TicketsBearcats Trounce Bulls on Senior Day
Contact: Tom Hathaway
11/20/2004
Doug Jones celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown grab. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Gino Guidugli threw for a career-best 377 yards as the University of Cincinnati became bowl-eligible with a 45-23 defeat of the USF Bulls. UC used 577 yards of total offense to roll to its fourth-straight win.
Guidugli completed 30-of-36 pass attempts with three scores. His main target was Hannibal Thomas, who pulled down a career-high 10 passes for 162 yards.
The Bearcats are now 6-4, 4-2 in the league.
"It's attitude, it's resolve," said head coach Mark Dantonio, talking about the seasons' turnaround. "It just proves that if you come together with one common goal and the attitude is right, you can accomplish amazing things."
UC has outscored its opponents 167-67 during the winning streak. The 577 yards of offense is tied for the fifth-most in school history and is the most allowed ever by USF.
With the three touchdown passes, Guidugli moved into second place on Conference USA's career chart with 76.
Andre Hall paced the Bulls (4-5, 3-4) in defeat with 155 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, but just 18 of the yards came after halftime. Pat Julmiste threw for 143 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-32 tosses.
The Bulls opened the game's scoring with a 44-yard field goal by Justin Geisler.
The Bearcats countered moments later with a Richard Hall three-yard touchdown run.
Just before the end of the first quarter, USF regained the lead with a Hall four-yard touchdown run.
A Butler Benton 47-yard touchdown scamper and a Kevin Lovell 27-yard field goal pushed the Bearcats ahead 17-10.
USF responded with a Craig Kobel fumble recovery in the end zone, knotting the score at 17-17.
Just before the break, the Bearcats took a seven-point lead with a Bill Poland 49-yard touchdown catch, the first of his career.
The Bearcats scored the only points in the third quarter with a Bradley Glatthaar 22-yard touchdown run.
Cincinnati extended its lead to 45-17 with two straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Guidugli first hooked up with Doug Jones from 17 yards out and than with Brent Celek from six yards away.
A 16-yard touchdown pass from Julmiste to Jackie Chambers and a failed two- point conversion put the final score at 45-23 in favor of Cincinnati.
The Bearcats close the regular season with the annual battle for the Keg of Nails on the road against Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 27.