The University of Cincinnati plays host to TCU today at Nippert Stadium with more at stake than one game.

        For the Bearcats, a win will represent a continuation of last year's success, climaxed by a second-place finish in Conference USA and a second consecutive Motor City Bowl berth.

        A loss will represent a bad start for UC in conference play, and it will also speak poorly to the prospects ahead in the team's 13-game schedule, which gets tougher before it gets easier.

GAME DAY

TCU at Cincinnati     Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. today, Nippert Stadium (35,000)     Records: Season opener for both teams.     Last season: UC (7-5, 5-2 in C-USA); TCU (6-6, 4-3)     TV: ESPN     Radio: WCKY-AM (1360)     Series: First meeting.     Note: Today's game will be one of four UC regular-season games to be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2 this season.

        Either way, the Bearcats will not have the luxury of fixing any last-minute problems against a non-conference opponent. To complicate matters, UC has never played the Horned Frogs.

        “That's kind of the X-factor,” said Bearcats coach Rick Minter, whose team will play on Labor Day for the second consecutive year. “It's a big challenge to play conference games. It's even worse when you've never played them, yet so much is at stake.”

        Even more is at stake because the game is at home. With road games against Southern Miss, East Carolina and defending C-USA champion Louisville, UC can't afford to surrender its Nippert edge.

        “It's very important to start off on the right foot,” Bearcats quarterback Gino Guidugli said. “We need to have a lot of confidence going into West Virginia (Sept.14) and Ohio State (Sept.21).”

        The Horned Frogs, however, are looking for their own momentum. TCU finished the 2001 season at 6-6 overall, 4-3 in C-USA.

        “They'll come in here and try to run the football at us,” Minter said. “Our No.1 mandate is to stop the run.”

        Minter doesn't know much about who will run the Horned Frogs' option offense. That's because senior quarterback Sean Stilley has only started two games in his career.

        At 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, Stilley is big target who is difficult to bring down.

        “Smaller guys might be more agile, and make more cuts than I do,” he said, “but I'm more of a fullback running the ball. I can't go side-to-side like some other guys, but I can make yards by being more of a power runner.”

        Stilley can throw the football when needed. Last season, he passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns against Army, but missed the rest of the season after injuring his left ankle against East Carolina.

        UC defensive end Antwan Peek, who finished fourth nationally in sacks (12.5) last year, said Stilley's size will not be a factor.

        “If everybody runs to the ball, his size doesn't matter,” Peek said. “It doesn't really matter who is out there.”

        If Stilley isn't running, he could hand off to as many as three running backs: Corey Connally, Ricky Madison and Kenny Hayter.

        The Frogs' defense returns 2002 preseason All-C-USA players in defensive lineman Chad Pugh, linebacker LaMarcus McDonald and defensive back Jason Goss. The trio helped TCU rank as C-USA's third-best defense in 2001.

        “They're really aggressive, and they like to force the quarterback to make a lot of mistakes,” Guidugli said.

Bearcats have lot at stake vs. TCU

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