. But Pitt's defensive front four is so good that the Panthers can drop linebackers into coverage and still apply pressure. So it will be harder for Cincinnati to simply throw the ball every down, especially on the sometimes tricky Heinz Field track in potentially cold weather. Kelly needs Isaiah Pead or perhaps a recovered Jacob Ramsey (foot) to at least provide the presence of a running game.
3. Be loose: If the Bearcats can just do what got them to 11-0, they should be fine. They can't worry about the pressure of the moment, be rattled by the sold-out crowd or be distracted by BCS title or Kelly-to-Notre-Dame talk. Kelly will have a great game plan, probably complete with a little signature razzle dazzle. If Cincinnati just plays its normal game and avoids mistakes as it has all season long, it will be in great shape to win the Big East title.
- Cincinnati cornerback Brad Jones -- who barely played for three years and is now starting as a senior -- is a testament to perseverance, Tom Groeschen writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Turmoil off the field has brought Syracuse together, Donnie Webb writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
- Though he's banged up all over and his coach said he won't play a complete game the rest of the year, West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams says he'll battle through the pain, Mike Casazza writes in the Charleston Daily Mail.
- Zach Frazer needs to be less streaky and more consistent for UConn, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
- South Florida is motivated to deliver some payback to Rutgers for last year's blowout, Greg Auman says in the St. Petersburg Times.
- Rutgers cornerback David Rowe has a familial connection to South Florida, Ryan Dunleavy writes in the Home News Tribune.
- It took four years and a sudden position change for Andrew Robinson to gain his first start, and then he immediately got hurt. But the Louisville cornerback should be back this week, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.
WEST HARRISON, Ind. -- Some thoughts and observations from today's Cincinnati practice at Camp Higher Ground:
• Perhaps the main thing that struck me from watching the Bearcats was how much depth they appear to have.
The receiving corps is full of playmakers behind Mardy Gilyard, with Armon Binns, Jamar Howard, D.J. Woods and Marcus Barnett all looking strong. The defense constantly shuffled in players at linebacker and the line without a dropoff. There are four capable running backs. While people focus on all the lost starters, Cincinnati hasn't gotten enough credit for building a deep, talented roster.
"I think we've got enough receivers," Kelly said. "We've got enough tight ends and enough running backs. It's still about executing what we want to do. But strength and having enough players is not going to be a concern."
• Speaking of the running backs, I was looking forward to seeing what progress Isaiah Pead had made, since I heard he has turned in a good training camp thus far. Alas, he banged his knee early in practice and sat out most of the workout. John Goebel also sat out while nursing a minor injury.
So the majority of the carries went to Jacob Ramsey and freshman Darrin Williams. The latter is a redshirt freshman who's 5-foot-7, on a good day, but by the looks of things is tough as nails. He had some impressive runs near the goal line.
Running the ball was not a particular strength for Cincinnati a year ago, especially in short-yardage situations. But the amount of playmakers in the passing game could help in that area.
"Running the football in the spread offense is as much about having receivers that have to be respected than anything else," Kelly said. "It wasn't really talked about, but we didn't have a full complement of receivers last year.
"When you're concerned about those guys and have to bracket and double them, it opens up your running game. ... Having good receivers helps the running game, and having a quarterback who's very efficient in the passing game means you'll see a lot more drop eight, rush three. And that means run the ball."
• Barnett, who played cornerback in the spring and was deemed a two-way player recently by Kelly, spent the entire practice at wideout. He made a spectacular catch and run for a touchdown late in practice and was great throughout the morning. He's pushing Woods hard for the starting slot job.
"He looked like the 2007 Marcus Barnett," Gilyard said. "I told him, 'Little brother, you've finally grown up.' I disowned him for a while when he went over to the defense."
Makes you wonder if the spring move to defense, which came after Barnett's vastly disappointing sophomore year, was simply a motivational ploy from Kelly.
• Tight end was a little-used weapon in the offense last season. But the top three tight ends who practiced this morning -- Ben Guidugli, Adrien Robinson and Kazeem Alli -- all looked extremely impressive both physically and in making plays. And Kelly said converted quarterback Travis Kelce, who was banged up today, is just as good.
