Tuckerman: Care about business

Date:

Share post:

[ad_1]

It’s easy to take winning for granted. The Bearcats open AAC play Saturday at Tulsa, their last trip in a conference they recently dominated. Cincinnati has been one of the best teams in the league since 2018 and has won 17 conference games in a row.

Last year we saw critics looking at the midway point of the season and questioning UC’s resume against soft opponents, while countless teams coughed up games they should have won.

Not Cincinnati.

The Bearcats won a highly touted game with a 31-21 win over Tulsa on Saturday. 46th consecutive season, extending the longest stream in the country. When was the last time the Bearcats lost a pick-up game? A loss to East Carolina in November 2017.

Luke FickellThe team is undefeated against inferior opposition. It might not make a road win in Oklahoma more impressive, but the accumulation of these types of Saturdays stands out. The AAC is a business-intensive conference, and when it comes to business, the Bearcats are college football’s gold standard.


The average recruiting-minded Bearcat fan may have heard the name Corey Keener for the first time in 2017. The Roger Bacon High School freshman grabbed headlines and was recruited early by Booth, throwing for a school-record 302 yards and five touchdowns in his second high school career. By the end of his varsity days, he would finish third in state history in rushing yards and touchdowns, and win Ohio’s Mr. Football (an award claimed by Evan Prater the year before).

But the LSU Tigers, fresh off a picture-perfect title led by Ohio product Joe Burroughs, stepped in to acquire Keener’s services. Bearcat fans are left dreaming of what could have been.

It took longer than we thought and included a turnover, but Keener is finally wearing the red and black this season, and it was worth the wait. The sophomore has rushed for a touchdown in each of his first five games back in Cincinnati. Saturday’s game also marked the first 100-yard rushing game of his college career. It was the first of many for the rushing attack, which had the most impressive game of the young season with 198 yards and 50-plus yards rushing.


The state of the game

The Bearcats sacked Tulsa 11 times to establish a sweep of the Golden Storm’s backcourt Saturday. This is an AAC record and has been achieved by the Bearcats since November 24, 2007 in a win at Syracuse. (Hi Haruki Nakamura!)

One and a half of Saturday’s sacks went to Evan Pace Jr. Pass has six in five games. The Bearcats’ single-season record is 13 (Anthony Hoke in 2007). The single season high in the Fickell era is 7.5 (Cortez Broughton in 2018 and Curtis Brooks in 2021). While we’re at it, Pace has recorded 13.5 tackles for loss. Cincinnati’s single-season record is 28 (Mike Gates in 1980) and the Fickell era high is 17.5 (Cortez Broughton in 2018).

Next

The Bearcats return to Niepert Stadium on Saturday for a 2:30 pm contest against South Florida. Limited tickets remain over here. With a bye week and a pair of road games coming up, it will be Cincinnati’s last home game until Nov. 5.

Read more



[ad_2]

Source link

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

spot_img

Related articles

Iran Mediates Amid Rising Tensions: Concerns of Escalation Between India and Pakistan

Iran has emerged as a key mediator in an effort to prevent the escalation of hostilities between the...

U.S. Greenlights $131 Million Strategic Defense Deal to Boost Ties with India

U.S. has approved a $131 million sale of defense software and equipment to India, enhancing bilateral defense cooperation. This...

Sudan Crisis Deepens: UN Confirms Devastating Toll as 542 Killed in North Darfur in Just Three Weeks

 Sudan North Darfur region, where at least 542 people have been killed over the past three weeks amid...

Waqf (Amendment) Act Sparks Nationwide Uproar as Supreme Court Defers Ruling to May 5

Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 has quickly become one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in recent memory,...