Many preseason forecasters see them winning their division in the AAC, thanks mainly to what could be the best offense in school history. – Tom Groeschen, Cincinnati Enquirer
Editor's note: This is the eighth in a series previewing each of the opponents BYU, Utah and Utah State will face this season.
The matchup
Cincinnati at BYU, Oct. 16
6 p.m. MDT, TV: ESPN
LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
Perhaps the greatest passing threat BYU's defense will face this season comes via the Cincinnati offensive attack.
It all begins with Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel.
Kiel, a junior, threw for 3,254 yards and a school-record tying 31 touchdowns in 2014, and the Bearcats are loaded on offense again with eight returning starters. All that led to Cincinnati, which opened fall camp Thursday, being picked to win the American Athletic Conference in the annual preseason media poll.
And the Bearcats are consistent, having won nine or more games seven of the past eight seasons, including five double-digit win seasons. Coach Tommy Tuberville has led them to back-to-back 9-4 campaigns.
The Deseret News caught up with Tom Groeschen, who covers Cincinnati football for the Cincinnati Enquirer, to break down Kiel and discuss what the Bearcats' expectations are for this season.
DN: A lot of BYU fans likely have not seen Bearcat quarterback Gunner Kiel. What makes him so dangerous and in what ways can he still grow?
TG: Kiel sees the field very well, good size at 6-foot-4, can also run if needed. Very nice command of the huddle, earned teammates’ respect quickly. Throws a nice deep ball, including the three long TD passes vs. Ohio State last year. Decision-making sometimes is still an issue. While he tied the UC season record with 31 TD passes, he also threw 13 interceptions. He also missed parts of four games with back and rib injuries. UC has worked to improve his core strength in the offseason. Another thing he needs to work on is throwing on the run. But all in all, it was a solid debut season for him in 2014.
DN: Is Cincinnati the team to beat in the AAC this year?
TG: They could be. Many preseason forecasters see them winning their division in the AAC, thanks mainly to what could be the best offense in school history. Kiel returns his top seven receivers and all but one of the top running backs returns. The offensive line has some new faces but should be good enough for their league. Defense is a huge question mark. UC may need to outscore a lot of teams in shootouts.
DN: Beyond Kiel, who are some of the other players to watch on offense?
TG: WR Shaq Washington is a Biletnikoff Award watch list candidate for the second straight year. At 5-9, he is small and a slot receiver but the most dependable option for Kiel. He is on pace for the UC career receptions record. WRs Mekale McKay and Chris Moore are the deep threats/TD threats, McKay with great size (6-6) and Moore with speed. RB Mike Boone was a revelation as a true freshman (forced into duty by injuries) and led the team in rushing. He's got a nice burst. Last year’s projected 1-2 RBs, Hosey Williams and Tion Green, both return after missing most of 2014 with injuries.
DN: Who are the players to watch on defense and special teams?
TG: Defensively, DE Silverberry Mouhon looks for a bounce-back season. He had a big sack year as a sophomore, but his sacks were cut in half last year, perhaps due to more attention from opponents. He has potential for a double-figure sack year. Safety Zach Edwards is a ballhawk with high tackle totals and just a smart player. Cornerback Adrian Witty returns from a redshirt/injury year. He is the leader of the secondary. In fact, he was a de facto sideline coach while out last year.
On special teams, kicker Andrew Gantz became a Groza candidate last year as a redshirt freshman and was 16-for-20 on field goals. Punter Sam Geraci also returns, after picking up his game in the second half of 2014. He's the same year as Gantz, so UC seems set there for a while. The return games have been lackluster the past couple years. Coverage picked up last year after a dismal 2013 season on special teams.
DN: What major question marks does the team need to solve in fall camp?
TG: Defense simply has to tighten up. They finished No. 96 in country last year in total defense and needed a surge in the second half of the year to do that. About midway through 2014, they were dead last (125th) in defense last year. Lack of speed and athleticism has been exposed especially when playing Power 5 teams (Ohio State, Miami (Fla.) last year, for instance). Lack of defensive ‘edge speed,’ as the football minds say, has been a drawback. UC thinks it is upgrading through recruiting, but we’ll see when they play high-powered offensive teams this year. Special teams also need to produce more. There haven't been any returns for a TD in the past three years.
Email: bjudd@deseretdigital.com; Twitter: @brandonljudd