Some leaky roof...
UConn staves off winless Cincy in double OT
Have I ever mentioned I hate the option?
If I can direct you back to last page, I mentioned in the game preview that Cincy, since hiring former Georgia Tech employee Ted Roof, has installed the dreaded, evil, triple option. I also stated that the winless Bearcats, in true pun fashion, had a leaky roof on the field this year.
Was I wrong or what...
It took a pair of overtime frames, 187 yards from
Josh Marriner and about 3000 rushing yards from Cincinnati, but UConn held on in double overtime to not only keep the home win streak alive and well (14 games now, 2 seasons exactly), but also to keep UConn's chances at an undefeated season and college football playoff appearance alive and giddy.
But in no way did UConn deserve to win this one.
UConn was down early, because after stops from each side to start, Marriner put his 4th carry of the day on the turf deep in Cincy territory, and a
Dameon Willis recovery meant that Cincy had some room to draw first blood. True frosh QB
Will Curry would do just that, rumbling in untouched for the 7-0 lead from 6 yards out.
Marriner made amends for his rare mistake, and, thanks to being set up by a gorgeous 42 yard run from electric
Jeff McNeal, pounded home a 3 yard TD to tie.
However,
Kevin Roberts just didn't care. He took the very next play from scrimmage 80 yards for the TD. 14-7 Cincy after 1.
The game went back and forth after that. Marriner tied it with a 4 yard TD early in the 2nd, Cincy tacked on a field goal, UConn took the lead again with a long 45 yard TD pass from
Bryant Shirreffs to
Damon Mitchell to make it 21-17 UConn at the half.
However, the wheels came tumbling off UConn's bus not long after.
Curry rumbled for 21 yards on the second half's first play and
Ira Miller followed up with a 6 yard run. Roberts broke off the second of 6 big runs by busting a pitch to the left loose for 40 yards and another lead, but more importantly, the lead (24-21 Cincy).
Arkeel Newsome took the ensuing return back to the Cincy 32, but Shirreffs made his first mistake and fired an INT to safety
Jesse Brant, and Cincy took over at the UConn 7.
A-Back
Avery Parrish had a harmless (for us) 7 yard run to start the drive, but Curry broke the next one for 35 and ended close to midfield.
He gained 25 yards on the next 3 carries before lineman/fullback
Ryan Stout perplexed Bob Diaco's D even more with a 5 yard run. Roberts finished with a 4 yard TD run, his third of the day, and Cincy had a 31-21 lead on the #5 team in the land with time slipping away in the 3rd. Winless Cincy, mind you.
When in fear, call on a pint-sized, 5'9 (or something) running back. Marriner's 41 yard run on UConn's next drive set up a 9 yard pass to
Thomas Lucas and eventually a 1 yard punch from big
Al Hart to pull UConn within 3 at the close of the third stanza.
Fortunately, UConn stepped up and recorded a 3 and out for the first time since the first drive. However, when Shirreffs threw another INT to
Carter Jacobs, UConn looked to be in danger.
Bob Diaco cut the crap from his self-described "softer than cotton candy" defense and sent everyone on every play from this point. With about 5 minutes standing between them and the possibility of a continued undefeated season.
Derek Robinson stuffed Curry for a 4 yard loss, then Curry fired two incompletions in a row to send a punt to UConn with 4 minutes to go. Newsome brought it back to the Cincy 48, and Shirreffs scrambled for 18 on 2 plays to move the chains. A pass to Mitchell for 17 pulled UConn into the red zone, and Marriner pushed UConn to the goal with a 6 yard run. However, the Huskies couldn't finish, and had to settle for the tying field goal with 2:52 remaining.
That's not good, because UConn wanted the TD. This way, if Cincy were to score, UConn may have only needed a field goal to tie.
It looked like Cincy was driving down field with time ticking away, but with a minute left the unlikeliest of heroes made potentially the biggest play of the season.
Curry fired a screen to Miller at the UConn 30, but
Sam Rourke and
Luke Carrezola were giving chase.
Carrezola decked Miller and the ball popped free. Following a series of missed dives by Bearcat linemen, backup linebacker
Sammie Leonard scooped up the ball and stepped out of bounds.
However, Shirreffs tossed another INT, and we were going to overtime! Innnnnnn Hartford! 31 all.
Cincy got the ball first, and it took two plays for Cincy to score, as (guess who?) Roberts took a Curry pitch 24 yards past a couple of sprawled UConn defenders.
