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UC gets swagger back, just in time

Miami Ohio quarterback Zac Dysert, right, is sacked by Cincinnati defensive lineman Jordan Stepp, left, in the first quarter during a college football game, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

David Kohl/FRE Miami Ohio quarterback Zac Dysert, right, is sacked by Cincinnati defensive lineman Jordan Stepp, left, in the first quarter during a college football game, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Associated Press Updated 11:58 PM Tuesday, October 12, 2010

CINCINNATI — The two-time defending Big East football champions have gotten turned around just in time to try for a third straight.

The University of Cincinnati has its swagger back heading into its conference opener Friday night at Louisville. The Bearcats (2-3) lost a tight game to Oklahoma, then drubbed local rival Miami University, playing much more like a defending league champion the last two times out.

“We take pride in that, play with a little chip on our shoulder,” running back Isaiah Pead said. “And walking around with two Big East rings back-to-back, it kind of does that to you.”

The Bearcats expected to be ranked among the nation’s best this season, even though coach Brian Kelly went to Notre Dame and quarterback/receiver tandem Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard went to the NFL. Instead, they struggled to do anything on offense during one-sided losses at Fresno State and North Carolina State and fell out of the national conversation about top teams.

The players met by themselves after their awful start and made it a turning point. Some of the seniors took more of a leadership role, and the Bearcats began to practice with a lot more passion.

“We all knew we weren’t a 1-3 team,” Pead said. “We had a meeting with players only. We said, ‘We need to get going. This is not us. We’re not playing our football, not having fun. We’re playing tight, and that’s where mistakes come.’ We have an identity, and we weren’t living up to it.”

It changed their season.

“It was a terrible feeling,” quarterback Zach Collaros said. “We didn’t want to experience it again.”

The biggest improvement has been in the offense. Collaros was sacked 15 times in the first three games, matching Cincinnati’s sack total for all last season. Coach Butch Jones made changes in the offensive line, and Collaros has gotten much more time to throw in the last two games.

Also, Pead returned from a knee injury and put the offense back in balance. He ran for 169 yards against Oklahoma and 197 against Miami. Pead leads the Big East with 9.8 yards per carry.

“Being able to run the ball makes the line’s job easier and my job significantly easier,” Collaros said.

The line is their biggest concern against Louisville (3-2). Right tackle Alex Hoffman is questionable with a knee injury sustained against Miami. Louisville has been one of the nation’s best at getting to the quarterback, averaging 3.6 sacks per game, and Cincinnati will be at a disadvantage if Hoffman can’t play effectively.

“They’ve improved dramatically from the first couple of games to the last couple of games,” Pead said of the linemen. “They’ve played with more of a hard edge. They’re definitely the heart of the success we’ve been having.”

The Bearcats have won 12 straight conference games, tied for the third-longest streak in Big East history. Miami (Fla.) won 27 in a row from 1999-2003, and Virginia Tech won 14 straight from 1998-2000.

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