tOSU's Maurice Clarett. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        After being pushed around Nippert Stadium on Saturday, the University of Cincinnati defense has no time to feel sorry for itself.

        That's because last week's nemesis — West Virginia running back Avon Cobourne — will be replaced this week by Ohio State's Maurice Clarett.

        Clarett, a true freshman running back for the sixth-ranked Buckeyes (3-0), is bound to run through the Bearcats (1-1, 1-0 Conference USA) if their defense doesn't improve Saturday at Paul Brown Stadium.

        Cobourne certainly did. The 190-pound senior rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mountaineers to a 35-32 win. On the ground, UC surrendered a total of 334 yards and four TDs.

        “That ought to give Maurice a lot of confidence when he looks at our (game) tape.” UC head coach Rick Minter said.

        Minter said the 230-pound Clarett has better foot speed than Cobourne, as well as a bigger offensive line and a more run-oriented system.

        OSU averages 251 rushing yards per game; UC has allowed 215.5 yards per game.

        Clarett continued to add to his early college football success during the Buckeyes' 25-7 win last weekend against No.10 Washington State. He rushed 31 times for 230 yards — the sixth-best total at a school with a history of All-American running backs, including Archie Griffin, Eddie George and Keith Byars, and a legendary coach in Woody Hayes who had an off-tackle, run-first attitude.

        “Woody is smiling in his gravesite, I can assure you, to see a young kid like Clarett come in here and be able to run his favorite play,” Minter said.

        Clarett leads OSU in rushing with 471 yards and six TDs. Behind Clarett is Lydell Ross (123 yards) and Maurice Hall (124).

        “I guess the good news is that there shouldn't be a star running back in the state that should want to go there for a couple of years,” Minter joked.

        In order for the Bearcats to slow down Clarett, UC linebacker Willis Edwards said he and his teammates must control their gaps better than they did against West Virginia.

        “Last week, a bunch of people got a little overanxious,” Edwards said. “And when it looked like (rushers) were going to start outside, they cut it in.”

        Missed tackles also plagued UC.

        Defensive end Antwan Peek led the Bearcats with 11 tackles while sharing a sack. But he was often double-teamed, and West Virginia ran away from him.

        Stopping Clarett and the Buckeyes' running attack is his main focus this week.

        “That's all we need to do,” Peek said.

        UC's defense held the Mountaineers to seven points in the second half. But an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit was too much for the Bearcats to overcome, as place-kicker Jonathan Ruffin's 49-yard field-goal attempt to tie the game bounced off the upright as time expired.

        Edwards said when he runs onto the Paul Brown Stadium field, he will think back to the feeling in the UC locker room after losing to West Virginia.

        “We said, "Remember this feeling. Remember this emptiness, especially with it coming down to a field goal,”' he said. “We shouldn't have put Ruffin in that situation. Having Cobourne run all over us like that. We don't want this feeling to come back again.”

No rest for weary Bearcats defense

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