Bearcats win season-opener: UC takes care of Towson

congratulate our guys in the locker room right there getting a win I mean that that is that is awesome to start the season off one and0 nothing that we ever take for granted granted to be able to get out here and get a win um you know had a great start to the game uh got out offensively man and was hitting on all cylinders it's hard to maintain that I think throughout the game and um you know but I but I still think um overall offensively did some good things um you know disappointed on the turnover that we had on the long run there on the third down offensively and um and I do think you know Brendan played a really good game I think he could have played a lot better and um I think there's a couple plays we he' lik to have back for sure um that would have helped you know get get some more points up on the board but um overall was pleased the way he played um he ran the offense very effectively uh threw the ball accurately um thre it away when he needed to at times also with his legs generated some nice yards um including U couple touchdowns so um played a lot of guys man this this was we had 34 guys made their debut at UC today um so that's a lot you know and I think we traveled 75 guys maybe so half of them was our first time they ever played here um you know I think new new defense um I thought you know there was some some times out there obviously you know we gave up a couple plays there with the slant that went for a long long long touchdown and then the quarterback scrambling throwing in the back of the end zone you know you kind of threw it up and the guy comes down and catches it two big plays defensively that we gave up um and then the two other big plays in my mind were the two overzealous plays that we had on the quarterback you know we you guys getting ready of of and you're hitting them you got to you got to be careful we all know that so you know I think I think take away those those three or four plays there and could have been a different thing I thought our guys ran hard uh and hit hit was very physical um as from from the defensive perspective um but we got we got to clean up the turnover stuff I mean there's no question I mean we we you know create a turnover we pick it up and then we give it right back to them I mean you know those are opportunities that are lost um proud of Prior prior came in and and you know had over 100 yards today obviously popped a big long one for a touchdown but he ran ran fast um hard uh which was good to see um you know and and Xavier you know had another big game for us U was good to see and I think Joe Royer obviously had a good game but takes a little bit off of Xavier and I think that's going to be a good combination as we look at it throughout this season and proud of Sterling to be able to catch that that that nice deep one down there for a touchdown but um you know I think overall proud of our guys obviously but we still got a lot of work to do as we head into week two questions for Coach Chad adjusting defensively like you mentioned a bunch of new players a new system probably knew it wasn't going to look anything near a finished product today how far along do you think they are in that process yeah I mean I you know I don't know it's hard to look and tell how far along you are I mean obviously we're not anywhere near where we need to be um you know I think on the positive side we played a ton of guys on defense I mean a ton I mean if we go back and count I mean we'll obviously know in the press conference but um you know at least you know seven eight probably eight or nine linebackers 12 DBS I mean we played a lot of guys and this is early you know we're rotating guys I know we did up front as well so that's a positive so there's a lot of guys that young guys that that are out there playing that that man they they made some plays you know there were at times when we're out of our gaps you know obviously I think that's to be expected sometimes when you got a new defense first time you know in a game um and going out making these corrections I mean we'll we we'll be able to make those this week and obviously we're going to need to as we play you know pit next week I mean obviously there's you know you know ACC team that has a lot of talent um and um so we'll have to be much better kind of going off of that talson had a good day running the ball how much of a difference does adding someone like Dante Corone to the defensive line make just in terms of the whole defensive scheme not just kind of plugging up Lanes in the Run game yeah I mean I you know it's going to make a huge difference whenever he's able to go because you know he he demands so much attention up front when you're thinking about you know a center in probably two guards that that are going to have to know where he's at that's going to free up linebackers to run he's going to get penetration he's going to be in the back field more I mean it's just going to it's going to give you one more added you know allamerican in the rotation up front that are certainly held but also just a psyche for everybody I mean to be able to have him up front he's you's so well respected on our team um and and to be able to have him out there playing I think will'll make a huge difference there's no question about it you still ran for 275 yards but normally you're a little more balanced was today just a luxury where Brendan was able to throw the ball because this is probably something you're not going to do with every game 383 no I mean you know 383 and 275 I mean that's we'll take that every week if we can that'd be good um it I think just early on we we had we popped a few long throws and it and it seemed to be what was available at the time I mean we you know we