Chuck
September 3rd, 2006, 09:30 AM
BY BILL KOCH | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
With most of the attention focused on the University of Cincinnati's two-headed quarterback situation, the Bearcat defense stole the show Saturday night.
UC (1-0) stymied an Eastern Kentucky offense that was led by quarterback Josh Greco, last year's Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the year, and pre-season All-American tight end Patrick Bugg, posting the first shutout by a UC team in 123 games during its 31-0 season-opening victory before 18,792 fans at Nippert Stadium.
UC's last shutout was a 16-0 victory over Virginia Tech on Sept. 16, 1995.
Division I-AA EKU (0-1) had gone 79 games without being shut out, dating to November, 1998.
"Just keeping them out of the end zone is a big thing," said UC head coach Mark Dantonio. "We can build on those type of things. That's very special to a defensive unit."
Both UC quarterbacks acquitted themselves well.
Grutza, who played the first and third quarters, plus one play in the fourth, completed 9-of-15 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.
Davila, who played the second and fourth quarters, completed 10-of-19 passes for 121 yards.
Neither quarterback was intercepted.
"It worked out great," said senior wide receiver Bill Poland. "Both of them completed passes and made the right reads and got the job done. If it continues to be like this, more power to both of them. It just makes our offense that much stronger."
Dantonio declined to say who was the more impressive but was pleased by what he saw from both of his quarterbacks.
"I thought both guys moved the ball down the field and threw the ball pretty effectively," Dantonio said. "And both of them made a few mistakes for their first game."
Senior tight end Brent Celek caught six passes for 81 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Dominick Goodman caught four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
Bradley Glatthaar led UC's running backs with 52 yards on 11 carries.
The UC offensive line did a good job protecting Grutza and Davila, allowing only one sack for 10 yards.
While the offense, which produced 411 yards, was finding its stride, the defense was in mid-season form, limiting EKU to minus-11 yards in the first quarter.
The Colonels, who had only 60 yards at halftime, moved the ball more freely in the second half, finishing with 250 yards, but every time they got close to scoring the Bearcats came up with a big play.
UC had three interceptions - one each by Haruki Nakamura, DeAngelo Smith and Dominic Ross - and limited Greco to 177 yards.
The Bearcats did not commit a turnover.
"That's really key for the first game of the season," Dantonio said. "Anytime you're plus-3, you're not going to lose the game."
It was clear as the game wore on and the shutout loomed as a possibility that the UC defense wanted it badly.
"A shutout is a great thing for us," Nakamura said. "That shows how much our defense has improved from last year. We would get tired at the end of games, but out backups showed that we do have depth. That's great for building a defense."
There wasn't much for Dantonio not to like as he embarks on his third season as the UC head coach. New punter Kevin Steel averaged a respectable 36.3 yards on six kicks and placekicker Kevin Lovell nailed a 34-yard field goal.
About the only thing Dantonio could quibble with were the 10 UC penalties that cost the Bearcats 106 yards.
The competition will become a lot more difficult beginning next week when UC hosts Pittsburgh on Friday night at Nippert Stadium in its Big East opener, followed by a trip to No. 1 Ohio State and then a trip to No. 17 Virginia Tech.
Until then, the Bearcats will savor their lopsided victory over what's expected to be a solid Division I-AA team.
"You can't argue with a shutout," Dantonio said. "Greco is a good football player. He threw for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns last year. I look up and he has 177 yards passing. We played pretty well."
[SOURCE STORY (http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060903/SPT0101/609030455/1064)]
With most of the attention focused on the University of Cincinnati's two-headed quarterback situation, the Bearcat defense stole the show Saturday night.
UC (1-0) stymied an Eastern Kentucky offense that was led by quarterback Josh Greco, last year's Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the year, and pre-season All-American tight end Patrick Bugg, posting the first shutout by a UC team in 123 games during its 31-0 season-opening victory before 18,792 fans at Nippert Stadium.
UC's last shutout was a 16-0 victory over Virginia Tech on Sept. 16, 1995.
Division I-AA EKU (0-1) had gone 79 games without being shut out, dating to November, 1998.
"Just keeping them out of the end zone is a big thing," said UC head coach Mark Dantonio. "We can build on those type of things. That's very special to a defensive unit."
Both UC quarterbacks acquitted themselves well.
Grutza, who played the first and third quarters, plus one play in the fourth, completed 9-of-15 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.
Davila, who played the second and fourth quarters, completed 10-of-19 passes for 121 yards.
Neither quarterback was intercepted.
"It worked out great," said senior wide receiver Bill Poland. "Both of them completed passes and made the right reads and got the job done. If it continues to be like this, more power to both of them. It just makes our offense that much stronger."
Dantonio declined to say who was the more impressive but was pleased by what he saw from both of his quarterbacks.
"I thought both guys moved the ball down the field and threw the ball pretty effectively," Dantonio said. "And both of them made a few mistakes for their first game."
Senior tight end Brent Celek caught six passes for 81 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Dominick Goodman caught four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
Bradley Glatthaar led UC's running backs with 52 yards on 11 carries.
The UC offensive line did a good job protecting Grutza and Davila, allowing only one sack for 10 yards.
While the offense, which produced 411 yards, was finding its stride, the defense was in mid-season form, limiting EKU to minus-11 yards in the first quarter.
The Colonels, who had only 60 yards at halftime, moved the ball more freely in the second half, finishing with 250 yards, but every time they got close to scoring the Bearcats came up with a big play.
UC had three interceptions - one each by Haruki Nakamura, DeAngelo Smith and Dominic Ross - and limited Greco to 177 yards.
The Bearcats did not commit a turnover.
"That's really key for the first game of the season," Dantonio said. "Anytime you're plus-3, you're not going to lose the game."
It was clear as the game wore on and the shutout loomed as a possibility that the UC defense wanted it badly.
"A shutout is a great thing for us," Nakamura said. "That shows how much our defense has improved from last year. We would get tired at the end of games, but out backups showed that we do have depth. That's great for building a defense."
There wasn't much for Dantonio not to like as he embarks on his third season as the UC head coach. New punter Kevin Steel averaged a respectable 36.3 yards on six kicks and placekicker Kevin Lovell nailed a 34-yard field goal.
About the only thing Dantonio could quibble with were the 10 UC penalties that cost the Bearcats 106 yards.
The competition will become a lot more difficult beginning next week when UC hosts Pittsburgh on Friday night at Nippert Stadium in its Big East opener, followed by a trip to No. 1 Ohio State and then a trip to No. 17 Virginia Tech.
Until then, the Bearcats will savor their lopsided victory over what's expected to be a solid Division I-AA team.
"You can't argue with a shutout," Dantonio said. "Greco is a good football player. He threw for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns last year. I look up and he has 177 yards passing. We played pretty well."
[SOURCE STORY (http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060903/SPT0101/609030455/1064)]