Football In Full Pads For Practice Three


Senior RB George Winn

March 6, 2012

CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati football team was on the field in full pads Tuesday, working out for around two hours inside the bubble at the Sheakley Athletic Center.

It was the first time in pads for the Bearcats since the 2011 AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31 and much of the pre-practice chatter was filled with anticipation.

The coaching staff started things out early with the circle of life drill, pitting the players in 1-on-1 hitting situations. From there, the team worked through live periods in special teams, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.

One of the new faces on the coaching staff is Roy Manning. Manning was UC's defensive graduate assistant in 2010, before moving the his alma mater, the University of Michigan, as the offensive GA in 2011. For the 2012 season, Manning has returned to Cincinnati, joining the full-time staff and will coach the running backs.

The Bearcats will be looking to replace the production of 2011 BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead who recently was named the MVP of the 2012 Senior Bowl. He lead the conference with 1,259 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 96.85 yards per contest, which ranked 27th best in the nation this season and added 319 receiving yards and three more scores for a total of 15 on the year. He capped off the year with an MVP performance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, going for 149 yards and a touchdown in the Bearcats' win over Vanderbilt.

Senior George Winn (Southfield, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) took full advantage of Pead's broken chinstrap during the second quarter of the Liberty Bowl, spelling Pead and scampering 69-yards down the sideline for a career-long touchdown which put UC on the board and tied up the game early. Winn played in all 13 games a year ago, starting on all of UC's special teams and averaged 5.5 yards per carry while running the ball.

A pair of sophomore's, Jameel Poteat (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) and Ralph David Abernathy IV (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster School) are also in the mix. Both saw limited time at running back but Poteat showed flashes of the future against Akron, toting the ball 10 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. Abernathy has also showcased his ability to be a playmaker, doing most of his damage on the kickoff return team.

UC returns to the practice field Saturday as the coaching staff welcomes members of the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association to campus for the annual SWOFCA Clinic. Head Coach Butch Jones will serve as the event's keynote speaker on Friday evening.

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Coach Jones Evaluates his Squad

Tim Adams

Tuesday’s practice was the first in full gear for the UC players, and Bearcat Lair spoke to Coach Jones immediately after the session to get his impressions.



“Actually, I thought our quarterbacks performed much better than they did on Saturday. I thought they took care of the ball and managed the offense much better. It was obviously the first day of pads, and there should be energy and excitement, but we’re still working on our identity for 2012, but I like what I see right now.”

Coach Jones is following the same blueprint he used last season in developing a physical unit.

“We hit the same as we did last year,” said Jones. “We’ve made it a point of emphasis that we need to play with a hard edge. We may lose players to graduation, but our expectations and standards will never change.”

Two of the early enrollees are Josh Posley and Jonathan Burt from Warren Central High School in Indiana. Burt has been sidelined with a foot injury, but both defensive linemen are shorter than the typical BCS defensive linemen. Coach Jones was asked about their size.

“They’re probably six footish, but we really like their explosion. They are extremely competitive and right now just the speed of the game is going a million miles an hour for them, but they’ll be fine.”

Because of the graduation of Alex Hoffman, Randy Martinez and Evan Davis coupled with the injury rehab of returning starters Austen Bujnoch and Sean Hooey (that has severely limited their participation), the Bearcats have a very inexperienced offensive front this spring. The group was consistently beaten in the one-on-one pass rush drill earlier in practice, but when it came time for scrimmaging, the unit fared much better and showed the ability to create some daylight for the UC running backs. Coach Jones talked about the difference between drills and team situations.

“That’s why you can do one-on-ones and all that, but in team situations so many things go through the mind of a defensive lineman. In one-on-ones, they are thinking of only one thing. They are lining up and rushing the passer, but in team, they need to worry about draws, runs, and a pass rush. Now it becomes a thinking game and reading schemes. It changes a little bit for them.”

Coach Jones opened up Tuesday’s practice to Ohio University’s football staff including Bobcat head coach, Frank Solich. Although coaches view this as a courtesy, it also strongly suggests the Bearcats and the Bobcats won’t be playing any time soon.

“We’ll never open practice up to an opponent,” said Jones. “But it’s a form of respect. That’s what we do in the offseason. It’s all about getting better. Ohio is here today as is the University of Minnesota and some other schools. In this business, there are no patents, and we can always learn from each other. We’re pleased to have them here because it’s a great resource for us.”

Three days into a series of fifteen spring practices, Coach Jones was asked what area has him feeling the most confident.

“Nothing right now. Everything is still ongoing. I’ll have a better idea of where we’re at when we get into the meat of spring football. Every position right now is up for grabs. I do like some of the older veterans. I like the way Walter Stewart is playing right now. I like the way Nick Temple is playing. I like the way Maalik Bomar is playing. Offensively, I like the way George Winn is playing, but it’s still way too early. Our receivers still have to get into game shape and game condition. That’s a big thing identifying who are playmakers are. I was really encouraged by what I saw today out of Ralph David Abernathy.”

Jones continued talking about his 5-foot-7, 168 pound sophomore running back.

“He has to be our playmaker, and we’re going to ask so much from him not only in the backfield but on the perimeter. It was encouraging to see him make the plays he made today.”

Abernathy had several nice runs getting to the outside.

Another veteran that could see his role increased dramatically is Jordan Luallen as the Georgia Tech transfer is expected to get playing time at both quarterback and H-back.

“It’s ongoing for Jordan,” said Jones. “We’re asking an individual in three days of practice to learn an entire new position so it takes time.”

Practice No. 4 will take place on Saturday. Then the squad will take a two week hiatus for exams and spring break before returning to action on March 27.

http://cincinnati.247sports.com/Article/...quad-64697