TicketsBearcats Rout No. 21 Southern Miss, 52-24
Guidugli throws record five TD's in win
Contact: Tom Hathaway
11/6/2004
Gino Guidugli threw five touchdowns in UC's rout of Southern Miss. photo by Mark Bealer |
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Gino Guidugli threw three of his school-record five touchdown passes to Hannibal Thomas on Saturday to lead Cincinnati to a 52-24 rout of the 21st-ranked Golden Eagles.
Guidugli was 19-of-26 for 308 yards for the Bearcats (5-4, 4-2 Conference USA), who snapped the Golden Eagles' 13-game league winning streak and beat a ranked team for the first time in four years.
"Things are starting to go our way," Guidugli said. "I don't care if we get five (touchdowns) on the ground or in the air, as long as we score."
The Golden Eagles absorbed their worst conference loss at home since the league formed in 1996.
The dagger came on the second play of the second half, when Guidugli found Thomas over the middle for an 80-yard touchdown. It was the Bearcats' longest completion in nearly a decade.
"He's playing better than he has ever played," Bower said of Guidugli.
He also hit Thomas for touchdown passes covering 15 and 47 yards. Thomas finished with 168 yards on seven catches.
"The offensive line is giving me a good pocket to sit in, and the wide receivers are making good plays," Guidugli said.
Cincinnati turned three turnovers into 17 points and never trailed in its third straight victory since an embarrassing loss at Army that snapped the Black Knights' 19-game losing streak.
"We're continuing to build confidence after the last couple of weeks," Cincinnati coach Mark Dantonio said. "This is another confidence builder for us."
It was the first Conference USA defeat for Southern Miss (5-2, 4-1) since a 31-10 loss at Tulane in November 2002.
Cincinnati's last win over a ranked team also came against the Golden Eagles, who were No. 24 in November 2000 when the Bearcats won 27-24. That was the last time Southern Miss was ranked until this season.
Cincinnati took a 10-point lead in the first quarter on two Southern Miss giveaways.
Jeremy Jackson intercepted Dustin Almond's pass and set up a 26-yard field goal by Kevin Lovell. Eubanks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Anthony Hoke recovered at the Southern Miss 20. Five plays later, Guidugli hit Doug Jones from 8 yards out to make it 10-0.
Guidugli also had a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek.
Almond struggled in his first game back in the Golden Eagles' lineup. Out for a month with a pulled hamstring, Almond was 12-of-26 for 187 yards and had a 1-yard touchdown run. He was intercepted twice and fumbled once.
After a week off, the Bearcats can become bowl-eligible when they face USF on Nov. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Nippert Stadium.