Dec. 22, 2007 - Legion Field - Brimingham, Ala.
Outgoing Golden Eagles coach Jeff Bower, meanwhile, couldn't put another win on his ledger. The hard-to-tackle Mauk passed for 334 yards and four touchdowns, and DeAngelo Smith intercepted three passes Saturday, leading the Bearcats to a 31-21 victory over Southern Miss in the Papajohns.com Bowl. The victory gave Cincinnati (10-3) its second 10-win season and first since 1951, while virtually assuring a spot in the final rankings for the first time. Mauk, the game's most valuable player, completed 30 of 52 passes and overcame three interceptions to become only the third Bearcats player to have a 3,000-yard passing season. It was a nice finish for the former Wake Forest starter, but a difficult one for Southern Miss (7-6) and Bower. It was the final game for Bower after 17 seasons at his alma mater, a stay that ranks behind only that of Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden and Frank Beamer among current coaches. Bower was forced to resign after a disappointing regular season, leading to the hiring of Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora. Bower walked off the field, his arm draped around daughter Stephanie and admitted he got "a little emotional" in the locker room afterward. Bower's team couldn't convert several chances to at least make the ending interesting. Mostly, though, they couldn't stop Kelly's spread offense. Mauk, who also rushed for 41 yards and frequently broke loose from defenders to make plays, threw three touchdown passes during an 8-minute span extending into the second half. For Mauk, who intends to apply for another season of eligibility because of an injury-shortened junior year at Wake Forest, his scrambling helped in more than the obvious ways. Bower's third-quarter gamble didn't pay off. Cincinnati stopped punter Britt Barefoot on a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from his own 29. Mauk hit Earnest Jackson for a 29-yard TD strike on the next play for a 21-7 lead. Jeremy Young answered with a 1-yard scoring run for Southern Miss before Mauk struck again with a 10-yarder to Antwuan Giddens and set up a 22-yard field goal by Jake Rogers in the final seconds of the third quarter to put the Bearcats up 31-14. Young cut into the lead again with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Johnson. But Southern Miss couldn't recover an onside kick or convert a fourth-and-1 play on its next possession. Smith's third pick ended any hope of a comeback in the final minutes after Brandon Summerall's interception in the end zone gave Southern Miss a slim chance. Damion Fletcher provided most of the offense for Southern Miss. He ran 29 times for 155 yards against a defense that came in allowing just 106 yards on the ground. He also caught seven passes for 50 yards. Young was 18-for-32 for 122 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 55 yards. He was sacked four times and threw the three interceptions. Goodman caught seven passes for 95 yards and a pair of scores for Cincinnati. Connor Barwin (86 yards) and Antwuan Giddens (64) also had seven catches apiece. Leading receiver Marcus Barnett left the game in the first half with a leg injury and didn't return.
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Rushing-- Southern Miss: Fletcher 29-155, Young 17-55, Harrison 2-7, Barefoot 1-0.
Cincinnati: Mauk 12-41, Moore 4-18, Ramsey 6-9, Glatthaar 1-7,
Benton 1-0.
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