Thursday, October 21, 1999
Soft hands key for UC against Southern Miss
Making catches the easiest way to avoid turnovers
BY JOHN ERARDI
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If there's one thing University of Cincinnati football has proven this season — besides the fact it can play with anybody (Wisconsin and Ohio State) and lose to anybody (Troy State and Alabama-Birmingham) — is that it can throw on anybody.
UC quarterback Deontey Kenner has thrown for more than 240 yards against everybody on the schedule except Wisconsin, which UC shocked 17-12 Sept.18 at Nippert Stadium.
If UC is to going to win Saturday, it is going to have to prove it can catch the ball against conference kingpin No.21 Southern Miss.
Last Saturday, the Bearcats receivers treated the pigskin like it was greased.
“It's not just the receivers; it was me,” Kenner said. “I have to work on getting the ball down a little bit on crossing routes, getting a more catchable ball to my receivers.”
Wait a second, coach Rick Minter said.
“All four interceptions came from deflections or tips or the ball batted at the line by one of their 6-foot-7 guys,” Minter said. “Deontey was hitting his target ... He's made tremendous strides as a quarterback since last year. What he can't afford to do, because of the end result, is to lose confidence in himself and start getting tentative.”
Because if Kenner tries for perfection against Southern Miss, he's go ing to wind up frustrated.
“We're in transition right now,” Minter said, counting only three UC players who started in the near-defeat of Southern Miss in 1997 (which UC won on turnovers). “I could tell our kids horror stories about Southern Miss, but I'm not going to build them up beyond the X's and O's. We don't have to find new ways to win games. Let's just eliminate why people lose; they usually lose because they turn the ball over.”
Butterfingers hadn't been a problem for UC until Saturday.
Kenner has amassed 1,421 passing yards this season.
Part of the problem against UAB was injuries.
Junior receiver Jason Collins-Baker wasn't available after the first half because of a sprained ankle injury, and Tony Smikle was playing with an injured thumb. The rest of the receiving corps is young.
Kenner has emerged as one of the team's leaders. His running and throwing ability already were well known.
Last year, as a sophomore, he became the first underclassman in UC history to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He missed a game and a half because of injury, and split time with Chad Plummer, who is now on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad as a receiver.
In between Kenner's throws and the receivers' catches is a little something called UC's offensive line, which is going to be tested in a way it hasn't been this season, Minter said.
The Southern Miss defense is unorthodox in the approach of its front seven, Minter said.
“There are times when the free safety lines up as a rush end and rushes the passer,” Minter said. “There are times when an outside linebacker lines up deep safety and stays deep. You can't get into a groove blocking your number and saying, "That's my guy.' The classroom part of the game is very important this week.”
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