"It is clearly a different group of guys than we had last year, just in terms of overall development physically and mentally understanding what we're doing," Kelly said. "The tight end is going to be an important weapon in our offense this year."
• All that needs to be said about Tony Pike is that he looks locked in and ready for a huge year. Kelly joked about how strong the comfort level for the coaching staff is in their starting quarterback.
"We're not talking about, he didn't see the inside vertical," he said. "We're just making sure he gets an extra peanut butter and jelly today."
• Howard, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior college transfer, had his ups and downs in practice and is clearly still learning the system. But he's got all the physical tools to be a difference maker. Perhaps the most impressive receiver on the field today was Vidal Hazelton, the USC transfer who won't be eligible until 2010. At one point, he beat rookie corner Chris Williams for a completion. Defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs summed it up perfectly by yelling, "That's men and boys right there."
• How about the defense? Well, for the most part it looked solid, though there some tackling issues at times. The defensive front consisted at various times of Alex Daniels, Ricardo Matthews, John Hughes and Derek Wolfe, who are all imposing specimens with experience under their belt. Redshirt freshman Walter Stewart even got some run with the first team early on in 11-on-11 drills.
• One of the biggest competitions taking place is in the defensive backfield. Brad Jones is starting at cornerback right now, and the senior made several nice plays today. He's also 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds and could easily slide over to safety next to Aaron Webster in place of Drew Frey, if necessary.
Dominique Battle and Cameron Cheatham are also making strides at cornerback. Kelly said he didn't think a lot of true freshmen would play this year, but defensive back is the one place where you might see some newbies. He mentioned freshman Reuben Johson and junior college import Malik James as possibilities, and Williams was a highly-rated recruit.
"We've got some pieces that allow us to have some versatility back there," he said.
• Kelly said it's too soon to tell who's leading the competition to replace All-American punter Kevin Huber. Jake Rogers and freshman Patrick O'Donnell are the main candidates. Rogers also handles kickoffs and field goals, and Kelly said he's being careful not to overuse Rogers' leg during practice.
• It was only Aug. 17, but you can be sure Cincinnati is peeking ahead just a bit. During one drill featuring the first-team defense against the scout team offense, coaches called out, "This is the Rutgers play!" That game is just 19 days away.
• By the way, Kelly joined the Twitter craze over the weekend with his own page. Given his ability to talk, it figures to be one of the more entertaining coaches' pages out there (though, granted, that's not a very high bar to clear).
• That's all for today. Check back tomorrow morning for a story on Gilyard, the best returning receiver in the Big East and also quite possibly the best quote man in the league.
Evaluation period almost complete for Bearcats
CINCINNATI -- Saturday's spring game will mostly serve as a fan-friendly showcase and a cap to a busy weekend of events around campus, Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said this morning. The serious evaluating of players is just about over.
So with just one real spring practice left, how does Kelly evaluate his defending Big East champions?
"I think we've done a very good job of implementing a system of defense that fits the personnel we have," Kelly said after Tuesday's practice in unseasonably chilly temperatures and occasional hail.
"I think we've got some very good depth in certain areas, particularly the defensive line. I feel much better about where we are at the cornerback position. On the offensive side of the ball, our offensive line is better and the ability to run the ball -- we've got five running backs that are in play right now with (John) Goebel, (Jacob) Ramsey, (Darrin) Williams, (Isaiah) Pead and (Scott) Johnson. So there are some things we can take away from the last three weeks that are pretty positive."
Among Kelly's remaining concerns this spring are depth at middle linebacker and safety and consistency at the tight end spot. But he likes the way Marcus Waugh, a senior who used to play fullback and tight end, has taken to the middle linebacker position. And converted wide receiver Marcus Barnett "has shown that he can be a Big East starting cornerback."
The defense, of course, was the biggest question mark heading into this spring after losing 10 senior starters and changing coordinators and scheme. In recent practices, though, the defense has outplayed the far more veteran offense. On Tuesday, the offense struck back, hitting several long pass plays in the first 11-on-11 drills. The defense rebounded near the end of practice during red-zone situations.
