The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CHRIS Ferguson and the Cincinnati Bearcats have climbed in both NCAA Division I - FBS polls following last weekend's win over another conference rival.

The Bearcats are now ranked No.21 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the Amway Coaches Poll. They moved up four spots in the AP poll and were previously unranked in the Coaches Poll.

Cincinnati strengthened its résumé with a 27-24 upset over then ranked No.18/19 UCF and a 38-23 win over another American Athletic Conference opponent in Houston.

Cincinnati (5-1, 2-0) hosts Tulsa (2-4, 0-2) Saturday at home at Nippert Stadium.

Ferguson has four starts this season at both left and right tackle, but has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

Ferguson was able to return for his sixth season when he was granted an eligibility-extension waiver by the NCAA because of injuries suffered earlier in his career.

After not seeing the field the previous four seasons, Ferguson won the starting job at right tackle last season and went on to start all 13 games of a season which concluded with the Bearcats' win over Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl.

Ferguson outlined his football journey thus far with Dan Hoard of GoBearcats.com.

"It's just a blessing. I'm humbled by it. My family is happy for me, my mother didn't have to pay for college and that was a blessing in itself," he said. "Over those four years I started to get down on myself but she was always there for me telling me to stay strong and that I've got to run the race, it's a marathon."

As a sixth year senior, Ferguson has emerged as a locker room leader for a team looking to contend in the American Athletic Conference and surprise pundits at the national level.

"Even if I'm in a bad mood I have to put it in my head 'Come on Chris let's go. You have young guys looking at you, you have coaches looking at you to bring some energy.' Sometimes I have to psych myself before I come out. I would be down in the locker room but as soon as I hit the door it's go time. I'm a high energy guy and I just try to give that to others as much as I can," Ferguson said.

"We're all hungry, there's no complacency in the locker room. This season is going to be a marathon, everyone is talking about the tough schedule, but I don't see it that way, I feel like we can go against the best of them. All the rankings, we don't look at that, when they put the ball down we're just ready to play."

He was listed on preseason all-conference honours by several publications.

Ferguson was named to the preseason AAC fourth team by Athlon Sports and second team by Phil Steele's Preseason College Football Magazine.

He was also one of the 10 members of the Bearcats football team to earn his degree (criminal justice) last April.