Somehow, thanks to a convoluted scoring system that not even the players could fully understand, the offense was victorious in the University of Cincinnati's spring game Saturday at Nippert Stadium.
With Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell and his staff bending the rules a bit to keep the score close until the end, quarterback Desmond Ridder and his offensive teammates defeated the defense, 35-29, as sophomore backup quarterback Evan Prater found freshman wide receiver Will Pauling on a late 43-yard touchdown in front of a limited crowd of a few thousand fans.
"Someway, somehow, it comes down to a really tight ballgame where we really wanted to put the pressure on a lot of younger guys, the Evans of the world, and see how they'd react and respond," Fickell said.
Prater responded well, but the standout of the more than two-hour intrasquad scrimmage was on first-year defensive coordinator Mike Tressel's side of the ball.
More: Top 5 players to watch in Cincinnati Bearcats' spring football game
What we learned from Saturday's spring game:
Cincinnati's defense is still really good
The UC defense, which has been the No. 1 defense in the American Athletic Conference each of the past three seasons, is under new management for the first time in Fickell's four-plus seasons due to the departure of former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to Notre Dame. But despite the turnover, the Bearcats appear to be as stout as they have ever been under Fickell if not more.
"We've got a chance to be really good (defensively)," said Fickell, who is 35-14 at Cincinnati. "I mean, we've been good here, but I think we've got a chance to take it even to the next level."
All-conference defenders like safeties James Wiggins and Darrick Forrest and defensive lineman Elijah Ponder have moved on to pursue careers in the NFL. That's fine. UC doesn't need them.
With safeties Bryan Cook and Ja'von Hicks stepping in and the defensive line holding steady with tackle Marcus Brown, end Malik Vann and 2020 first-team All-AAC defensive end Myjai Sanders, the defensive unit gave Ridder fits early on Saturday afternoon.
The defense forced the 2020 AAC Offensive Plyer of the Year to make a few errant throws and even picked off one pass that nearly resulted in a defensive touchdown. Ridder settled down, but the defense showed it will once again be among the best in the nation.
"We've got a really good chance of getting after the quarterback," Fickell said. "I think we can play at the back end really, really well. So I think we're in a great place."
Darrian Beavers looks like an entirely different player
One of the reasons the defense is still so dominant is the return of players like graduate cornerback Coby Bryant and graduate linebackers Joel Dublanko and Darrian Beavers.
The three, among others, used the added year of eligibility due to COVID-19 pandemic to return for another season following their senior campaigns in 2020.
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Beavers, who spent the offseason working with UC Football Sports Performance Director Brady Collins, looks bigger, faster and stronger. The 6-foot-3 former Colerain High School standout has rebuilt his body and weighs in at about 260 pounds after adding more than 30 pounds of muscle.
"I knew I could carry the weight," said Beavers, who earned a second-team All-AAC selection last season. "I knew that I would be fine with it. I feel good out here. The best I've ever felt."
Ridder has a lot of weapons
Ridder sits about 5,500 yards behind UC passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli for the most passing yards in program history.
Guidugli, who played for the Bearcats from 2001-04, owns just about every passing record at Cincinnati. It remains to be seen if Ridder will be able to catch him, but the 6-foot-4, 215-pound fifth-year senior will certainly have the weapons to do so.
Senior Michael Young Jr., a 2020 second-team all-AAC honoree, leads a receiving corps that is fast, athletic, elusive, reliable and deep.
"The sky's the limit for them," Young said. "Those guys are some of the most talented guys I have ever seen, and I've been around some pretty good players."
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