Cincinnati 42, Purdue 7: Yep We’re Still Good, In Most Areas

(Courtesy Washington Post)

Coaching changes are never easy especially for the players in the middle of the transition. At the same time, for us fans, we really never know what the major differences between the old and new staffs will be. I can postulate until my fingers bleed but at the end of the day we really don’t know what Tommy Tuberville and his staff bring to the Bearcats until we see it in a live game. After today I feel like I’ve gained a good handle on what they bring to the table.

I think it’s pretty clear that Cincinnati is going to sport an outstanding defense in 2013. Despite losing key contributors in the secondary the entire starting eleven doesn’t look like it has missed a step. The front seven is tremendous and the rotation we’ll see amongst these units will wear down offenses over the course of a game like we saw today. The offense has some catching up to do, however. This isn’t uncommon in coaching changes. I was ecstatic to see the Bearcats roll out everything from the Offset I-Formation to the Pistol. But it’s a lot for the players to absorb with just months learning the new schemes. These guys will improve over the course of the season but it will just take some time for them to grasp the finer points of all of the different offensive sets Eddie Gran wants to implement on this team.

More observations after the jump.

Cincinnati’s defense, still nasty.

The Bearcats were expected to be strong on defense in 2013 and they didn’t disappoint. Today alone, UC:

• Held Purdue to 226 total yards
• Picked off quarterback Rob Henry twice and held him to just 161 passing yards
• Forced four total turnovers
• Gave up just a single touchdown to the Boilermakers

You can’t ask for a defense to play better than the Bearcats did today.

Tommy Tuberville really doesn’t give a damn about 4th down.

He’s known as a riverboat gambler and we saw that today. On 4th and 1 on Cincinnati’s own 43 yard line, the UC head coach brought in Brendon Kay to run a quarterback sneak. The idea of going for it in their own territory is crazy enough but the fact that they executed it tells me Tuberville really knows what he’s doing. The second time he pulled that, during a 4th and 8 on the same drive, it forced Purdue to call a timeout. A third time it resulted in a Hosey Williams touchdown. Yep, the gambler still has a few aces up his sleeve.

Munchie Legaux is still a running quarterback.

Legaux started, which was a shocker to me in the first place. I thought for sure Brendon Kay would get the nod. But like he did early in the 2012 season, Legaux did a nice job “managing” the game. Even so it’s clear even with the coaching change he’s not going to torch any defense with his arm. There was word out of practice that Legaux improved mightily as a quarterback during the offseason and I think that was evident today. But he’s just not where he needs to be as a passer. He just made too many questionable decisions to be relied upon play-in and play-out to do the right thing with the football. The idea right now is that as long as he can gain sizable chunks of yards on the ground, he can be an effective quarterback for Cincinnati. Still, I’d really have to believe this is an area of weakness until the Bearcats can find someone who can do both.

Silverberry Mouhon has come into his own.

The redshirt sophomore is going to be a staple on the defensive line. Today he notched at least a sack, forced fumble, and knocked down a pass on a critical 3rd down screen. With numerous questions surrounding this defensive line coming into the season, it’s nice to know that Mouhon has done his part in answering some of them. He was quiet after the first half but Purdue started recognizing his talents and sending dual blockers his direction. I’d expect more offenses to do the same over the course of this season. If they know what’s good for them.

Bennie Coney is wearing #16.

Nothing more to analyze here. I just noticed that from watching the game today.

It’s Ralph David Abernathy and Hosey Williams’ party and everyone else are just guests.

Coming into this game Tommy Tuberville hinted that he would roll out four runningbacks against Purdue. He wasn’t lying. Today we saw all of them – Ralph David Abernathy, Hosey Williams, Tion Green, and Rodriguez Moore. But it was Abernathy and Williams who stole the show this afternoon. They garnered about 95% of the reps during meaningful playing time and we were able to better understand just what their roles would be. Abernathy is the clear #1 with Williams his immediate backup. But both attack defenses in a number of different ways. Abernathy is just a sparkplug who has the chance to go the distance everytime he touches the ball. Williams is more of a power back. Despite the JUCO coming in at under 6’0″, he’s a bowling ball much the way Maurice Jones-Drew is for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s short but not small, if you will. In this game the pair combined for three-quarters of carries for 122 yards and two touchdowns.

Newbies galore!

On offense sophomore Max Morrison emerged as a true threat at the wide receiver position. He runs solid routes and has nice hands. Plus his speed is going to be tough for defensive backs to keep up with him. Morrison paced the receivers with three receptions for 58 yards against Purdue. On the opposite side was freshman Zach Edwards who started in the secondary. He was all over the place and played much of the game. These two could definitely become household Bearcats sometime down the road.