2004 Cincinnati Football Preview

Gino Guidugli

There is an air of excitement surrounding the University of Cincinnati football program. A multitude of returning veterans with more than one season of extensive playing time return on both sides of the line of scrimmage, giving the Bearcats their most experienced team in years.

Gino Guidugli, who has rewritten the school’s passing and total offense records over the past three seasons, heads a cast on offense which encompasses both experience and depth at the skill positions.

Thirteen seniors—nine with starting experience—return from last year’s defense, which was ranked No. 27 in the final total defense national statistics.

Mark Dantonio, defensive coordinator at Ohio State the past three years whose work helped the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship, takes over the leadership of the Bearcat program. Dantonio heads a new coaching staff, which has generated new levels of energy within the team.

Dantonio has busied himself preparing Cincinnati for its final run in Conference USA. The Bearcats have finished either first or second in the league race in three of the past four years, and their experience should make them a contender in 2004.

“I think our team strength will be an experienced quarterback and an experienced front seven on defense,” stated Dantonio. “We should have experience on the offensive line. We've got players who have played well in the past. I like the team's toughness at this point. Preparation will be key, coaching and player-wise. Whenever you have a good quarterback, you have a chance.“

Guidugli has been the Bearcats‘ quarterback since the second game of the 2001 season. Not only has he exceeded just about every passing standard, he has shown good leadership skills. He has brought UC back from a fourth quarter deficit for a victory eight times during his career.

The Cincinnati offense is much more than the passing of Guidugli. Richard Hall, the team’s top rusher in 2003, is back to anchor the ground attack. The senior led the team in rushing (777 yards) and scoring (10 TDs) despite missing time due to injuries.

Four starters, all fifth-year seniors, return up front, giving the line a veteran hue.

Few teams can boast the experience level of Cincinnati’s defense. Six starters—all seniors—return to the front seven, which also has four seniors as backups.

The Bearcats have one of the best defensive end combos in the nation in Trent Cole and Andre Frazier. Cole was on the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award last season and led the team in tackles for loss. Frazier is moving up the UC career records list for sacks. Both have the ability to come up with the big play.

The linebacking trio of Jamar Enzor, Tyjuan Hagler and Jason Russell will again be the heart of Cincinnati’s defense. That three-some combined for nearly 300 tackles in 2003, 137 by Enzor from the MLB position.

Doug Monaghan returns for his fourth season as a starter at strong safety. Daven Holly, another senior, became a big play performer in 2003, his first as a starter at cornerback. The main quest will be finding two new starters and developing quality backups.

Chet Ervin, who handled both the punting and kicking duties last season, is back to boost the kicking teams.

The Bearcats’ experience and senior leadership will be counted upon to help the team respond to a tough early-season schedule. UC opens against Dantonio’s former team, Ohio State, and after facing rival Miami (Ohio) visits future BIG EAST foe Syracuse. Cincinnati also has a stretch in which it faces three of the top four teams from the 2003 C-USA race in succession beginning in mid-October.

New mentor Dantonio is excited about his team’s progress to date, and the challenges to come.

PASSING GAME
As has been the case the past three seasons, the Bearcat offense will be in the hands of Gino Guidugli. The 6-3 senior, who has already rewritten most of Cincinnati's season and career passing records, has the ability to rise in crucial situations. He has led the team for eight fourth-quarter comeback victories during his previous three campaigns.

Guidugli may not compile quite as lofty a set of passing numbers this season as the new coaching staff strives for a more balanced attack. UC is moving from a spread offense to a multiple scheme. That switch may be just fine with the super-competitive Guidugli, who last season made a successful adjustment to a short passing game with the team's inexperienced receivers.

That receiving corps is not quite as callow this season, with four of the top five pass catchers returning. George Murray, a classmate and occasional position-mate of Guidugli, heads this group, coming off a team-leading 30 reception campaign in his first year as a regular. The team's top all-around receiver, he has the running skills to turn short passes into long gains.

