ESPN Big East Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

With Dustin Grutza out at least a month with a broken right fibula, this week's bye week comes at a good time for Cincinnati.

	AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
	Dustin Grutza will miss at least a month with a broken right fibula.

Junior Tony Pike can get some extra reps as he works toward his first start next Saturday against Miami (Ohio). And head coach Brian Kelly said Monday that he'll use the extra time to get Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones acclimated toward playing at least a handful of snaps under center.

Jones started the Irish's season opener last year, then immediately transferred. He's a dual-threat guy at quarterback who gives the Bearcats a different look. But he was slowed this offseason by Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.

"I definitely think we go into this bye week with an eye towards getting him out there," Kelly said on the Big East coaches' teleconference. "Clearly, the knowledge base is the bigger issue now. He's physically a lot farther along. We feel like, physically, he can go in there and compete. It's the knowledge base of the offense right now."

Kelly was also asked what he learned about his team in its 52-26 loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.

"I used the analogy of a measuring stick," Kelly said. "But what I've learned about Oklahoma is, don't bring a measuring stick. Bring a Louisville Slugger.

"The meaning there for me is, you have to play physical football against a team like Oklahoma. They out-physicaled us in third quarter and really exerted their will, and that's something we needed to learn.

"You can't run sideline to sideline and just be fast. We've got a fast defense, but you've got to come downhill, you've got to tackle and you've got to hit some people. I think we learned we've got to be more physical as a defense, and I think we'll get there by having the kind of game we did against Oklahoma."