Bearcats' scrimmage full contact, except for quarterbacks
Kay gets start in first intrasquad football scrimmage of season
Mar 8, 2013

Written by
Tom Groeschen



Bearcats defensive lineman Adam Dempsey dives onto a pad during drills at the practice bubble on Monday. / The Enquirer/Glenn Hartong

Senior quarterback Brendon Kay will lead the Cincinnati Bearcats into their first intrasquad football scrimmage of the spring Saturday, scheduled for 1 p.m. at Nippert Stadium.

The scrimmage, closed to the public, will be UC’s first outdoor workout under new coach Tommy Tuberville. The Bearcats began spring ball March 1 and have been working in their indoor bubble, an even nicer bonus after four inches of snow this week.

“Nice to have this, isn’t it?” Tuberville said, standing in the warmth of the bubble after Friday’s practice.

Kay and former starter Munchie Legaux are competing for the quarterback job. Who goes with the first team Saturday?

“11 (Kay’s jersey number) will start,” Tuberville said. “It’ll be full speed, but we won’t tackle the quarterbacks. We’ll have officials there. We just need to find out where we are.”

At running back, sophomore-to-be Tion Green (6-foot, 211 pounds) and junior-to-be Ralph David Abernathy IV (5-7, 161) are among those vying to replace departed workhorse George Winn.

“They’ll be a pretty good 1-2 punch in the spring,” Tuberville said.

Tuberville said Abernathy’s size probably prevents him from being an every-down back, but said Abernathy again should be a key factor. Abernathy is UC’s top returning rusher (366 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, three TDs), and he caught 28 passes for 341 yards (12.2 ypc) and four TDs. Abernathy also is UC’s primary kickoff returner.


UC spring ball 3/7/13: Another day indoors with UC football. The Bearcats are hosting around 300 area high school coaches for a clinic this weekend.

Come summer, junior college transfers Rodriguez Moore and Hosey Williams will add to the competition at running back. The depth chart remains undetermined at several positions, both offensively and defensively.

For Saturday’s scrimmage, Tuberville will pit the offensive starters against the defensive starters. In all, three different groups will face each other.

“It’ll be ones versus ones,” Tuberville said. “I’m a true believer that you don’t get any better unless you put your best versus your best. I never do ones against twos because you get a false sense of where you are.

“In the fall I’ll do that, but right now we need to push each other. We’ve thrown a lot at them in five days, and I’m really proud of how they’ve handled it.”

SPRING NOTES: The National Weather Service calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 55 today, as UC steps outside for the first time this “spring.”

After Saturday, UC will have two more scrimmages among its final nine spring practices.

UC will be off for spring break from March 16-23. The final spring workout will be Saturday April 6 (10 a.m. - noon), which will be an open practice for fans.