Experiencing Bearcat Football: A Decade Apart

                I fell in love with Bearcat football at a very young age.  Though basketball was probably my first love, we only had Bearcat basketball season tickets for a couple of seasons.  With Bearcat football we had them every year from the Tim Murphy era going forward.  I loved them for the average program they were.  I got mad at UC basketball fans who rooted for Ohio State, Michigan or Notre Dame in football.  I would chastise them in school, “You’re in Cincinnati.”  “How can you say you are a UC basketball fan and then root for someone else in football?  IT’S THE SAME SCHOOL!”  I felt pride that I was loyal.  That I supported both their elite, nationally recognized basketball program, but also a football program that was up and down, never particularly high, rarely particularly low.  During my childhood as a fan the Bearcats were never better than 8-3 (1993, Tim Murphy’s final season before leaving for Harvard) and bottomed out with one 2-9 season (1998 a year after their first Bowl Appearance since 1950).    It was a program hanging in the middle, headed nowhere, but one I loved and knew I’d always support.

                Then came the Big East and a glimmer of hope.  Suddenly UC was in a “power” conference, trying to go after power conference type recruits.  The competition increased, but the opportunity with it.  It was a grind at first.  The Bearcats had an incredibly young team with little upper-class talent when they joined the Big East.  They struggled to a 4-7 record, but showed promise in 2006 battling a top flight schedule (4 road games against top 10 teams at the time and a home game over a top ten team) even upsetting undefeated, #6 Rutgers in their final home game.  Then in 2008, year two of the Brian Kelly era, the Bearcats had a dream season, culminating in a Big East Championship and Orange Bowl birth.  For those of us who grew up loving Bearcat football it was unbelievable, like something out of a dream.  I was lucky enough to attend 12 of the 14 games that season.  The memories will last a lifetime.  It was something I always dreamed was possible, but barely believed it. 

                In the decade after that the Big East collapsed.  The Bearcats lost their seat at the power table.  They lost two coaches to bigger programs and then watched as a third coach torpedoed the program back to relative obscurity.  The success kept the program at least a bit of a name, but the dream of an elite program that rose from nowhere faded.  Then last season, a Bearcat team coming off a second straight 4-8 season, emerged from the ashes once more.  The Bearcats started the season winning at the Rose Bowl and finished with a Military Bowl Victory over Virginia Tech.  They ran up 11 wins against only 2 losses playing a freshman quarterback, sophomore running back and one of the younger teams in college football.  In a flash the dreams of what could happen were back for this program I love. 

                You may have noticed by now we skipped 2009.  If 2008 was a dream season, something I never imagined…how the hell do I describe 2009?  Now a decade in the past, it’s still fresh in my mind and close to the heart of every Bearcat football fan lucky enough to be a part of it.  It was a season that started with the potential for greatness and exceeded nearly every possible outcome.  Much like 2009, 2019 is a season with some real questions, but that unmistakable feeling that we could potentially see something great.  And so I want to do something different this year.  I want you to ride along with me as we experience the 2019 season through the lens of the 2009 season we’ll never forget.  I want to make this about Bearcat football, but I also want to use it to talk about life.   I’m going to try to write every week.  I’m going to try to discuss this year and revisit the wonder of 2009.  I’m going to look at the program a decade apart and evaluate where we are… but most importantly I am going to celebrate being a Bearcat football fan and all the joy it had brought me. 

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                How do you top the unimaginable?  A Big East Championship and Orange Bowl birth had been unfathomable as a Bearcat football fan in the 90s.  The 2008 season, with the incredible run of 6 straight conference wins to end it, had given us just that.  They’d beaten South Florida at home.   UC had won at West Virginia and at Louisville and clinched the conference with a home win against Pittsburgh.  (Capping off an incredible 3 game stretch I relived for everyone here: http://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2018/11/i-havent-blogged-in-long-time.html)  What could they do for an encore?

