UC Bearcats top East Carolina on game-winning field goal
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Tommy Tuberville threw an arm around Andrew Gantz as Gantz emerged from the Bearcats' postgame locker room here Saturday. The University of Cincinnati coach kidded his sophomore kicker about the latter's game-winning field goal.
"You son of a gun," a smiling Tuberville said. "You're gonna give me a heart attack."
Gantz made a 42-yard field goal on the game's final play as UC rallied to beat East Carolina 19-16 here on a sunny afternoon, before 40,743 fans at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
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Gantz atoned for an earlier missed PAT kick and a failed field-goal attempt, as UC won its regular season finale. Gantz also beat East Carolina on a late field goal in 2014.
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"Same thing I felt last year," Gantz said. "That was going through my head the entire game. I just had the same feeling again I had last year, for some weird reason."
Gantz missed a 44-yard field goal field goal attempt that would have given UC a 19-16 lead with 4:27 left.
The UC defense then held ECU to a 3-and-out series, giving junior quarterback Gunner Kiel and the offense another chance. UC drove 56 yards in the final 2:34 to win it.
"I went down and told Gunner, 'You just try to get it down there, I'll pull it through for us,' " Gantz said. "I knew I was going to make it. I don't think I've ever missed twice in a row in my whole college career, knock on wood."
UC (7-5, 4-4 American Athletic Conference East) already had gained bowl eligibility. The Bearcats expect to learn their destination next Sunday.
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ECU finished 5-7 overall, 3-5 AAC East.
On a day when Shaq Washington broke two more major UC receiving records, the defense and Gantz also came through.
UC fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. After allowing 182 total yards in the first quarter, UC surrendered only six points and 203 yards thereafter.
"That was a true team victory," Tuberville said. "Offense, defense and kicking game. Everybody had a part in it. The sideline was great. It's hard to go on the road two weeks in a row, especially after that mess we had last week."
UC was coming off of a 65-27 loss at South Florida.
"We were kind of down after the performance we had against USF," UC senior cornerback Jarred Evans said. "Everybody had a great attitude about the week. We said we're not going to come here and lose, for the seniors."
One prominent senior, slot receiver Washington, had 15 catches to set a UC single-game record. Washington totaled 124 yards and scored a touchdown, and he raised his season receptions total to 88 to break another UC mark.
The UC single-game receptions record had been 13, by Tom Rossley (1968) and Jon Olinger (2002).
The UC season record for receptions had been 87, by Mardy Gilyard in 2009.
Washington already owns the UC career receptions mark, with his total now 238.
The UC offense took time to get going, but Kiel finished 30-for-47 passing for 270 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
UC rushed for 157 yards, with 136 after halftime. Senior running back Hosey Williams rushed for 69 yards and sophomore Mike Boone for 56, with Boone scoring a touchdown.
"The whole key to the game, the second half, was we were able to run the ball," Tuberville said. "They had 44 snaps in the first half. I told the offense that if we didn't control the ball in the second half, we couldn't win the game."
UC held ECU to 25 plays in the second half and 69 overall. UC ran 90 plays, including 49 after halftime.
"We didn't go deep with the ball in the second half," Tuberville said. "We weren't going to turn it over."
UC cut the ECU lead to 10-6 on an 8-yard TD pass from Kiel to Washington. Gantz missed the PAT kick, with 10:47 left until halftime. Gantz had made 78 consecutive PAT kicks, including 47 this year.
Boone gave UC the lead, 13-10, with a 1-yard TD run with 7:28 left in the third quarter.
Gantz hit a 50-yard field goal to push the UC lead to 16-10, with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.
East Carolina tied it, 16-16, on a 2-yard pass from James Summers to Bryce Williams with 10:36 left. Because of a taunting penalty ECU had to try its PAT kick from 34 yards, which missed. That left it tied 16-all.
COLERAIN GRAD SHINES: Tuberville praised the offensive line and singled out UC sophomore center David Niehaus, a Colerain High School product who started for the injured Deyshawn Bond (foot).
"David Niehaus, what can you say about him?" Tuberville said. "He hadn't played but a handful of plays in his career, and he goes out and starts at center and doesn't give up a sack. He gets almost all the fronts called right. Just unbelievable what the kid did."
DEFENSE STEPS UP: How did the defense adjust from its slow start?
"We didn't blitz but once the whole game," Tuberville said. "We didn't take any chances. If they were going to score, they were going to score on a long drive. We were able to get them in enough third-down situations to get them off the field."
Junior safety Zach Edwards (Middletown HS) led the UC defense with seven tackles. Redshirt freshman cornerback J.J. Pinckney had two pass break-ups. Senior defensive end Silverberry Mouhon and sophomore DE Mark Wilson each had two quarterback hurries.
SUMMING UP: UC was the prohibitive media choice to win both the AAC East and inaugural league title game. The Bearcats settled for a rousing finish Saturday, as they remained on the field celebrating for several minutes afterward.
"Everybody we played was fired up to play us," Tuberville said. "That's what you get when you get the target on your back. We talked with the seniors, and there's not been any quit in these guys."