[size=+2]#4 Cincinnati (11-1) vs #7 Boise State (10-2)[/size]
[size=+3]Classic Shootout[/size]
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(top) Freshman BSU WR Chris Potter with the 9-yard game-winning TD reception with only :58 left in the game. (bottom left) Cincy QB Tony Pike threw three TDs in the 1st quarter. (bottom right) BSU QB Kellen Moore throws for 412 yards and five TDs.[/size]
New Orleans, LA - This year's Sugar Bowl was billed as the most intriguing of the bowl lineups as it matched up two teams that always play with a chip on their shoulder and probably still do not get the respect they deserve. It would be the Bearcats' second year in a row to play in a BCS bowl as Cincinnati played in the Orange Bowl last year. If Cincy did not lose their opening game against Rutgers, they may very well have been in the national championship. While Boise State was unable to even win the WAC conference and had not been to a BCS bowl since the memorable Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. Everybody expected a lot of offense and they were not disappointed as the two teams put up over 1,000 yards of total offense combined.
The Bearcats were on fire out of the opening gates moving the ball down the field with ease. QB Tony Pike was able elude pressure, step up and gunned a deep pass to a wide open TE Ben Guidugli for a 35-yard TD to put Cincy in the lead early,
7-0. Boise State looked like they would quickly respond as the Broncos also easily move down the field. However, inside the red zone, QB Kellen Moore threw a jump ball up for grabs in the end zone that was picked off by Cincy CB Justin Moore. The Bearcats wasted no time as Pike threw deep into the end zone to WR Marshawn Gilyard for a 36-yard TD to put Cincy ahead
14-0. But Pike was not done yet as he would later hit WR DJ Woods in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD connection to put Cincy up
21-0. Pike had already thrown three TDs and the Bearcats looked like they were in complete control. Then on the last play of the 1st quarter, BSU HB Jeremy Avery got a big 26-yard gain on a toss but went down awkwardly out of bounds, leaving the game with a strained knee.
When the 2nd quarter started, viewers learned that Avery had a strained knee and was out for the game. But the Broncos finally did something offensively as QB Kellen Moore found TE Tommy Gallorda wide open over the middle who ran in the 18-yard TD to put Boise State on the board, down
21-7. Then Cincy QB Tony Pike was drilled in the pocket in throwing motion. The ball floated in the air and landed in the hands of BSU CB Kyle Wilson who took it the short distance for a pick-six. Suddenly, Boise State was only down
21-14. The defenses for both teams started playing better as the Bearcats would take a
27-17 lead into halftime.
Coming into the 2nd half, it felt like Boise State had weathered the storm and were right back in the game. Defense dominated the the 3rd quarter as neither offense could make a play. But eventually the Bearcats were able to move the ball on the ground as HB Jacob Ramsey was finding a lot of running room. His backup, John Goebel would vulture a TD off of Ramsey with an 8-yard TD scamper to put the Bearcats up
34-17.
But in the 4th quarter, Boise State's offense looked unstoppable as QB Kellen Moore was on fire, eventually connecting with freshman WR Kirby Moore for a 26-yard TD to cut the Cincy lead to
34-24. Boise State would get the ball back and march right back down the field where it came down to a 4th-and-one at the Cincy 14-yard line. Where BSU HB DJ Harper found room up the middle for an easy 1st down. Then Moore hooked up with Kirby Moore again for a 15-yard TD to make it a
34-31 Cincy lead with still 5:38 remaining in the game.
The Broncos were able to stop the Bearcats again. But Moore would make a crucial mistake as he was picked off by Cincy CB Chris Williams who took it in for an easy pick-six. So the Broncos were now behind
41-31 with only 4:34 remaining. However, Moore would hit WR Toshi Franklin open between a hole in the zone. Franklin made the catch and housed the 62-yard reception to cut the Bearcat lead to
41-38 with still 3:49 to go. Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly decided to play keep away as the Bearcats tried to milk the clock but when WR DJ Woods was tackled short of the 1st down, Cincy had to punt with 1:49 still on the clock. Boise State would start from their own 20-yard line. Moore suddenly did his best impression of Tom Brady as the Bronco offense was unstoppable but it was also due to a questionable Cincy defensive gameplan. Aggressive blitzes were leaving receivers completely uncovered. Eventually with :58 left on the clock, Moore threw into the end zone where freshman WR Chris Potter made the clutch 9-yard TD reception to put Boise State on top
45-41.
It was now up to Cincy QB Tony Pike to engineer a heroic last second drive. But on the first play from their own 25-yard line, Pike was sacked. However, with :40 left, Pike completed a 1st down pass on 3rd-and-long to WR DJ Woods. But on the next play, Pike threw a ball up where sophomore BSU CB Antwon Murray made the interception to seal this classic shootout shut for Boise State.
#4 Cincinnati 41 (523 yards of offense)
QB Tony Pike: 24-36, 371 yds, 3 td, 2 int
HB Jacob Ramsey: 24 car, 111 yds
WR DJ Woods: 7 rec, 86 yds, td
DT Ricardo Mathews: 5 tkl, 2 tfl, 2 sk
#7 Boise State 45 (516 yards of offense)
QB Kellen Moore: 28-40, 412 yds, 5 td, 2 int
HB DJ Harper: 19 car, 48 yds
WR Kirby Moore: 6 rec, 113 yds, 2 td
WR Toshi Franklin: 6 rec, 126 yds, td
DE Ryan Winterswyk: 10 tkl, 3 tfl, sk