The Bearcats haven't released a depth chart this spring and won't until either just before or after Saturday's spring game. But the first-team defense on Tuesday was Derek Wolfe, Ricardo Matthews and Curtis Young up front, John Hughes, Robby Armstrong, J.K. Shafer, and Waugh at linebacker, Barnett and Brad Jones at corner and Aaron Webster and Drew Frey playing safety. Frey showed some toughness by having a dislocated finger popped back into place on the sidelines early in practice.
The offense has very few questions with Tony Pike clearly established as the starting quarterback. Wide receiver Vidal Hazelton is still trying to win clearance from the NCAA so he can play this year after transferring from USC; Cincinnati recently submitted his paperwork and is hoping for a ruling soon.
The punting game could use some more work, if Tuesday is any indication. While there were some boomers in the bunch, there were plenty of ugly ducklings mixed in. Kevin Huber isn't walking through that door.
Mostly, though, Kelly said the Bearcats know what they have now going into fall.
"If you're using the spring game to evaluate, then you probably didn't do a very good job leading up to it," he said.
Thoughts on Cincinnati's first spring practice
CINCINNATI -- Here are some of my observations from Cincinnati's first spring practice:
• The first thing that strikes you is how many new names and numbers you have to get to know. Of course, I knew going in that the Bearcats lost basically their entire defense, but it's still a little jarring not seeing any familiar faces or names on that side of the ball.
• Coach Brian Kelly won't release a depth chart until just before the spring game, and the staff is still trying to figure out who to play where on defense. But for those of you into reading tea leaves, here was the first-team defense when 11-on-11 work began: Ricardo Matthews, Derek Wolfe and Walter Stewart on the defensive line, Craig Carey, John Hughes, Robby Armstrong and J.K. Schafer at linebacker, Marcus Barnett and Brad Jones at cornerback and Aaron Webster and Drew Frey at safety.
The odds of that being the exact starting defense in Week 1 against Rutgers are about as good as my chances of picking every Big East game correctly this season. Veteran linebacker Andre Revels was out with knee problems. And expect Curtis Young to be in there as well.
• As you can tell from the lineup, the Bearcats did have a 3-4 alignment on defense. But they didn't just have three down linemen and four linebackers in traditional spots. Linebackers would sometimes put their hand down on the line of scrimmage before the snap and other times drop back as safeties in coverage. The defense can shift to multiple looks depending on what the offense does, and I think that's the point of this switch.
• New defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is a vocal and animated guy, and along with excitable defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, forms a lively 1-2 punch. One of the buzzwords both guys used on Tuesday was "jam." They were constantly reinforcing to the defensive backs to jam the receivers at the line of scrimmage. And Kelly, who's got a reputation as an offensive guy, spent a lot of time with the defense on Day 1.
• Demetrius Jones was with the second-team linebackers, but I didn't see anything noteworthy from him. Remember that it's early, and they're not in pads yet, so that doesn't mean much.
• Let's talk about the offense. Looks like Kelly has quite a box of toys to play with. Running backs Isaiah Pead and Darrin Williams should add a whole new dimension to the attack with their speed. Williams is an intriguing guy. He's listed at 5-foot-7, which might be generous. But he's powerfully built and has a nice burst. He could be the next mighty mite in the Big East, joining Noel Devine, Jock Sanders and Victor Anderson.
• USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is listed at 210 pounds and looks pretty thick. He was playing the inside receiver spot with the second-teamers. He could be a load over the middle, and he seems more like a slot guy than a true deep threat. Of course, we won't see him play until 2010 unless he wins his NCAA appeal.
• Tony Pike made some pretty downfield throws. He could be ready for a monster year. One of his favorite targets was sophomore D.J. Woods, who could be in line for a breakout campaign.
• The Bearcats ran a little option look with Zach Collaros and others. I don't know if that will be incorporated at all this season if Pike stays healthy, but it's another wrinkle Kelly can consider.
• Former Cincinnati All-American punter Kevin Huber was on hand, and his potential replacements got to try a few kicks. Michael Cooke had the best day on that front, and the Bearcats used some rugby style kicks.
• That's enough for Day 1. I'll have some more practice reports from other schools later on this week.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
