It's hard not to recognize and appreciate the rise of the University of Cincinnati football team. The players and coaches within the Bearcats men's basketball program have even taken notice.
UC men's basketball coach Wes Miller admitted Monday that his excitement is building as he counts down to his first season-opener with the Bearcats (Nov. 9 against Evansville at Fifth Third Arena). But Miller, his players and staff can't help but to be a bit distracted by what Luke Fickell is doing with his group.
"What's been neat for me is I grew up a college football fan, on Saturdays, watching games," Miller said during his team's media day. "And as I got into coaching, I haven't coached anywhere where there was big-time college football. So I've always just been so buried this time of the year into what we're doing with our team. The fall's really busy in college basketball, so I kind of got away from being a college football fan.
"It's been fun, for a couple of hours every Saturday this year, to be a college football fan again. It's been even more fun to be a college football fan of one of the best teams and best programs in the country. We're energized by what our football program is doing. We're trying to tap into that."
Miller, who was hired in April as the 28th head men's basketball coach in program history after spending the previous 10 seasons at UNC Greensboro, said Fickell has been generous with his time in helping him get acclimated to his new surroundings.
Meanwhile, Fickell has led his Bearcats (4-0) to back-to-back wins over Power Five opponents and a top-five national ranking. Cincinnati is No. 5 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday (No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll).
“It’s incredible just to see those guys," UC senior guard David DeJulius said. "They work day in and day out. They’re well-coached. It just gives us a new level of perspective and a new level of hunger to know that they’re at that level. We want to join them.”
Miller and several of the Cincinnati basketball players traveled to South Bend on Saturday to cheer on the Bearcats in their 24-13 win over Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish paid UC $1.2 million to play them.
Desmond Ridder earns AAC Offensive Player of the Week, other honors after standout effort
UC's fifth-year senior captain was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 323 yards of total offense (297 passing yards, 26 rushing yards) and three total touchdowns in Saturday's win.
Ridder also was named one of eight Manning Stars of the Week and earned the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week honor for the second time in his career.
"I'm still working every day to be the best I can be," Ridder said Tuesday. "The best teammate, the best leader I can be."
Ridder tossed a pair of first-half scores and put the game away with a six-yard rushing score with 5:08 remaining.
With the win, Ridder is now 34-5 in his career and is the winningest active quarterback in college football.
Junior cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner also garnered recognition from UC's home conference, earning a spot on this week's AAC Honor Roll after hauling in his second interception of the season Saturday.
Gardner has yet to surrender a touchdown in nearly 800 career coverage snaps.
Bearcats set for clash with UCF at high noon
After opening AAC play against Temple on Friday at Nippert Stadium (7 p.m. on ESPN), the Cincinnati football team will stay at home the following week to face the UCF Knights on Oct. 16.
The AAC announced Monday that the game will kick off at noon on ABC.
Also, the Bearcats' game at East Carolina, originally set for Saturday, Nov. 27, will now take place on Friday, Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving. Kickoff against the Pirates will be at either 3:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
The game will air on either ABC or ESPN.
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