Thursday, March 30, 2000

Minter's focus: More UC wins

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Competition at every spot

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Coach Rick Minter and Mike Love. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        Rick Minter keeps hearing about how his University of Cincinnati football team could be good this year. He isn't too impressed.

        The Bearcats, who began spring practice Wednesday at Nippert Stadium, return 18 starters. But they finished 1999 with only three wins in 11 games.

        And that, the UC coach said, is why the buzzword of spring camp is “competition.” There isn't a spot on the field that isn't up for grabs. The Bearcats lost only four seniors from their two-deep chart, so Minter is encouraged not necessarily by the number of starters back but by the quality and quantity of the competition across the board.

        UC will need to get appreciably better this season, with road games at Wisconsin and Indiana and a Sept.9 home date with Syracuse on the non-conference slate.

        “We were 3-8 last year, so obviously we didn't do a lot of things well,” Minter said after the first practice. “You like every guy to get out there and earn it. It's going to be a war this spring.”

        That includes a battle at quarterback, where senior-to-be Deontey Kenner is the incumbent but will be pushed by junior-college transfer Adam Hoover. Kenner, who was on the field Wednesday for the first time since breaking his thumb in the second-to-last game last season, has the edge after throwing for 2,430 yards and 14 touchdowns last year.

        But he knows what's at stake this spring.

        “The only edge I have is experience,” Kenner said. “I just have to be a leader and show it on the field and off the field. I've got to show what I've got — I take time to understand the offense, and I like to have the coaches trust me enough to run audibles.”

        Kenner said his thumb is fully healed, although he won't know how good it feels until the weather warms a little more. He said he rehabbed it by using rubber bands to strengthen the muscles around it. “It just hasn't been used,” he said. “I didn't have to rush it.”

        He said he doesn't care about who gets what playing time — as long as the result isn't another losing season.

        “I just want to win,” Kenner said. “I don't care if I throw for 2 yards or 200 yards, as long as we win. I'll do whatever it takes.”

        The most important fight will be at running back, where the Bearcats must replace departed 1,200-yard rusher Robert Cooper. Nathan Wise (97 yards) and Lloyd Garden (76 yards) are the only returning backs who ran for more than 1 yard last year.

        “The competition there is very important,” Minter said.

        Kenner doesn't worry about the lack of experience behind him. “I don't think we'll be as soft there as people think,” he said.

        UC set a school record for offensive yards from scrimmage last year with 4,668 (an average of 424.4 a game), the second consecutive season the Bearcats passed a new mark. But Minter doesn't care. They weren't productive enough in the red zone and couldn't punch the ball in the end zone when it counted.

        Hence, 3-8.

        “That supports the old adage that statistics are for losers. Winning's the bottom line,” he said. “We're after big productive numbers — touchdown passes and runs. We set yardage records but not scoring records. That's very hollow.”

        Minter wasn't judging the competition too closely Wednesday. The hard evaluations won't come until about the 10th practice.

        “It's not the end-all, be-all today,” he said, “but it's fun to get out here.”

       

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