Sunday, November 7, 2004
Bearcats ring up stunner at USM
Drill 21st-ranked Golden Eagles 52-24; Victory is 500th in program's history
By Bill Koch
Enquirer staff writer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Victory Bell was ringing outside the University of Cincinnati locker room even though there were no Miami RedHawks in sight.
Yes, that's the same Victory Bell UC regained for the first time in four years by beating rival Miami on Sept. 11.
Apparently, it has more than one use.
In what has to be one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the country, UC trounced No. 21 Southern Miss 52-24 on Saturday before 30,690 fans for their third straight win and the 500th in the 116-year history of the program.
UC coach Mark Dantonio brought the bell along in an attempt to make the Bearcats feel at home at Roberts Stadium, a.k.a. The Rock, one of the toughest environments for a visiting team in Conference USA.
"We were going to do as many things as possible to indicate that this was going to be a home game for us," Dantonio said. "We knew it was going to be tough to play in The Rock, but we sort of took the attitude that this was our little house in here and we were going to make it special, and we were able to do that."
Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn't. The Bearcats have so much going for them lately that it's hard to pinpoint exactly why they're playing so well.
"I've coached a lot of games in here and I don't know that I can remember one like this," said Jeff Bower, in his 14th year as the Southern Miss head coach.
The Bearcats (5-4, 4-2 Conference USA) forced four turnovers and outgained the Golden Eagles 430-331 in a rare display of dominance over a quality opponent on the road.
How rare?
It was only the fourth victory over a ranked team in 57 tries for the Bearcats and only the second time in the school's history that UC has beaten a ranked team on the road, the first since its win over Penn State in 1983.
"That makes it that much sweeter," defensive end Andre Frazier said. "I think that's going to be a tradition from here on out."
UC, which climbed into third place in the league, needs one more win in its final two games, against South Florida (3-4) and No. 14 Louisville (6-1), to become bowl-eligible.
The Bearcats took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, driving 29 yards in eight plays following a Jeremy Jackson interception to set up Kevin Lovell's 26-yard field goal.
On UC's kickoff, Greg Moore hit Southern Miss' John Eubanks, who leads the nation in kickoff return yardage, forcing a fumble that UC recovered, setting up the Bearcats' first touchdown, an 8-yard pass from quarterback Gino Guidugli to fullback Doug Jones.
Moore hit Eubanks so hard, the tackler couldn't see when he got up.
"I didn't know where I was on the field," Moore said. "It knocked my vision out."
UC's special teams delivered another big play late in the first half when Tyjuan Hagler blocked a punt, setting up UC at the Southern Miss 44. Guidugli, who passed for a school-record five touchdowns, needed just two plays to score, connecting with Hannibal Thomas on a 15-yard pass to make it 17-7 UC at halftime.
"Coach called a post corner," said Thomas, who caught three touchdown passes. "I had beaten him on a post the previous play, but the ball came out when I hit the ground. He went for the post and it worked out pretty well."
Instead of sitting on the lead, the Bearcats came out aggressively in the second half, with Guidugli hitting Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-7.
Bradley Glatthaar's 1-yard touchdown run made it 31-7 with 10:51 to go in the third quarter, and the rout was on.
"We've just got to keep things moving," Guidugli said. "It's easy to fall into winning, just like it is losing. Things are starting to go our way."
Passing the test
Most Cincinnati touchdown passes in a game:
