If this is a week for restoring normalcy as the nation recovers from last week's terrorist attacks, Saturday's game between the University of Cincinnati and Miami University couldn't have surfaced on the schedule at a better time.

        When it comes to athletics, nothing is more normal for these schools than to line up and play football against each other, something they first started doing 113 years ago.

        “It means a lot to the people who follow our program because it goes back so far in time,” said UC coach Rick Minter said Monday. “It's a very fierce game.”

        The Bearcats (1-1) would have loved to play last week against Louisiana-Monroe. It would have given them a chance to correct a few shortcomings and it would have allowed freshman quarterback Gino Guidugli to make his first collegiate start at home after his stirring performance against Army on Sept. 8.

        Instead, like everyone else across America, the UC players and coaches paused and reflected on the events in New York City and Washington while sports shut down. They practiced on Friday afternoon, then took Saturday and Sunday off before returning to the practice field Monday to begin preparations for Saturday's 2 p.m. game at Yager Stadium in Oxford.

        “I was looking forward to playing last week,” Guidugli said. “But there's always going to be another day.”

        Miami (0-2) has lost to Big Ten foes Michigan and Iowa. The RedHawks played the Wolverines practically even for three quarters before succumbing, 31-13, in their season opener, but were blown out by Iowa, 44-19. Their game against Kent State last week was postponed.

        The Bearcats, 45-15 winners over Miami last year, have won four of the last five meetings between the schools, but still trail in the series, 55-43-7.

        Minter said this game has become more of a tradition than a rivalry. Yes, he said, it's wonderful that the schools have been playing each other for so long, and yes, when the players hit the field, the competition is unusually intense.

        But Minter doesn't sense the same feeling of intensity in the community, the kind of off-the-field commotion that makes a good sports rivalry and that Cincinnati sees every winter for basketball's Crosstown Shootout between UC and Xavier.

        “A rivalry game everybody in the Tristate wants to see,” Minter said. “If we can't sell out either of our stadiums when these teams play, then how hot of a ticket is it?”

        Minter said the Miami game doesn't have the same importance for UC fans that it once did because the Bearcats, who were long-time independents, compete in Conference USA now and have other things to play for. Still, this game attracted 32,924 fans last year to Nippert Stadium, setting what was then a UC attendance record. The year before, only 22,469 showed up at Yager Stadium.

        But with both teams sporting promising freshman quarterbacks that figure to be around for awhile — Guidugli for UC, and redshirt freshman Ben Roethlisberger for Miami — the rivalry may be headed for a period of renewed intensity, both on the field and among the schools' fans.

        “I would love for this game to become such a demand in terms of tickets that we would have to find a neutral site to play the game,” Minter said.GAME RESCHEDULED: The Bearcats have rescheduled their football game against Louisiana-Monroe, which was postponed from last Saturday.

        Louisiana-Monroe will visit Nippert Stadium for a 1 p.m. game on Dec. 1.

        Fans can use their original tickets for admission on the new date.

Normal? That's UC vs. Miami

Reds confront security adjustments
Up next: Reds vs. Cubs
Bengals refocus for Ravens
Coyle's brother was in NY
Holcak leads Moeller over Ryle
Playing games after tragedy was therapeutic
Linemen lead list of top players
St. Xavier joins Top 25
Miami to retire Szczerbiak's jersey
Baseball roundup - Monday's games
H.S. Soccer
Hausfeld to Miami
La Salle runs into top U.S. ranking
Zanardi recovering from gruesome crash