2003 Statistics

Quarterback
The key to this offense is senior Gino Guidugli, a strong-armed pocket passer entering his fourth year as starter. He's a solid 6-3 and has some quickness, which should get him several NFL looks. But Gino must be more accurate. He regressed in his third year as starter, throwing (an acceptable) 10 picks, but with just 14 TDs. Some things will give to these ends - Cincy's receivers look to be stronger this year, and the offense will be more creative under new head coach Mark Dantonio. Still, the pressure's on Gino, and after three years as the Man, he should be used to it. Expect better numbers. If Gino goes down, there will be an enormous experience gap. Backup George Murray, the team's second fastest player (4.41-40), has seen plenty of time ... catching Gino's passes. He's an undeniable athlete, but as a QB, he's mostly been used (deceptively) as a runner. The future is redshirt freshman Todd Spitzer, a 6-5 dropback bomber who was the scout team co-offensive player of the year last fall. The unit is strong, but performance is unpredictable.

Running Back
Like the passing game, expect better numbers here. Richard Hall (like Dantonio, an OSU transfer) might have been a 1,000-yard rusher in '03 had he stayed healthy. He has 4.6-speed and is a worthy receiving target. Durability is a concern, but he has a more experienced line. Hall rarely loses yards, always a coaches' desire. Moreover, Dantonio is striving for balance with his offense, so Hall will have to be effective and should expect plenty of work. If he can't handle it, there's backup Carl Jones, another fast former receiver who averaged a team-best 5.0 yards per carry and got plenty of reps in Hall's absence. There's loads of speed here, but any real power will come from junior Kyle Koester, a 240-pounder who excels in short-yardage situations, and fullback Ken Smith, a converted LB. Hall's the closest thing to a total-package back, but as a unit these guys have enough to provide a consistent ground attack.

Receiver
There's talent here, but that was hard to believe last fall as inexperience took its toll. Dantonio will soon realize the "year older-year better" cliché holds true with this group. The diamond in the rough is 6-3 senior Hannibal Thomas, a JUCO-transfer who didn't start getting looks until midway through the season. He has the sure hands, size and strength of a possession guy, and the speed to be a substantial deep threat. Despite not getting a catch until game seven, he wound up fourth in grabs (22), tied for first in TD catches (three) while averaging 18.8 yards per reception. Murray, the backup QB and leading receiver in '03 (30 catches), is a possession guy who's quick enough to spread defenses. Derick Ross is also (proven) quick enough to go deep. There are plenty of weapons here for Guidugli, especially when these guys start playing to their potential.

Tight End
Though he's been in the lineup as long as Guidugli, don't expect senior A.J. Lucious to get many balls tossed his way -- he's had just three receptions in each of the past two seasons. But Lucious is a physical presence up front who has added 25 pounds of bulk since arriving on campus four years ago. Brent Celek, a 6-4 soph, played in every game as a freshman and is more of a receiving threat, though he had only two catches.

Offensive Line
Big and experienced, this group's talent level means they could be (one of, if not) Conference USA's best O-line(s). A physical front will be needed to spark this fast, power-light backfield. Senior guard Kyle Takavitz, an all-conference selection in '03, is the leader. A former starter at tackle, he's strong, versatile and considered one of the nation's best pass-blockers (great news for Gino). Senior starting tackles Steve Eastlake and Clint Stickdorn secure the outsides well, in both running and passing situations. Center (junior) Matt Webster has the edge over Joel Yakovac (at the end of spring ball). Cincy allowed just 20 sacks and was fifth in the conference in rushing offense, trends that will continue.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Dantonio's new offense, now under the direction of (former Miami of Ohio) offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, will be more exciting than that of former coach Rick Minter, though that's not saying much. Insider info - Cincy fans and media actually got excited when the offense opened the spring game with a pass. Don't expect the Fun-and-Gun, but, with nine starters back, the pieces are here for a nice, balanced offense. After working with Ben Roethlisberger, Treadwell has another NFL possibility in Guidugli, who will benefit from a seasoned line, improving WR corps, and a talented tailback in Hall. As much heat as it got, last year's offense under Minter was fifth in the conference and 44th in all of I-A. There's no reason why this one shouldn't be better.

Defensive Line
After the spring game, Dantonio said, "Our good players are our front seven." Well, he has probably the conference's best DE-duo in seniors Trent Cole and Andre Frazier. Both are tough pass rushers, and both are bigger, though only increasing their weights to modestly respectable levels of around 250. Cole, an all-CUSA pick, is more athletic and the better all-around player. The middle is softer, literally. New starters Mike Wright and Lonnie Simmons are a pair of 300-pound seniors who need to step up. Wright's career has been stymied by injuries up to this point. Simmons, a Michigan State-transfer, is one of the team's biggest linemen but was easy to miss last fall. When Wright and Simmons struggle to tie up linemen and fill holes, the front seven will take a step back.

Linebacker
The experienced, though not huge, senior LB trio that returns should be tough to run against. Jamar Enzor, Tyjuan Hagler and Jason Russell combined for nearly 300 tackles last season, with 137 coming from Enzor in the middle. Russell is the most athletic of the three and is also the trio's best pass-rusher and -defender. Hagler can hit like Marvelous Marvin from the SAM spot, but, like Enzor, he's mostly a run-stopper. With ends like Cole and Frazier, these guys can afford to sit back - until the middle need help. Steady is the key word here. Once spread thin, these guys are human again, something we will often see.

Defensive Back
This is the biggest question mark for the new staff. Adequate strong safety Doug Monaghan is back for his fourth year as starter, and big-play corner Daven Holly (team-best 4.39-40) returns. Everyone else here is pretty green. After being moved from position-to-position, Tedric Harwell will try to fill in at corner. In terms of depth, it doesn't look like there are any Ronnie Lotts waiting in the wings, though soph CB Brian Dodd looked good in picking off a pair of spring game passes. Success was found by this crew in '03, so some of that will carry over. Just how much will define the entire defensive effort and, ultimately, how far the team itself goes.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
As Ohio State's defensive coordinator the previous three seasons, Dantonio knows where solid 'D' can take a team. That side of the ball dominated Cincy's spring game, holding the offenses to a combined 14 points and 399 yards in four 10-minute quarters. Of those yards, 289 were through the air, an indication of the Achilles of this defense, and possibly this entire team. Monaghan and Holly will be stars, and the front seven will have to put more pressure on the QB. The Cats will consistently get beat in the air. The issues really are how bad and how often? The answers determine the outcome of the season.