Bearcats Look To Defend Big East Title As Spring Practice Begins

The University of Cincinnati football team began spring practice yesterday at Nippert Stadium with a new head coach, new position battles, and one common goal, a Big East Championship. 

Head coach Butch Jones and his new look Bearcats took the field yesterday for the first of 15 spring practices and while a few things are certain, there are a lot of questions to be answered before the season opener at Fresno State on September 4.  

One key question is who will replace All-American Mardy Gilyard, not only at receiver, but kick returner as well. USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is the leading candidate for receiver and senior Jamar Howard is also in the mix. Junior wideout D.J. Woods and sophomore running back Darrin Williams are the leading candidates to replace Gilyard on special teams.

Another question is how will the Bearcats fair under an almost completely new coaching staff?

With players getting their first taste of the new regime under Butch Jones, spring practice will be a little different in 2010 even though Jones and former head coach Brian Kelly have some of the same philosophies.

The similarities between Jones and Kelly are obvious, but the subtle differences are what have Bearcat players excited for the upcoming season.

Coach Jones is more of a player-friendly coach as was evidenced in December when he wrote his cell phone number on the board and told his players they could call him anytime they wanted. 

Jones door is always open for his players if they need to talk. With Kelly it was almost by appointment.  

Jones will also rely more heavily on the running game and ball control. The Bearcats will run a spread offense similar to the one in previous seasons, but more emphasis will be placed on the running game. 

Ball control is a big thing for Butch Jones. Running the football and eating up clock will help a defense that struggled mightily at the end of last season. 

Controlling the ball begins with Isaiah Pead. Pead emerged last season and rushed for over 800 yards on only 121 carries with 11 total touchdowns. Those numbers are certain to improve under Jones.

Another difference is the defensive scheme. The Bearcats are in the process of transitioning from a 3-4 defense back to the conventional 4-3 scheme and spring practice is the perfect place to begin that process. 

With the new defensive alignment, Cincinnati will rely more heavily on the front four and that all starts with junior Derek Wolfe. Wolfe saw more action last season than anybody returning on the defensive line and will be a key to the Bearcats success on defense.

Spring practice is a chance for the players to get back out there and strap on the helmet for a few days. It is also an opportunity to get noticed by the head coach, and three in particular have stood out so far during the off season and the first day of practice.

Juniors Zach Collaros, J.K. Schaeffer, and Isaiah Pead are emerging as team leaders for the Bearcats over the past few months. These three need to be successful if the team wants to three-peat as Big East champs. 

The quest for that three-peat began yesterday. Even though it is only March, spring practice is a time to prepare for the upcoming season.

For Cincinnati that preparation is extra special because yesterday marked the official beginning of the 2010 college football season and the first day of work toward defending their Big East title.