2011 Cincinnati Bearcats Football Preview

Butch Jones had previously stepped into Brian Kelly’s shoes and performed admirably. After Kelly left Central Michigan for Cincinnati, Jones filled the top spot in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and kept the program on track by winning two MAC titles. That being the case, most expected Jones to emerge as Kelly’s replacement at Cincinnati, with a team returning a great deal of offensive talent, and continue the program’s winning ways. By the end of the season, it was easier to compare Jones’ first year at the helm to Steve Kragrthorpe’s disastrous initial season at Louisville than to Jones’ previous body of work. The Bearcats limped to a 4-8 record and missed the postseason for the first time since 2007. The Bearcats return the entire defense intact this season, and they still possess a great deal of offensive talent. The stage is set for Jones to potentially make or break his tenure at Cincinnati in just his second season at the helm. If the defense rebounds, he’ll be positioned to turn things around going forward. If he struggles like he did in 2010, the vultures may very well be circling in 2012.

For all of the struggles that the Bearcats faced in 2010, few can be laid at the feet of the offense. Quarterback Zach Collaros threw for just under 3,000 yards and had 26 touchdowns; tailback Isaiah Pead surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark; and the Bearcats finished the season in the top third of the nation in total offense at 417 yards per game. The problem for Cincinnati was that most of the big numbers were put up in games that were either shootouts or come-from-behind efforts that skew the numbers to be somewhat larger than they legitimately should have been. Nevertheless, the Bearcats return an impressive cast of skill position players in Collaros, Pead, receivers Kembrell Thompkins, D.J. Woods, and Anthony McClung, plus tight ends Adrien Robinson and Travis Kelce. It’s worth noting that Kelce is an excellent tight end who missed the 2010 season due to suspension. Jones also capitalized on the coaching change at Pitt and nabbed blue-chip running back Jameel Poteat. With such an array of weapons, the Bearcats should once again field one of the most potent offenses in the Big East.

The task before Jones in 2011 is in settling the offensive line, which will in turn enable UC to cut down its turnover count. After juggling the offensive line for much of 2010, Jones settled on a line that returns virtually intact and has seniors at three of the five spots. The biggest fear for Jones is that there is little, if any, experienced depth behind the current starting five. If the injury big strikes, the offensive line could be a sore spot once again. A hurried, harried Collaros and an inability to run the ball consistently contributed to his 14 interceptions last season. An improved offensive line should help with both.

The biggest project for Jones in 2011 is to find ways to improve a defense that, while returning all 11 starters, didn’t excel at much of anything in 2010. In particular, the Bearcats struggled against the pass, finishing 88th in passing defense by allowing 234 yards per game through the air. In an effort to bulk up the pass defense, Jones reached out to the junior college ranks to bring in a few players that could make an immediate impact for the defense. JUCO Cornerback Malcolm Murray is a big, physical cover man who will likely find his way onto the field very quickly. Jones will also look to JUCO linebacker Greg Blair to beef up the front seven that was so often pushed around in 2010.

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The biggest change for the Bearcats’ defense must come along the defensive line. The Bearcats finished with just over two sacks per game in 2010, but that’s a number that will not work in the Big East where over half of the league’s teams now run some version of a pass-first, spread-oriented offense. The Bearcats must get more of a pass rush from its pair of junior defensive ends Brandon Mills and Dan Giordano. The two combined for 10.5 sacks last season, but need to be closer to that number individually for the defense to stand up against some of the Big East’s best offenses.

The schedule is formidable for a team hoping for a bounce-back season. The Bearcats travel to rebuilding Tennessee in week two and host N.C. State in week four. A 2-2 start would be a rough opening to the season heading into conference play. The Bearcats host Louisville and West Virginia at Paul Brown Stadium instead of Nippert Stadium ,effectively relinquishing some of their home field advantage. Road trips to Pitt, South Florida, and Syracuse figure to make anything more than a 6-6 season a challenge for Butch Jones’ crew.