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Johnathan Ruffin. I would take the Groza award winner. Honestly UC beats Georgia if they make an early FG. Cats lost that game because Georgia had a clutch kicker, while Cole Smirth has improved and won them a few games just think what this team would be like an high level kicker.

I understand you don’t want to settle for field goals but in close games against high level teams it usually comes down to making kicks.

Two factors to consider:

1. Greatest need - tackle - Jason Fabini
2. Greatest impact - Game Changer - Mardy Gilyard

Cook. I graduated before he was a Bearcat but saw him play as a rookie Bengal in an exhibition game against Len Dawson's Chiefs in Jackson, MS. It was like QB clinic. Withrow grad and Bearcat Clem Turner also made an appearance in that game, at one point as a place kicker.

It's a tie for me between these two guys. I've always believed you CANNOT have enough depth and talent on your front lines. In particular, when someone gets banged up which typically happens over the course of the season. Everything works better on the respective back end of things if you can win the line of scrimmage consistently. Plus, these are positions that impact every hike of the rock and are closest to the point of attack. Either of these dudes would bring a tenancious, high motor, high football IQ level of play with some good leadership.

(02-15-2021 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:44 AM)eroc Wrote:  For next season's team, i can certainly understand the want of a LT since that part was definitely exposed during the Peach Bowl; however, if this were extended to a top three or five, one of my picks would be Jonathan Ruffin. i realize it may seem strange since we are talking any player at any time but how many points did we leave on the board because of our kicking game?

I guess my argument to that would be that we didn't lose a game last year because of a kicker...but we certainly lost a game because of a lack of a LT.

i get that. it's why i caveated my statement. That said, i wonder what the play calling would have been like knowing that you had a weapon like Ruffin?

We probably don't go for it as much on fourth down. Maybe our margin of victory looks better. Like i said, he'd be in my top 3-5.

The question was who would you bring back for one year. That being said, the skill positions look pretty good and there is no glaring need, so that leaves out guys like Gino, Cook, Gilyard, Michael Warren. So, initially I'd say you'd have to go with some sort of lineman. Fabini, Kelce on offense or Derek Wolfe on defense. But if I had to pinpoint a position, I'd say a stud linebacker. JK Schaffer or Brad Jackson come to mind, but I'd say you have to go with Mike "War Daddy" Woods from the '77 Bearcats. He was a first team AA and a 2nd round draft pick.

(02-15-2021 11:52 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:44 AM)eroc Wrote:  For next season's team, i can certainly understand the want of a LT since that part was definitely exposed during the Peach Bowl; however, if this were extended to a top three or five, one of my picks would be Jonathan Ruffin. i realize it may seem strange since we are talking any player at any time but how many points did we leave on the board because of our kicking game?

I guess my argument to that would be that we didn't lose a game last year because of a kicker...but we certainly lost a game because of a lack of a LT.

i get that. it's why i caveated my statement. That said, i wonder what the play calling would have been like knowing that you had a weapon like Ruffin?

We probably don't go for it as much on fourth down. Maybe our margin of victory looks better. Like i said, he'd be in my top 3-5.

That could cut both ways. We were 71.43% on 4th down conversions last year. How many times did we eventually score a TD on those drives? Probably a lot. Going ahead and kicking a field goal actually may have made our margin of victory smaller. This does not even take into the fact of time of possession in our favor and pinning opposing offenses back further on drives were they did not convert a score.

(02-15-2021 11:59 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 11:52 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:44 AM)eroc Wrote:  For next season's team, i can certainly understand the want of a LT since that part was definitely exposed during the Peach Bowl; however, if this were extended to a top three or five, one of my picks would be Jonathan Ruffin. i realize it may seem strange since we are talking any player at any time but how many points did we leave on the board because of our kicking game?

I guess my argument to that would be that we didn't lose a game last year because of a kicker...but we certainly lost a game because of a lack of a LT.

i get that. it's why i caveated my statement. That said, i wonder what the play calling would have been like knowing that you had a weapon like Ruffin?

We probably don't go for it as much on fourth down. Maybe our margin of victory looks better. Like i said, he'd be in my top 3-5.

That could cut both ways. We were 71.43% on 4th down conversions last year. How many times did we eventually score a TD on those drives? Probably a lot. Going ahead and kicking a field goal actually may have made our margin of victory smaller. This does not even take into the fact of time of possession in our favor and pinning opposing offenses back further on drives were they did not convert a score.

Now that you've mentioned it, i would love to see what the actual stats are on this. i wonder what the calculus would have been for Coach Fickell if he had Ruffin as an option or would he still have gone for it?

