Bearcats were not smooth Saturday

What a difference two years made!
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- When Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli faced Ohio State in 2002, he threw for 324 yards and nearly led the Bearcats to one of the biggest upsets in school history before falling, 23-19.
Two years later, it was a much different story.
Guidugli struggled to find his rhythm in Saturday's 27-6 loss to the Buckeyes and finished with 162 yards -- exactly half of his 2002 total.
"We didn't know what to expect," said Guidugli, who was playing under first-year coach Mark Dantonio. "It was a learning experience for us all."
And not necessarily a fun one.
Under construction
Ohio State defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, who replaced Dantonio when he was hired at Cincinnati, had to rebuild the defense, which had six players drafted last April, including first-round picks Will Smith and Chris Gamble. Against Cincinnati, the defense didn't miss a beat.
"Dantonio was our leader and still is," said senior defensive end Simon Fraser, the lone holdover from last year's defensive line. "But the rest of the defensive coaching staff had and has a hand in our defense."
Cincinnati scored just two field goals on Saturday and both came after OSU starting quarterback Justin Zwick turned the ball over in Buckeye territory. Ohio State also held Cincy to just 238 yards (the Bearcats averaged just 3.8 yards per play, compared to 6.4 for OSU) and forced eight punts.
"I was proud of our defense," Zwick said. "They made big stops in the red zone. The offense felt safe, but we don't want to rely on the defense too much."
More snaps needed
Early on, they might have to. With just two returning starters on offense, Ohio State will need time to jell. There's a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but not a lot of experience. But, then again, what do you expect from a team that had a record 14 players selected in the NFL draft?
"Some of the players had first time jitters," said Fraser, "but by the second half they seemed to be a bit more relaxed."
Cincinnati ran for just 76 yards (OSU had 220), led by tailback Richard Hall, who had 14 carries for 40 yards (2.9 average). One of the reasons Guidugli wasn't able to find a rhythm was because the Bearcats' running game never got going.
"It was tough," Hall said. "They put eight [men] in the box and we ran it anyway."
Junior linebacker Bobby Carpenter had a career-best nine tackles, which tied him with junior A.J. Hawk for the team lead on Saturday. It was the eighth time Hawk has led or tied the team in tackles in his career.
Fun against the run
"I think we did a great job stopping the run," Carpenter said. "Our defensive backs played very well. We made a few mistakes, but it is nothing we cannot fix. We just need to improve each week."
Ohio State gets its next test on Saturday at home against Marshall. No one knows whether this year's OSU team can match the ones from the past two years, but the early returns are good.
Just ask the opposition.
"This is going to be a really solid team," said Cincy receiver Derek Ross. "They have speed and toughness on both offense and defense, all the tools for a successful season."
scalzo@vindy.com