Cincy on the Prowl
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An Auspicious Start: Cincinnati 28, UT-Martin 7

By Bearcat Jones

Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Nate Cole (84) celebrates after completing a pass against Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks safety Tae Martin (3) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Tennessee-Martin 28-7. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Nate Cole (84) celebrates after completing a pass against Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks safety Tae Martin (3) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Tennessee-Martin 28-7. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cincinnati football got off to a poor start against FCS UT-Martin, trailing 7-6 at the half.  But The Bearcats regrouped to score 28 unanswered points and win going away.

Yikes.

The Bearcats got off to a pretty bad start to the 2016 season.  The Skyhawks from Tennessee-Martin marched down the field on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead, and then proceeded to shut out the ‘Cats until the final seconds of the first half.  UC trailed 7-6 at the break after a TD pass from Hayden Moore to Devin Gray, followed by a missed extra point from backup kicker Josh Pasley (starter Andrew Gantz missed the game with a pulled muscle).  Pasley, the junior college transfer, was shaky in his D-I debut.  He missed a 24-yarder on UC’s opening drive and missed the aforementioned extra point just before halftime.

Late in the third quarter, Cincinnati broke through with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Kahlil Lewis and converted a 2-poiner to take a 14-point lead.  Mike Boone scored on a 1-yard TD run in the 4th, and UC capped the scoring with a Tyrell Gilbert Pick-Six late.

But there are several things that are very alarming.  The obvious one is that the Bearcats struggled with an FCS opponent.  The last two times Cincinnati football looked this bad against a team from the FCS were 2005 vs. Western Carolina and 2012 vs. Indiana State.  Neither of those seasons ended well.

Offensively, turnovers were a problem, again.  UC was even in the turnover category thanks to the late Gilbert INT.  Sadly, that’s almost a positive for a team that was minus-19 on the year in 2015.  UC lost two fumbles, and Hayden Moore threw a pick and made a few other questionable decisions that could’ve easily turned into more.  One of the fumbles was a Hayden Moore sack-fumble – clearly he did not get the memo that was preached this off-season about taking care of the ball.  All three of UC’s turnovers came in the first half – that’s a hole you can’t dig yourself into when conference play starts.

After halftime, which you would hope to be a regrouping point that would allow UC to rally and exploit an FCS team, the Bearcats’ offense came out and produced… drumroll please… back-to-back three-and-outs.  Scratch the drumroll.  Cue the bronx cheer.

Tion Green still got more carries than Mike Boone, despite the early fumble.  In fairness, Green was very productive finishing with 97 yards on 16 carries.  Boone was less effective, tallying just 35 yards on 12 carries.  Boone, though, got the Bearcats’ lone rushing TD of the day.

Look, there are silver linings here.  UC scored 28 unanswered to win, and the old saying goes “better late than never.”  And UC’s defense managed to create some turnovers of their own to keep pace, including one in the red zone when UT-M was threatening to take a 14-0 lead.  Hayden Moore converted two pretty good throws in the red zone to score two TDs.  Hayden Moore’s fumble sure looked like an example of the Tuck Rule. Which doesn’t exist anymore, and only existed in the NFL anyway.  Does thast count as a silver lining?  I guess not.

But this is extremely worrisome.

UT-Martin moved the ball at will and chewed up the clock in the first half.  UC was lucky not to trail 21-0 at the break.  The Skyhawks drove to UC’s red zone three times in the first half, squandering oppotunities with a lost fumble and a missed field goal.  UT-M missed another field goal off the Moore fumble.  Hayden Moore looked shaky once again in the first half, before pulling it together late.  Moore also missed some easy throws that have to be completed against better competition.  We already talked about three turnovers in the first half.  Pasley missed two kicks, but the issues on those two kicks were bad snaps and holds.  Even Gantz can’t make kicks with the ball on the ground.

I don’t like it.  I don’t like it at all.

The Bearcats have some soul searching to do as they prepare for a trip to Purdue next Saturday.  At least they will have a long week to figure it out.