GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NCAAF: CINCINNATI (6-2) at SOUTH FLORIDA (6-2)

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- A return home didn't do strugglingSouth Florida any good.


Cincinnati scored 31 points in the first quarter and held on fora 38-33 victory over No. 20 South Florida on Saturday in a BigEast Conference matchup.


Two weeks ago, the Bulls were the toast of college football andranked second in the polls. With this loss, coach Jim Leavitt'ssquad will exit them.


The Bulls (6-3, 1-3 Big East) were ranked second in the countrywhen they fell, 30-27, to Rutgers on October 18. South Floridathen visited Connecticut and was unable to return to itswinning ways last week, coming up short in a 22-15 loss.

Like USF, Cincinnati (7-2, 2-2) got off to a 6-0 start beforedropping its next two games to Louisville and Pittsburgh.

The Bearcats and Bulls both scored touchdowns on defense andspecial teams in a wild first quarter. Cincinnati was also ableto add a field goal and two TD passes by Ben Mauk to take a31-14 lead.


South Florida outscored Cincinnati, 13-0, in the second half butit was not enough. A TD pass by Matt Grothe to Jessie Hesterfrom eight yards out made it 38-33 with 2:08 to play.

The Bulls went for two and didn't make it and then tried anonside kick and just missed recovering it. The Bearcats werethen able to run the clock down to 29 seconds - they almost leftthe Bulls too much time.


Cincinnati tried a fake field goal that went nowhere and SouthFlorida took over at its 39. Grothe completed consecutivepasses for 20 and 23 yards to give the Bulls a first down at theBearcats' 18 with eight seconds remaining.


Grothe threw one up in the right corner of the end zone thatMarcus Edwards got two hands on, but could not bring down. Onthe final play of the game, Grothe looked for Hester in the backof the end zone but the pass fell incomplete.


It was almost an improbable ending to a rough day for Grothe,who has made a number of big plays for South Florida over thepast two seasons - but made too many mistakes on Saturday. Hethrew four interceptions and lost a fumble while completing31-of-54 passes for 382 yards.


Mauk was 13-of-31 for 161 yards. He threw three TD passes andan interception and added 77 yards rushing on seven carries forCincinnati, which is 7-2 for the first time since 1976.

 

NCAAF: CINCINNATI at SOUTH FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CINCINNATI 31 7 0 0 38
SOUTH FLORIDA (20) 14 6 7 6 33 FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, TRAE WILLIAMS 73 YD
INTERCEPTION RETURN (DELBERT
ALVARADO KICK), 1:39. SOUTH
FLORIDA 7-0
CINCINNATI - TD, ANTWUAN GIDDENS 63 YD PASS
FROM BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 4:05. CINCINNATI
7-7
SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, MIKE JENKINS 100 YD KICKOFF
RETURN (DELBERT ALVARADO
KICK), 4:20. SOUTH FLORIDA
14-7
CINCINNATI - FG, JACOB ROGERS 38 YD, 6:30.
SOUTH FLORIDA 14-10
CINCINNATI - TD, ANTWUAN GIDDENS RECOVERED
BLOCKED PUNT IN END ZONE
(JACOB ROGERS KICK), 8:42.
CINCINNATI 17-14
CINCINNATI - TD, MIKE MICKENS 79 YD
INTERCEPTION RETURN (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 11:03.
CINCINNATI 24-14
CINCINNATI - TD, DOMINICK GOODMAN 16 YD PASS
FROM BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 12:57.
CINCINNATI 31-14
2ND QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - FG, DELBERT ALVARADO 21 YD, 3:50.
CINCINNATI 31-17
CINCINNATI - TD, EARNEST JACKSON 4 YD PASS FROM
BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB ROGERS
KICK), 13:07. CINCINNATI 38-17
SOUTH FLORIDA - FG, DELBERT ALVARADO 41 YD, 15:00.
CINCINNATI 38-20
3RD QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, MATT GROTHE 7 YD RUN (DELBERT
ALVARADO KICK), 10:57.
CINCINNATI 38-27
4TH QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, JESSIE HESTER JR. 9 YD PASS
FROM MATT GROTHE 12:56.
CINCINNATI 38-33</div>

 

