.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Nobody does a better job of replacing Brian Kelly than Butch Jones. He's done it twice now.
The first time was in 2007. Kelly had rebuilt Central Michigan's program and was taking his wide-open offense to Cincinnati, trying to turn the Bearcats into a national program. Jones moved into Kelly's old job - even bought his home in Mt. Pleasant - and topped him, winning two Mid-American Conference titles.
Three years later, they've made another switch.
Kelly led the Bearcats to an undefeated regular season and a second straight Big East title last year, then bolted for Notre Dame before Cincinnati's Sugar Bowl appearance.
His replacement? Jones, of course, who again moved into his old job but not his old home - he bought one a block away this time. The 41-year-old coach has a been-there, done-that feeling as he and his staff try to keep the program on the upswing.
''We've been through this before,'' Jones said. ''We've done this before. So we understand what goes into taking over a successful program. I think the big thing is you don't just change things to change things.''
One thing won't change: Cincinnati will have one of the nation's most exciting offenses.
Jones runs the same type of spread, no-huddle offense that Kelly used to turn the Bearcats into one of the country's top teams last year. Cincinnati returns the core of its offense, led by junior quarterback Zach Collaros.
Collaros started four games last season while Tony Pike was recovering from a broken forearm, and played so well that he started a public debate over which one should start. Collaros completed an astounding 75 percent of his passes and gave the spread offense another running threat.
During a 47-45 win over Connecticut, Collaros set a league record with 555 yards on offense - 480 passing, 75 rushing.
Having a proven quarterback gives Cincinnati a big edge.
''It always starts with the quarterback position,'' Jones said. ''Zach has played in some big games and performed exceptionally well, so I'm excited about him. The biggest thing about a quarterback is he has to have the belief of his teammates, and he has the belief of his teammates.''
Collaros wasn't highly recruited out of Steubenville, Ohio, and settled on Cincinnati in part because Kelly allowed him to play baseball as well as football. Collaros gave up baseball last spring to concentrate on his new job and get familiar with Jones' system, which is much like the one that Kelly ran.
''The concepts in the spread offense are pretty much alike,'' Collaros said. ''I think we can move at a faster tempo, maybe stretch the field vertical and take more shots down the field.''
He's got the targets. The Bearcats' offense is loaded with playmakers, including running back Isaiah Pead and John Goebel, receivers Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton, and tight end Ben Guidugli.
''I love our receivers and tight ends and running backs,'' Collaros said. ''You can get any of those guys the ball and they can turn a 5-yard play into a 60-yard gain. It's exciting for me knowing that as long as I get the ball in the hands of the playmakers, they make me look pretty good.''
Jones' biggest challenge will be with the defense.
Cincinnati won its first Big East title in 2008 with an experienced defense. Only one starter returned last season, and Kelly filled a lot of those openings by moving players from offense to defense. All four linebackers played offense in high school.
It showed.
The Bearcats played a conservative 3-4 defense, designed to force opponents into long drives. When a few players got hurt, the bottom fell out. Cincinnati allowed 36 or more points in four of its last five games, including a 51-24 drubbing by Tim Tebow and Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Jones has switched to a 4-3 base defense, trying to make it more aggressive. The problem is that there's not much depth on the line or at linebacker and safety. Defensive end is a trouble spot - not much in terms of backups.
''It's a major concern right now,'' Jones said. ''That's why we're searching right now for defensive linemen to step up and play.''
Given what happened at the end of last season, the defense feels like it has a lot to prove.
''There's always a chip on your shoulder, coming from a tough ending to a good season last year,'' safety Drew Frey said.
Part of the problem last season was that the Bearcats' offense scored so quickly with its emphasis on Pike's passing - or turned the ball over on downs quickly when the passes fell incomplete - that the defense was on the field for most of the game. Opponents held the ball for nine more minutes per game last season.
With Collaros running more often than Pike, the defense could get a few more breathers.
''I'm hoping at least that we have a couple longer offensive drives (per game), which will definitely help our defense,'' Frey said. ''We were averaging about 78 plays a game last year, which is a really high number. Hopefully if we balance it a little more on offense, it will give our guys a little rest and recovery.''
They'll be tested right away. Cincinnati opens with games at Fresno State, home against Indiana State, at North Carolina State and against Oklahoma at Paul Brown Stadium.
''It's very challenging,'' Jones said. ''You're not going to sneak up on anybody because everybody expects everything from the Bearcats and we're going to get everybody's best game. That's what our players have to understand.''