                There were plenty of questions, particularly on defense.  Gone were a trifecta of corners who anchored the back end (Mickens, Smith and Underwood).  Gone as well were Connor Barwin and Terrill Byrd, true forces on the defensive line.  But back were the makings of a truly elite offense.  Tony Pike was back, along with UC’s top 3 running backs (including Isaiah Pead), a deep group of talent receivers (Gilyard, Binns, Barnett, DJ Woods) and 3/5 of the offensive line (Linkenbach, Kelce and Jurek).  If the defense reloaded this had the makings of another Big East contender.  Before the season I wrote “I really believe this will be the best Bearcat offense of the modern era.”  http://bearcatmark.blogspot.com/2009/09/bearcat-football-preview-2009.html  That turned out to be true and absolutely necessary as the defense while good for much of the first half, really struggled as the season wore on.  It was up to the offense to get them to greatness and the offense did not disappoint. 

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                While not quiet the dream season of 2008, 2018 was a thrill ride for Bearcat fans coming off the two abysmal seasons that preceded it.  The Bearcats rode some key veterans and a lot of young talent to an 11-2 record including a bowl win over Virginia Tech.  There were major questions at the beginning of the season, and every one of them seemed to come up with a satisfactory answer (except kicker).  The offensive line held up and exceeded expectations.  Mike Warren stepped up to a huge role after the season ending injury to Gerrid Doaks.  After a couple failed drives by Hayden Moore and the offense against UCLA the team was turned over to Freshman Dez Ridder at QB and he showed the kind of promise that should have UC fans drooling.  In the end the Bearcat offense was about average.  They were really good against bad defenses and struggled against good defenses.  However, with much of the offense back and Ridder a year more developed the offense has the potential to make a big leap this season.

                If the offense had satisfactory answers to its questions last season, the defense had exemplary answers.  UC went from 68^th to 36^th in defensive S&P plus and better than that in most traditional measures.  They became an elite run defense and elite in aspects of their pass defense.  The Bearcats were sixth in marginal rushing efficiency and first in completion rate allowed.  Their only big weakness on defense was that they gave up a lot of explosive plays in the pass game.  Teams struggled to complete passes, but when they did, they often completed them for huge gains.  This year most of the back end of the defense is back.  If they can maintain the efficiency numbers while finding a way to limit big plays they can be a top 15 type defense.  Because of the style they are asked to play they likely will not eliminate big plays.  Big plays are likely going to be what teams rely on against UC and UC will likely give up a decent percent, but if they even become average in that area, this defense can truly be elite.

                The biggest questions for this year’s Bearcat team are on the offensive and defensive lines.  Though the Bearcats return much of their defensive 2 deep, they were hit hard on the defensive line, particularly at defensive tackle.  Cortez Broughton and Marquise Copeland both started every game last season combining for 101 tackles (25 of which were for a loss) and 10.5 sacks.  That is a lot of production from an important spot.  The 8 guys vying to take their place didn’t combine for 50 tackles.   As a result, the DT spot is the great unknown for this team.  Fill it adequately and the defense should be better than last year, but it’s a big ask.  The Bearcats have a bit more experience at defensive end with Michael Pitts and Ethan Tucky returning and a number of promising guys looking to make a big impact.  I’m less concerned about the defensive end position, but it still is at least somewhat of an unknown.  Malik Vann is one of the more exciting Bearcat prospects.  Kevin Mouhon is the kind of forgotten player that could leap forward for a huge senior year. 

                The offensive line has a few key guys back but they are shifting and increasing roles.  Chris Ferguson is being moved to left tackle, while Jakari Robinson becomes a full time starter at center.  Assuming the Bearcats 3 experienced returnees play at a high level, they have a number of options to fill in the rest of the gaps.  If a couple step up this offense has the potential to really make a leap.  The other question is what kind of leap will Dez Ridder make this season?  Ridder was incredibly encouraging as a freshman starter.  He put up some great numbers against the lesser defense on the schedule, but often struggled against the better defenses.  That is fine for a freshman and on balance he was a huge plus for UC.  However, if he can raise his level of play and become an all-conference type QB the Bearcat offense could make a significant leap. 

