Rolling into week three of fall camp at Higher Ground. Release from UC:
The University of Cincinnati football team held its first scrimmage of fall practice on Saturday, running more than 130 plays over 2.5 hours at Nippert Stadium.
The live practice – the ninth so far – featured various situational plays and included special teams.
Second-year head coach Scott Satterfield was very pleased with the effort and execution by his team.
"This was the first time we really got to play a lot of football, and we had so many scenarios to spot the ball,” Satterfield said. “Today was fun for our guys to get out and play, and it's a chance for us to really evaluate every position. This was the scrimmage where you're really playing everybody and not holding it back. We held Corey Kiner back because we know what he can do, but we got a chance to watch the other four running backs. Every other position, we let the guys play. It'll be great film to evaluate. We went three hours today, so it was a long, tough scrimmage, but it was well-thought out and I thought our guys executed."
Transfer tight end Joe Royer dazzled throughout the scrimmage. The redshirt junior took a short pass and ran more than 50 yards for the practice’s first touchdown just a few plays into the practice. On the next series, he got a long pass from quarterback Brendan Sorsby to set up another touchdown catch for himself.
"It felt good,” Royer said. “They were dialing some things up for me and giving me a chance to make a play. It was kind of like high school again, feeling good and running around out there."
Royer is a Cincinnati native and Elder High School graduate. He played three seasons at Ohio State, but battled injuries. He appeared full healthy on Saturday and has emerged as a team leader during fall camp.
"Joe is a talented player,” Satterfield said. “He has great size as a big target for our quarterbacks with soft hands. He can block and do it all. We're really excited about him. When you think about it, he has so much ball ahead of him. He has not played that much. It was exciting to watch him have some fun today."
After giving up a couple of big plays early, including the touchdown catches by Royer, the defense adjusted and clamped on the offense throughout the second half of the scrimmage.
“The offense had the touchdowns early, and it would have been real easy for our defense to hang their heads,” Satterfield said. “I was proud of how they bounced back. We put them in tough situations at the end of the day down in the red zone, and I thought they did a good job at holding our offense out of the end zone and to field goals. That's what it's going to take.”
Junior cornerback Ormanie Arnold had a touchdown-saving pass breakup in the end zone, while linebackers Jared Bartlett and Brian Simms III made several plays in the back field.
Bartlett, a transfer from West Virginia, and Simms, a redshirt freshman, are expected to be key contributors in the linebacker unit for Cincinnati.
The duo is expected to be joined in the rotation by returning starter Jack Dingle and Central Arkansas transfer Jake Golday, who has flashed all camp with his athleticism, as well as returning redshirt sophomore Jonathan Thompson – among others.
"It felt great today,” Bartlett said. “I remember just walking into the locker room and thinking 'man, I missed this place so much.' Just getting back here with the team and on the field felt really good."
The Bearcats will take Sunday off before returning to Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center for four more practices next week.
The University of Cincinnati football team held its first scrimmage of fall practice on Saturday, running more than 130 plays over 2.5 hours at Nippert Stadium.
The live practice – the ninth so far – featured various situational plays and included special teams.
Second-year head coach Scott Satterfield was very pleased with the effort and execution by his team.
"This was the first time we really got to play a lot of football, and we had so many scenarios to spot the ball,” Satterfield said. “Today was fun for our guys to get out and play, and it's a chance for us to really evaluate every position. This was the scrimmage where you're really playing everybody and not holding it back. We held Corey Kiner back because we know what he can do, but we got a chance to watch the other four running backs. Every other position, we let the guys play. It'll be great film to evaluate. We went three hours today, so it was a long, tough scrimmage, but it was well-thought out and I thought our guys executed."
Transfer tight end Joe Royer dazzled throughout the scrimmage. The redshirt junior took a short pass and ran more than 50 yards for the practice’s first touchdown just a few plays into the practice. On the next series, he got a long pass from quarterback Brendan Sorsby to set up another touchdown catch for himself.
"It felt good,” Royer said. “They were dialing some things up for me and giving me a chance to make a play. It was kind of like high school again, feeling good and running around out there."
Royer is a Cincinnati native and Elder High School graduate. He played three seasons at Ohio State, but battled injuries. He appeared full healthy on Saturday and has emerged as a team leader during fall camp.
"Joe is a talented player,” Satterfield said. “He has great size as a big target for our quarterbacks with soft hands. He can block and do it all. We're really excited about him. When you think about it, he has so much ball ahead of him. He has not played that much. It was exciting to watch him have some fun today."
After giving up a couple of big plays early, including the touchdown catches by Royer, the defense adjusted and clamped on the offense throughout the second half of the scrimmage.
“The offense had the touchdowns early, and it would have been real easy for our defense to hang their heads,” Satterfield said. “I was proud of how they bounced back. We put them in tough situations at the end of the day down in the red zone, and I thought they did a good job at holding our offense out of the end zone and to field goals. That's what it's going to take.”
Junior cornerback Ormanie Arnold had a touchdown-saving pass breakup in the end zone, while linebackers Jared Bartlett and Brian Simms III made several plays in the back field.
Bartlett, a transfer from West Virginia, and Simms, a redshirt freshman, are expected to be key contributors in the linebacker unit for Cincinnati.
The duo is expected to be joined in the rotation by returning starter Jack Dingle and Central Arkansas transfer Jake Golday, who has flashed all camp with his athleticism, as well as returning redshirt sophomore Jonathan Thompson – among others.
"It felt great today,” Bartlett said. “I remember just walking into the locker room and thinking 'man, I missed this place so much.' Just getting back here with the team and on the field felt really good."
The Bearcats will take Sunday off before returning to Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center for four more practices next week.
