Reflections On the First Half of the Season

[Bearcat Chris]

1. The season went from good to bad with the blocked FG against Miami, and subsequent loss.
2. So we hire a coach who was going to get fired, just like CTT at Texas Tech, and expect miracles to happen?
3. Secondary and O-line are weak.
4. QB-Jones is not the answer. Has no long pass, and misses open people. A good MAC QB perhaps, but not a good Big 12 QB.
5. Should have won today, but the backbreaker was the fumbled KO return, and the throw to the Baylor player, who walked it in..... 2 Baylor TD's in 7 seconds. Ugh.....
6. Punting has not been as good as projected this year.
7. Will next year be any better? I honestly doubt it, as we lose a lot of great defensive players. Watch for a lot of players to transfer out when the portal opens.
8. Was the move to the Big 12 a wise move? We shall see when there is more alignment down the road, but me personally, I was very happy playing Memphis and Houston, and going year after year to a good bowl, and finishing in the Top 20.

B.C.

[leo from jersey]

1. The season went from good to bad with the blocked FG against Miami, and subsequent loss.
2. So we hire a coach who was going to get fired, just like CTT at Texas Tech, and expect miracles to happen?
3. Secondary and O-line are weak.
4. QB-Jones is not the answer. Has no long pass, and misses open people. A good MAC QB perhaps, but not a good Big 12 QB.
5. Should have won today, but the backbreaker was the fumbled KO return, and the throw to the Baylor player, who walked it in..... 2 Baylor TD's in 7 seconds. Ugh.....
6. Punting has not been as good as projected this year.
7. Will next year be any better? I honestly doubt it, as we lose a lot of great defensive players. Watch for a lot of players to transfer out when the portal opens.
8. Was the move to the Big 12 a wise move? We shall see when there is more alignment down the road, but me personally, I was very happy playing Memphis and Houston, and going year after year to a good bowl, and finishing in the Top 20.

B.C.

Hoping the move will help the bb team go to the tourney and beyond.

[Big_Daddy_Bearcat_07]

I agree with every one of these except the American schedule. I’m not sure this team would even win in the American. Better to lose in the Big 12 than the American, I suppose.

This has been talked about in many threads but Cunningham has simply sucked. The basketball hires were a mess. The JB firing and handling was the worst anyone could do. I don’t think most thought Luke was going leave last season based on the timing and openings but you had one or the hottest coach in the game. Luke was definitely a candidate to leave the year before. How do you not have a list ready to go and a contingency plan? Satterfield was a desperation hire because JC had zero options. Every coach he interviewed shut the door in his face. The pencil neck couldn’t even land the head coach from Kent State? A dead fish always stinks from the head first…time to cut bait.

[longtimefan]

I agree with every one of these except the American schedule. I’m not sure this team would even win in the American. Better to lose in the Big 12 than the American, I suppose.

This has been talked about in many threads but Cunningham has simply sucked. The basketball hires were a mess. The JB firing and handling was the worst anyone could do. I don’t think most thought Luke was going leave last season based on the timing and openings but you had one or the hottest coach in the game. Luke was definitely a candidate to leave the year before. How do you not have a list ready to go and a contingency plan? Satterfield was a desperation hire because JC had zero options. Every coach he interviewed shut the door in his face. The pencil neck couldn’t even land the head coach from Kent State? A dead fish always stinks from the head first…time to cut bait.

He made a good hire in Wes Miller. Damn good. The Brannen hire was a lot like the Satterfield hire, nobody else making offers to hire either of them.

[London 'Cat]

The move to the BigXII was absolutely the correct choice. Let’s not kid ourselves.

The team is simply not good enough to compete in this league as composed. This is a function of losing an all time winning coach, transfers leaving the program when he left, some of which he took with him, and then signing a coach very late in the year who has no connections to the region or the league.

I think Satterfield needs to relinquish play calling to his OC. I think he was caught off guard when the OC he hired went to the NFL. His play calling seems bland and predictable. None of us are at practice so if he says Jones gives UC the best chance to win, he obviously knows something that we don’t.

I wrote last week that UC would not win another game this season. Even after today’s somewhat encouraging performance, my outlook has not changed. If you’re not going to win, start other players who have eligibility after this year to get them experience to be ready to play next year. And get out and recruit players who are able to compete in this league.

[fmirzamd]

There is nothing encouraging in today's game.We need to change the QB now. EJ was bad as usual today. i wonder what is stopping them for the change.

[Oldtimer_UC_fan]

Encouraging? UC was favored to win. How is another loss encouraging?

[London 'Cat]

There is nothing encouraging in today's game.We need to change the QB now. EJ was bad as usual today. i wonder what is stopping them for the change.

UC had 288 rushing yards. They scored 4 TDs in multiple ways. The fumbled kickoff returned for a TD was the difference in the game. EJ still was not good but good enough to win the game.

[longtimefan]

UC had 288 rushing yards. They scored 4 TDs in multiple ways. The fumbled kickoff returned for a TD was the difference in the game. EJ still was not good but good enough to win the game.

Along with not kicking FG's inside the redzone on 4th and more than 1. I believe that's six points they left on the table.

[Lobot]

He made a good hire in Wes Miller. Damn good. The Brannen hire was a lot like the Satterfield hire, nobody else making offers to hire either of them.

Just so everyone’s clear, Cunningham did not hire Brannen. Brannen was hired by Mike Bohn, who had one foot out the door and a myriad of other personal issues we only found out about later. He tanked the hire knowing he was leaving.

[BearcatJon]

I would want Satterfield's agent if I was a college head coach. Got him another generational wealth contract right before he was about to be fired at Louisville. Cunningham looks like a clown paying Louisville $3million buyout.

[bearcatbret]

This team has 4 games that should of, could of, would have won but just did not execute during crucial times. They are mistake prone. I think that the talent is there for a 500 season this year but for some reason there have been too many blunders. I think that all falls on the coaching staff.

[longtimefan]

Just so everyone’s clear, Cunningham did not hire Brannen. Brannen was hired by Mike Bohn, who had one foot out the door and a myriad of other personal issues we only found out about later. He tanked the hire knowing he was leaving.

Yeah, I should have clarified that. Also, Babcock hired Tuberville.

[Lobot]

I would want Satterfield's agent if I was a college head coach. Got him another generational wealth contract right before he was about to be fired at Louisville. Cunningham looks like a clown paying Louisville $3million buyout.

Yeah I have no idea why we coughed up money to buy him out. Desperation maybe?

His agent is Jimmy Sexton ,who has single handedly blown up the salary market for college coaches starting with Nick Saban at 10M/year . Fickell hired him a year before he left. Looking back at the Fickell move, that should have been a blinking red alert with siren blaring but at the time I think everyone just thought he was angling for a big extension at UC.

[London 'Cat]

Along with not kicking FG's inside the redzone on 4th and more than 1. I believe that's six points they left on the table.

Absolutely true as well. My post was directed at the comment that there wasn’t anything encouraging by UC’s play on Saturday. Those lost potential six points falls on the coaches not the players.