NCAAF: CINCINNATI at SOUTH FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CINCINNATI 31 7 0 0 38
SOUTH FLORIDA (20) 14 6 7 6 33 FINAL

SOUTH FLORIDA-TD, T Williams 73 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (D
Alvarado KICK) 1:39 1st Qtr
CINCINNATI-TD, A Giddens 63 YD PASS FROM B Mauk (J Rogers
KICK) 4:05 1st Qtr
SOUTH FLORIDA-TD, M Jenkins 100 YD KICKOFF RETURN (D Alvarado
KICK) 4:20 1st Qtr
CINCINNATI-FG, J Rogers 38 YD 6:30 1st Qtr
CINCINNATI-TD, A Giddens RECOVERED BLOCKED PUNT IN END ZONE
(J Rogers KICK) 8:42 1st Qtr
CINCINNATI-TD, M Mickens 79 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (J Rogers
KICK) 11:03 1st Qtr
CINCINNATI-TD, D Goodman 16 YD PASS FROM B Mauk (J Rogers
KICK) 12:57 1st Qtr
SOUTH FLORIDA-FG, D Alvarado 21 YD 3:50 2nd Qtr
CINCINNATI-TD, E Jackson 4 YD PASS FROM B Mauk (J Rogers
KICK) 13:07 2nd Qtr
SOUTH FLORIDA-FG, D Alvarado 41 YD 15:00 2nd Qtr
SOUTH FLORIDA-TD, M Grothe 7 YD RUN (D Alvarado KICK) 10:57 3rd
Qtr
SOUTH FLORIDA-TD, J Hester Jr. 9 YD PASS FROM M Grothe 12:56
4th Qtr


CINCINNATI SOUTH FLORIDA
First downs 14 27
Rushed-yards 38-137 37-99
Passing yards 238 382
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 2-12
Return yards 105 115
Passes 14-32-1 31-54-4
Punts 6-34.3 4-30
Fumbles-lost 1-1 4-4
Penalties-yards 9-65 5-38
Time of possession 28:53 31:07


Individual Statistics

RUSHING: CINCINNATI-Benjamin Mauk 7-75, Jacob Ramsey 21-40, Kevin
Huber 1-12, Greg Moore 6-10, Marcus Barnett 1-9, Dominick Goodman 1-2,
Jacob Rogers 1-MINUS 11. SOUTH FLORIDA-Matt Grothe 22-75, Mike Ford
7-13, Benjamin Williams 6-9, Carlton Mitchell 1-4, Jamar Taylor
1-MINUS 2.

PASSING: CINCINNATI-Benjamin Mauk 13-31-162- 1, Marcus Barnett 1-1-76-
0. SOUTH FLORIDA-Matt Grothe 31-54-382- 4.

RECEIVING: CINCINNATI-Marshwan Gilyard 3-100, Antwuan Giddens 2-72,
Earnest Jackson 2-36, Dominick Goodman 4-36, Marcus Barnett 2-MINUS 1,
Jacob Ramsey 1-MINUS 5. SOUTH FLORIDA-Carlton Mitchell 7-110, Benjamin
Williams 8-63, Dontavia Bogan 3-54, Jessie Hester Jr. 3-52, Marcus
Edwards 4-41, Courtney Denson 3-38, Cedric Hill 2-18, A.J. Love 1-6.


Att: 57,379</div>

 

NCAAF: CINCINNATI at SOUTH FLORIDA

<div class="pre">NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CINCINNATI 31 7 0 0 38
SOUTH FLORIDA (20) 14 6 7 6 33 FINAL

