By John Erardi
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW ORLEANS - What started off promising for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats - a six-yard touchdown pass to Tye Keith early in the first quarter - turned disappointing, as North Texas stunned the favored red-and-black, 24-19, in the New Orleans Bowl Tuesday night.

It was UC's third bowl loss in three years.

UC quarterback Gino Guidugli tries to stop NT's Cody Spencer after an interception. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

UC (7-7) rallied from a 24-7 deficit when, with six minutes left, UC safety Franklin Callicott stripped North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs of the ball and ran it 43 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-19.

UC quarterback Gino Guidugli hit LaDaris Vann in the gut on the attempted two-point conversion, but with a defender draped on him, Vann couldn't hang on.

"I believe if we'd gotten the ball back, we'd have gone right down the field and scored, because we've done it so many times," UC coach Rick Minter said. "We just couldn't get the air out of the ball for them, and get them off the field."

"As long as there's time on the clock, I feel like we can win the game, because that's been our track record," said UC wide receiver Jon Olinger (4 catches for 107 yards). "We just made too many mistakes (and) put ourselves in a bad position."

North Texas (8-5) ran out the clock with a punishing run game, keyed by Kevin Galbreath (130 yards on 28 carries, a 4.6-yard average).

UC's Tye Keith tries to ecape a tackle. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

"Our defense did a terrible job at eliminating the big play," said UC defensive end Antwan Peek. "I don't blame anything on Gino. He's just trying to make plays. Just because he makes some turnovers doesn't mean we have to let the other team score. We had the opportunity at the end - 2nd and 12 -- and they get 18. It shows you they wanted it more than we did."

Guidugli was intercepted five times, a reversion of form to his early-season woes of forcing the ball where it had no business going.

"I messed up a lot," Guidugli said. "I'm real disappointed in my performance... I tried to force too many balls, tried to make too many plays."

He played better in the second half, but still couldn't get UC into the end zone, more the result of North Texas' stifling defense.

One interception came on a tipped ball; another on a game-opening bomb that he overthrew.

Keith dives over the goalline for UC's first TD. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Contributing to the UC's crisis of confidence in the first half was North Texas' ability to apply pass-rush pressure and to blow up UC's rush offense on critical plays with inspired line play.

"They beat us in a lot of ways - forced us into mistakes and takeaways," Minter said. "They weren't all bad interceptions. A quarterback has to be on offense like a cornerback on defense. He's got to have amnesia. He can't dwell on it."

Minter didn't feel Guidugli did dwell on it, but at game's end the weight of it all hit Guidugli like a ton of beignets, the powdered donuts served at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter.

Mean Green's defensive quickness and intensity was well-known. The shocker was North Texas' ability to throw the football in the first half, something they had done little of during the regular season. Mean Green was able to exploit UC's defensive backs, who weren't able to run with Mean Green's receivers.

"It didn't surprise me they tried to throw it, but it surprised me how poorly we played them," Minter said.

NT's defensive backs Don McGee and Jonas Buckles are both in position to make an interception. McGee grabbed it. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

The difference-maker was NT redshirt freshman QB Andrew Smith, whose confidence grew as he saw his receivers continuing to separate themselves from UC's DB's. Had every perfect ball Smith threw been held onto by his receivers, North Texas would have won by more.

"Smith made some key plays, some timely plays," Minter said. "They called some good plays on passes and runs that just really nipped us. They had an option for a touchdown, and a toss-sweep for a touchdown. Those were the two big plays. Other than that, it was just money downs. They needed a big play and they got it.

"Right there at the end, when he (Smith) kept the naked boot around the edge, if we just do our job and run him down, it's 3rd-and-5, rather than first down, chains move, clock runs. Like I said, I really believed that if we had stopped 'em, magic would happen again for us. But that's water under the dam."

As it was, Mean Green rallied from the 7-0 deficit to go up 17-7 at halftime, and 24-7 early in the third quarter. The comeback began with a 30-yard field goal (7-3), and was followed by 27-yard run by Patrick Cobbs through a huge hole on the left side (10-7), a 20-yard interception runback for a TD (17-7) by Jeremy Pearl on a terrible, under-pressure throw by Guidugli and a 35-yard TD on an option-pitch left to Mean Green running back Kevin Galbreath (24-7).