(02-15-2021 12:40 PM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 11:59 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 11:52 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:44 AM)eroc Wrote:  For next season's team, i can certainly understand the want of a LT since that part was definitely exposed during the Peach Bowl; however, if this were extended to a top three or five, one of my picks would be Jonathan Ruffin. i realize it may seem strange since we are talking any player at any time but how many points did we leave on the board because of our kicking game?

I guess my argument to that would be that we didn't lose a game last year because of a kicker...but we certainly lost a game because of a lack of a LT.

i get that. it's why i caveated my statement. That said, i wonder what the play calling would have been like knowing that you had a weapon like Ruffin?

We probably don't go for it as much on fourth down. Maybe our margin of victory looks better. Like i said, he'd be in my top 3-5.

That could cut both ways. We were 71.43% on 4th down conversions last year. How many times did we eventually score a TD on those drives? Probably a lot. Going ahead and kicking a field goal actually may have made our margin of victory smaller. This does not even take into the fact of time of possession in our favor and pinning opposing offenses back further on drives were they did not convert a score.

Now that you've mentioned it, i would love to see what the actual stats are on this. i wonder what the calculus would have been for Coach Fickell if he had Ruffin as an option or would he still have gone for it?

In my view the kicking game is what mattered in most important games against good defenses, Tulsa and Georgia. To win a major bowl game I believe the kicking needs to be automatic inside 40 and a threat to make long field goals.

I believe going for it on 4th down but when you need to kick it you can’t get kicks blocked or miss short field goals.

(02-15-2021 01:02 PM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 12:40 PM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 11:59 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 11:52 AM)eroc Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  I guess my argument to that would be that we didn't lose a game last year because of a kicker...but we certainly lost a game because of a lack of a LT.

i get that. it's why i caveated my statement. That said, i wonder what the play calling would have been like knowing that you had a weapon like Ruffin?

We probably don't go for it as much on fourth down. Maybe our margin of victory looks better. Like i said, he'd be in my top 3-5.

That could cut both ways. We were 71.43% on 4th down conversions last year. How many times did we eventually score a TD on those drives? Probably a lot. Going ahead and kicking a field goal actually may have made our margin of victory smaller. This does not even take into the fact of time of possession in our favor and pinning opposing offenses back further on drives were they did not convert a score.

Now that you've mentioned it, i would love to see what the actual stats are on this. i wonder what the calculus would have been for Coach Fickell if he had Ruffin as an option or would he still have gone for it?

In my view the kicking game is what mattered in most important games against good defenses, Tulsa and Georgia. To win a major bowl game I believe the kicking needs to be automatic inside 40 and a threat to make long field goals.

I believe going for it on 4th down but when you need to kick it you can’t get kicks blocked or miss short field goals.

In fairness to Cole Smith, the one he missed against Georgia was blocked by that big defensive lineman who went unblocked. That kick was getting blocked whether it was Cole Smith or Jonathan Ruffin back there.

Howie Kurnick

(02-15-2021 07:03 AM)Z-Fly Wrote:  This one is easy. James Hudson. It doesn't matter who your QB/RB/WR/TE if the line isn't good. It's the most important position group in football. Even the great Mahomes couldn't win without his Tackles.

A lot of reasonable choices but Hudson is my pick as well. I would give an asterisk to Greg Cook since I never saw him play and it's hard to say how his game would translate to the present one.

(02-15-2021 11:19 AM)UCBearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  Johnathan Ruffin. I would take the Groza award winner. Honestly UC beats Georgia if they make an early FG. Cats lost that game because Georgia had a clutch kicker, while Cole Smirth has improved and won them a few games just think what this team would be like an high level kicker.

I understand you don’t want to settle for field goals but in close games against high level teams it usually comes down to making kicks.

I contemplated Ruffin as well...

(02-15-2021 01:43 PM)cmhcat Wrote:  Howie Kurnick

If we are taking from that era wouldn’t you go Mike Woods instead?

(02-15-2021 02:52 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(02-15-2021 01:43 PM)cmhcat Wrote:  Howie Kurnick

If we are taking from that era wouldn’t you go Mike Woods instead?

Tough, talented and a great team leader. Pound for pound one of the best Bearcat defenders ever.

I know we need a left tackle, and we have Ford (and others) at RB, but I would love to see Reggie Taylor at running back carrying the rock with this team, so that would be my pick.

Isaiah Pead would be a good pick.

Fabini.

We need a little linebacker help. I would go with Alex Gordon.

(02-16-2021 09:19 AM)rosewater Wrote:  We need a little linebacker help. I would go with Alex Gordon.

As a Lions fan, George Jamison was always a guy I liked watching growing up.