INSIDE SLANT

Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly likes to emphasize quality over quantity when it comes to his practices.

As the season progresses, victories become more crucial, but the emotional and physical burden also begins to take its toll. With his team in contention for a Big East Conference title and BCS bowl berth, Kelly is running a tight ship in practice.

“The word we use is ‘purposeful’,” Kelly said. “We ask our guys for an hour and a half of focus. We’ve backed off our practice time. We’ve been able to keep our players fresh.”

Cincinnati embarks on its second bye week after beginning the season 10-0 for the first time in school history.

The fifth-ranked Bearcats will put their 16-game regular-season winning streak on the line in the home finale against Illinois on Friday, Nov. 27 at Nippert Stadium.

UC is ranked fifth in both major polls and the BCS standings. The Bearcats finish the season on Dec. 5 at Pittsburgh in a game that’ll likely decide the Big East title.

Much like the first bye week, Kelly will spend a considerable amount of time self-scouting with his coaching staff. The players will get some much-needed time off. A primary area of focus offensively will be on shoring up the running game.

“We’ll spend quite a bit of time on the things we need to work on, especially the running game,” Kelly said. “We still need to iron out some tendencies. Running the football will be key for us the next two games.”

Despite a top-five ranking and a shower of national accolades, Kelly stopped short of saying Cincinnati’s program has arrived.

“I still feel like we haven’t arrived,” he said. “Our football program is still building. We still have a ways to go. There were so many years of not being relevant. Our team has arrived, but our program is still in the process. That helps keep us focused.”

NOTES, QUOTES

• Cincinnati announced it will play its 2012 game against Virginia Tech at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The Bearcats lost to the Hokies in last year’s Orange Bowl. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 5-4. Cincinnati also plays at Ohio State in 2012.

• The Bearcats have won 11 consecutive games at Nippert Stadium and 16 straight regular-season games dating back to last season. UC began the season 10-0 for the first time in school history.

• The Bearcats did not lose a fumble this season until the first quarter of the Nov. 13 win over West Virginia. UC has committed just six turnovers (one fumble, five interceptions), and ranks fifth nationally in turnover margin.

• Cincinnati is 18-7-1 all-time when ranked.

Next Game:   Illinois at Cincinnati, Nov. 27—The first-ever meeting between the two schools will kick off at noon and be televised nationally on ABC. Bearcats QB Tony Pike likely will make first start since injuring his forearm on Oct. 15, setting up a confrontation with one of the nation’s most dynamic signal-callers in Illini QB Juice Williams. Illinois is 2-2 all-time vs. Big East opponents. The Bearcats are 8-38-2 vs. the Big Ten. Cincinnati last faced a Big Ten opponent on Sept. 16, 2006, losing 37-7 at top-ranked Ohio State.

This Week  ‘S MISSION: Brian Kelly plans to give the team some much-needed time off. When the players hit the practice field, the offensive emphasis will be on the running game. The Bearcats are coming off back-to-back 200-plus yard rushing games. Kelly believes the running game is especially important in late November and December when weather conditions might not be conducive to the pass. In addition, opponents have been playing more Cover-2 and doubling UC’s receivers. Cincinnati hopes to firm up its running game to open more holes for Isaiah Pead, who had 175 rushing yards in the win over West Virginia.

December At A Glance:   Following the regular-season finale against Illinois on Nov. 27 at Nippert Stadium, one game will remain. The Big East Conference title and the league’s automatic bid to a BCS bowl likely will be at stake when Cincinnati faces Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 at Heinz Field.

Quote To Note:   “They just need to watch film. And when they do, they’ll see a very deep, talented team. Illinois is one of the deeper teams we’ll play. We don’t have to worry about their record. As you’re trying to gain relevance as a program, anytime you can get a Big Ten team in your venue, it’s good for your program.”—Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly on his team not looking past Illinois despite its 3-7 record.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good:   Cincinnati’s vaunted spread offense, known for its big-play passing ability, has added a new weapon in recent weeks—a rushing attack. The Bearcats have rushed for more than 200 yards in consecutive games. In last week’s win over West Virginia, sophomore Isaiah Pead ran for 175 yards and a touchdown. With opposing defense’s doubling up on top playmaker Mardy Gilyard, D.J. Woods and Armon Binns have had big receiving games.

Still Needs Work:   Cincinnati’s defense, which played better than expected the first eight weeks despite returning just one starter, has allowed a combined 403 rushing yards in the past two games. Last week the Bearcats struggled to contain West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown, who rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown and passed for 188 yards and a TD. UC allowed 201 yards rushing in a 47-45 win over UConn the previous week.

Star Watch:   Sophomore RB Isaiah Pead provided Bearcats fans with a glimpse into his promising future with 18 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown in the win over West Virginia. Pead had runs of 52 and 43 yards, the latter setting up the victory-clinching field goal with two minutes remaining. Pead, who shattered Archie Griffin’s high school rushing records at Columbus Eastmoor Academy, has rushed for 687 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

Critical Decision:   Zach Collaros’ performance in four starts for the injured Tony Pike had Brian Kelly laboring over the decision of when to bring back Pike, who was listed as a Heisman candidate prior to injuring his left forearm on Oct. 15 in a game at South Florida. After wavering a few times in his decision, Kelly decided to start Collaros last week against West Virginia. Pike entered the game twice, throwing just four passes, two for touchdowns, in the 24-21 victory.

Roster Report:  

• Senior QB Tony Pike entered last week’s game with 10:05 remaining in the first quarter, making his first appearance since Oct. 15 when he injured his left forearm in a win at South Florida. He threw TD passes of 10 and 6 yards in a 24-21 victory over West Virginia. Pike could make his first start since the injury on Nov. 27 against Illinois.

• Senior RB Jacob Ramsey did not play against West Virginia due to a sprained foot. Sophomore Isaiah Pead got the bulk of the carries, rushing for 175 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Darrin Williams was listed as the No. 2 running back behind Pead.

• Junior RB John Goebel is playing with a broken right hand. Goebel rushed for 607 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Due to the injury, he has appeared in just six games, mostly on special teams. Goebel has six carries for 10 yards.