Bearcats Break Ground on Indoor Practice Facility

by B. Clifton Burke

On a warm, windy December morning, University of Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly, along with athletic director Mike Thomas and about a dozen players, donned hard hats and carried shovels to commemorate the ground breaking of the team’s new indoor practice facility.

Private donors raised all of the $10 million necessary to build the facility which is expected to be completed by next season. The facility will be built on campus near the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Corry Street.

“It’s a necessary tool for not only the football program but for the university,” Kelly said.

Kelly called the facility a recruiting tool and Mike Thomas said that it puts the program on a higher tier.

“I think it s the next step for us,” said Kelly “When you go to a BCS conference you would hope to have all the things in place from an infrastructure standpoint. We didn’t, but we’re moving in that direction.”

Other UC teams will also have access to the facility, including the women’s lacrosse team.

“We’re gonna be smart and understand that this is not just about football. We want to be able to help our other sports,” Kelly said. “This is gonna give us a great functionality for all of our sports and particularly women’s lacrosse.”

Junior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard climbed inside of a bulldozer parked in front of a pole barn that currently resides at the site.

“Don’t turn it on.” Kelly joked.

The other players lined the bulldozer and struck the soil with shovels and pick axes, while Kelly and Thomas posed shaking hands for the media event.

Thomas and other school officials signed Kelly to a new five-year agreement with the University earlier in the week. The agreement includes the school building the indoor practice facility and practice fields in the next two years.

Renovation efforts to Nippert Stadium are also being planned. Nippert was built in1902 and is the fifth oldest stadium in college football. Kelly compared Nippert to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.

“We want to enhance the experience at Nippert Staduim. Larger concourses, better concession stands, better bathroom facilities, maybe some luxury boxes and club seating,” said Kelly.

The Bearcats are one of two Division I programs in the nation that currently practice and play on the same field. Kelly said the new indoor facility will be a modest practice venue.

“I think its important that we send a message here. We’re going to put a bubble over this. This isn’t gonna be the Taj Mahal,” Kelly said. “I think there has to be a little bit of humility in athletics as well. This is an academic institution first and foremost.”.

Orange Bowl Preview

by B. Clifton Burke

The University of Cincinnati and the University of Virginia Tech haven’t met in a bowl game since an 18-6 UC victory in the 1947 Sun Bowl. That will change on Jan. 1, 2009 as the two square off in the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla.

"Our kids have heard this from me since Day 1," Kelly said. "They've responded very well to the challenges, and the challenges are, you still don't have the respect nationally until you come down in the Orange Bowl and show a national audience that you deserve to be here."

The No. 12 Bearcats (11-2) are led by their dynamic wide receiving duo of senior Dominick Goodman and junior Mardy Gilyard. Goodman, coming back from a separated shoulder that he suffered early in the final regular season game against Hawaii, has practiced with the team and is on track to play in the Orange Bowl. He needs just 23 yards and seven catches to become the school’s all-time leader in both categories (204 catches/2,483 yards). Gilyard has 1,118 yards and 10 touchdown receptions on the year.

Junior Tony Pike remains the starter after being pulled late in the Hawaii game following two interceptions, but senior backup Dustin Grutza has looked effective in his limited action since returning from a broken leg earlier this season. Pike has thrown for 18 touchdowns in 11 games this season and was second in passing efficiency (141.1) in the Big East.

Virginia Tech (9-4), has plenty of talent on their defense, finishing second in the ACC in scoring defense (17.5), total defense (277.1), rushing defense (107), and opponent third-down conversions (31.1 percent). The No. 21 ranked Hokies also managed to force 30 turnovers on the season. Senior cornerback Victor Harris was named a second-team All-American by The Associated Press after recording six interceptions, including two for touchdowns. Junior corner Stephan Virgil picked off five passes of his own. The two starting defensive ends, sophomore Jason Worilds and senior Orion Martin, combined for 15 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss on the year, and senior linebacker Purnell Sturdivant led the team with 93 tackles.

The Hokies are a run-first offense led by redshirt freshman Darren Evans, who rushed for 1,112 yards and 10 touchdowns, including 253 yards in a win over Maryland. Sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor isn’t much of a passing threat with only two TD passes and six interceptions this season, but he did rush for 691 yards and six touchdowns.

Cincinnati’s rush defense has been solid this season holding opponents to just 104 yards a game, good for second in the Big East. Senior defensive end Connor Barwin is tied for sixth nationally in sacks with 11, and senior safety Mike Mickens was named third-team All-American by the Associated Press.

Also included on the All-American team for the Bearcats was senior punter Kevin Huber who was named to the first-team by the Associated Press for the second straight season, and senior offensive lineman Trevor Canfield was named to the second-team.

The last regular season meeting between the Bearcats and Hokies came on Sept. 23, 2006, which resulted in a 29-13 Virginia Tech home victory. Cincinnati fell to 1-3 on the season after that game, but has gone 28-7 since that loss in Blacksburg.

"We all remember that stuff," Barwin said. "I'm excited to play Virginia Tech again. Playing down there was awesome. Their coach (Frank Beamer) is one of the best in the country."

Beamer has led his team to 15 straight bowl games, including a loss to Kansas in last year’s Orange Bowl, 24-21, their fourth consecutive BCS bowl loss. The ACC has lost eight straight BCS bowls, while the Big East has won its last three appearences.

