Jim Leonhard says he won't return to Wisconsin staff
Jim Leonhard, who served as Wisconsin’s interim coach for the last seven games of the regular season, says he won’t be back with the Badgers next season. Leonhard tweeted Tuesday night that he would work as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator for its Dec. 27 Guaranteed Rate Bowl matchup with Oklahoma State but wouldn’t be part of new coach Luke Fickell’s staff next season. “It has been an honor to coach these young men and thank you to all the fans who supported us along the way,” Leonhard tweeted.
news.yahoo.comAP source: Wisconsin negotiating with Cincinnati's Fickell
Wisconsin is negotiating a deal with Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell to try to make him the Badgers' next head coach, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Sunday. The deal was not done, but Fickell has emerged as the leading candidate and discussions between the school and Bearcats’ head coach were in progress, said the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the school was not making public details of its search. ESPN first reported Wisconsin's negotiations with Fickell.
news.yahoo.comNo. 3 Cincinnati claims AAC crown, possible playoff spot
Jerome Ford rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and Desmond Ridder threw three touchdown passes as No. 3 Cincinnati broke open a close game in the third quarter and rolled past No. 16 Houston 35-20 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
No. 8 Bearcats sidestep speculation as trip to Indiana looms
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell spent this week preparing his team to hit the road. “For us to play a really, really, really good Indiana team that we’ve been talking about since the summer and then you throw the road changeup and the crowd, it's something we haven't experienced in a year and a half." Quarterback Desmond Ridder, last season's American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, quickly explained on Twitter his coach wasn't going anywhere.
news.yahoo.comPodlesny’s FG lifts Georgia past Cincinnati in Peach Bowl
Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant (6)makes the catch against Georgia during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. 6 Cincinnati its only loss of the season with a dramatic 24-21 victory in the Peach Bowl on Friday. Georgia trailed 21-10 in the fourth quarter, but its defense clamped down on Desmond Ridder and Cincinnati and JT Daniels helped rally the Bulldogs with his arm. Podlesny’s third field goal was his longest of the season and gave Georgia a 22-21 lead. Zamir White's 9-yard TD run trimmed Cincinnati's lead to 21-16, but Daniels' pass on the 2-point attempt was incomplete.
Georgia’s Smart wary of COVID-19 results before Peach Bowl
“Thrill a minute,” Smart said dryly on Monday when asked about his team’s status with COVID-19 testing results. Georgia’s final regular-season game against Vanderbilt was canceled after the Commodores’ roster fell below minimum requirements due to COVID-19 problems. Smart wouldn’t say his team will be without any player due to COVID-19 testing. He said “we’re in a good place” with COVID-19 testing but said he’s also wary of changes before the game. Smart said his Bulldogs are facing three opponents: “Cincinnati, Cincinnati and COVID.”He said a season of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic has been stressful.
Georgia lands date with unbeaten Cincinnati in Peach Bowl
6 Cincinnati has a lot on the line in its Peach Bowl game against No. Fickell said the Jan. 1 bowl game is a chance for the Bearcats to show they deserve the same respect given to such Power 5 teams as Georgia in future playoff deliberations. 9 Coastal Carolina, as the top Group of Five team when making a choice for the New Year’s Six bowl game in Atlanta. The bowl game in Atlanta, a short drive from Athens, gives Georgia seniors a new opportunity for a final game with their families in the stands. Georgia is 2-0 against Cincinnati but the teams haven’t played since 1976, when the Bulldogs took a 31-17 home win.
Cincinnati-Tulsa postponed due to Bearcats' COVID-19 issues
8 Cincinnati's game at Tulsa on Saturday has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among Bearcats players. The American Athletic Conference announced Thursday, Oct. 15, the game is being rescheduled for Dec. 5. 8 Cincinnati’s game at Tulsa on Saturday has been postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among Bearcats players. Tulsa has had three games postponed, including its opener against Oklahoma State, which it was able to make up. “I’m disappointed, first, for our football student-athletes and coaches, and obviously for our staff who has prepared so diligently, our campus and the city of Tulsa," Tulsa athletic director Rick Dickson said.