With the season on the brink, Marriner took carries of 10, 4, 5 and 5 to the UConn 1.
Ron Johnson cleaned up with the tying TD, ensuring UConn got the ball first in the second OT frame.
This time it was Mitchell, who took a curl 22 yards to the 3 on an important third down, and Marriner finished to give UConn the 45-38 lead.
Now it was Cincy's turn to face the bottom of the cliff. Curry and Miller got a combined 4 yards on the first two plays, and Curry was held a yard short on third down. With a crucial 4th and 1, Roof and Cincy decided to.....throw? WTF?
Curry's pass floated innocently to the turf and UConn gutted out the win by the skin of its teeth. 7-0 never felt so exciting.
Did I mention I hate the option? I am officialy stumped. Strap on the green cape, because we have further confirmed our version of Kryptonite. At least it's not a 5'6 guy who can dunk on Dwight Howard though....
Point is, we probably could have won the game easier if not for Shirreffs' 4 INT's and Marriner's untimely fumble. But still, a near loss to a winless team is completely unacceptable, no matter what they run or if they have a 10 foot tall QB.
We have lots of work to do. But the streak is alive. Houston next. See ya there.
| Cincinnati Bearcats at Connecticut Huskies |
| Oct 21, 2017 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | OT | SCORE |
| Cincinnati Bearcats (0-7, 0-5) | 14 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 38 |
| #5 Connecticut Huskies (7-0, 4-0) | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 45 |
| Scoring Summary |
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | CIN | CONN |
| 3:40 | (CIN) Curry 6 run (Meyer kick) | 7 | 0 |
| 1:46 | (CONN) Marriner 3 run (Miller kick) | 7 | 7 |
| 1:23 | (CIN) Roberts 80 run (Meyer kick) | 14 | 7 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | CIN | CONN |
| 6:10 | (CONN) Marriner 4 run (Miller kick) | 14 | 14 |
| 3:52 | (CIN) Meyer 39 FG | 17 | 14 |
| 2:26 | (CONN) Shirreffs 34 pass Lucas (Miller kick) | 17 | 21 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | CIN | CONN |
| 5:54 | (CIN) Roberts 40 run (Meyer kick) | 24 | 21 |
| 2:42 | (CIN) Roberts 4 run (Meyer kick) | 31 | 21 |
| :38 | (CONN) Hart 1 run (Miller kick) | 31 | 28 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | CIN | CONN |
| 2:52 | (CONN) Miller 26 FG | 31 | 31 |
| OVERTIME SCORING | CIN | CONN |
| (CIN) Roberts 24 run (Meyer kick) | 38 | 31 |
| (CONN) Johnson 1 run (Miller kick) | 38 | 38 |
| (CONN) Marriner 3 run (Miller kick) | 38 | 45 |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | | PASSING | C/A | YDS | TD | INT | | Will Curry | 4-8 | 25 | 0 | 1 | | RUSHING | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | | Will Curry | 24 | 119 | 4.9 | 1 | | Kevin Roberts | 6 | 193 | 32.1 | 4 | | Ira Miller | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 0 | | RECEIVING | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | | Lance Mosley | 3 | 26 | 8.6 | 0 | | Ira Miller | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | | DEFENSE | TACK | SACK | INT | TD | | Nate Sanders | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Jesse Brant | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | | Carter Jacobs | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | Connecticut Huskies | | PASSING | C/A | YDS | TD | INT | | Bryant Shirreffs | 12-17 | 171 | 1 | 4 | | RUSHING | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | | Josh Marriner | 33 | 187 | 5.6 | 3 | | Bryant Shirreffs | 4 | 18 | 4.5 | 0 | | Jeff McNeal | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 0 | | RECEIVING | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | | Damon Mitchell | 4 | 67 | 16.7 | 0 | | Thomas Lucas | 3 | 54 | 18.0 | 1 | | Tommy Myers | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 0 | | DEFENSE | TACK | SACK | INT | TD | | Quintin Harrell | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Jamar Summers | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Junior Joseph | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
We did, barely. I have no idea anymore, but I'll keep trying. I think we'll see Navy/Army in the near future. With the new coach and young team for Cincy, this should be a one year bad spot (Look at Tulane, 0-12 two seasons ago to leading the AAC West now). But keep in mind, Ted Roof is in charge....
Thanks for checking in.
You should've been. But I mean, we're UConn. We find a way. You know this best, we don't rent. We own.
