For some University of Cincinnati fans, the 31-yard field-goal by Jonathon Ruffin to beat Southern Miss, 27-24, at Nippert Stadium Saturday is still sailing.

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Antwan Peek is hoisted by Derrick Adams. 600 | 800 | 1024

Southern Miss QB Jeff Kelly fumbles after being sacked by Kirk Thompson. 600 | 800 | 1024

Jonathon Ruffin (16) is congratulated by Joe Harrison (38) after the winning field goal. 600 | 800 | 1024

        Who knows where it may land?

        For now, it lands UC either in Houston (galleryfurniture.com Bowl) or Detroit (Motor City Bowl).

        Southern Miss came into the game ranked No.24 by Associated Press, and No. 20 by USA Today. The Golden Eagles were a 5¹/₂-point favorite. They have been the Conference USA kingpin since the league's inception five years ago, having lost six league games total.

        Juiced by a turnover-generating defense, the Bearcats scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 17-point deficit (24-7), and have two bowls fighting over them.

        “We're (waiting) on Houston,” UC coach Rick Minter said. “They have the right to choose (second, after the Liberty Bowl, which will take Louisville). Detroit would take us right now. They'd have taken us Monday.

        “But we couldn't sign off, because Houston said, "no, no, no, not too fast. Cincinnati has a chance to be the second-place team in the conference.' They said, "We're not going to say you can go to Detroit and we'll take East Carolina. We want the hot team.' So what happened (Saturday)? East Carolina lost. (The Houston bowl people) had said, "If East Carolina loses, and you win, we may bring you down.'

        “We have to go where they say we have to go. It's a contractual obligation to the league. It's certainly not going to break my heart, nor our players' heart, to go to Houston ... But I would like to see us go to a place where we can bring 10,000 people.”

        And that may be Detroit.

        “The last time we went to a bowl game, we out-distanced our fan base,” Minter said. “We had to go all the way to Boise, Idaho, and there was no way to get there. We went and had a great time, but we carried fewer than a thousand people with us.”

        UC needs to show committees the school is “bowl-happy.”

        “In other words, when our fans are given the chance to go to Detroit or Houston, we want seven or eight thousand to go,” Mint er. “That brings in the dollars, hotels, the T-shirts. It's all about business. Bowl games are owned by communities, not by the NCAA or this conference.”

        It is important for UC fans to be able to jump on board.

        “We're trying to put out an opportunity for our fans,” Minter said. “If our kids can get better support at a bowl site with 10,000 people going because it's four hours away, I think in the long run they'd appreciate that.”

        Either way, though, the Bearcats will be happy, Minter said.

        “These kid deserved it — they closed like champions,” he said. “We finished the best we could finish looking at things six weeks ago (when UC was 2-3). For that, I'm so proud of these kids. They hung in there like champs.”

        By 4:40 p.m., a golden glow from the sunset had settled above and behind the UC sideline. Minter called upon Ruffin and sent him into the game with a wink.

        The clock read O:45 and the scoreboard read 24-24, and all that was at stake was everything — a sure bowl bid, a 7-4 record, a victory over a top 25 team ...

        A fourth straight win, an undefeated season at home, a chance to win what arguably might be the most stirring, come-from-behind game in UC grid history...

        “There's jubilation in our locker room,” Minter said. “With where we've been, we're on the mountaintop right now.”

        Southern Miss ....... 0 10 14 0—24

        Cincinnati ....... 7 0 0 20—27

        First Quarter

        Cin—McCleskey 3 run (Ruffin kick), 9:57.

        Second Quarter

        SM—FG 49 Hanna, 4:51.

        SM—Woods 1 pass from Kelly (Hanna kick), :07.

        Third Quarter

        SM—Garner 15 pass from Kelly (Hanna kick), 7:40.

        SM—Woods 2 run (Hanna kick), 6:59.

        Fourth Quarter

        Cin—Chapman 8 pass from Kenner (Ruffin kick), 12:45.

        Cin—Keith 15 pass from Kenner (Ruffin kick), 11:44.

        Cin—FG Ruffin 41, 8:08.

        Cin—FG Ruffin 31, :45.

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—Southern Mississippi, Woods 25-114, Kelly 16-22, Nance 1-2. Cincinnati, McCleskey 27-71, Garden 4-14, Spencer 2-2, Kenner 3-(minus 15).

        PASSING—Southern Mississippi, Kelly 18-32-2-174, Garner 1-1-0-29, team 0-1-0-0. Cincinnati, Kenner 20-42-0-197.

        RECEIVING—Southern Mississippi, Johnson 6-50, Garner 4-45, Mills 3-36, Woods 3-8, Henley 1-29, Pinkston 1-19, Fowler 1-16. Cincinnati, Keith 8-85, Vann 4-39, Chatman 2-31, Drewery 2-20, Collins-Baker 2-14, McCleskey 1-5, Walker 1-3.

Bearcats 'bowl' over So. Miss UC's defense takes over UC 73, Boise State 61 Injured Jones counting on early return

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