ran a few plays and we didn't get many yards rushing the ball there early and so we continued to push the ball down the field and we were able to make some plays down the field which I think in in return open up the running game later on in the game and our guys were able to pop some some some good plays but you know it was good to see you know several guys I mean what three guys over 50 yards I mean that that was nice you know but but Evan propping that popping that one play I think right out of halftime was big you know to be able to go back and and get an explosive that's one of the things that we talked about all off season you know trying to get some more explosives in the Run game we didn't have very as many for touchdowns last year that so that was good to have that Jared Bartlett um six tackles two tackles for loss and one sack talk about his performance today yeah you know Jared coming in from West Virginia was more of a outside linebacker in the boundary so you know he gets in here and we put him more in the middle of the defense so he's right over the ball he gives him a lot more access to make to make plays and where he does a great job is just downhill you know filling in a gaps and then right off the tackles and I thought he he played a really good game today he caused Havoc we've been seeing that all Camp you know he he provides some size in there but also some good strength and speed you know and I think I think he'll continue to do that I think he'll as we go throughout the season be able to continue to put pressure on offenses and be able to get in the back field I think that's where he's really good at but but also it's good to see you know out in space being able to make some plays so I thought I thought Jared had a great game you guys had eight plays of 20 or more yards how good was it to see that as your offense looks to be more explosive this season yeah I mean obviously it's good you know that's one of the things that we talked about this offseason how you know how to get more explosive plays how to push the ball down the field and in the first half we were able to do that you know I felt like in the second half not as much I mean just the flow was a little bit different obviously in the second half you know but early on in the game man it was exciting to watch a lot of big plays coming from a lot of different people um you know and in our quarterback being able to you know hit the ball down the field was good good today um you know and I still think man we left some plays out there we we're going to we'll get better with that we'll be able to you know have some more explosives hopefully as we go throughout this season but um you know at had a nice big you know broke a tackle went there early in the game with a nice big one as well so that's what I like because it wasn't just one guy I me there was several guys there were making the big plays push you know pushing the ball down the field coach special teams Miss use cost about six points today what are your thoughts on that unit coming off of last season yeah we got to get it better I mean you know we missed the field goal today we we we muffed the punt and lost it um you know we got to get a lot better with it I do I did think you know they did not kick it deep on us but we took advantage in the kickoff return game you know getting some great field position every time they did kick it off um you know m i punted the ball great you know have some positives in in the Special Teams but I do think you know anytime you turn the ball over that's a no no for sure in the Special Teams and um and you got to knock down the field goals as we get you know you get tighter games closer games man those those points are crucial coach you mentioned the 34 Bearcats that made their debut today talk about jaquin SS obviously he became the first true freshman since 2015 to make a start just talk about what you saw from him today yeah you know I just go back to recruiting uh Saints I mean I obviously we really liked him a lot when we recruited him just his personality and also the way he played High School football you know he kind of turned heads when he got here as we put him in and started playing and we're like man he just keeps showing up keeps making plays you know we're rotating about three or four guys at his position and as we go through Camp you know he just kept being the probably the more solid player in the run and pass you know he was he was was more downhill um making the tackles but also was able to recognize pass and get back into pass game so you know it's outstanding work from a true freshman you know you really you know right where his position is that's a very difficult position and I I really believe like those freshmen that played today we had several that played um they'll see some big jumps in in how much better they'll get from week one to week two to week three just because they've never played I mean that experience they're going to be able to get he'll grow so much off of that and um you know it's great to see him go out there and produce like he did and I think you know man he's he's got got a bright future ahead of him for sure without watching the tape happy with the offensive line today I know you didn't you didn't have Phil but the rest of the group looked like they did really good yeah I mean we you know I think they did solid I mean I think you know man they they had a couple players I think were pretty good I mean their number 40 is a good player we looking at tape from last year he caused some problems a little bit today um but I do think they they protected well I mean I think you know we got out of pocket a few times just because they were dropping eight and and to did a good job outside inside the pocket those