University of Connecticut Athletics
Cincinnati Defeats UConn, 45-28
11/3/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
CINCINNATI, OH (November 3, 2001)- Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli passed for a touchdown and rushed for one, and DeMarco McCleskey ran for 102 yards and a touchdown to help the Bearcats defeat Connecticut 45-28 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday. With the loss, Connecticut fell to 2-6 on the season, while Cincinnati got its first non-conference win of the year as it improved to 5-3.
Cincinnati’s LaDaris Vann had a career long 30 yard punt return to the UConn 16 to set up the first touchdown of the game. Three plays later, with 5:51 remaining in the first, Guidugli ran into the end zone untouched on an option play.
Connecticut answered when it took advantage of the Bearcat’s nickel defense that left the middle open as quarterback Dan Orlovsky (Fr., Shelton, CT) found Chris Bellamy (Fr., New Britain, CT) at the goal line with 1:51 left in the opening quarter to cap a nine play, 74-yard drive.
After Cincinnati broke the tie on its next possession when Ray Jackson lowered his shoulder for a two yard touchdown run, Connecticut evened it again with 11:43 remaining in the second when Taber Small (Sr., Baltimore, MD) scored the 26th rushing touchdown of his career from a yard out. Small, who entered the game tied with Walt Trojanowski on the UConn career rushing TD chart, moved into sole possession of second.
A Jonathan Ruffin 29 yard field goal on the next Cincinnati possession made it 17-14. The momentum continued to build for Cincinnati when Vann faked an out route to get behind the defense, and hauled in a 38 yard touchdown pass from Guidugli with two seconds left in the half to make it 24-14.
Interceptions in the second half set up touchdowns for both teams when Blue Adams gave Cincinnati the ball at the UConn 28 before McLeskey spun into the end zone on a one yard run to give the Bearcats a 31-14 advantage.
UConn made it a 10 point game again after taking over on an interception by Roy Hopkins (Jr., Rochester, NY). The offense took advantage of the turnover when Jasen Ridley (Fr., Sunrise, FL) received a 48-yard touchdown pass at the 7:53 mark in the third on what was Orlovksy’s career long touchdown strike.
Following that, Cincinnati broke it open when Zach Norton took an interception 15 yards into the end zone, and Nathan Wize put the Bearcats up 45-21 on the first rushing touchdown since the senior running back’s freshman year.
On the final play of the game, Bellamy caught a seven yard pass from Orlovsky and made the defense miss for his second score of the day. After the extra point, the game ended with the score 45-28.
Orlovksy finished with three touchdowns and 382 passing yards, which ranks as the fourth highest single game total in school history and the most ever by a freshman. He was also intercepted twice and fumbled twice. Defensively, UConn was led by Chris Meyer (So., Clearwater, FL) who registered a career high 15 tackles, while Jamal Lundy (Jr., Burlington, NJ) and Razul Wallace (Jr., Hicksville, NY) each had 12 stops.
On November 10, Connecticut will return to Storrs to host Utah State in what will be the last home game of the season for the Huskies. Kickoff is set for noon.
