Bearcats Destroy Austin Peay In Opener

Zach Collaros made the best
of the 2 quarters he played
as he passed for 4
touchdowns in UC's
72-10 win, Saturday

CINCINNATI -- Isaiah Pead ran for Cincinnati's first two touchdowns Saturday night, and Zach Collaros threw for the next four -- all in the first half -- leading the Bearcats to a 72-10 victory over Austin Peay.

The Bearcats dominated an Ohio Valley Conference team that has only eight seniors, scoring the third-most points in their history.

Cincinnati scored on six of its seven first-half possessions against a defense that features one senior starter. Pead ran 40 yards for a touchdown on the Bearcats' first play. He also scored on a 13-yard run and finished with 87 yards.

Collaros, the Big East's top returning passer, played only the first half and was 12 of 19 for 134 yards. His 34-yard pass to D.J. Woods completed a 95-yard drive in the second quarter. Collaros also threw a pair of touchdown passes toAnthony McClung in the last 39 seconds of the first half for a 41-0 lead.

Austin Peay is coming off a 2-9 season and has dropped its last nine games overall.

Cincinnati is coming off a 4-8 season that took much of the buzz out of the football program. After Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame, the Bearcats went back to losing games in front of small home crowds.

Their opener in coach Butch Jones' second season was much better, though played in front of a crowd of 23,282. Last year, they went to Fresno State and got beat 28-14 in 94-degree heat, wearing down as the game went along. No such problems on Saturday in 93-degree weather against an overmatched opponent.

Austin Peay has only 18 winning seasons in its 74 years of football. This one started badly.

Cincinnati won the coin toss, and freshman Ralph David Abernathy IV returned the kickoff 60 yards. On the Bearcats' first play, Collaros handed off to Pead and threw a downfield block on safety Amius Smith, opening the way for the Big East's top returning runner to go 40 yards untouched.

The Bearcats had a 14-play, 95-yard drive in the second quarter that left the Governors' defense running on fumes. Collaros threw a 34-yard pass to D.J. Woods, who ran past cornerback Sheldon Wade to make the catch for a 27-0 lead.

The half also ended badly for Austin Peay.

Collaros threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to McClung with 39 seconds left, and Cincinnati recovered a fumble on the kickoff. Austin Peay dropped seven defenders into pass coverage, but Collaros found McClung wide open in the middle of the field for a 29-yard touchdown that made it 41-0.

Cincinnati went with its reserves in the second half.

Austin Peay's Jake Ryan was 16 of 23 for 150 yards with two sacks, a fumble and two interceptions that went off his receivers' hands.

UC Football Predictions 2011

By:  Coop


The Cincinnati Bearcats open their season in just over a month, and today, I am going to predict what I think will happen.


Game 1 vs. Austin-Peay: This should be an easy win for UC, I don't even need to say anything else. 41-10.
Game 2 @ Tennessee:  This is the game that stands out when you look at the Bearcats schedule.  I predict UC to go there and pull the upset.  I don't care that it's in Knoxville, the Bearcats will upset the Volunteers. 21-19
Game 3 vs. Akron:  This is a MAC team playing against a Big East team.  The Big East is no Big Ten or SEC, but it is still a lot better than the MAC.  UC should blow them out. 42-14
Game 4 vs. NC State:  Last season NC State beat UC.  This year at first I predicted they would again, but then I realized they do not have their star QB anymore.  So I think Cincy will win it. 30-20
Game 5 @ Miami (OH).  Even though the Redhawks are the defending MAC Champs, that doesn't mean they can beat UC.  The 'Cats thumped them last year, I don't expect it to be much different this season. 37-3.
Game 6 vs. Louisville:  This is the first of two games at Paul Brown Stadium, I expect the 'Cats to be 5-0 entering this game, and then 60,000 fans will help out some. I think the Bearcats will win 28-17.
Game 7 @ USF: This will be a tough game for the Bearcats, USF is a very talented team.  But, I think the 'Cats are better than the Bulls and will win the game 35-28.
Game 8 @ Pittsburgh: This is the game where I have the Bearcats losing their first game.  It's sad, but I think they will drop to 6-1.  Pitt is not all that great, but I unfortunately think they are better than Cincy. 28-10.
Game 9 vs. West Virginia:  I hate to say it, but they will probably lose this one too.  This game is at PBS, and the fans will be great, but WVU is just a better team. 28-21.
Game 10 @ Rutgers:  Don't worry, UC will rebound in this game and beat the Scarlet Knights 40-10.
Game 11 @ Syracuse: The Orange had a good 2010 season, they even beat UC, but this year I don't think they will be as good, and I think UC will be better.  I have the Bearcats winning it 31-13.
Game 12 vs. UConn:  UConn went to the Fiesta Bowl last year, yes they got thumped by Oklahoma, but they were still the best team in the Big East.  With some players gone and their head coach, I don't think they will be as good this year.  I have Cincy winning it 14-7.
So there you have it, 10-2.  I hope that's good enough to go to, and win, a BCS game.

