clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

August 22nd Jump Off

The final five have been revealed in the Down the Drive Ring of Honor voting. You have until the season opener against Austin Peay to vote.

Also, if you want to receive Down the Drive updates through Facebook, don't forget to like us!

Training Camp

Training Camp 2011: Butch Jones Interview - Good to hear that D.J. Woods is getting less looks at returner as he can now focus on being a WR and give Ralph Abernathy, Akise Teague, and Anthony McClung a chance.

Behind the Scenes: Inside Bearcats Football 2011

Bearcat Coordinators Describe Their Experience at Higher Ground - Good stuff from some Bearcat coordinators at CHG

Strength Training at Camp Higher Ground - CHG is like a home away from home for the Bearcats, and that includes having the same weight training facilities that they have on campus

Bearcats News

Butch Jones Q&A 8/20
A couple notes from Coach Butch Jones before Saturday's scrimmage. He's liking the physicality of his team so far this camp. Football players are naturally hard-nosed players that like to hit. That's just their mentality. But there's an added energy in UC's camp as the players are trying to wipe away all of the criticism from the 2010 season and the preseason predictions for the 2011 season. This added physically can also be attributed to the added muscle the team has put on in the offseason. Just by looking at all of the training camp videos you can see that the Bearcats as a whole just look bigger.

The Big East's best: No. 7 - Big East Blog - ESPN
No surprise here, it's Isaiah Pead. He's by far the best running back in the conference heading into next season. We don't really need to get into the details as you already know what you're getting with Pead- Hard nosed runner, quick feet with a burst to get out into the open field, and enough front end speed to run by defenders. He's been one of Cincinnati's best running backs and I expect him to have a big season.

Recruiting

Grand Blanc senior linebacker Lester Liston Jr. may be the 'hardest hitter' his school's ever seen - MLive.com
Lester Liston was a huge pickup for the Bearcats. He not only fills an area of great need in linebacker but he's clearly a BCS caliber player. His highlight tape is more than enough evidence that if he ends up on UC's campus in 2012, he'll command a lot of attention from the offensive players. Keep in mind that he's only sixteen years old. The kid's got plenty of time to become even better.

Recruiting: Dennis Norfleet, Brian Blackburn among must-see players in Michigan | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Possible future Bearcat Dennis Norfleet was named the most exciting player in Michigan as we approach the 2011 season. If he winds up signing with UC, the Bearcats are going to have incredible depth at the running back position for the next coming years. When Isaiah Pead graduates after this upcoming season (and hopefully gets drafted), UC will be in good hands with a combination of Poteat, Teague, Buckley, Abernathy, and Norfleet. The other thing is that these skill players (other than probably Poteat or Buckley) can play other positions like slot receiver or a defensive back position. Having so much versatile talent is only a good thing for the Bearcats.

NJCAA | Colleges | Hutchinson Community College | Football | Letter of Intent Signees
If you're wondering where 2011 Cincinnati signee Demetrius Alston is, well now we know. He's going the JUCO route. There was a lot of questions about his status coming into fall camp as he and Rodriquez Coleman won't be coming to Cincinnati until at least the 2013 season. He'll be playing for Hutchinson Community College.

Around the BEast

TheDay.com - Sources: Today is Hathaway's last day as UConn athletic director | Southeastern Connecticut News, Sports, Weather and Video | The Day newspaper
Looks like UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway's days in Storrs are over. He's been heavily criticized both inside and outside of the university for his questionable hires and slow reaction time to issues. He also had problems raising revenues and comply with NCAA rules. That's a big no-no for an athletic director. Also his public scream fest with the UConn booster Robert Burton wasn't good for the school's reputation.

Around the Nation

Tudor: Miami could become dead ACC weight | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper
It's amazing the kind of tumble the University of Miami has made since leaving the Big East behind for the ACC. From perennial National Championship caliber teams to struggling to maintain winning seasons to again being under the NCAA's cross hairs. There is even a very real possibility of the football program being hit with the death penalty like SMU was almost two decades ago. Even moreso, the ACC is going to take a huge hit if one of it's marquee programs isn't going to play football for a few years.