Zach Stipe
Associate AD / Communication
CINCINNATI – The Bearcats’ top two quarterbacks threw for touchdown passes and senior leaders Ty Van Fossen AND Jabari Taylor both had game-changing plays on defense as the Cincinnati football team held its first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday at Nippert Stadium.
Three weeks out from opening the season at Arkansas and on the ninth day of fall camp, UC simulated a game-day atmosphere by traveling to campus from Camp Higher Ground in West Harrison, Ind., in the morning before a two-hour practice that include good-on-good, situational games and conclude with a two-minute drill.
“[Iron sharpens iron] that’s what it’s about for us, even more this year than I think any past,” the head coach Luke Fickell said. “I mean because of all the expectations and some of the top guys that have left. You try to create that competition that made those guys who they are. It’s not like you have three or four games to beat them. played before. you go into league play. On Sept. 3, we’ve got to be ready to play. The whole mentality and focus our first 9, 10, 11, 12 practices is going to be a scrimmage.”
Senior center back Ben Bryant threw a touchdown to the senior wide receiver Nick Mardnerwho made a contested catch in the back of the end zone, while the redshirt junior signaller Evan Prater threw a touchdown to the small receiver Jason Thompson.
Mardner was named to the preseason Watch List for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s top receiver earlier this summer. He transferred to UC in the winter after catching 46 passes for 913 yards and five touchdowns at Hawaii last season. His 19.9 yards per catch average ranked ninth in the nation.
“I’m just doing my job and what I came here to do: catch jump balls and make the quarterback’s job a little easier,” Mardner said. “It’s just another day and iron sharpens iron, so we’re going to keep working. I use my height to my advantage and if they can get him in the right spot, I’ll make a play on him.”
First TD of the day up 8️⃣4️⃣!@NMardner | #Cats of bears pic.twitter.com/YWWPx0pK1f
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) August 13, 2022
Redshirt freshman running back Myles Montgomery also had a 35-yard rushing score as a junior wide receiver Tyler Scott added a touch capture.
Taylor, a sixth-year linebacker from Akron, Ohio, made a diving interception on a tipped pass on the game’s first series.
“I got lucky there,” he said of the pick. “I was playing hard and I was around the ball. I took a little dive there and I wish I could have stood up. I just happened to be on one of the play calls to sell the man down the field and go back. A little bit. I think that I talked it into existence because I had been talking about the whole camp and that I was going to get one. It was a good feeling.”
Taylor is expected to be one of the team’s leaders this season. He has played in 44 games and made 74 tackles in his career. He was a key backup last season but is expected to start at defensive end with his fellow seniors Malik Vann AND Jowon Briggs to give the Bearcats a formidable and experienced defensive front.
Later, Van Fossen ran nearly 40 yards on a scoop and score.
“It doesn’t get much better than that, and you have to take advantage of it,” Van Fossen said. “You have to make sure you grab it and don’t land on your feet, and it’s a little bit in your head, but you just have to go and you can’t think about it.”
Van Fossen is another player looking to grow as a leader. The Columbus native started 10 games at outside linebacker a year ago, splitting time with the rising juniors. Deshawn Pace. The duo combined for 164 tackles as Cincinnati won its first 13 games en route to the College Football Playoff.
The Bearcats will spend the next week at Camp Higher Ground, but Saturday was a welcome change of pace during training camp.
“Coming out here, in this stadium, where we know we’re going to have a lot of big moments this season, was a great experience,” Van Fossen said.
In a fight that saw four downs and two ups, #Cats of bears benefited from an afternoon filled with full contact competition at Nippert Stadium. @Dan_Hoard caught up with @CoachFick and the squad following today’s practice as the season opener approaches. pic.twitter.com/RluIZa9OVi
— Cincinnati Football (@GoBearcatsFB) August 13, 2022
// FICKELL GOVERNMENT ASSESSMENT
Fickell said coaches continue to evaluate quarterbacks, and neither Bryant nor Prater have yet parted company.
“Ben (Bryant) hadn’t been around much the last couple of days, so I’d say he’s a little rusty because he hasn’t had that many opportunities,” Fickell said. “I thought he was really efficient today. I thought at the end Evan (Prater) came in and made some plays down the field, which is what you want to see. I think 88 percent of our shooting last year . had an explosive game, a 20-plus yard game, and if we can’t find a way to create those, then it’s going to be tough. I think both of them have found some ways to create some of those plays in field. I think Evan (Prater’s) was a little later in practice, maybe Ben (Bryant’s) was a little earlier, but it’s always something unique to who you’re running with. We’ll continue to evaluate.”
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// ABOUT CINCINNATI ATHLETICS
The University of Cincinnati Athletic Department competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to achieve Next level success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 500 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud history of athletics, winning eight national championships and 117 conference titles. The Cincinnati men’s basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs of all time, while the soccer team became the first American Athletic Conference program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player , Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among some of the greats who have competed as Bearcats.
UC student-athletes collectively posted an overall GPA of 3.369 in the spring of 2021 with 77 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll, while six student-athletes collected CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, The mission of UC Athletics is to link our community, INCREASING Our university and INFLUENCE the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
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