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, TRAE WILLIAMS 73 YD
INTERCEPTION RETURN (DELBERT
ALVARADO KICK), 1:39. SOUTH
FLORIDA 7-0
CINCINNATI - TD, ANTWUAN GIDDENS 63 YD PASS
FROM BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 4:05. CINCINNATI
7-7
SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, MIKE JENKINS 100 YD KICKOFF
RETURN (DELBERT ALVARADO
KICK), 4:20. SOUTH FLORIDA
14-7
CINCINNATI - FG, JACOB ROGERS 38 YD, 6:30.
SOUTH FLORIDA 14-10
CINCINNATI - TD, ANTWUAN GIDDENS RECOVERED
BLOCKED PUNT IN END ZONE
(JACOB ROGERS KICK), 8:42.
CINCINNATI 17-14
CINCINNATI - TD, MIKE MICKENS 79 YD
INTERCEPTION RETURN (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 11:03.
CINCINNATI 24-14
CINCINNATI - TD, DOMINICK GOODMAN 16 YD PASS
FROM BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB
ROGERS KICK), 12:57.
CINCINNATI 31-14
2ND QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - FG, DELBERT ALVARADO 21 YD, 3:50.
CINCINNATI 31-17
CINCINNATI - TD, EARNEST JACKSON 4 YD PASS FROM
BENJAMIN MAUK (JACOB ROGERS
KICK), 13:07. CINCINNATI 38-17
SOUTH FLORIDA - FG, DELBERT ALVARADO 41 YD, 15:00.
CINCINNATI 38-20
3RD QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, MATT GROTHE 7 YD RUN (DELBERT
ALVARADO KICK), 10:57.
CINCINNATI 38-27
4TH QUARTER: SOUTH FLORIDA - TD, JESSIE HESTER JR. 9 YD PASS
FROM MATT GROTHE 12:56.
CINCINNATI 38-33</div>

 

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- A return home didn't do strugglingSouth Florida any good.


Cincinnati scored 31 points in the first quarter and held on fora 38-33 victory over No. 20 South Florida on Saturday in a BigEast Conference matchup.


Two weeks ago, the Bulls were the toast of college football andranked second in the polls. With this loss, coach Jim Leavitt'ssquad will exit them.


The Bulls (6-3, 1-3 Big East) were ranked second in the countrywhen they fell, 30-27, to Rutgers on October 18. South Floridathen visited Connecticut and was unable to return to its winningways last week, coming up short in a 22-15 loss.


Like USF, Cincinnati (7-2, 2-2) got off to a 6-0 start beforedropping its next two games to Louisville and Pittsburgh.

The Bearcats and Bulls both scored touchdowns on defense andspecial teams in a wild first quarter. Cincinnati was also ableto add a field goal and two TD passes by Ben Mauk to take a31-14 lead.


"I'm really proud of our football team, really proud of them.I'm really proud of the way they fought and battled until thevery end," Leavitt said. "Too many mistakes we know that."

South Florida outscored Cincinnati, 13-0, in the second half butit was not enough. A TD pass by Matt Grothe to Jessie Hesterfrom eight yards out made it 38-33 with 2:08 to play.

The Bulls went for two and didn't make it and then tried anonside kick and just missed recovering it. The Bearcats werethen able to run the clock down to 29 seconds - they almost leftthe Bulls too much time.


Cincinnati tried a fake field goal that went nowhere and SouthFlorida took over at its 39. Grothe completed consecutivepasses for 20 and 23 yards to give the Bulls a first down at theBearcats' 18 with eight seconds remaining.


Grothe threw one up in the right corner of the end zone thatMarcus Edwards got two hands on, but could not bring down. Onthe final play of the game, Grothe looked for Hester in the backof the end zone but the pass fell incomplete.


"It wasn't your typical game - we said it was going to beexciting," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "We certainly arenot cookie cutter when it comes to the game of football. If youlike exciting football, if you like it coming down to the lastplay, that's what happened today. The story for me is ourdefense was put in a tough situation in the second half andreally did a great job forcing eight turnovers."


It was almost an improbable ending to a rough day for Grothe,who has made a number of big plays for South Florida over thepast two seasons - but made too many mistakes on Saturday. Hethrew four interceptions and lost a fumble while completing31-of-54 passes for 382 yards.


"The way the defense fought the second half to hold that groupdown, to shut them out the second half, despite all theturnovers, is really something," Leavitt said. "But the offensekept fighting too. You just can't turn the ball over that manytimes and expect to win. It's amazing that we were in it withthe turnovers that we had."


Mauk was 13-of-31 for 161 yards. He threw three TD passes andan interception and added 77 yards rushing on seven carries forCincinnati, which is 7-2 for the first time since 1976.

"It keeps us in the hunt and keeps us alive and we have to comeback and play great football within the next few weeks in orderto go to a BCS bowl," Mauk said. "We need to take it one game ata time. Our next two games are at home at Nipper Stadium and wejust need to go back home, play some football, and win thesenext two games."