Red Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bearcats: Defensive Players to Watch
By Timothy Hamm,
17 days ago
The Texas Tech Red Raiders continue their Big 12 schedule in Week 5 as the Cincinnati Bearcats come to Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
The Bearcats made the jump to the Big 12 in 2023 after losing their program-building coach and several NFL Draft picks from their roster. That made for a tough transition to the new league.
Cincinnati Bearcats defensive end Eric Phillips (97) sacks Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Phil Jurkovec (5) in the first quarter of the NCAA football game between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Cincinnati Bearcats at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. The Bearcats led 20-7 at halftime.
Last year saw a 3-9 finish under new head coach Scott Satterfield that included a seven-game losing streak from Week 3 through Week 9. Wins over Eastern Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Houston were the program's only highlights.
But this year is a new season and the roster has been replenished. Last season there was little to brag about on the Bearcats' defense. The unit gave up 403 yards and 30 points per game.
The return of Dontay "The Godfather" Corleone was good news. Corleone returned after missing the offseason and spring ball with blood clots in his lungs. When healthy, he's considered one of the best collegiate interior linemen in the country.
But his return has been slow. Corleone missed the season opener against Towson but returned against Pitt in Week 2. The redshirt junior has posted just nine tackles with six solo and one sack.
Let's take a look at three players the Red Raiders offense will need to game plan for ahead of Saturday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Bartlett, a senior, leads his team in tackles this season with 11 total and has added two sacks. This season is his sixth in college ball, and his first with the Bearcats after spending five seasons with the West Virginia Mountaineers. He's tallied 155 total tackles with 84 solo, 16 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 53 career games.
DE Eric Phillips
Phillips is another senior with a lot of college football experience. This is his sixth season - all with the Bearcats. He's the team leader with three sacks this year and has posted seven tackles with five solo and four for loss.
Minkins is a senior who is in his fifth season of college football play and his first at Cincinnati. He played for four seasons at Louisville before transferring and has posted two interceptions through four games this season.
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