Sunday, October 17, 1999

ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM 24, UC 21

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Bearcats lose 3rd straight

BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Tinker Keck stops UAB's Carl Fair with a shoestring tackle. (Ernest Coleman photos) | ZOOM |

        If you were keeping track of the number of passes Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Deontey Kenner bounced off his receivers' hands or the time it took for UC to complete its Conference USA game Saturday against Alabama-Birmingham, it was nearly impossible not to lose count.

        But at the end — which came 3 hours and 44 minutes after the 3:40 p.m. kickoff at Nippert Stadium — Kenner's final pass did not so much bounce off Tony Smikle's hands as off his facemask.

        Is there a difference? Not to Kenner. Not when the ultimate result was his fourth interception and the preservation of a 24-21 overtime victory for the visiting Blazers (3-3, 2-1) and a third consecutive defeat for UC.

        “What did I throw, five interceptions?” asked Kenner, who did lose track. “You can't win like that. I don't care how they come.”

Mario Monds knocks the ball loose from UAB quarterback Daniel Dixon. | ZOOM |

        The Bearcats (2-4, 0-2) recovered from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit with a career-best three touchdowns by run ning back Robert Cooper, who rushed for 174 yards. They entered UAB territory on their three possessions after tying the score, though, and each time the offense wilted.

        In overtime, the Blazers went nowhere with three downs but still were close enough for Jake Arians to nail a 42-yard field goal.

        That turned out to be a game-winner when the Bearcats lost the ball on UAB safety Wes Foss' third-down interception after it deflected from Smikle.

        It was at least the 10th Kenner pass that could be classified as a drop on a day when he completed 15 of 43 for 236 yards. Each of his interceptions either ricocheted off a teammate or was batted by an opposing lineman. All but three of his 10 interceptions this season have been off deflections.

        “This is one of those that makes you sick, because we had chances to put ourselves in control,” coach Rick Minter said. “You've got to win a game like that.”

        Cooper authored two big plays that exhumed the Bearcats from their deficit. He caught a 56-yard touchdown pass — the first TD catch of his career — in the third quarter to make it 21-14, then tied it on a 6-yard run in the fourth that he set up with a 39-yard scamper on a third-and-6 draw play.

        He should have scored on that run but stepped out of bounds with his right foot as he planned a diving leap over the goal line to complete his run. Cooper saved himself a bit of embarrassment by scoring his third touchdown with a run around right end on second and goal.

        “Next time, I won't dive,” Cooper said. “I'll just keep on running. I'm glad they had faith in me to give it to me again.”

        In the overtime, though, despite gaining 26 yards on five carries after his third touchdown, Cooper did not touch the ball.

        “If I was a selfish guy, I'd say it was very frustrating,” Cooper said. “But being that I'm not, I'd say the coaches made the right calls.”

        For their first overtime down, the Bearcats ran a tough down-and-out route on which Kenner couldn't find a clear path to get the ball to freshman LeDaris Vann. Kenner then ran a quarterback draw that was stopped for a 2-yard gain. Then came the pass to Smikle, which Foss fought to misdirect.

        “We were sitting on the out pattern,” Foss said, “and he threw it behind a little bit. Our defense stepped up on the last four drives.”

        Two of Kenner's first three interceptions ended deep Bearcats drives, and two led directly to UAB scores. The last of the three was returned 96 yards by free safety Adrian Singleton for a touchdown that made it 21-0.

        It was the longest scoring play in the nine years UAB has played college football. Kenner threw too high and behind receiver Tye Keith, and the ball bounced to Singleton. He wasn't touched as he dashed down the right sideline.

        UAB ....... 0 21 0 0 3—24

        Cincinnati ....... 0 7 7 7 0—21

        Second Quarter

        UAB—Crosby 1 pass from Dixon (Arians kick), 13:24

        UAB—Fair 3 run (Arians kick) 10:14

        UAB—Singleton 96 interception return (Arians kick), 7:08

        CIN—Cooper 16 run (Ruffin kick), 3:41

        Third Quarter

        CIN— Cooper 56 pass from Kenner (Ruffin kick), 1:56

        Fourth Quarter—

CIN—Cooper 6 run (Ruffin kick), 12:10

        Overtime

        UAB—FB Arians 42.

        A—17,033.

        UAB UC

First downs ....... 18   18

        Rushes-yards ....... 45-114  32-204

        Passing ....... 148   236

        Comp-Att-Int ....... 20-37-2  15-43-4

        Return Yards ....... 152   67

        Punts-Avg. ....... 7-43   7-38

        Fumbles-Lost ....... 4-1   3-0

        Penalties-Yards ....... 8-55   8-65

        Time of Possession ....... 47:48   27:12

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—UAB, Coleman 19-94, Fair 7-43, Conley 6-10, Dugger 2-(minus 1), Dixon 11-(minus 32). Cincinnati, Cooper 25-174, Kenner 5-29, Mays 2-1.

        PASSING—UAB, Dixon 20-37-2 148. Cincinnati, Kenner 15-43-4-236.

        RECEIVING—UAB, Thatch 6-56, Malone 5-38, Johnson 3-17, Coleman 1-12, Crosby 2-10, Fair 1-17, Dugger 1-(minus-2). Cincinnati, Vann 5-78, Smikle 5-61, Mays 2-23, Cooper 1-56, Chatman 1-11, Collins-Baker 1-7.

       

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