UC basketball
Hoard: Bearcats add talented trio in early signing period
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Bengals
Ranking the Offensive Lines
ProFootballFocus
5. Cincinnati Bengals (8th)
PB = 2nd, RB = 26th and PEN = 7th
There’s no doubting that Andy Dalton struggles under pressure. So it’s massive for the Bengals, vital even, that the line keeps protecting the way it has. It would be nice if the run game could find its on switch. But while they’re better off without Jeff Faine, it remains to be seen how Trevor Robinson handles life as a starting center in the NFL.
Dalton honored
Bengals QB Andy Dalton today was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week by the NFL.
Dalton completed 21 of 30 passes for 199 yards, four TDs and 0 INTs (127.6 passer rating) in the Bengals’ 31-13 win vs. the N.Y. Giants on Sunday. It was the first game of his career with four TD passes.
Dalton’s scoring passes went to four different receivers -- 56 yards to WR A.J. Green and 11 yards to WR Andrew Hawkins in the first quarter, and 10 yards to TD Jermaine Gresham and 10 yards to WR Mohamed Sanu in the third quarter. The last three of those TD passes came on third down.
Dalton is on a record yards and TDs pace. Through nine games, he has posted a passing yards average that projects to a Bengals record. With an average of 258.8 yards, he’s on pace for a full season to hit 4140. The club record is 4131 by Carson Palmer in 2007. Perhaps even more importantly, Dalton is now on pace to tie Palmer’s season record of 32 TD passes in 2005. Against the Giants, Dalton pushed his numbers to 18 in nine games.
Additionally, Dalton’s 203 completions — 22.6 per game — project to a total of 361 over 16 games. That would be third in club history, behind Palmer’s totals of 373 in 2007 and 362 in ’10.
This the third time this season a Bengals player has earned an AFC Player of the Week Award. CB Adam Jones was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance vs. Cleveland in Week 2, when he returned three punts for 90 yards in the Bengals’ 34-27 home win, including an 81-yarder for a touchdown on the game’s opening punt. And, DE Michael Johnson was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance at Washington in Week 3, when he recorded three sacks for minus-17 yards in the Bengals’ 38-31 win at Washington on Sunday.
Also earlier this season, WR A.J. Green was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of September.
The last Bengals player to be named AFC Offensive Player of the Week was Palmer for his performance vs. Chicago in Week 7 of 2009.
Sounds from open locker room today
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Show preview
6:05, Sports Talk
8:05, Butch Jones Show
Guest
Benjaruvs Green-Ellis, 7:35
Topics
Bengals: Team has momentum. Do fans feel it?
College hoops: Into it or wake you in March?
MLB: Marlins fiasco, why do only writers get to vote on MLB awards?
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College hoops
NKU's Division I dream begins tonight in San Diego
Xavier 65 Butler 47
Good old fashion butt whoopin at Cintas Center. Xavier was even better than the final score indicated. XU never trailed. Butler cut a 14 point to 7, only to see XU regain control and push lead to 20. Xavier's defense suffocated Butler: 36% FG for game and 25% 2nd half. XU was physical, Butler was not. Jeff Robinson was the man early and often as Butler dared him to shoot, he did and he hit. He was the best player on the court. Dee Davis acts like a guy that owns the team on the court. He's got big time confidence. Davis was glued to Butler sharpshooter Rotnei Clark. Travis Taylor added 15/9. Brad Redford is so good as shot fakes and creating space. He's a walking instructional video on shooting. Kellen Dunham looks/plays like he was born to play for Butler. Kid will be a stud. Attendance: 9,876 for a 4pm tip.
ESPN on the game , what they are saying in Indianapolis
UC 102 Mississippi Valley State 60
The Bearcats did what they should have done to a bad team. SK 20 points and 8 rebounds. This team has so many different components. I really like Titus Rubles: 8 pts, 7 RB, 5 assists, 2 blocks. I like what Mbodj gives them around the basket: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks. UC was +28 on the boards. Bench gave UC 45 points. FT shooting still makes my head hurt. This team can go on runs in a blink of an eye.
Pick out a stretch of action and just watch JaQuon Parker. Love him. 20 assists on 39 FG's Can UC expect more than 5,617 for an opponent like that? Yawn.
Bill Koch, Enquirer, has more on the game
Duke 75 Kentucky 68
Kentucky is good. Kentucky is young. Kentucky will be even better by March. Stop comparing this team to last year's team. That is not fair. This group is developing confidence and figuring out how to play together. They will have lapses. Yet, UK started 3 FR vs an experienced Duke team and went toe to toe with #9 team in country. UK needs a point guard. Perhaps Ryan Harrow is the answer. Noel and Poythress were beasts. Noel's haircut reminds me of JR Reid. Love Goodwin. UK could not take advantage when Plumlee went out late. Wiltjer needs more shots. I laughed at Cal's comments about Duke flopping. I laughed again when he played dumb in postgame about the comments. Seth Curry=crafty.
