UC's Greg Lee (98) and Isaac Thomas (25) take down Marshall running back Franklin Wallace. | ZOOM | (AP photo)

        PONTIAC, Mich. — Cincinnati coach Rick Minter did not start star defensive end Antwan Peek in the Motor City Bowl ... and speculation was that it was because Peek had decided to also play basketball this season. But that turned out not to be the case.

        “I had chipped a bone in my foot in football — not basketball — and it was bothering me and I had to miss some football practices,” Peek said. “That's why the senior (Greg Lee) started and he deserved it.”

        Peek, who is perhaps UC's best defensive player, has bent over backwards not to let basketball interfere with football. He played two UC games between the end of UC football's regular season and the beginning of the UC bowl practices.

        “I don't even know what his future is with (basketball),” Minter said. “He's a committed player. He knows he needs to be in the weight room.”

        Peek will have arthroscopic surgery on his foot.

        Neither he, nor anybody on the UC staff, knew how it might affect his ability to resume playing basketball.

        MINTER'S TAKE: The UC coach said the key to the Bearcats losing the game was that they lost the field-position game.

        “We were backed up inside the 10-yard line five or six times,” Minter. “And they kept starting on the 50. It's a lot different play-calling when you're on the 50.”

        UC quarterback Deontey Kenner (19-of-39 for 189 yards and two interceptions) did not have a good game and took it hard, especially given that this was his last college football game.

        “I think Deontey, particularly because of what we went through as a team in 1998 and 1999, sometimes feels like the burden of the program is on his shoulders,” Minter said. “He takes that responsibility very seriously and is a fierce competitor.”

        PEEK TAKES PEEK: Peek, who made a Lawrence Taylor-type sack-and-strip to set up UC's second touchdown, said it was keyed by what he saw, not did.

        “I saw that they had changed tackles, and the guy they put in was a little slower than the guy before,” Peek said. “I told the corners and safeties to just hold up a second and that I can beat this guy back door. And sure enough, I beat him back-door and saw the ball and smacked it out of his hands.”

        LEFTWICH HOT: Marshall quarterback Leftwich said there was a lot of trash-talking in the game, and that several UC players were lording it over the Marshall players that Conference USA is better than the Mid-American.

        “We're not going to be intimi dated by something like that,” Leftwich said. “We did our talking in the final score.”

        But there was a lot of especially hard-hitting, and even a mini-brawl out-of-bounds in the first half.

        “I told our team at halftime to stop the trash-talking and just play football,” said Marshall coach Bob Pruett. “I told the offense that we were going to the two-minute offense and establish some rhythm.”

        MVP: Leftwich threw a 77-yard touchdown pass on the fourth play of the game and rushed for a score, making up for two turnovers in the second quarter. Leftwich was 17-of-30 for 221 yards and earned the game's Most Valuable Player award.

        “I always felt that I was a good quarterback and the last two years I've been behind a great one in Chad (Pennington),” Leftwich said. “I just had to wait my turn and get a chance. I think today I really showed what I could do, and I am proud.”

UC loses Motor City Bowl Bad ending to good run Motor City Bowl Notebook UC-Marshall Statistics UC's Crawford breaks ankle UC's Jones still struggling to find niche Tonight's game: UNC-Wilmington at UC

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