This season, offense likely to carry load
UC FOOTBALL
By Bill Koch • bkoch@enquirer.com • March 29, 2009
This could be the year University of Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly unleashes the full force of his no-huddle, spread offense.
Last season, the Bearcats were hampered offensively by injuries that necessitated the use of four quarterbacks - five if you count the brief appearance in one game by Demetrius Jones.
With the revolving door at quarterback and a running game that never reached the level of efficiency Kelly had hoped for, UC was relatively conservative on offense, relying on a veteran defense and All-America punter Kevin Huber to carry the team.
This year, Huber is gone and the defense will feature 10 new starters. But UC senior Tony Pike, the established starter at quarterback as spring practice begins Tuesday, has the potential to become the best passer in the Big East Conference.
Kelly is determined to take advantage of that.
"I want to find the best way to win," Kelly said. "Last year the best way to win was 13-10 against Rutgers. It might be 52-50 this year. If that's the case, we're prepared to go down that road, and we think we've got the weapons to do it."
UC averaged 370.6 yards and 25.9 points per game last season, a significant drop-off from the 434 yards and 36.3 points the Bearcats averaged in 2007. One reason for the decrease, Kelly said, was a relative lack of big plays.
"It was the lowest in eight years for me," Kelly said.
To improve in that area, Kelly will give long looks during the spring to sophomore running back Isaiah Pead and redshirt freshman Darrin Williams, both of whom, he believes, have the capacity to break the kind of big plays that backs Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel were unable to produce last season.
Pead, who played in seven games in 2008, averaged 6.5 yards on 30 carries.
"They've really got to get long, hard looks until we figure out what they can do," Kelly said of Pead and Williams. "We know what John can do, and Ramsey's going to be limited after shoulder surgery to more seven-on-seven. It's a great opportunity. You're going to see a lot of Darrin Williams and Isaiah Pead."
With returnees Mardy Gilyard, Marcus Barnett , D.J. Woods and Armon Binns joining newcomer Jamar Howard and possibly USC transfer Vidal Hazelton at wide receiver, UC has plenty of weapons on offense, including two capable receiving tight ends in Ben Guidugli and Kazeem Alli.
And in Pike, Kelly has a talented, strong-armed veteran quarterback to drive the offense to new heights.
"If Tony Pike is on, I think you've got to let him go," Kelly said. "You've got to get the ball out and let those playmakers make plays. Mardy Gilyard has got to go make plays for us. I think Pead and Williams can be special players. We haven't had that guy that can take a game over at that position."
Because of the uncertainty at quarterback from week to week last season, Kelly said, "We didn't take the shots vertically that we normally would take."
That figures to change this season, although Kelly maintains he won't heave the ball around the field for the entertainment value alone.
"If we find that we can live off our defense and punting game again, our big plays might be down again," Kelly said. "My guess is they won't. My guess is we'll be able to increase them with the talent level at the quarterback position and the addition of Pead and Williams.
"Offensively, we've got the full repertoire. If we find ourselves behind, we think we can overcome some deficits that we probably couldn't have last year."
Quote:UC SPRING FOOTBALL AT A GLANCE
Coach: Brian Kelly (third season, 22-6 at UC)
2008 record: 11-3 overall, 6-1 Big East (champion)
Postseason: Orange Bowl - Virginia Tech 20, UC 7
Ranking: No. 17, Associated Press media poll
Starters returning: Defense (1); Offense (7)
Key losses: Punter Kevin Huber; guard Trevor Canfield; wide receiver Dominick Goodman; defensive end Connor Barwin; defensive tackle Terrill Byrd; defensive backs Mike Mickens, DeAngelo Smith and Brandon Underwood; linebacker Corey Smith
Top returnees: Quarterback Tony Pike; running backs Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel; wide receivers Mardy Gilyard and Marcus Barnett; offensive tackle Jeff Linkenbach; center Chris Jurek
Spring game: Bearcat Bowl III, Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090...2/1062/SPT
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This season, offense likely to carry load