Mike DeCourcy on the game
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UC football
Video: From Butch Jones press conference:
On if he thinks this will energize people outside the program:
“Absolutely. It’s all about winning championships. Make no mistake about it. To say you’re number one, to say you’re the best. We’re all competitors. We talk about being great competitors with great competitive spirits and drives. That’s what it’s all about. Again these last three games are playoff games. We said it two weeks prior to today. We’re starting a five game playoff. Well now we’re down to four, now we’re down to three. That’s why we need everyone’s support. Come out at noon. Not just at the game, but at the Catwalk. Be there. I think our players have earned the right to play in front of a solid out stadium. What more could you want for? It’s gon’ be a great day against a great, great team and a great challenge.”
On if he feels a burden or responsibility to get people into the stands:
“First and foremost I am the caretaker of Cincinnati football and in my opinion I am responsible for everything including getting fans in the seats and you are exactly right because its starts with the product who they wants to be proud of what they represent and I will tell you this, our players represent this institution, this city, this football program in a first class manner in all that we do and so I am proud of them that way but yes, I’ll do anything and everything to get fans out the Nippert. It’s a pride again with everything that we have and we have a great menu. But again they have been tremendous and you know me by now, I’ll do whatever it takes. The great thing about being the head football coach is you get to paint the vision of everything. Playing in front of sold out crowds as we continue to grow and elevate this program that is one of my vision and e will get it done. Every game at one point of stage in our football program will be sold out. Right now, we are embarking on the greatest era of Cincinnati football and that is what people need to realize. Ten to fifteen years ago we may not have been having this conversation but looking at the era we are in, surrounding Cincinnati football; we are on the national stage. Here’s the other thing that [people don’t realize, when we show up at 12 o’clock noon on Saturday we have an inordinate amount of bowl representatives there, making judgments about our crowds, fans support, how they interact with our team, how we play. It is a great opportunity for this community and then looking at not getting ahead of myself but ESPN comes in and we are on primetime ESPN at 7 p.m. next Friday night versus South Florida. Again, talking about our Chamber of Commerce and selling our city and institution, our fans, we couldn’t ask for anything better and that is where our football program is right now. We are in the greatest era of Cincinnati football.”
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Reds
Dusty finishes 2nd in NL Manager of Year voting
MLB
Marlins owner rips team, city apart, must be stopped
CBS Sports
The flea-market Marlins have a history of running fire sales, garage sales, rummage sales, blue-light, half-yearly sales, Jeffrey Loria Needs a New Picture Frame sale and every other sort of sale you can name.
But not when they’ve got a brand-new, mostly-taxpayer-funded, gleaming new monolith sitting in their backyard.
Before, fire sales were the byproduct of running a ballclub recklessly and irresponsibly.
Now? Even the corporate raiders and cowboy swindlers on anything-goes Wall Street would wind up with hard time operating a bait-and-switch like this.
Loria, he winds up with fistfuls of cash and bad art in his outfield.
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Bengals
Dallas game a sellout
The Bengals’ Dec. 9 home game against Dallas is a sellout, the club’s ticket office reported today. The game will be cleared for television coverage on regional FOX affiliates, including WXIX-TV (Channel 19) in Cincinnati.
Tickets remain available for the club’s other two remaining home games, on Nov. 25 against the Oakland Raiders and on Dec. 30 against the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders game features the anticipated return to PBS of former Bengals QB Carson Palmer. The Ravens game will be a regular-season ending AFC North clash, with potentially high playoff implications.
Oakland and Baltimore tickets may be purchased by calling the Bengals Ticket Hotline at 866-621-8383 (TDTD) or through Bengals.com. Additionally, fans may purchase tickets in person at the PBS ticket office, with free parking on the East stadium plaza. Ticket office hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday-through-Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays before home games.
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Congrats
The Thomas More seniors named below make up the winningest group to come through Thomas More football in school history (38-7). Thomas More finished this season 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the PAC. It was the program's 17th winning season in the 23-year history of Thomas More football. The Saints capped the season with their fifth consecutive Bridge Bowl win over across-the-river rival, the College of Mount St. Joseph.
(GREENVILLE, Pa.) - Thomas More College senior defensive back Zach Autenrieb (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) was named the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Football Player of the Year and 13 Saints were named All-PAC by the conference's nine head coaches.
Autenrieb, who was also named first team All-PAC had 48 tackles (36 solo, 12 assisted), including a half tackle for a loss, eight interceptions, five pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Two of his interceptions were returned for a touchdown. With his eight interceptions he finished his career with 32 interceptions, which is the new NCAA Division III career interception record.
Joining Autenrieb on the first team was:
SR, OL Kevin Naltner (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder)
SR, DL Jay Volker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder)
SR, LB Nick Gramke (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder)
SR, DB Kenny Veal (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton).
Naltner helped anchor an offensive line that blocked the way for the Saints to rush for 1,554 yards this season and only allowed 20 sacks. Volker had 63 tackles (41 solo, 22 assisted), including 24.5 for a loss and six sacks and he had two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Gramke appeared in only six games, but had 51 tackles (27 solo, 24 assisted), including seven and a half for a loss, one sack and had three forced fumbles. Veal had 40 tackles (31 solo, nine assisted), including three for a loss, two interceptions, 14 pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three blocked kicks and one punt return for a touchdown.
Click HERE for rest of honors.
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