No changes coming to UC defense coaching staff
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 6:48 p.m. EDT October 11, 2014


Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Herb Waters (6) catches a pass as Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Grant Coleman (13) in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium. (Photo: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports)

MIAMI – The University of Cincinnati defense was awful again in a 55-34 loss to Miami here Saturday, and UC coach Tommy Tuberville was asked if he would consider changes to his defensive coaching staff.

"No," Tuberville replied. "I mean, it's coach by committee. We're all doing it."

Co-defensive coordinator Hank Hughes has been calling the plays on that side, assisted by co-defensive coordinator Robert Prunty.

"Of course we'd like to get in better fronts and coverages at times when they run plays," Tuberville said. "We ran a pretty much base defense all day today. We blitzed a couple of times and they burned us. So much for that. Our corners couldn't keep up with them, so we went back to zone."

UC entered the game ranked No. 124 among the 125 FBS teams in total defense, at 561.8 yards per game. Miami accumulated 621 yards.

The Bearcats tried some new faces, as linebackers Kevin Brown and Clemente Casseus and cornerback Aaron Brown made their first UC starts.

The absence of physical senior cornerback Adrian Witty (injured) continues to hurt UC, and the Bearcats have been particularly vulnerable up the middle on run defense. Several veterans also are not playing nearly as well as they did in 2013, when UC had the No. 9-ranked defense in America.

LOYAL FANS: UC had about 200 students among approximately 1,000 Bearcats fans at Saturday's game, athletic director Mike Bohn said.

FAMILIAR FACE: Hurricanes sophomore guard Alex Gall (Moeller High School) appeared in Saturday's game. Gall recently returned from a back injury.

RUN IT UP: Miami had two 100-yard rushers (single game) for the first time since 2003. Duke Johnson ran for 162 yards and Joe Yearby for 113.

UP NEXT: UC returns to American Athletic Conference play at SMU next Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET).

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../17117133/