"The time has come.”
The air cools, and the days grow shorter. The signs of the time are quite clear: the war-battled veteran has been dethroned by the newest member in the Eastern confederacy of modern-era war games; thoughts of revenge and of dominance resonate through the Jersey air. Known for their ferocity, young style, and something called “defense,” the new Cats on the block are out to prove that they aren’t a one-and-done kind of team: they’re the start of the new way. The historic champs, known for its diligence in leadership and excellence in ground attack, are looking to reclaim what they feel is rightfully theirs, and reclaim the title.
The lights flash on, the crowd is in place – a new season awaits. The mighty Bearcats arrive along the Jersey shore to do battle with the historic Knights of Rutgers. Who will win? Will There Be Bloodshed (hopefully not)(well, ok, some – as long as it’s minor and no one needs to go to the hospital, because I’ve heard the Jersey hospitals are simply subpar)?
Take a deep breath. The time has come.
*cue amazingly awesome ESPN college football music*
The Cincinnati Bearcats head over to Piscataway, NJ as the defending Big East Champions, defenders of justice and peace, and defending dominators of Rutgers in recent years. They’ve got something to prove: that they’re still the best, and despite losing their entire defense (and playing a whole new defensive formation), they’re going to win. Rutgers, on the other hand, is tired of being picked to win the Big East every year, only to have their season ruined by the mighty Bearcats at crunch time, and it’s quite clear that they’ll do everything they can to prevent the opening of the new season at home with yet another loss to Cincinnati.
The Bearcats’ heroic leader, Tony Pike, is going to be a monster. If he can stay healthy, he could even be on a few people’s list for a Heisman candidate. Pike’s main weapons, Gilyard and Barnett , will be big this year too, spreading out the offense and opening up a running game lead by Pead, something Cincinnati didn’t have much confidence with last year. Rutgers is known for its explosive offense and impenetrable offensive line, but Bearcats can and will step up. Let us not forget that the Rutgers star quarterback will be not playing in this game, and a young rube will be thrust into the spotlight on night one. Will he fail? Let’s certainly hope so. A few key interceptions and fumble recoveries can make all the difference in any football game, but nothing to especially count on.
What’s the consenting predicting here at Bearcats Blog to the outcome of this epic struggle of heroic proportions? 24-14 UC. Gilyard is going to run back a kick early in the game, similar to how he did against West Virginia last year, and it will immediately kill Rutgers’ spirits. They have a good defense, so we think they’ll be able to hang with UC’s high powered offense most of the time, but if UC can keep Rutgers’ defense on the field it will surely break down, and ultimately it will be Cincinnati that will prevail. Pike will end the game with 200+ yards, two TD passes, one TD run, and no interceptions. Gilyard will have 150 yards receiving and another 75 yards on returns, with two TDs (one receiving and one kick return). Pead will rush for around 100 +/-, leading an all-out offensive attack against the home team. Rutgers’ quarterback, who has only taken a few snaps before, will play very cautiously, leading to many small gains but no game-opening plays. He’ll finish respectably but will not be able to execute the crutial 3rd down in the 4th quarter and will have one interception.
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