UC Announces 2011 Football Schedule

By: Cooper Ledford

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats have announced their 2011 football schedule.  Two games will be at Paul Brown Stadium, and two games are scheduled to be on National Television.  So, with not further delays, here is the 2011 football schedule for UC.

 

2011-2012 SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
Thu., Sep. 1	vs. Austin Peay	Nippert Stadium	TBA
Sat., Sep. 10	at Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	TBA
Sat., Sep. 17	vs. Akron	Nippert Stadium	TBA
Thu., Sep. 22	vs. NC State	Nippert Stadium	8:00 p.m. ET
Sat., Oct. 1	at Miami (OH)	Oxford, Ohio	TBA
Sat., Oct. 15	vs. Louisville *	Paul Brown Stadium	TBA
Sat., Oct. 22	at USF *	Tampa, Fla.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 5	at Pittsburgh *	Pittsburgh, Pa.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 12	vs. West Virginia *	Paul Brown Stadium	TBA
Sat., Nov. 19	at Rutgers *	Piscataway, N.J.	TBA
Sat., Nov. 26	at Syracuse *	Syracuse, N.Y.	TBA
Sat., Dec. 3	vs. Connecticut *	Nippert Stadium	TBA

Some games that I am anxious to see is that September 10th game @ Tennessee, that game might be the toughest game of the season.  Tennessee is not a great team, but they are an SEC team, and that is in Knoxville, so an SEC road test for the 'Cats, that will be a tough game, but fun to watch.  The game against NC State will be good, NC State has a good program, and that will just be a good ACC vs. Big East Battle.  The games vs. all the Big East teams will be good as well, but the two I am worried about is against Pittsburgh, as that game is in Pittsburgh, and then the game in which they play host to WVU.  I will have predictions for the season when football season is closer.

Cincinnati Bearcats 2010-2011 Football Schedule

                                                                                    Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

Sat., Sep. 4 at Fresno State Fresno, Calif. 10:30 p.m. ET

Sat., Sep. 11 vs. Indiana State Nippert Stadium TBA

Thu., Sep. 16 at North Carolina State Raleigh, N.C. 7:30 p.m. ET

Sat., Sep. 25 vs. Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Ohio (Paul Brown Stadium) TBA

Sat., Oct. 9 vs. Miami (OH) Nippert Stadium TBA

Fri., Oct. 15 at Louisville * Louisville, Ky. 8:00 p.m. ET

Fri., Oct. 22 vs. USF * Nippert Stadium 8:00 p.m. ET

Sat., Oct. 30 vs. Syracuse * Nippert Stadium

(Homecoming) TBA

Sat., Nov. 13 at West Virginia * Morgantown, W.Va. TBA

Sat., Nov. 20 vs. Rutgers * Nippert Stadium TBA

Sat., Nov. 27 at Connecticut * East Hartford, Conn. TBA

Sat., Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh * Nippert Stadium TBA