BY TOM GROESCHEN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The last time a truly big-name opponent visited the Cincinnati Bearcats was 1992, a respectable 24-20 loss to Penn State at Nippert Stadium.
UC (0-1) can only hope for such a quality effort today, with the four-time national champion Miami Hurricanes (1-0) here at 3:30 p.m. (Fox Sports Ohio). Miami has slipped since its last national title in 1991, but is favored by 14 points.
"We finally get to play a big-time name here," said Brian Uhl (CAPE), a UC senior tackle and captain. "I grew up a Miami fan, actually. It's exciting for us and the fans to come out and see them."
UC officials hope for a crowd of 25,000-plus in Nippert Stadium, which seats 35,000.
The big-game aura is tempered somewhat by last week's opener, when UC fell behind 52-14 to Tulane in a 52-34 loss. After that, it would seem the Bearcats just seek respectability today.
"We didn't show a lot to get Miami excited to play us," said UC coach Rick Minter. "But we need to have amnesia, just put last week behind us."
Miami, rocked by NCAA probation a few years ago, is back to its full complement of annual scholarships (25). The Canes are more talented than the Tulane team that blitzed UC last week, although most of their top players are underclassmen.
Miami comes off a 5-6 season, its first losing record since 1979. It ranks 35th in this week's Associated Press poll.
There are eight new starters on the Hurricane defense. Offensively the top running backs, Edgerrin James and James Jackson, are a junior and sophomore, respectively. But they teamed to rush for 224 yards in last week's 66-17 rout of East Tennessee State.
Defensively, UC must stop Miami's run. The Canes ran for 333 yards last week, while UC gave up a hideous 290.
"That's always our mandate, to stop the run," Minter said. "They have as fine a group of running backs as I've seen. And we need to find some playmakers on defense."
Last week, UC defenders were out of position several times, leaving Tulane several wide-open holes and long gains. Minter wants to condense the field and contain Miami's speed into small areas, or else another rout could occur.
UC's pressing defense must harass Miami quarterback Scott Covington, a fifth-year senior in his first year as starter. But the Bearcats failed to sack Tulane quarterbacks last week.
Worse, standout free safety Tinker Keck is doubtful with a sprained knee. On the small chance Keck is cleared in a pre-game examination, he still would not be 100 percent.
"That also takes away one of our top offensive threats, as far as the punt return unit," Minter said.
Keck last year led the nation in punt return yardage (577), and tied an NCAA record by taking four punts back for touchdowns.
The UC injury list is troubling in other areas, too. Last week's top receiver, Tony Smikle (5 catches, 68 yards) is out with a bruised kidney.
On the bright side, freshman DeMarco McCleskey starts at tailback for UC after rushing for 98 yards and two TDs in his college debut. And the passing game, with quarterbacks Chad Plummer and Deontey Kenner to alternate again, threw for 275 yards last week -- 42 more than UC's top passing game of 1997.
On the Miami side, coach Butch Davis said the trip to UC will test his young team.
"Playing in front of a hostile crowd commands us to have extra concentration," Davis said. "We're anxious to find out where we are."
Minter believes he knows.
"If it's not the old Miami," he said, "they're well on their way back."
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