Cedric Dawley, a senior who impressed the coaching staff with his competitiveness during spring practice, and junior Derick Ross, who recorded a team-high 483 yards receiving in 2003, are likely to battle for the other starting wide out spot. Sophomore Bill Poland, who showed excellent progress through the course of last season, and senior Hannibal Thomas, who came on strong with 22 catches for 413 yards in the final five games, also return with starting experience. There is an excellent chance that one of the freshman newcomers will emerge.

Senior Collin Carey and Murray are the top backups to Guidugli.

RUNNING GAME
The Bearcats are counting on increased production from their running attack. One reason is the return of Richard Hall, the team's leading rusher from last season who brings an array of skills and maturity to the running back position.

Hall, a senior who excels in all aspects of the game, gained 777 yards in 10 games last year, some in which he was limited by injuries. Carl Jones, a junior and team's second-leading rusher, and sophomores Derrick Eddington and Terry Arnold all saw considerable action in 2003 and each brings his own particular skills to the table. Jones is a scat-back type of runner while Eddington is a slasher who can gain ground between the tackles. Arnold has the combination of power and speed.

Newcomers who could see action are Delbert Ferguson, a freshman who enrolled at UC for spring practice though he was unable to take part in contact drills while recovering from an injury; Bradley Glatthaar, who rushed for nearly 5,000 yards while leading his high school to back-to-back state titles; Butler Benton, who gained over 3,000 yards in his prep career; and Jon Carpenter, who ran for over 1,900 yards and 32 TDs as a senior.

The change from a spread offense to a multiple attack could make the fullback more integral to the unit. However, the Bearcats do not have any player returning with any game experience at the position. It is likely that a newcomer, perhaps rookie freshmen Brad Bury or Jon Carpenter, will make an impact here.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The Bearcats return four starters along the offensive line. Kyle Takavitz, a two year starter who played at left guard in 2003, heads up the veteran cast which includes Steve Eastlake at right tackle, Matt Mercer at right guard and Clint Stickdorn at right tackle. All are fifth-year seniors.

The team's lone vacancy was at center, with the departure of three-year starter Josh Shneyderov. Joel Yakovac had the edge over Matt Webster for the starting assignment there when spring drills concluded.

The line is by no means set as the coaching staff plans to explore the abilities of several of the line candidates to play at a variety of positions to get the best five performers on the field.

Stickdorn is probably the surest bet to return at the position which he took over early in the 2003 season. In addition to being the largest (6-6, 308) lineman, he is also the most complete, excelling in both run blocking and pass protection.

Takavitz, a returning team captain and leader of the group, will be on the field, most likely at left guard, where he earned first team All-C-USA honors last fall, though he could switch back to left tackle, a position at which he started in 2002.

Mercer, who also saw starting time at center last year, is another who could help at another position. He's the strongest member of the blocking force.

The wildcard in this mix is Adam Shorter, whose aggressive play and overall knowledge of the system makes it difficult to keep him off the field. The senior is projected as a guard but he will get a shot at center.
Other emerging candidates are second-year freshman Digger Bujnoch, who possesses good overall athletic ability; third-year sophomores Frank Straub and Jeff Reinstatler; and junior Ryan Brown, a backup in 2003 until felled by a knee injury.

DEFENSIVE LINE
The return of All-C-USA selections Trent Cole and Andre Frazier at the end positions made the line a strength of Cincinnati's defensive unit. The development performers to man the tackle posts has further fortified this group.

Few teams can boast a better set of ends than Cole and Frazier, particularly in the manner in which they complement each other. Cole, the best athlete of the linemen, is a high-intensity performer who makes big plays. He led the Bearcats in tackles for loss and was second in total tackles in 2003.

Frazier is the more-rounded of the two, with the ability to rush the passer, stop the run or drop into pass defense. He is a finesse player who excels with his technique and plays with a lot of confidence.