NT's Patrick Cobbs runs 27 yards for a TD. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

"That interception was all our defensive line," Pearl said. "They were in his face. I was able to anticipate it, and he couldn't get anything on it."

Fueling North Texas' rally was a boisterous crowd of green-clad fans, 10,000 strong, who made the drive from Denton, Tex. Most were armed with two, three-foot long tubes, 3 inches in diameter, that they banged together, making 10,000 people sound like 30,000. UC had between 700-800 fans here, judging by the amount of red in the stands. The crowd was 14,000 tops, even though attendance was announced at 19,024.

UC cut it to 24-13 on back-to-back 29- and 33-yard field goals by Ruffin, a native of suburban New Orleans.

But even those field goals were disappointing, failing to provide UC with needed momentum. The first one was a result of an interception and TD by UC DB Zach Norton being negated by a block in the back. The second resulted when UC couldn't finish the deal started by a 55-yard bomb from Guidugli to Olinger.

"We got points, but they weren't the points we wanted," said Olinger.

He did a good job of maintaining position on that 55-yard reception. He used his body to shield the incoming ball from the DB trying to reach in.

"It was a perfect ball," Olinger said. "I just couldn't stay on my feet. I felt after the play I should have stayed on my feet, but I guess that's just how it goes."

UC's Jon Olinger was unable to haul in this pass. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Trailing 24-13 on fourth and five from North Texas' 37 with 13 minutes in the game, UC went for it but came up two yards short with a pass reception that North Texas stopped dead with another jarring tackle.

It was the story of the night for UC, as North Texas was the team making almost all of the big hits.

"Our kids came fighting back hard," Minter said. "That's been the character of our squad all year."

UC had been moving the ball on that drive, and had Mean Green on its heels with a mix of runs and passes. But, again, the momentum died.

Furthering aiding the Mean Green cause was the punting of Brad Kadlubar, who launched 50-yarder after 50-yarder and kept giving UC the long field.

"They set the tone early on us," Minter said. "They got 24 unanswered points. We came roaring back, and it was a gallant effort in the second half. We needed a stop at the end to put us back on the field with some hope and we didn't quite do it... Tonight was not our night. It belonged to North Texas."

UC running back DeMarco McCleskey (85 yards on 23 carries, a 3.7-yard average), said Mean Green did a good job on defense, rushing three and dropping back four.

"At times we couldn't get things going; at other times, you saw we could make plays."

McCleskey doesn't know why UC doesnít play better in New Orleans. Tulane beats UC here like Chick Webb used to beat the drum.

"It's something about teams in green," Minter said.

Cincinnati	7	0	6	6	-	19
North Texas	3	14	7	0	-	24

First Quarter

Cin-Keith 6 pass from Guidugli (Ruffin kick), 8:36.

NT-FG Bazaldua 30, :58.

Second Quarter

NT-Cobbs 27 run (Bazaldua kick), 10:53.

NT-Pearl 20 interception return (Bazaldua kick), 2:46.

Third Quarter

NT-Galbreath 35 run (Bazaldua kick), 12:58.

Cin-FG Ruffin 29, 9:27.

Cin-FG Ruffin 33, 5:02.

Fourth Quarter

Cin-Callicott 43 fumble return (pass failed), 5:15.

A-19,024.

	Cin	NT
First downs	15	15
Rushes-yards	29-85	43-192
Passing	224	126
Comp-Att-Int	19-34-5	9-22-1
Return Yards	95	60
Punts-Avg.	4-43	7-46
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	3-1
Penalties-Yards	10-78	10-92
Time of Possession	29:32	30:28

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Cincinnati, McCleskey 23-85, Hall 2-7, B.Vann 1-1, Guidugli 3-(minus 8). North Texas, Galbreath 28-130, Cobbs 4-29, Hickmon 3-22, Smith 5-8, Branch 2-4, Howard 1-(minus 1).

PASSING-Cincinnati, Guidugli 19-34-5-224. North Texas, Smith 9-22-1-126.

RECEIVING-Cincinnati, Olinger 4-107, Keith 4-44, Hart 3-21, Hall 3-20, McCleskey 3-16, B.Vann 1-16, L.Vann 1-0. North Texas, Howard 5-78, Branch 3-27, Marshall 1-21.