TicketsBearcats Blitzed by No. 9 TCU, 43-10
Turnovers, special teams play doom UC.
Contact: Tom Hathaway
11/15/2003
Terry Arnold runs for part of his career-best 43 yards vs. TCU. |
FT. WORTH, Texas ? No. 9 TCU kept is perfect record intact and its hopes for a BCS bowl berth very much alive with a 43-10 rout over Cincinnati.
The win upped TCU to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in Conference USA play and sets the table for Thursday?s C-USA championship showdown between the Horned Frogs and Southern Miss, which is also unbeaten in league play.
Surprisingly, the loss may not have damaged Cincinnati?s bowl hopes, and may have even helped them. If TCU does get one of the six BCS bowls, it will open up another slot in the five bowls to which C-USA sends teams.
That would involve the Bearcats, 5-5 overall and 2-4 in C-USA, winning their final two regular season games over Memphis next Saturday and Louisville on Nov. 28. And that would involve Cincinnati making improvements in its play over what was exhibited before 42,161 in Saturday?s loss.
UC actually owned a slight advantage in the offensive statistics. The Bearcats out-gained the Horned Frogs, 373-298. TCU became the sixth foe that UC has held under 300 yards in total offense.
Gino Guidugli completed 24 of 44 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. Thaddeus Lewis had a career-high eight receptions for 65 yards. Freshman Terry Arnold came off the bench to rush 13 times for 43 yards, both career bests.
Unfortunately, UC fumbled the ball away in its own end zone, which TCU recovered for a touchdown and had a punt blocked and returned for another TD. The Bearcats were penalized nine times for a season-high 104 yards.
Special Teams Misplays Hurt
Special teams misplays by UC led to a 20-10 first half deficit. The Bearcats took the opening kickoff and marched to the TCU 32. Chet Ervin?s 49-yard field goal attempt was blocked, however, and returned to the UC 36. Daven Holley?s interception and 31-yard return helped UC avert further damage.
A 21-yard punt return by Cory Rodgers put started the Horned Frogs on the way to their first score, a 23-yard field goal by Nick Browne.
Two series later, Ervin had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown for a 10-0 TCU first quarter lead.
TCU added a 45-yard field goal by Browne early in the second quarter. The Bearcats got on the scoreboard when Guidugli found Hannibal Thomas open down the middle for a 56-yard scoring strike. Thomas broke free of one attempted tackle and got a block from Derick Ross to score his second TD in as many games, and close the gap to 13-7.
The Horned Frogs retaliated with a 7-play, 65-yard scoring drive, keyed by the timely running of Brandon Hassell. The junior signal caller, on 4th-and-6, scrambled for 11 yards to keep the drive going, then scored by taking the ball around left end for 22 yards on an option play.
Thaddeus Lewis, who reclaimed the return duties, had a 16-yard punt return late in the period, which gave UC the ball at midfield with 1:59 to play.
Guidugli threw passes of seven and 11 yards to Cedric Dawley and Ross, then found Lewis over the middle for a 14-yard gain. With 32 seconds to play, Guidugli scrambled nine yards and, aided by a TCU facemask penalty, got the ball to the TCU 3.
A screen pass to Arnold resulted in a 4-yard loss and Guidugli had to spike the ball to stop the clock with a second to play. Chris Manfredini booted a 24-yard field goal to end the half.
Things Worsen for Bearcats
TCU cashed in on UC turnovers to turn the game into a rout in the second half.
The Horned Frog defense came up with the first score of the second half, sacking Guidugli in the end zone and recovering the junior?s fumble for a TD. Browne added field goals of 35 and 34 yards in the fourth quarter, the second of which was set up by an interception by Elvis George.
Another interception set up a 19-yard TD run by Robert Merrill, which made the final 43-10.