Wednesday, April 26, 2000

Kenner wants more wins, not records

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Bearcats' spring game tonight

By Mike DeCourcy
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Deontey Kenner (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

        When his career as the Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback is concluded next fall, Deontey Kenner will have nearly every record that can be gained by throwing a football. He'd exchange all of them for a winning record.

        In his first two seasons running the Bearcats' offense, they finished a combined 5-17, and those are the kinds of numbers that can make a guy forget all about attempts, completions and yards.

        “I don't care what we do, how we do it, who gets us there,” Kenner said. “I just want to win.”

        That seems more plausible as the Bearcats prepare for their spring game at 7p.m. today at Nippert Stadium than it did one year ago. They had almost nothing in the way of experience or senior leadership in 1999, and it showed as a promising start that included a win over Rose Bowl champion Wisconsin deteriorated into an 0-6 Conference USA finish.

        “It's a blessing when you look out there and know that nearly everybody you're working with has been on the field in the past,” said coach Rick Minter, who will begin his seventh season with the Bearcats.

        The player whose presence is most comforting is Kenner. He is entering his third year as a starter and needs only to approach the numbers from his junior year — 208-of-379, 2,430 yards — to knock Danny McCoin (1984-87) from the top of the list in all three categories.

        Where Kenner could be more productive, though, is in generating touchdowns. He threw for 14 last year, compared to 15 interceptions. Minter has concentrated much of UC's work during spring on repairing the breakdowns that kept the Bearcats from achieving the sort of success inside the 20-yard line that they have on the rest of the field.

        “When you send a kicker onto the field on fourth down, there's a reason,” Minter said. “We've been emphasizing "stoppers' — focusing on why we're not being successful. We turned it over too much in certain games, didn't finish drives.”

        Kenner will be working with a new offensive coordinator. Jimbo Fisher left to take the same job at LSU. He will be replaced by Phil Earley, who previously worked at Idaho. The idea is to employ the same sort of spread attack, but to tweak it to make it as successful in generating points as yards.

        “I don't think it's going to affect me any,” Kenner said. “We're doing the same things. It's just different ways of looking at things.”

        There still is no resolution to running back DeMarco McCleskey's situation. McCleskey rushed for 861 yards as a freshman in 1998 but then was suspended from the team after being arrested and charged with rape. He was acquitted last month and thus could rejoin the Bearcats. Minter said McCleskey “does have a desire to return,” but the university will have to determine whether to readmit him.

       

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