CINCINNATI — It’s time to look in the mirror in Clifton.
The Bearcats lost a game – 28-26 to Central Florida – they had ample opportunity to win Saturday, falling to 0-6 in the Big XII and 2-7 overall.
The crowd let head coach Scott Satterfield hear it from the moment they fell behind 14-3 on through to the end when they failed to convert a two-point conversion that would’ve miraculously tied the game with 1:27 left. There were the “Fire Satterfield” chants audible in the upper deck of Nippert.
There was a respite from the boos when Ryan Montgomery went in from two yards out for the go-ahead touchdown with five minutes left in the third quarter to give UC a 17-14 lead.
But the Bearcats had no answer on an 85-yard march, led mostly by RJ Harvey, as the Knights went back on top for good, 21-17.
The Bearcats drew to within one on a Carter Brown 38-yard field goal. But they were first and goal at the UCF 2 after Emory Jones found Braden Smith for 35 yards on a fourth down heave down the left sideline. But a false start and two ill-fated runs led to a field goal attempt.
What made Saturday all the more infuriating for Bearcats fans is they saw two of UC’s best offensive players actually put up huge numbers by running backs Corey Kiner (114 yards) and Ryan Montgomery (113 yards).
The Bearcats had a player thrown out in the first quarter when starting safety Bryon Threats bumped an official after arguing John Rhys Plumlee two-yard TD run. They failed on a fourth-down conversion when a tight end fell down on a play that could’ve gone for a touchdown. They played quarterback carousel with Emory Jones and Brady Lichtenberg. They gave up 20 yards on a fake punt on fourth-and-five.
Scott Satterfield calls out his team for its undisciplined play. "It pisses me off. … it's going to be a long winter here.. I'll take responsibility for it." pic.twitter.com/SEpJltewpD
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 4, 2023
They outgained UCF 515-393 and lost by two. Emory Jones got a 100-yard game from receiver Braden Smith. The Bearcats passed the eye test. They had the better numbers. But because they committed terrible turnovers like Jones’ interception in the final 30 seconds of the first half and couldn’t keep their focus and their cool, they remain winless in the the Big XII.
The lack of focus and discipline falls right at the feet of head coach Scott Satterfield.
“I think it points to a very undisciplined football team, which pisses me off.” Satterfield said. “We’ve been that way, and that’s all on me. We’re going to get that fixed. We have three weeks to do it and then have an offseason, but we’re doing everything we can to get that fixed. You cannot win football games being that undisciplined, it’s the turnovers and the penalties. We also had a player kicked out tonight. Those type of things is not who we want to be, and it’s embarrassing that we do those things.
“We have to get that fixed, and we’re going to continue to work hard to get that fixed. Whoever wants to show up in that locker room tomorrow, we’re going to continue to work on that, and that’s what I just told them in the locker room, It’s just unacceptable. I feel like a broken record coming in here. We’re out-gaining teams by over 100 yards, yet we’re on the short end of the stick, and it comes down to six or eight plays that are the difference in the game.”
Satterfield understands the boos, even if they’re too loud for his liking sometimes.
“That’s what’s frustrating and I know it’s frustrating to our crowds that show up,” Satterfield said. “I appreciate everyone that shows up out there, that have to look at that crap, it pisses me off. We have to get that fixed. I know that we understand that and we’re going to. We did some great things tonight and that gets overshadowed by some undisciplined plays.”
Great teams, like the ones Bearcats were spoiled with in the final three seasons of Luke Fickell, are defined by their winning character. Losing ones, like Bearcat fans have witnessed during this seven-game skid, are defined by a complete lack of discipline. That comes right down on Satterfield’s shoulders.
“The work of our running backs, who didn’t even practice until Wednesday, and we have two guys over 100 yards again. We’ve done that several times this year, so I’m extremely proud of them and the way they competed. The offensive line opened up the holes like they did tonight, great job. It’s just frustrating and obviously, we’re going to work to continue to get that fixed and even after all of that, we still had a chance to go down and tie the game, but we didn’t hit the two-point play.
“It’s going to be a long winter around here but we’re going to figure it out.”
Satterfield is warning players now to be ready for tough times ahead as he tries desperately to instill a winning culture.
But what about the players? There are college kids on the roster that have not experienced this kind of failure. Red-shirt senior Ryan Montgomery, who missed the last four games with an injury, is trying to set an example for younger players in the program.
Montgomery, by returning from injury for the first time in five games, wants to do what he can as a leader of the “Bearcat Council” to make sure losing and the habits that come with it don’t become habit-forming.
“I think me being a leader is the really important thing for this team and I’ll try to take that role more of a vocal leader role,” Montgomery said. “Being out the last couple of weeks has been frustrating and tough to deal with but everybody in the locker room and around the building has been telling me we need you out there and can’t wait to have you back.”
The Bearcats have three more chances at a Big XII win in Montgomery’s final season, at Houston, at West Virginia and home to Kansas. What does Montgomery want to accomplish in the final three games?
“Just keep everybody locked in and keep rowing towards the same goal of this year even though we’re not bowl-eligible,” Montgomery said. “That comes with being a leader. There’s gonna be guys that might not want to finish the year for that exact reason, not bowl-eligible. But on there’s a lot of other leaders in there like me, guys who came back for their extra year. We kind of had this “Bearcat Council” thing that will take a good look at it and figure out the best this kind of action.”
Now is the time for Scott Satterfield to make the most of players like Montgomery, while they’re still around, to try to set a tone for next season. That starts with the final three games.
