Quick Preview Of UC Football’s First Opponent, Alabama A&M

Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I care about Alabama A&M. So I’ll try to keep this brief.

Not only is Alabama A&M a program from the FCS, they’re not even a respectable one like a North Dakota State or even a Fordham. They’re a middle-tier football team that’s gone 26-32 since 2010 with their best year coming in 2011 when they went 8-4, including squeezing by Division II Tuskegee University 7-6. So there really shouldn’t be much for the Bearcats to worry about on Saturday.

This isn’t like in 2010 when UC’s players were still trying to figure out what the heck Butch Jones was barking from the sidelines while they bumbled their way to a 12-7 halftime lead over Indiana State. The 2015 version of the Bearcats are an offensive juggernaut with a future NFL Draft pick at quarterback who can run Eddie Gran’s offense while blindfolded. Cincinnati might drop 12 on the Bulldogs before before the first quarter clock drops to single digits.

That being said, we should probably still go through the exercise of breaking down this team, no matter how tedious it may seem.

More from Cincy on the Prowl

• Cincinnati Football: Bearcats aim to get back on track against Oklahoma in Big 12 opener
• Cincinnati Football: Red zone concerns could be a recurring issue throughout season
• Cincinnati Football: Players of the game from the Bearcats recent loss to rival Miami
• Cincinnati Football: Defensive standouts from the disappointing Battle for the Victory Bell loss
• Cincinnati Football: Can the Bearcats bounce back from frustrating loss against Miami?

OFFENSE

Alabama A&M’s offensive success on Saturday will be dictated by their ability to pick a starting quarterback from a slew of options that includes three new brand players, albeit one of a which is a Junior College transfer, and a redshirt freshman. Yikes. Head coach James Spady as of Sunday doesn’t seem to have even an inkling as to who that player should be.

"“For the second year in a row, we’re trying to find a quarterback who can do things for us, operate things for us,” Spady said. “We’re going to find a quarterback out of that group. We’re going to find a No. 2 guy, and I feel pretty good about the opportunity for the four we’ve got penciled in right now."

No mention of the starter? Focusing on the backup? Four possible options? Double yikes.

The Bulldogs’ running back corps is, like with Cincinnati’s, well distributed between Harvey Harris (29% of the carries last season), Brand Eldemire (27%), and Bryan Brower (21%). There doesn’t appear to be a standout in the bunch. The same goes for Alabama A&M’s receiving corps. A unit that was once led by Montaurius Smith (67 catches, 1,035 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns) will be in search for a new star on the outside now that he’s graduated from O’Darius Williams (33-432-0), Tevin McKenzie (28-391-2), and Octayvius Miles (12-364-5).

DEFENSE

The Bulldogs’ defense allowed opponents to score nearly five touchdowns per game. The main issue was penetration, as Alabama A&M averaged just about two sacks per game and allowed opposing rushing attacks to tear off for 175 yards on the ground each outing. They held teams to just 246 yards through the air but that’s more of a testament to opponents doing it the easy way running the ball than anything.

But there’s something to like on defense if you’re a Bulldog fan. The secondary is led by Dexter Reese and Danny Johnson, who picked off five and three passes respectively last season. No Bearcat had more than two in 2014, for perspective. So that’s certainly something to keep an eye on as Cincinnati rolls out their high flying aerial assault on Saturday.

FINAL THOUGHTS AND PREDICTION

A bloodbath.

Cincinnati: 66

Alabama A&M: 13

That wasn’t brief. Sorriez.