By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff writer

The scene was something out of a University of Cincinnati booster's fantasy.

For 59 minutes, the UC football team outplayed mighty Ohio State before 66,319 at Paul Brown Stadium.

UC's George Murray puts his head to the ground after missing the pass that would have won the game for the Bearcats on the last drive of the game against Ohio State at Paul Brown Stadium in 2002. (Enquirer photo/JEFF SWINGER)

Quarterback Gino Guidugli and the UC offense had Ohio State's defense out of whack and on its heels. The Bearcats, who play Ohio State again Saturday in their season opener in Columbus, were utilizing a no-huddle offense, spreading the Buckeye defense and watching Guidugli pick it apart.

The date was Saturday, Sept. 21, 2002 and Mark Dantonio, now UC's head coach, was in his second year as Ohio State's defensive coordinator. He had prepared his defense with nothing but respect for the Bearcats, but this was something no one, except perhaps the UC players and coaches, could have envisioned.

"We thought they had good players," Dantonio said, "but maybe it was that they executed well. They were playing on emotion."

Ultimately, though, the emotions the Bearcats felt as they walked off that field were frustration, disappointment, even anger, over not being able to close the deal on what became a 23-19 Ohio State victory and another step on the Buckeyes' road to their first national championship since 1968.

It's hard to say how a UC win over the Buckeyes, who were ranked sixth nationally at the time, would have affected the Bearcats' program. Perhaps it would have been the catalyst for increased local and even national visibility, but it surely would have ranked as the greatest win in UC history.

"It would have helped out for sure," said Guidugli, who completed 26 of 52 passes for 324 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Every UC and Ohio State fan remembers how the game ended. After OSU quarterback Craig Krenzel scrambled into the end zone from 6 yards out with 3:44 left, Guidugli drove the Bearcats to the Ohio State 15-yard line with about a minute to go.

His four shots into the end zone all came up empty.

His first-down pass was intended for wide receiver Jon Olinger, who was defended in the end zone by Hamilton High graduate E.J. Underwood. It appeared Olinger was going to make the catch, but Underwood got his hand on enough of the ball to prevent Olinger from getting a firm handle on it. As he hit the ground, the ball popped out of his hands.

"I thought that he had caught the ball," Guidugli said, "and I started to celebrate. Then I saw that he dropped it."

But the Bearcats still had three more plays. On second down, Guidugli looked for Olinger again, but missed him badly. Then on third down, he found sophomore wide receiver George Murray on the left side of the end zone. Like Olinger two plays earlier, Murray appeared to make the catch as he dove for the ball. But again, it popped loose.

"It was an empty set," said Murray, now a senior at UC. "I was the slot receiver. I had a little fade route. I beat my man off the line. Gino gave me a good ball in the end zone. I dove for it and I just couldn't cradle it in like I wanted to.

"I thought I made the winning catch to beat Ohio State. When all that happened, it just hurt me. I wasn't ready to deal with it at the time. It hurt me that I couldn't come down with the game-winning catch."

UC's final offensive play of the game was another Guidugli pass, this one intended for LaDaris Vann. It was deflected and intercepted by safety Will Allen.

Murray still has the game tape. It took him nearly two weeks before he could watch it, but once he did, he decided to view it periodically so the memory would stay with him.

"I have the newspaper article," Murray said. "On the front page, (a picture) has me on my hands and knees and it says, 'Oh so close.' I watch the game tape sometimes to remind myself not to let it happen again."

Even though the dropped passes are what everyone remembers, there was a key Ohio State defensive play on UC's previous possession that was just as damaging.

Guidugli was blindsided by defensive end Darrion Scott as he dropped back to pass. Defensive tackle David Thompson recovered for the Buckeyes to set up what became Krenzel's winning TD.

"They blew a protection and let a guy come completely in," Dantonio said. "We didn't even have a blitz on. They just blew the protection."

Guidugli was devastated after the game.

"You'd rather get blown out than lose like this," he said. "You don't take nothing from a loss, not a (darn) thing. It hurts bad."

As the season progressed and the Buckeyes pulled similar escape acts against other opponents during their march to the national title, the sting grew more painful.

"When they go on to win the national championship, you look back and say, 'Coulda, shoulda,' " Guidugli said.

On the other side, Dantonio remembers the feeling of absolute relief in the Ohio State locker room after that game.

"UC played with a lot of effort, confidence and toughness," Dantonio said. "That's what we've got to do this Saturday. We've got to have good things happen for us early in the game. If something bad happens, we have to hang together."

Murray says the dropped pass has made him stronger. He would love nothing better than to be presented with a similar opportunity Saturday. If so, he hopes the UC coaches will call his number again.

"I feel real confident that I would come down with the catch," he said.

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E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com