5 Keys To The Cincinnati Bearcats vs. The Memphis Tigers

Our beloved, and bruised after Saturday night, Cincinnati Bearcats host the Memphis Tigers in their first American Conference game of the 2014 football season tomorrow at 7 pm. You can watch the game on CBS Sports Net or listen on 700 WLW. If Dan Hoard’s calling this game, you might want to go with the latter.

Here are five keys for a UC victory on Saturday.

1) Control The Line Of Scrimmage

I’m talking both sides. Cincinnati did a nice job on the offensive side against Ohio State, especially when it came to protecting Gunner Kiel, but not so much in the running game. The Bearcats reeled off just 3.7 yards per carry on Saturday night. To keep the defense fresh, UC’s offensive linemen need to control the line of scrimmage and help get the rushing attack going. Speaking of the defense, the tackles and ends need to improve as much as any unit. They were manhandled by Ohio State last week and Memphis boasts a similar style offense. If Cincinnati’s defensive linemen don’t start getting off blocks and plugging the gaps, the Tigers will run all over UC.

2) For Goodness Sake, Swarm And Tackle Somebody!

If Cincinnati wasn’t getting out-schemed last Saturday, they were getting flat out bulldozed by Ohio State’s ball carriers. The Buckeyes averaged over 9 yards per play with over 380 yards coming on the ground in large part because the UC defense couldn’t stick a tackle. If the first guy even got to the ball carrier, many times he bounced off or was dragged several yards. It was as embarrassing a performance as they come. The Beacats need to shore up their gang tackling this week as Memphis focuses on the run game as much if not more than the Buckeyes.

3) Spread Memphis Horizontally

The strength of the Tiger defense is right up the middle, from the defensive line to the linebackers to the safeties. As much as I hope Cincinnati’s offensive line improves in creating holes for the running backs, it won’t be easy going tomorrow. The Bearcats need to spread Memphis’ defense out as wide as possible with 4- and 5-receiver sets to take pressure off the linemen up front. UC will likely lean on the pass against the Tigers, as they have all season, but this offense is built to be balanced. That’s how Cincinnati was so successful on both sides of the ball last year, dispersing the defense horizontally then gashing them with the rushing attack.

4) Still, Go For The Throat If You Want

Tommy Tuberville wants to sustain longer drives. It would probably be better for the defense is UC sustained longer drives. In general, longer scoring drives are better for the team as a whole. That being said, Cincinnati’s receivers are really good at getting open and Gunner Kiel is even better at getting them the ball. So if the Bearcats want to throw in a few 3 play, 77 yard drives in which Mekale McKay makes a Memphis defensive back look like a fool tomorrow night, I can probably get on board with that.

5) My Kingdom For A Punter

While the questions around Cincinnati’s kicking game have been settle with Tony Miliano focusing on punts and Andrew Gantz on field goals and extra points, the same can’t be said of the punters. Tuberville put his faith in freshman Sam Geraci this season, who’s been shaky in the starting role in 2013. After a handful of shanked punts, he was pulled for senior John Lloyd. Quite honestly, he was only marginally better. If UC’s offense isn’t effective enough to score every time they touch the ball like against OSU, I’m not incredibly confident in the Bearcats’ punting game flipping the field and giving the defense some much needed help.