By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UC offensive line (L-R) Josh Gardner, Kirt Doolin, Doug Rosfeld, Andy Weinheimer, and Shawn Murphy (see zoom view). Doolin is on the left in this thumbnail. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

Oh, did he ever dream. Kirt Doolin, the University of Cincinnati's first-team all-conference lineman, knew before the season what was in store if the Bearcats could knock off Texas Christian, West Virginia and Ohio State in their first three games.

New Year's Day bowl games just don't happen at UC, but this year the schedule was set up for one - if, somehow, the Bearcats could have run the table.

"This is a team that, had it gone 13-and-0, would have had some options," said UC athletic director Bob Goin. "It would have been attractive (even) outside (Conference USA's) bowl allowance."

Considering the Bearcats came within a goal post of beating West Virginia and out-played victorious Ohio State, the notion of a 13-0 season isn't farfetched.

After all, who knows what might have been if UC had started 3-0?

After going 2-2, however, the Bearcats struggled, dropping games to Miami, Tulane and Southern Miss. They appeared to be out of the bowl hunt until their defense began setting up their offense with takeaways and short fields in a 48-10 victory over Memphis.

The defense hasn't let up since. UC won five of its last six games, earning its first Conference USA football championship and a berth in Tuesday's New Orleans Bowl.

"Sure we did some dreaming before the season began," said Doolin, a senior from Covington Catholic. "We thought, 'Hey, listen, if we go undefeated and beat Ohio State' - even though we didn't know what kind of year they were going to have - we thought we might be top 15, top 10."

Even though Doolin didn't quite make it to the penthouse of his dreams this year, he traveled a long distance from the outhouse that was his freshman season: UC finished 2-9 in 1998, the year after winning the Humanitarian Bowl.

The '98 season was a setback for the Bearcats, but they rebounded to make three straight bowls.

"The program is really on the rise, especially with what the administration is doing in upgrading facilities," Doolin said. "I don't see any reason why this program can't turn the corner and regularly be at the upper level of Conference USA and maybe even at the upper level of college football in a few years."

Doolin has been invited to play in the Senior Bowl, and hopes for a professional career.

"The rosters in the NFL are only 53 men, so it's an honor to be able to even think about it," Doolin said.