Cincinnati Football: Five takeaways from loss to the Razorbacks

Even though it was a disappointing outcome in the season opener against Arkansas earlier today, the Cincinnati Bearcats can learn a lot from the 31-24 loss that will be helpful moving forward. There were also several positive takeaways from Saturday that stood out and offer hope for the rest of the season.

Cincinnati Football: Five takeaways from loss to the Razorbacks

1) Quarterback situation has to improve

Ben Bryant deserves credit for going into a difficult environment and showing some fight but it quickly became clear that he wasn’t going to have a great day. On the first possession, Bryant missed multiple receivers before throwing an interception.

Just during the first half, the senior quarterback missed a handful of potential touchdowns or big plays. Bryant started to find a groove after halftime with two straight scoring drives but the momentum flipped on costly his fumble in the fourth quarter.

In the postgame press conference, Bryant reacted to the narrow loss via Bearcat Journal.

"“The biggest takeaway today is just missed opportunities. Obviously I overthrew a couple that would have been touchdowns in the first half. We did a really good job in the second half of coming out and executing a lot better. It’s just a learning moment for everyone and I think we’ll get a lot better from here.”"

He ended up completing 26/42 attempts with 325 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In order for this team to accomplish its goals, Bryant can’t continue to have these types of games but he is fully aware of that.

2) Ivan Pace set for a special season

One of the positive takeaways from the loss was how impressive Ivan Pace Jr. played in his first game with the Bearcats. After transferring from Miami in the offseason, the older Pace brother had a great fall camp and kept that up on Saturday.

Pace was all over the field against Arkansas, playing with high energy and physicality. He racked up a team-high 12 tackles including six solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack that showed off his combination of speed and strength.

I’m expecting Pace to have a dominant season and possibly compete for AAC Defensive Player of the Year. He has all the tools to dominant on a consistent basis and lead the team in tackles. The junior linebacker is going have a huge impact this season.

Wil Huber discussed Pace Jr’s performance against Arkansas via Bearcat Journal:

"“You have to love playing next to a guy like Ivan Pace. He’s just everywhere at all times. Just flies around making plats. He brings a confidence to the defense. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t say much on the field but just the way he plays, brings guys along with him and I think he did a really good job with that today.”"

3) Ryan Coe will be inconsistent at best

Another transfer that played a role in the loss at Arkansas was place kicker Ryan Coe. After spending two seasons at Delaware, he joined the Bearcats and assumed the starting spot. His debut didn’t go as planned though with a pair of misses.

Following a seven-play drive late in the first quarter, Coe missed a 25-yard field goal that would have put Cincinnati on the scoreboard. A quarter later, the Pennsylvania product hit the right upright on a 48-yard attempt and gave the Razorbacks good field position to work with.

Arkansas turned that into a second touchdown of the day to take a 14-0 lead into halftime. If that field goal is successful, the Razorbacks probably would have led 7-3 at the break. Coe went 3/3 on extra points, while making 1/3 field goal attempts.

4) Penalties need to be cleaned up

There were several drives that stalled out because of penalties which has to be frustrating because the Bearcats moved the ball relatively well and should have been able to finish with a few more possessions in the end zone.

Following a fumble recovery in the third quarter, Cincinnati took over at the 3-yard line with an opportunity to tie the game. One incompletion and four penalties was more than enough to kill the drive and force a field goal which cut the deficit to 21-17.

It’s always difficult to have success when you’re hurting yourself and that was the case as Cincinnati racked up a concerning 10 penalties for 65 yards. When you’re already averaging less yards per play, you can’t compound that with a bunch of penalties.

5) Running back room needs more reps

All four running backs got a chance to see the field on Saturday and there were mixed performances. Corey Kiner led the way with a team-high 59 rushing yards on 12 carries, while scoring the first touchdown of the season in the third quarter.

Ryan Montgomery had just seven rushing yards on four attempts before exiting with an undisclosed injury. Charles McClelland was a difference maker off the bench with 44 rushing yards on only five carries for a team-high 8.8 yards per rush.

Most people expected the running backs to be a little more impactful against Arkansas but I think they will get to that point soon. Kiner and McClelland complimented each other very well and the other two will get better with more reps.