Ramblings from the Ultimate Sports Sentimentalist

Stats            C. Michigan                     Cincinnati

Score                26                                   27

1sts                             17                                           13

total o                       444                                         447

rushes                 25-105-0 td                           21-123-1 td

pass                     23-34-2  td                            21-38-1 td

pass yds                   339                                         324

3rds                          3-12                                        4-14

4ths                          1-2                                          2-3

2 pts                          0-1                                          0

rd/td/fg                4-0-2                                      3-0-2

to                                 1                                              1

fumbles                   0                                              0

int                               1                                              1

pr yds                     26                                           16

kr yds                     122                                         132

total yds               592                                         595

punts/avg          4-41.8                                    6-45.3

pen/yds               5-40                                        5-50

top                        14:42                                     13:31

Player stats:

C             Pike 21-38 324 yds 1 td/1 int

CM         LeFevour 20-31 307 yds 2 td/1 int

C             Ramsey 19 rushes 116 yds 1 td

CM         Schroeder 18-141 yds

C             Ramsey 5 catches 91 yds

                Barnett 3-94 yds 1 td

CM         Brown 10-104 yds

                Anderson 5-146 yds 1 td

                Poblah 1-26 yds 1 td

C             Webster 11 tkl, 2 tfl

                Johnson 1 int for td

CM         Edwards 9 tkl, 1 tfl

                Knight 1 int for td

C             Rogers 2-2 fg

CM         Aguila 2-3 fg

Scoring Summary

The offenses did not live up to the hype in the first quarter.  Cincinnati turned the ball over on downs after failing a 4^th and 5 at the CMU 40 on the 1^st possession of the game.  LeFevour connected with Anderson on a slant that went for a 73 yd td (CMU 7-0).

The pace picked up in the second quarter, where the defenses put up points.  To start the second quarter, Pike hit Ramsey for a 60 yd screen pass to the CMU 6.  The next play Pike gets hit as he throws, the balls lands in the hands of DE Knight who rumbles 94 yds for a td (CMU 14-0).  The next play Pike hits Barnett for a 64 yd td pass up the right sideline (CMU 14-7).  CMU drives down the field, but turns the ball over on downs after failing on a 4^th and 3 at the Cincy 33.  CMU gets the ball back, but LeFevour’s pass gets tipped and picked off by CB Johnson and returned for a td (Tied 14-14).  The ensuing kick return is taken to midfield, where the Cincy K makes a td saving tackle.  CMU then drives the ball to the Cincy 7 and kicks the fg on 4^th and 1 (CMU 17-14).  CMU gets the ball back with 5 seconds left in the half and tries to run the clock out, except RB Schroeder breaks free for a 80 yd run; however, he is caught from behind at the Cincy 5.  HALF TIME 

CMU starts the second half with a fg (20-14).  On Cincy’s next possession, Ramsey breaks a 51 yd td run to give Cincy the lead for the 1^st time in the game (Cin 21-20).  LeFevour would bounce back and march down the field for a 26 yd td pass to Poblah, 2 pt no good (CMU 26-21).

Cincy comes into the 4^th quarter down 5 to a CMU offense that has moved the ball at will throughout the game.  Would the pressure of being the first 1 seed to lose get to them?  Cincy drives the ball down the CMU 7 and cannot punch it in.  They have to settle for 26 yd fg (26-24).  CMU tries to match the Cincy drive and ice the game away.  CMU converts a 4^th and 3 at the Cincy 35; however, the Cincy D holds CMU to a fg attempt.  The fg is wide right from 44 yds with 2 minutes left.  Cincy gets the ball back and converts a 4^th and 1 at the Cincy 35.  They then convert on a huge 4^th and 10 at the CMU 47 to keep the game alive.  Cincy sets up for a 23 yd fg with 5 seconds left in the game and ITS GOOD! (Cincy 27-26). FINAL

Notes

1. The Cincy defense stepped up when it was necessary.  They held CMU scoreless in the 4^th quarter and allowed the Cincy offense to win the game.  The Cincy defense will have to be more consistent if they want to keep advancing.

2. CMU missed opportunities.  CMU got into the red zone 4 times and only came away with 6 points.  Plus, they missed a late fg that would have made it a 5 point game and forced Cincy to score a td to win.  A 4 seed cannot waste that many td opportunities and expect to beat the 1 seed.

3. Where was Ginyard?  He made a few big 1^st down catches at the beginning of the game, but then faded away.  However, RB Ramsey filled in and totaled over 200 yds of offense.

4. The play of the game has to be the Cincy fg with 5 seconds left to advance.  A special mention for CMU DE Knight’s 94 yd int return for a td.  You don’t see a DE make many ints, much less run them back 94 yds for a td.