"When you're representing a conference, there's a pride factor and I'm sure both of us share that," Beamer said. "You're kind of judged on how you do against the other conferences and the ACC hasn't done as well as we should have."

Beamer and the Hokies are used to this kind of national spotlight and attention. But they know the Bearcats will be focused on winning their first ever BCS bowl game and wouldn’t be surprised to see them back in this situation again soon.

“Cincinnati’s got a lot more good years in front of them, too,” Beamer said.

A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

University of Cincinnati quarterback Dustin Grutza didn’t expect to play in the final regular season game of 2008 at Hawaii, but after starter Tony Pike left the game after throwing two interceptions, the backup came into the game with 6:37 in the fourth quarter and his team down 24-20, and led the Bearcats to a 29-24 come-from-behind win.

“(Grutza) has had a tough career altogether,” said UC quarterbacks coach Greg Forest, when asked about Grutza’s setbacks this season. “Even when he started before we got here, he took his licks and got beat up a little bit and came back and every chance he’s had. He just hangs in there and has a lot of character and he’s bounced back every time.”

It’s been that kind of a season for the Bearcat quarterbacks this season. Five different quarterbacks have played in 2008 and three have started – mainly due to injury.

Grutza began the year as starter after backing up QB Ben Mauk all of last season, but badly broke his leg in the season’s second game, a loss at Oklahoma, 52-26. Pike was then appointed the starter and led UC to a win over Miami before breaking his arm the next game at Akron. Redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson filled in nicely as the starting quarterback the next week in a convincing win over Marshall, 33-10. The other two quarterbacks to see action this season are freshman quarterback, Zach Collaros and the sophomore transfer from Notre Dame, Demetrius Jones.

After redshirting in 2004, Dustin Grutza went on to start 21 games in the next two seasons for the Bearcats throwing for 20 touchdowns and over 3000 yards in that span. Grutza made way for Wake Forest transfer Ben Mauk in 2006, and had eagerly anticipated starting again this season. He started his comeback season by completing 21-28 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the opener against Eastern Kentucky but then sustained his injury the following week at Oklahoma.




Enter Tony Pike. While seeing limited action in his first two seasons after redshirting as a freshman, Pike found himself under center for the majority of what has become the best football season in the school’s history. Quarterbacks coach Greg Forest talked about how he thought Pike has improved the most this season.

“It’s his leadership and getting that game experience. Any time you get game experience it definitely helps you in feeling more confident with what you’re doing out there,” said Forest.

Pike came in late in the blowout loss to Oklahoma -- a game that was over by the time Grutza went down with a broken leg. After throwing three touchdowns in his first career start against Miami (OH), Pike broke his left arm in the fourth quarter against Akron, an injury that required surgery.

“They fixed the break and attached a six inch plate and six screws under the bone, and those are staying forever,” Pike explained.

The two injured quarterbacks spent the next three weeks together rehabilitating their broken limbs and trying to get back on the field. Pike said he learned from Grutza’s work ethic in that time.

“Just being able to sit down with Dustin the time I was out, I got to see how hard he works in the training room and what he goes through,” said Pike. “That’s what Dustin’s all about. He’s always worked hard here and he’s always been a patient guy and when he gets his chance, he gets in there and succeeds.”

The hard work paid off for Pike too as he missed only two games, and went on to lead the ‘Cats to six wins in seven games. He was second in the Big East in passing efficiency and completion percentage and threw for 18 touchdowns in 11 games.

Meanwhile, Grutza was undergoing his rehabilitation faster than most expected and seemed determine to rejoin the team before the season finished.

“It was a lot of rehab every single day,” said Grutza.

When he first broke his leg, reports suggested he may miss the remainder of the schedule, but Grutza had other plans.

He was the first one in the trainer’s room in the morning and the last one to leave at night. He admitted that in order to be 100 percent he would have to undergo another surgery on his leg, but opted to do so after the season.

“There was no guarantee that he would make it back this season. He worked hard and put himself in a position and you saw it come out in Louisville,” Pike said of Grutza. “When I went out with a bruised sternum, he was able to come in a carry the offense on a touchdown drive.”

Head Coach Brian Kelly has talked this season about having a “what have you done for me lately” mentality, so Grutza wanted to be ready in case Kelly ever gave him the nod again. Due to the injuries to both signal-callers throughout the season, each has had their share of game preparation and practice with the first-team offense.

“I think me and Dustin bring a lot of the same things to the table,” Pike said. “He was getting most of the reps the first week of our summer camps and when he went down with a rib injury, I went to get a lot of the (first-team) reps and we really didn’t have to change the offense a lot. With me or Dustin in there, the offense doesn’t change much and the coaches have the confidence to call any play for us”

The value of that confidence paid off in Hawaii, as Grutza led an offense that had struggled in the second half under Tony Pike, to a comeback win and sustained the team’s momentum heading into the Orange Bowl on Jan.1, 2009, against Virginia Tech.
That game will mark the end of Grutza’s career with the Bearcats, but Pike feels the success of this year’s quarterback play will continue in 2009.

“I think our success definitely has a carry over effect and hopefully after this season it will keep snowballing and carry into next year.”