Cincinnati Bearcats Football: Young Defense Ready to Shut Down South Florida

On Friday against the Louisville Cardinals, the Cincinnati Bearcats started eight sophomores to go along with three juniors. That lineup was the least experienced defense of any BCS school in the country. 

Entering the season, Cincinnati was young to begin with, having no seniors starting on defense. Injuries to their most experienced player, junior cornerback Dominique Battle, and to junior safety Wesley Richardson, have thrust two more sophomores into starting roles. 

The secondary is the youngest group of the bunch, with four sophomores starting due to injuries. A young secondary can be a big problem, but so far this group has handled themselves better than expected. 

The youth on the Bearcats is found not only on defense, but on the entire roster. Cincinnati has only 12 seniors including receiver Vidal Hazelton, who is out for the season. 

With only 11 healthy seniors, Cincinnati is one of the youngest teams in the country. That could bode well for next season, as the Bearcats will return everybody on defense and a good portion of the offense as well. 

As the defense continues to grow, the offense has started to excel, led by running back Isaiah Pead. 

With the struggling South Florida Bulls coming to town, Cincinnati will have another chance to get well against a team who has had trouble scoring points in recent weeks. They have averaged only 7.5 points in two Big East contests.

The Bearcats need to continue their week-to-week improvement to have any chance of another Big East Championship. 

With five of their last seven at home, the chips are finally beginning to fall in the Bearcats' favor. If this young defense can continue to improve, the Bearcats may find themselves clawing back into the national spotlight in the weeks to come.