unscheduled plays um but I think I think overall they they they did solid I mean anytime you're going to get 650 yards your Line's probably going to do something pretty good and I thought he did well I mean the punt was we were he was up we had him up too too tight that was on us you know he gets punted over his head the wind was going that way and you're trying to go back you're trying to make a play sometimes you got to let that go I that's a decision you got to let it go um you know Vick's running down the sideline after breaking a tackle he's got the ball on his inside arm you know what's going to happen when you start slowing down at the end people are going to come punch it out but you got to have in your outside arm you know these are fundamental mistakes you know and the third turnover was Varner picking a ball up he's a defensive lineman he I told him you got to carry it with two hands he's probably never carried a ball in his life you know so um you know hopefully that doesn't happen again that if he picks it up he'll just fall down you know I mean so you know and I think we got to get we got to get those things corrected um you know and then we're overzealous on a couple of those you know we're trying to you know Rush the quarterback get after the quarterback get after the quarterback well if he's throwing the ball you got to pull off you know and that's sometimes difficult but those are the things we got to coach through um because they will they'll cost us in big games because that you think about the drive right before half I mean we they're done it was third down and and they threw a screen pass to the tight end we got them tackled they're going to have to punt and now we do that now they end up getting a field goal you know you know those are the things that'll hurt you but you know we got to coach through that and get those guys um to be smarter you've coached a lot of quarterbacks in your career do you have to remind yourself that sorby's only started seven games only played in 10 because talent-wise it looks like he he's got a lot of room to still grow yeah he does well he's only started one one game for us I mean in his career though yeah yeah no I know I mean but it's a new offense you got you know he hears all these numbers and letters and words that are coming in you got to relay that then you got look at the defense then you got to figure out where to go with the ball I it's a lot that's going on particularly with a guy you know he's been here for six months and so yeah it's was very pleasing to see um I do think yeah he's got a lot of ball ahead of him you know I think the sky is the limit he's got he's got arm Talent he's got some Poise he's got some legs I mean he's got great size I mean so yeah he's got a lot of things that are going for him the biggest thing is just always taking what the defense gives you you know I feel like today you know there's you know most of the pass plays we called there's probably a guy that we can get the ball to and maybe sometimes we're trying to force it some else but I mean that's that's coming from you know inexperience and that's coming from a guy who's still learning at offense um you know man but but there was a lot of good stuff and you know I'm going to try to lean on that and um and hopefully grow from from where we're at today going back to the 275 rushing yards you guys had today over 200 of those were in the second half were there any adjustments you guys made at halftime to run the ball at a more prolific raid in the second half yeah there was a couple things that we did you know I think adjusting where we ran the football you know I think in early in the game we were run it back to the field in the second half ran it more to the boundary felt like we had a a little bit better um more advantageous to run into the boundary and it worked it paid off I mean the first time we hit it was prior's run I mean that was the first time we went over there on the outside Zone and hit for 61 yards so um you know and then I think also in the fourth quarter we we probably relied more on the Run we you know the game we're like Hey listen let's let's let's get this run game going so now you're getting more carries than probably in what we did in the first half I felt like they were giv the pass so we're taking it what does this game do for Royer's confidence at Ohio State he only caught four balls a lot of things went on he had five today I think five at halftime yeah five and one half you know yeah I think Rory's having a lot of fun I mean he's uh he's a fun guy to be around he's you know he's extremely talented you know with size speed got great hands um runs you know like a like a wide receiver at that size that's hard to find that you know I think he can continue to get better again because he hadn't played a lot of ball e either I mean it's you know he's really relatively inexperienced player um although he looks pretty good out there you know I think I think he's going to be a mismatch problem for some guys throughout the season I think he'll continue to get better as well and you know we're going to have plays designed for him I mean we have to he's one of our better players on our football team but I think he's having a lot of fun the teammates like him respect him um you know he's had he's great to have in our locker room I feel like you're going to blow some people's minds people are getting sticker shock when they head to the grocery store like how can that be I was so shocked something like this could fall through the crabs thanks for helping us pull off the surprise they're having fun it is all of those things wrapped in one getting that Vibe it lots of sunshine sounds tremendous are we encourag to sing along yes are you tired that's all I got left