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I love rivalry games (even if the opposing team is out the door) and you won’t find a more functional, and somewhat cumbersome, trophy in college football other than maybe the Iron Skillet (you can fry an egg on that baby!). The Paddlewheel Trophy as it’s so relevantly named was created when UC joined the Big East in 2005. The actual series isn’t as storied as the ones with Louisville or Miami (Oh), compiling of only 10 total occurrences, but the games have gotten even more intense in recent years. Most of us can remember the crazy ending to the 2009 game and the victory in 2008 that sent Cincinnati to it’s first BCS bowl. Since those two historic games, the River City Rivalry has gotten ever more important for players, coaches, and fans on both sides.
Coming into the game on Saturday, the Bearcats should know the Panthers well. Everyone surrounding these programs knows that the Cincinnati team in last year’s matchup was an aberration. On that day, Dion Lewis ran wild on UC’s defense and the Collaros/Pead combo was ground to a halt. It was an ugly way to end an overall ugly season. But 2011 is different in that Pitt is now the team changing schemes on both offense and defense with Cincinnati boasting a team full of veterans who can play their positions in their sleep. As I mentioned in my breakdown of the Panthers, they are also riddled with injuries at key areas of the offense but still boast a very good defensive front. This will be no pushover for the Bearcats who need to focus on the following five areas to pull out a victory Saturday night:
- Get to Sunseri Early: It’s no secret that Pitt will be down Ray Graham in this game. His backup, Zach Brown, is a very capable player but UC is the #1 defense against the run in the Big East. Knowing that will make the Panthers very one dimensional and guys like Derek Wolfe will be pinning their ears back on passing downs, especially with how porous Pitt’s offensive line is. The Bearcats as a whole need to get in Sunseri’s head early so he will force mistakes later in the game. He’s already thrown 7 picks to only 7 touchdowns this season as he continues to adjust to the new offense. Tallying sacks and forcing him to throw in 3rd and long situations would also be beneficial for this opportunistic UC secondary.
- Know the Blocking Assignments: 3 – 4 defenses can be a headache to block for if the right personnel is running it. Luckily for the Panthers, they have pretty good players for that scheme. The Cincinnati offensive line will need to put in overtime in the film room to give Isaiah Pead gaps to run through and Zach Collaros time to find his receivers. It could be a long game for the UC offense if the blitzes aren’t picked up.
- Find the Tight End, and Cover Him Like a Blanket: Pitt’s 3rd leading receiver is Hubie Graham. His comical name aside, the tight end has caught 20 passes for almost 250 yards this season with a couple of touchdowns. Those aren’t ‘drop everything and have your defense focus on him’ numbers but he should definitely be accounted for, especially considering the UC defense gave up 51 yards on only 3 catches to USF’s Evan Landi. Graham could turn longish 3rd downs into 1st downs if he’s left alone.
- Avoid Giving up Momentum on Special Teams: If there’s one thing Pitt does right it’s be especially special on special teams (too much?). The Panthers have already blocked a punt for a touchdown and taken a kickoff to the house. The Bearcats boast one of the best punters in the nation in Pat O’Donnell who can easily flip the field and force the opposing offenses to drive 70 or 80 yards to score. It provides a huge boost to the defense. But Pitt’s ability to do the same thing in the return game for their offense could be a marked momentum shift in the game.
- Stay Disciplined on the Outside: I’m talking to the corners and safeties here. Pitt’s shiny new spread offense utilizes a lot of outside passes like screens and flats. Against South Florida, time and time again QB B.J. Daniels would throw a quick out to his receivers who would take the 3 yard reception and turn it into a 20 or 30 yard gain. This was from a combination of poor tackling and simply keeping the receiver in front of them. The Bearcats can’t do this against Pitt, or any team for that matter, but this Saturday especially.
Bonus: Remember this shining moment in Bearcats history!
The Other Big East games – A full slate of action this Saturday!
UConn vs. Syracuse: The Huskies aren’t very good at all and although Syracuse laid a big time egg at Louisville last weekend, I have full confidence Doug Marrone will have them read for Saturday. Syracuse: 28, UConn 14
West Virginia vs. Louisville: This is a potentially huge conference game as the winner will still be in the hunt for the Big East crown and the loser will likely have their championship hopes all but dashed. The Cardinals are riding another great defensive performance against Syracuse last weekend. I think the defense gives West Virginia some trouble but the Mountaineers find a way to pull it out. West Virginia 30, Louisville 20
Rutgers vs. South Florida: Two teams that desperately need wins right now should make for a great game. Rutgers is trying to keep its Big East title hopes alive while USF just wants to go bowling. I think this will be an extremely gritty game but the Scarlet Knights come out on top and put Bulls fans on suicide watch. Rutgers 23, South Florida 21