Football Falls To Cincinnati

Football Falls To Cincinnati

HATTIESBURG, Miss.? Southern Miss got the return of starting quarterback Dustin Almond for Saturday?s Cincinnati game, but that was one of the few bright spots for the Golden Eagles, as the team dropped a 52-24 decision to the Bearcats at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

With the loss, Southern Miss falls to 5-2, 4-1 in Conference USA, while Cincinnati improves to 5-4, 4-2 in Conference USA.

The loss snaps a 13-game Conference USA winning streak for Southern Miss, which began with a 24-7 victory over East Carolina on Nov. 30, 2002.        Cincinnati took its first lead of the game, following an Almond interception from Jeremy Jackson as Kevin Lovell connected on a 26-yard field goal, to put the Bearcats ahead 3-0 with 7:01 to play in the first quarter.

The Bearcats quickly got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff, as John Eubanks fumbled, giving Cincinnati field position at the 20-yard line. From there, the Bearcats got an 8-yard touchdown pass from Gino Guidugli to Doug Jones, as they took a 10-0 lead with 4:24 to play in the opening period.

Southern Miss cut the lead to 10-7 on its first offensive possession in the second quarter, as fullback Wayne Hardy scored on a one-yard run on fourth down, to get the Golden Eagles within three, with 9:59 to play in the first half.

Cincinnati got a partial block of Luke Johnson?s punt with under a minute to play in the first half, as the Bearcats took over at the Golden Eagle 44-yard line. The visitors were able to pad their halftime lead, as Guidugli found Hannibal Thomas for a 15-yard score, as the Bearcats lead 17-7 at halftime.

The Bearcats quickly extended their lead in the third quarter on their second offensive play, as Guidugli found Thomas for a 65-yard score, extending the lead to 24-7.

Cincinnati took advantage of an Almond fumble on the Golden Eagles? next possession, as the Bearcats recovered at the 14-yard line. From there, Grad Glatthaar scored on a one-yard run, as the team led 31-7 with 10:51 to play in the third quarter.

Southern Miss made the score 31-10 on an 12-play, 81-yard drive, highlighted by catches of 36 and 27 yards by DaRon Lawrence to push the Golden Eagles into a first and goal situation at the Bearcat three-yard line. Southern Miss was unable to push the ball into the end zone, but Darren McCaleb?s ninth field goal in nine attempts this season, cut into Bearcat lead with 6:58 to play in the third quarter.        

But the Golden Eagles were unable to get closer, as Cincinnati scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, on a 20-yard pass from Guidugli to Brent Celek, a 47-yard touchdown from Guidugli to Thomas and a five-yard touchdown run by Colin Carey.

Southern Miss scored two touchdowns in the final period, getting a one-yard run by Almond and a one-yard run by Jeremy Young to make the final score 52-24. Young?s touchdown was the first of his career.

Guidugli?s five touchdown passes tied an M.M. Roberts Stadium record, as he matched East Carolina?s Jeff Blake five touchdown performance on Nov. 9, 1991. Thomas caught three touchdowns, which set an M.M. Roberts Stadium record, breaking the previous record of two, which happened eight times, the last coming by Louisville?s Frank Moreau on Oct. 10, 1998.

The game was not without bright spots, as Larry Thomas rumbled 79 yards late in the fourth quarter, which was the second longest non-touchdown run in M.M. Roberts Stadium history. Williams led the team with 71 receiving yards, highlighted by a career-long catch of 39 yards. Hardy scored his third touchdown of the season, also the third of his career. Almond finished with 187 yards in his return to the starting lineup.

Southern Miss returns to action Friday, Nov. 12, at Memphis, in a 7 p.m. ESPN2 contest.

University of Southern Mississippi Athletics

Football Falls To Cincinnati

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