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                I found out my father had been diagnosed with cancer about a month before my thirteenth birthday.  He battled it for nearly five years before passing away on Valentine’s Day of 2002.  I was two months shy of 18.  My dad was from Wilmington, North Carolina but came to Cincinnati to pursue his Doctorate’s Degree in Sociology at the University of Cincinnati.  He worked for UC throughout my childhood as an administrator in the college of business, while also teaching some night classes in Sociology.  To this day UC football is one of the things that makes me think of him.  He loved the university and I was lucky enough to get follow the Bearcats with him.  He took me to nearly every UC game until he was diagnosed with cancer and we continued to get tickets even when he could not attend.  He never got to live the glory years of UC football, but because of him I was able to fully appreciate the journey from mediocrity to something beyond comprehension.

                I think I was a very mature high school kid, probably because I had to be.  I worked.  I saved money.  I did well in school, but didn’t stress over it.  I took hard classes.  I respected my parents.  While many people got in trouble in high school or broke the law by drinking or smoking pot, including many friends of mine, I never really did.  I didn’t judge them.   I always thought it was a personal decision which for me was largely driven by living up to the trust my parents put in me.  My parents allowed me to experience life in high school, whether it was driving all over greater Cincinnati with friends or staying out late.  Because of this I often ended up the designated driver at the end of many high school parties. 

                Maybe it was because of this that I went a little overboard in my mid-twenties.  When friends wanted to go out to the bar or to a party, I never said no.  Week night or weekend hardly mattered.  I was up for a good night out.  I didn’t want to waste my twenties worrying about money or responsibilities.  I worked.  I paid my bills on time.  But I experienced life as best I could.  Bearcat football became a big part of this and 2009 was its peak.  In 2006 I began really making an effort to travel to Bearcat road games.  In 2008 I ended up attending 12 of UC’s 14 games, only missing trips to Connecticut and Hawaii.  In 2009 I was hoping to do something similar.  I was making very little, but I had a great rent deal and no car payment.  I took full advantage.  Bearcat football trips became a huge part of my budget.  I was able to attend 12 of UC’s 13 football games in 2009, only missing the trip Oregon State. 

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                I remember my mom asking me some time in my mid-twenties if I was planning to ever get married or have a family.  I asked her how old my dad was when they got married, she said “32.”  I told her that sounded about right.  I guess as predictions go I nailed that one.  Unlike in 2009 when my budget was dedicated to UC football, my 2019 life includes a wonderful wife and a perfect 16 month old daughter.  Though my ability to commit to spur of the moment Bearcat football trips isn’t what it was, the Bearcats remain an enormous part of my life.  I look forward to the day I can take my daughter down to my tailgate and Nippert Stadium. 

                With marriage, a young daughter and real financial responsibilities my priorities have changed considerably.  I watch a ton less sports in general, don’t play as much basketball and my nights out with friends are few and far between.  However, in prioritizing I’ve made sure to make as many Bearcat football games as possible.  I still have season tickets.  I still get down to tailgate.  I still go to nearly every game at Nippert.  Though I haven’t traveled for a game since Michigan in 2017, I still will broach the idea of a UC trip and look forward to my next one (a New Years Day Bowl this year perhaps???).  It’s amazing how much life can change in a decade.  But through all that change, the Bearcats remain a large part of my life. 

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                Here we are.  We’re a decade from the pinnacle of UC football, a season that began with a trip to Rutgers, for a nationally televised game against a team expected to compete for the Big East Championship.  This year UC starts with a nationally televised game at Nippert against UCLA.  The opportunity is there to make the kind of statement the 2009 team made right off the bat.  A statement that says, this year could be something special.  I look forward to experiencing this season.  I hope you enjoy my ramblings about life and about experiencing Bearcat football, a decade apart.  The program is vastly different now.  My life is very different now, but Bearcat football remains an essential part of it.