NCAA Football Recap (Cincinnati-UTAH St)
Posted: Mon December 29, 1997 at 9:18 p.m. EST
CINCINNATI 35, UTAH ST 19
Chad Plummer threw for a touchdown and ran for another score and
Cornelius Bonner caught two touchdown passes as Cincinnati ended
the longest Division I-A postseason drought with a 35-19 victory
over Utah State in the inaugural Humanitarian Bowl in Boise,
Idaho.
Deontey Kenner, who rotated at quarterback with Plummer,
completed 10-of-16 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown for
Cincinnati, which had not played in the postseason since a 14-13
loss to West Texas State in the 1951 Sun Bowl. The Bearcats had
not won a bowl game since a 33-13 victory over Toledo in the
1949 Glass Bowl.
Plummer, voted the game's Most Valuable Player, completed
5-of-10 for 61 yards while rushing 15 times for 53 yards.
The second-place team in Conference USA, the Bearcats (8-4)
finished with their best record since a 9-2 mark in 1976. Part
of the reason the Bearcats received the bid was because they
agreed to a basketball series with Boise State, the host school.
It was the first bowl game in four years for Utah State (6-6),
which was playing its final game under coach John L. Smith, who
is headed for the top job at Louisville. Smith led the Aggies
to the Big West Conference title this season and leaves with a
16-18 mark over three years.
The Aggies failed in a bid for consecutive winning seasons for
the first time since 1979-80.
Bonner, who had 48 yards on four receptions, caught touchdown
passes from Plummer and Kenner as the Bearcats raced to a 21-0
halftime lead and held on against the Aggies, who committed four
turnovers.
Orlando Smith led Cincinnati in rushing with 82 yards on 15
carries while Robert Cooper added 64 yards on 15 rushes. The
Bearcats held a 265-76 advantage in rushing yards while holding
the ball for more than 42 minutes.
Following a fumble by Utah State's Demario Brown early in the
second half, the Bearcats went 57 yards in seven plays, capped
by Plummer's 15-yard scoring run around right end that made it
28-0.
Just 1:03 later, Utah State's Steve Smith turned a five-yard
pass from Matt Sauk into a spectacular 75-yard touchdown as he
broke tackles and outran the secondary. But Cincinnati answered
with a seven-yard scoring run by Orlando Smith on a screen pass
that was ruled a lateral.
Brown was held to just 56 yards on 12 carries while receiver
Nakia Jenkins, who entered the contest tied for ninth in the
nation with just under seven receptions per game, caught just
four passes but for 136 yards. Sauk completed just 12-of-30 for
253 yards and was intercepted three times.
Melvin Blue's three-yard TD run capped an 80-yard drive in just
1:54, but the Aggies missed the extra point and trailed 35-13
with 29 seconds left in the third quarter. Of Utah State's 56
touchdown drives this season, 25 took less than two minutes.
The Aggies got themselves back in the game two minutes into the
fourth quarter. Cincinnati punter Doug Johnson could not handle
a high snap and freshman linebacker Brent Passey picked up the
loose ball and went 10 yards for the score.
But Cincinnati consumed most of the clock on its next possession
and Brad Jackson intercepted Sauk for the second time with just
over two minutes remaining to secure the victory.
Early on, the game looked like a rout. With four minutes left
in the first quarter, Plummer hit Bonner in the back of the end
zone for a 14-yard TD, capping a seven play, 39-yard drive.
After the Aggies went three-and-out, Cincinnati went 56 yards in
just 3:23 and took a 14-0 lead when Kenner hit Bonner on a slant
for a 15-yard score.
Early in the second quarter, Sauk looked deep down the right
sideline for Steve Smith, but was intercepted by Tinker Keck,
who returned it 59 yards to the Aggies 18. Six plays later,
Landon Smith's one-yard run made it 21-0.
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