-- The Bearcats are relatively healthy coming into the season. Tshumbi Johnson has been lost for the year, but he is the only potential rotation player who has been sidelined thus far.

-- He is really stressing that the Bearcats play up to their potential this week. That is generally tough to do, though a lot of these guys were on the team when the Bearcats curbstomped Pitt in the opening game of 2012. In theory that past experience will make it a bit easier to come out guns blazing.

-- Has a lot of good things to say about Munchie Legaux, and he expects all three quarterbacks to play. Gunner Kiel is the starter, Munchie and Jared Evans will play. Not surprising that Gunner has known for a couple of days that he will start.

-- Tubs hints at a defense that will be faster and more aggressive than the Bearcats were a year ago. Statistically the Bearcats were good a year a go, but a big part of that is the lackluster slate of offenses the cats played. There were some structural flaws with that group. Everything Tubs said about how the defense will play vibes with what I have seen in researching Hank Hughes's group at Connecticut.

-- One of the benefits of the late start, the Bearcats spent a whole lot more time on special teams than they have in the past. That means they will be better in the third phase of the game. Truthfully they could have spent next to no time on special teams and still be better than they were a year ago.