Ohio (9-4) vs. Southern Miss
(8-5)
Jan. 7th,
8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
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GMAC Bowl Preview
 |
| GMAC Bowl History |
| 2005 |
Toledo 45, UTEP 13 |
| 2004 |
Bowling Green 52, Memphis 35 |
| 2003 |
Miami-Ohio 49, Louisville 28 |
| 2002 |
Marshall 38, Louisville 15 |
| 2001 |
Marshall 64, East Carolina 61 |
| 2000 |
Southern Miss 28, TCU 21 |
| 1999 |
TCU 28, East Carolina 14 |
|
By
Richard Cirminiello
GMAC Bowl Player
Profile
LB Gerald McRath, Southern Miss – For the
first two years of McRath’s
career in Hattiesburg, Golden
Eagle coaches could only wonder
how good the linebacker was
going to be. Sure, they loved
his size, fundamentals and
intensity, but, oh, those
injuries left his future clouded
in mystery. In 2004, his
freshman year, McRath was set to
be a key contributor before a
shoulder injury prematurely
ended his season. In 2005, he
broke his fibula shortly after
breaking into the starting
lineup. This past fall,
however, McRath was finally
healthy for an entire year,
confirming the staff’s notion
that it had an emerging star on
the defensive side of the ball.
He led Southern Miss with 91
tackles, adding eight tackles
for loss, but it was his
second-half performance that
really has those close to the
program excited about the
future. Over the last six games
of the season, he was a force,
racking up an average of 10
tackles per game, while
routinely making stops for
negative yards. Bright,
outgoing and well-respected by
his peers, McRath is the kind of
young leader defensive
coordinator Jay Hopson hopes to
build his unit around for the
next two seasons. At a school
that’s produced tackling
machines, such as Rod Davis,
Michael Boley, Antoine Cash and
T.J. Slaughter this decade
alone, appears to have located
its next really productive
linebacker … provided he can
continue avoiding the trainer’s
table.
Best Bobcat Bowl Moment –
In the long history of Ohio
football, the program has been
to just two bowl games, losing
to West Texas A&M in the 1962
Sun Bowl and Richmond in the
1968 Tangerine Bowl. In that
Tangerine Bowl, the unbeaten MAC
champions lit up the scoreboard
one last time in 1968, getting a
school-record four touchdown
passes from Cleve Bryant in a
thrilling 45-42 loss to the
Spiders.
Best Golden Eagle Bowl Moment
– TCU entered the 2000 Mobile
Alabama Bowl with the nation’s
No. 1 defense, top rusher in
LaDainian Tomlinson, and a nifty
10-1 record. The Horned Frogs
left the Heart of Dixie with
their second blemish. Southern
Miss rallied in the fourth
quarter to stun the TCU 28-21
when Jeff Kelly found Kenneth
Johnson for the game-winning
touchdown with eight ticks left
in the game.
Southern MIss's best win ...
Southern Miss 31 ... Houston 27
Southern Miss pulled away from Houston in the fourth quarter
thanks to a one-yard Jeremy Young touchdown run and a 16-yard scoring pass to
Shawn Nelson, but Kevin Kolb made it interesting with fourth quarter strikes
from 74 and 13 yards out to Jeron Henry with the final score coming on the last
play of the game. USM allowed two short Jackie Battle scoring runs, but held the
Cougars to 85 rushing yards. Bobby Weakley started off the scoring for the
Golden Eagles with a one-yard run.
Southern Miss's worst
performance ...
Tulsa 20 ... Southern Miss 6
Cauvey Jackson tore off a 59-yard scoring run early in the
first quarter for all the points Tulsa would need thanks to a brilliant
performance from the defense. Southern Miss gained 243 yards and turned it over
twice while only managing two second-quarter Darren McCaleb field goals. Tulsa
was able to put it away for good in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard Paul
Smith touchdown run and a two-yard Courtney Tennial dash. Linebackers Nelson
Coleman and Nick Bunting combined for 27 tackles for the Golden
Hurricane.
Ohio's best win ...
Ohio 35 ... Northern Illinois 23
Ohio cranked out 509 yards of total offense and overcame a
17-7 deficit to go on a 28-6 run over the final 31 minutes of the game
for the stunning win. Austen Everson threw three touchdown passes and
Kalvin McRae score three times in the second half including a 58-yard
scoring play in the third for the game-winner. NIU pulled within five in
the fourth on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Perez, but McRae put it
away on a 24-yard dash with 2:31 to play.
Ohio's worst performance ...
Bowling Green 21 ... Ohio 9
Freddie Barnes scored two touchdowns on a four-yard run in the
first quarter and a one-yard run in the second, but it was the Bowling
Green defense that dominated keeping Ohio to only 54 rushing yards and
forcing three takeaways. Ohio got a 32-yard Matt Lasher field goal and a
23-yard Rudy Sylvan touchdown catch but Bowling Green was always able to
stay one step ahead offensively, and couldn't handle the Falcon pass
rush.
GMAC Bowl
Toledo 45 ... UTEP 13
Bruce Gradkowski threw five touchdown passes to five different
receivers, and David Thomas picked off a UTEP screen pass for a 37 yard
score in the stunning rout. UTEP stayed alive in the first half on two
Regan Schneider field goals and an 18-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Lee
Higgins, but failed to score in the second half. The Rocket outrushed
UTEP 164 yards to 63, and Steve Odom returned three kickoffs for 112
yards.
Player of the game: Toledo QB Bruce Gradkowski
completed 18 of 30 passes for 298 yards and five touchdowns with two
interceptions.
Stat Leaders: UTEP - Passing:
Jordan Palmer, 14-33, 163 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Marcus Thomas, 18-71. Receiving:
Joe West, 6-88
Toledo - Passing: Bruce Gradkowski,
18-30, 298 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Trinity Dawson, 24-124. Receiving:
Steve Odom, 5-97, 1 TD
Ohio Bowl History (0-2)
|
1968 |
Tangerine |
Richmond 49, Ohio 42 |
|
1962 |
Sun |
West Texas A&M 15, Ohio
14 |
|
Southern Miss Bowl History (7-9)
|
2005 |
New Orleans |
Southern Miss 31,
Arkansas State 19 |
|
2004 |
New Orleans |
Southern 31, North Texas
10 |
|
2003 |
Liberty |
Utah 17, Southern Miss 0 |
|
2002 |
Houston |
Oklahoma St. 33,
Southern Miss 23 |
|
2000 |
GMAC |
Southern Miss 28, TCU 21 |
|
1999 |
Liberty |
Southern Miss 23,
Colorado State 17 |
|
1998 |
Humanitarian |
Idaho 42, Southern Miss
35 |
|
1997 |
Liberty |
Southern Miss 41,
Pittsburgh 7 |
|
1990 |
All-American |
North Carolina 31,
Southern Miss 27 |
|
1988 |
Independence |
Southern Miss 38, UTEP
18 |
|
1981 |
Tangerine |
Missouri 19, Southern
Miss 17 |
|
1980 |
Independence |
Southern Miss 16,
McNeese State 14 |
|
1958 |
Tangerine |
East Texas State 10,
Southern Miss 9 |
|
1957 |
Tangerine |
West Texas State 20,
Miss Southern 13 |
|
1954 |
Sun |
UTEP 37, Southern Miss
14 |
|
1953 |
Sun |
Pacific 26, Southern
Miss |
|