University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Fall at Cincinnati 28-17
10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
CINCINNATI (Oct. 15, 2005) – The University of Cincinnati scored on its first two possessions of the second half to extend a 7-3 halftime lead and roll to a 28-17 football victory over the University of Connecticut on Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 21,039 at Nippert Stadium.
UConn falls to 4-2 on the season with the loss and is 1-1 in the BIG EAST while the Bearcats even their record to 3-3 on the season and are also 1-1 in league play. The game marked the first home BIG EAST Conference game for league newcomer Cincinnati.
The Bearcats led by a 7-3 count at halftime. Cincinnati outgained the Huskies by a yard in the first half, 131-130, while the Huskies picked up nine first downs compared to eight by the Bearcats.
Cincinnati took its opening possession of the second half and scored a touchdown on an eight play-65 yard drive. Connor Barwin caught a seven-yard pass from Dustin Grutza for the score. The Bearcats never had a third down play in that drive.
The Bearcats struck again quickly as they posted a touchdown on a three play-58 yard drive as Butler Benton had a 27-yard run for the score to make it 21-3. One play earlier in the drive Benton had a 34-yard reception from Grutza.
The Huskies scored their first touchdown of the game as redshirt freshman D.J. Hernandez (Bristol, Conn.) threw a 16-yard strike to redshirt freshman Lou Allen (Salem, Conn.). Connecticut benefited from two Cincinnati penalties that gave the Huskies a pair of first downs.
The victory was sealed for Cincinnati with 7:04 left in the game when Bradley Glatthaar had a 72-yard touchdown rush right after a UConn punt.
Hernandez made his first collegiate career start and was 19 of 43 in the air for 191 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Junior running back Terry Caulley (Lusby, Md.) picked up 87 yards on the ground on 21 carrries while Dan Murray had six receptions for 70 yards.
Grutza was 9 of 21 in the air for 125 yards while Glattharr had 123 yards and two touchdowns on his 15 carries.
UConn’s only score of the first half came on a 22-yard field goal by junior kicker Matt Nuzie with 11:03 left in the second quarter. Nuzie had missed a 37-yard field goal to conclude Connecticut’s first possession of the game.
Cincinnati scored the only points of the first quarter as Glattharr scored on a nine-yard run that completed a 10 play-88 yard drive. The drive started at the Bearcat 12 after an exceptional 47-yard punt by Husky sophomore Shane Hussar (Plantation, Fla.). Cincinnati never got to third down on that drive and picked up 20 yards on a 2nd and 12 play from the Husky 35 as Grutza threw to Greg Moore. Moore also had a 28-yard rush on 2nd and 10 from the Bearcat 12.
The Huskies capped the scoring in the fourth quarter with an eight-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that was capped by 13-yard pass from Hernandez to Seth Fogarty for his first career touchdown. UConn’s Darius Butler (Tamarac, Fla.) successfully recovered an onside kick and the Huskies drove down to the Cincinnati 40 before a fumble by Hernandez ended the drive.
UConn returns to action next Saturday when its plays host to Rutgers in a BIG EAST Conference game at Rentschler Field. The Homecoming contest will begin at 3 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN Regional on NESN and Madison Square Garden Network.
UConn-Cincinnati Game Notes
Team Notes:
w Of UConn’s 15 losses in the Division I-A era, 11 have come on the road. The Huskies are 2-5 on the road over the 2004 and 2005 seasons combined, but 9-1 at Rentschler Field. The Huskies won their lone neutral site game during this span, 39-10 over Toledo in the Motor City Bowl.
w Cincinnati’s total offensive total is the most UConn has yielded this year. Georgia Tech had 307 yards on Sept. 17.
w The 34-yard pass play to Dan Murray in the second quarter was comfortably UConn’s longest pass of the year. The previous best was a pair 25-yard completions, both from Matt Bonislawski with Terry Caulley catching on and Murray the other.
w Today’s game marks the first time that UConn has been shutout in the first quarter in the past 15 games, dating back to a 27-7 loss at Boston College on Sept. 17, 2004. Today also marks the first time the Huskies have been held without a first quarter touchdown since trailing Duke 13-3 at the half on Sept. 11, 2004. UConn rallied to beat the Blue Devils 22-20.
w Cincinnati reached the red zone four times today. Entering the game, UConn had allowed an opponent to enter the red zone just four times on 72 drives this season. At 88 yards, Cincinnati’s first scoring drive is the longest scoring march against the Huskies in 2005. Army had an 84-yard scoring march on Oct. 1.
w Steve Brouse’s first quarter fumble was UConn’s first turnover since the Georgia Tech game (Sept. 17) and only its second fumble lost this season. UConn entered the game ranked fifth in the nation in turnover margin but was –3 today.
w Although they drove into field goal range, UConn did not score on its opening possession for the second straight game after tallying in each of its first four contests this year.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
w Redshirt freshman FB Lou Allen and junior WR Seth Fogarty each made first career touchdown catches. UConn’s nine touchdown passes this year have gone to a total of seven different receivers.
w Redshirt freshman QB D.J. Hernandez made his first career start. No Husky has won their first career start when it came on the road since Shane Stafford at Yale on Sept. 30, 1995.
w True freshman Cody Brown made his first career start at defensive end in place of Dan Davis who missed the trip with an ankle injury.
w Four prominent Huskies, including three defensive starters, left the game with injuries and did not return (Danny Lansanah, Larry Taylor, Taurien Sowell and Ernest Cole).
