TicketsNov. 20, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio - With its 30-11 win over No. 7 Rutgers, the University of Cincinnati has been named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Team of the Week by the FWAA's Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll for games of the weekend of Nov. 18.
A pair of first-time starters--one on offense and one on defense--keyed a total team effort as the Bearcats handed the Scarlet Knights their first defeat of the season.
Nick Davila, making his first-ever start at quarterback, completed 11-of-15 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown and scored another TD on a one-yard run. The senior sparked the UC offense to 402 yards and 30 points against a Rutgers defense that was ranked fourth nationally in both fewest yards (231.7) and points allowed (10.9).
DeAngelo Smith, making his first-ever start at cornerback, picked off a pass and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown which gave UC a 17-0 lead a little over five minutes into the second quarter. He helped a defensive effort that held Rutgers, the nation's No. 15 rushing team (187.8 yards) to 50 yards. The Bearcats bottled Ray Rice, ranked No. 3 individually in rushing (148.2), to a season-low 54 yards.
It was the highest-ranked opponent ever beaten by the Bearcats, who this season had faced--and lost to No. 1 Ohio State, No. 10 Virginia Tech, No. 7 Louisville and No. 10 West Virginia--all on the road.
UC (6-5, 3-3 BIG EAST) concludes the regular season on Saturday at Connecticut. Featured as the BIG EAST Game of the Week, kickoff from E. Hartford, Conn. is set for 12:00 noon on ESPN Regional and WXIX-TV FOX 19 locally.