Adam Roberts, who showed that he was close in ability to the other two while serving as a backup to the duo last season, has been moved to tackle to capitalize on his experience and athletic ability. The junior will also be utilized at end, however.

The progress made by Mike Wright during spring drills is a major factor in the overall improvement of the line. The senior showed that he could be proficient vs. both the run and the pass.

Contributions will also come from a capable cast of backups. Donald Germany, with both speed and strength, has two seasons of experience at end.

Lonnie Simmons, who showed the potential to become a dominant player, Jordan Roth, a second-year frosh who plays with intensity, and Jamie Wimmer are top backups at the tackles.

LINEBACKERS
If the strength of the 2004 Bearcats is the defense, then the armour of that unit is the linebacker corps.

Three seniors—Jamar Enzor, Tyjuan Hagler and Jason Russell—return, each with at least one season of full-time starting experience. When the coaches turn to the bench, the Bearcats don't miss a beat as the first two subs—Jamie Murphy and Jermaine Wilson—are also battle-tested seniors.

Enzor, MVP of the 2003 UC team and an All-C-USA selection, anchors the unit from his middle linebacker spot. He led the team in tackles last season (137) and seemed to get better as the season progressed—he averaged 14.4 tackles over his last five games. Hagler, among the top three in tackling, sacks and tackles for loss, is back for his third season as the starter on the strongside outside linebacker (Sam) position. Russell, who lines up at the weakside (Will) OLB spot, has the skills to both cover receivers and play in the box.

All three are athletic, explosive performers. Ask a member of the UC coaching staff to identify the team's best linebacker and you will get a wrinkled brow. When the coaches are pressed to evaluate the performers, Murphy’s name is quickly brought into the discussion. He was the team’s fourth leading tackler in 2003 as a backup. He's listed behind Hagler on the depth chart, but can play any of the linebacker positions and could be utilized at end.

Wilson is the sub for Enzor in the middle. Kevin Hazel made a quick adjustment during spring practice upon being moved from receiver and brings a wreckless abondon style of play to OLB. Contributions will also come from Tony Carvitti and Johnny Zwitt.

SECONDARY
While two of the four starting positions in the secondary need to be filled, the unit should quickly catch up to the rest of the defense if the group continues to make the progress shown during spring practice.

Doug Monaghan, a three-year starter at strong safety, is unquestionably the leader of the secondary. He possesses great football intelligence and finds a way to get to the play, as evidenced by his 259 career tackles.

Daven Holly, another senior who started at cornerback last year, has demonstrated the ability to make the big play with his fine assortment of skills.

Tedric Harwell, moved to defense from running back early last season, enters the fall with the starting nod at the other cornerback spot after a fine showing in the spring.

Dominic Ross has the edge at free safety. Moved from outside linebacker during the spring, Ross adjusted to the new position quickly while exhibiting his fine athletic skills.

It will be difficult to keep Antoine Horton, a hard-nosed competitor who has excelled on the special teams, off the field. If he cannot dislodge Holly or Harwell for a starting position, he will most certainly see action as a fifth defensive back. John Bowie, likely the fastest of the secondary vets, will also compete for playing time at corner, with JaJuan Hall seeking action at free safety.

Newcomers will play a pivotal role in developing depth in the secondary.

SPECIALISTS
Experience could be the biggest asset for Cincinnati's kicking game. The Bearcats have returning vets at each of the pivotal positions which should help the team achieve the performance consistency sometimes missing last season.

Chet Ervin could play the largest role. The junior handled both the punting (38.9 average) and long distance kicking duties last season. Junior college transfer Brian Steel brings excellent credentials as a punter, which could allow Ervin to concentrate on the placement duties.

Patrick Farfsing, who handled the punt-snapping duties last year as a walk-on freshman, and senior Jeremy Schlicher, who hiked the ball for placements, are battle-tested long snappers. Several experienced return specialists return, including C-USA punt return leader Carl Jones.