Southern Miss (7-5) vs.
Cincinnati (9-3)
Dec. 21st 1 p.m.
ESPN2
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History
By
Richard Cirminiello
 |
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PapaJohns.com Bowl History
2006 South Florida 24, East
Carolina 7 |
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.
Best Bearcat Bowl Moment:
Even a broken hand and
unseasonably cold weather in
Texas couldn’t keep Cincinnati
QB Gino Guidugli from carving up
the Marshall defense in the 2004
Fort Worth Bowl. The senior
threw for 231 yards and a pair
of touchdowns, leading the
Bearcats to a 32-14 victory,
their first in postseason play
in seven years.
Cincinnati's best win ...
Cincinnati 38 ... South Florida 33
South Florida kicked off the scoring with a 73-yard
interception return for a touchdown from Trae Williams, and then it
decided to return the turnover favor. Eight times. Cincinnati went
on a 31-7 first quarter run with a 63-yard Antwuan Giddens touchdown
catch, answered by a Mike Jenkins kickoff return for a score, a
blocked punt for a score, a 79-yard Mike Mickens interception return
for a touchdown, and a 16-yard Dominick Goodman catch. And then the
Bearcats had to hang on for dear life. South Florida got a nine-yard
Jessie Hester touchdown grab with just over two minutes to play to
pull within five, and after getting the ball back with 25 seconds to
play, it got to the UC 18, but a last gasp pass was incomplete. USF
outgained the Bearcats 481 yards to 375.
Player of the game: Cincinnati LB Ryan Manalac made 11 tackles,
all solo stops, with two tackles for loss, one broken up pass, and
recovered a fumble.
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Ben Mauk,
13-31, 162 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Mauk, 7-75. Receiving: Dominick Goodman,
4-36, 1 TD
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 31-54,
382 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 22-75, 1 TD. Receiving: Benjamin
Williams, 8-63
Cincinnati's worst loss ...
Pitt 24 ... Cincinnati 17
Pitt ran for 260 yards, with LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens
each going over 100 yards, with Stephens running for a one-yard
touchdown with just over five minutes to play to take the lead for
good. Conor Lee added field goals from 41, 25 and 27 yards out.
Cincy appeared on the way to an easy win early on with a quick 10-0
lead helped by a Ben Mauk one-yard touchdown run and a field goal
off a missed fourth and one call deep in Pitt territory. But the
Panthers would bounce back, tying it up with a four-yard Darrell
Strong touchdown catch, and dominating in the second half. Scott
McKillop made 16 tackles for the Panthers.
Player of the game:
Pitt RBs LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens combined for 237 yards and
a touchdown on 38 carries
Stat Leaders: Cincinnati - Passing: Ben Mauk,
21-32, 237 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Mauk, 10-94, 1 TD. Receiving: Marshawn
Gilyard, 5-45
Pitt - Passing: Pat Bostick, 18-29, 167 yds, 1
TD, 1 INT
Rushing: LeSean McCoy, 25-137. Receiving: T.J. Porter,
7-85
Southern Miss' best win ...
Southern Miss 28 ... East Carolina
21
Jeremy Young ran for
two touchdowns from one yard out in the fourth quarter, with the
second one coming with 32 seconds to play, to give Southern Miss the
tough road win. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead
on a 28-yard touchdown catch from Shaun Nelson and a two-yard Damion
Fletcher run, but East Carolina adjusted and controlled the third
quarter with 21 points. Pat Pinkney threw two touchdown passes and
Dominique Lindsay ran for a one-yard score, but the Southern Miss
defense stiffened in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Southern Miss QB Jeremy Young completed
18 of 28 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown with an interception,
and ran 11 times for 20 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Patrick
Pinkney, 20-33, 203 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Johnson, 13-45. Receiving: Dwayne
Harris, 4-55, 1 TD
Southern Miss - Passing: Jeremy Young, 18-28,
237 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 27-111, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris
Johnson 6-61
Southern Miss' worst loss ...
Rice 31 ... Southern Miss 29
Rice forced seven Southern Miss turnovers was up 31-7 in the
fourth quarter, but needed to bat down a late two-point conversion
attempt to preserve the win. Jarrett Dillard caught two seven yard
touchdown passes, and Justin Hill ran for a 54-yard score on the way
to the big lead, but the Owls were held to just 236 yards of total
offense and couldn't stop USM late. The Golden Eagles scored 22
points in the fourth quarter, getting two, two point conversions
after short touchdown runs, but they couldn't convert on a third
after an eight-yard Shawn Nelson scoring grab. They got the ball one
more time with 1:21 to play, but lost a fumble.
Player of the
game:
Rice S Andrew
Sandejo made 5.5 tackles, forced a fumble, broke up a pass, and
picked off two others.
Stat Leaders: Rice - Passing: Chase Clement,
9-20, 67 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Justin Hill 12-100, 1 TD. Receiving:
James Casey, 2-16
Southern Miss - Passing: Stephen Reaves, 24-33,
231 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 23-142, 2 TD. Receiving: Chris
Johnson, 7-51
2006 PapaJohns.com Bowl
South Florida 24 ... East Carolina 7
South Florida got two touchdown runs from Benjamin Williams in
the first eight minutes and held on from there as East Carolina
drove deep into Bull territory time and again only to keep coming up
empty. A 48-yard James Pinkney touchdown pass to Bobby Good in the
first quarter were all the points the Pirates would get as two
fumbles, a missed field goal, and poor pass protection allowing six
sacks proved to be too much to overcome. USF QB Matt Grothe
connected with Amarri Jackson for a 37-yard touchdown pass early in
the second quarter, but ended up leaving the game with a shin
injury. ECU also lost its quarterback as Pinkney was knocked out
with a broken elbow. The Pirates outgained the Bulls 317 yards to
286, but were outgained 156 yards to 54 on the ground and only
averaged 1.7 yards per carry.
Player of
the game ...
South Florida LB Stephen Nicholas made six tackles, two sacks, three
tackles for loss and broke up two passes
Stat Leaders: South Florida - Passing: Matt
Grothe, 6-10, 81 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Benjamin Williams, 17-67, 2 TD Receiving:
Ean Randolph, 2-27
East Carolina - Passing: Rob Kass, 10-19, 138
yds
Rushing: Dominique Lindsay, 12-85 Receiving:
Bobby Good,
5-116, 1 TD
Cincinnati Bowl History (4-4)
|
2006 |
International |
Cincinnati 27, Western
Michigan 24 |
|
2004 |
Fort Worth |
Cincinnati 32, Marshall
14 |
|
2002 |
New Orleans |
North Texas 24,
Cincinnati 19 |
|
2001 |
Motor City |
Toledo 23, Cincinnati 16 |
|
2000 |
Motor City |
Marshall 25, Cincinnati
14 |
|
1997 |
Humanitarian |
Cincinnati 35, Utah
State 19 |
|
1950 |
Sun |
West Texas St. 14,
Cincinnati 13 |
|
1946 |
Sun |
Cincinnati 18, Virginia
Tech 6 |
|
Southern Miss Bowl History (8-9)
|
2006 |
GMAC |
So. Miss 28, Ohio 7 |
|
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 |
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