Pregame Cincinnati

Nippert Stadium is old, and it needs to be renovated. That's not news. But if you've never been down here it is a charming stadium built right into campus. It's nestled between buildings with a city hall like building in the background.

Classic horseshoe shaped Stadium. It's on campus and the crowd is right on top of you. The amenities aren't great, but it looks like a tremendous place to watch a game.

Of note, the field cam is here. Do you need any other clue that this is a national game than that?

The Huskies are big underdogs tonight and it's with good reason. But, UConn should have won games at Pittsburgh and a West Virginia. They are either due for a crisp clean game or a clunker.

Here are some questions I have.

1. Can Zach Frazer not turn over the ball? Frazer has to throw it, but he can't give away interceptions so easily. It comes down to decision-making, and that's the No. 1 goal of Frazer tonight.

2. What are the chances of a kick being run back? UConn is bad on special teams, and Mardy Gilyard as a returner is pretty good. No more excuses about special teams this week. A ST TD will wreck this game.

3. Can Jerome Junior prevent big plays at strong safety? The strong safety position has been terrible this season. Most of the time the players back there have made plays, but every game there has been disastrous big runs. Junior has to be sound fundamentally.

That's about it for now. I like the vibe of the Huskies this week. Will it matter? I don't know, but they can't keep on losing games like they have. I have a high opinion of Cincy and they are probably too powerful. But, stranger things have happened.
















Update 7:29 p.m.: The student section giving the Huskies a pretty good ribbing. There is a black out tonight, it's going to make for a pretty atmosphere. The building is electric.

Here is the student section.