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International Bowl 2007
Cincinnati 27 Western Michigan 24
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Dan Ralph Canadian Press
Lovell's boot that came after a seven-yard TD run by Western Michigan's Brandon West at 4:07 tied it 24-24 (video), an accomplishment since the Broncos trailed 24-0 early in the second quarter of the first bowl game ever played in Canada and first held outside the U.S. since 1937.
The Broncos, the team of choice for an enthusiastic Rogers Centre crowd of 26,717, had a chance to force overtime with 1:21 remaining, but Nate Meyers was wide on a 51-yard field goal try.
Saturday's turnout was indeed solid considering it was just under what the CFL's Toronto Argonauts averaged last season. What's more, Saturday's gathering easily topped the 17,828 spectators who attended the last Vanier Cup game played here, a 14-7 win by Laval over St. Mary's in 2003.
The largest Vanier Cup crowd at Rogers Centre was 32,847 for Western's 35-10 win over Saskatchewan in 1989.
On Saturday, fans were treated to an entertaining show, on and off the field. The two teams combined for their share of hard licks, big plays and excitement that often brought fans out of their seats. During stoppages in play, the schools' respective bands worked feverishly to out-perform each other, resulting in an entertaining spectacle that not only enhanced the overall product but gave the game a definite festive atmosphere, something that's certainly routine in U.S. college football but sorely lacking in the product north of the border.
Brian Kelly enjoyed a winning debut as Bearcats coach. Kelly began the season at Central Michigan before going to Cincinnati on Dec. 4 to replace Mark Dantonio, who went to Michigan State. Kelly led Central Michigan past the Broncos 31-7 on Nov. 10, making him the first coach in NCAA history to earn wins over a school in the same season with two different teams.
Dominick Goodman, the game MVP with seven catches for 109 yards, had two TDs for Cincinnati with John Bowie scoring the other. Lovell added the converts and two field goals.
Jamarko Simmons and Herb Martin also scored TDs for the Broncos. Meyer booted three converts and a field goal.
The 41 points scored was surprising as the contest was expected to a defensive one. The Broncos were ranked fifth in the NCAA in rush defence and No. 11 in total defence while Cincinnati was ranked 23rd against the pass, 27th against the run and 31st overall.
Cincinnati (8-5 overall, 4-3 Big East) made its fifth bowl appearance in seven years and first since downing Marshall 32-14 in the 2004 Fort Worth Bowl.
Western Michigan (8-5 overall, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) made its first bowl appearance since 1988 and third in school history. And while the Broncos have yet to win one, it's hard to overlook the improvement they've made under sophomore coach Bill Cubit, who took over a program that in 2004 lost 10 games.
The Broncos roster featured the two Canadians in the contest, sophomore tight end Fernand Kashama of Toronto and freshman quarterback Caleb Clark of Cochrane, Alta., although neither played.
Cincinnati seemed poised to cement the win in the third, driving to the Western Michigan four-yard line before Bearcats quarterback Nick Davila was sacked for a seven-yard loss. But an official's review showed he fumbled and the Broncos recovered at the 11-yard line keep it close.
Cincinnati led 24-17 at the end of a roller-coaster first half that saw the Bearcats take a seemingly comfortable 24-0 lead in the second before Western Michigan rallied impressively.
Bowie, a senior, opened the scoring, returning an interception 25 yards for the touchdown at 3:28 of the first. Davila's 21-yard TD strike to Goodman at 8:33 put Cincinnati up 14-0.
The two combined on a second 21-yard TD strike just 30 seconds into the second.
Western Michigan used trickery to get on the board. E.J. Biggers, a sophomore cornerback, hit a streaking Simmons on a 76-yard option pass off a double reverse at 5:15 (video). That lifted the Broncos, who forced Cincinnati to punt, then put together a six-play, 75-yard march that Ryan Cubit ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Martin at 9:25.
An interception by Western Michigan's Matt Luderman set up Meyer's 30-yard field goal at 14:52.
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| Quarterback's Cubit (right) and Davila (left) kept the their teams in it. | |
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| Cincinnati's Mike Mickens defends against Western Michigan's Herb Martin in the first half. | |
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| Goodman scored on two 21 yard scoring receptions in the first half. | |
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Nate Meyers' (25) field goal try in the final moments went wide. |
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Goodman was the MVP and Kelly got his first win as Bearcats' coach. |
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Attendance: 26,717
Scoring Summary
First Quarter UC- Bowie 25 yard interception return (Lovell kick) UC- Goodman 21 yard pass from Davila (Lovell kick)
Second Quarter UC- Goodman 21 yard pass from Davila (Lovell kick) UC- FG Lovell 37 WMU- Simmons 76 yard pass from Biggers (Meyer kick) WMU- Martin 30 yard pass from Cubit (Meyer kick) WMU- FG Meyer 29
Fourth Quarter WMU- West 7 run (Meyer kick) UC- FG Lovell 33
Individual Statistics
Rushing WMU- West 21-111 UC- Benton 10-63, Moore 10-57, Grutza 3-22, Glatthaar 4-12
Passing WMU- Cubit 23-44-183, Biggers 1-1-76 UC- Davila 20-35-220
Receiving WMU- Simmons 13-170, Martin 4-43, Ledbetter 5-40 UC- Goodman 7-109, Benton 2-27, Celek 4-22, Moore 2-20, Poland 3-17
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Kevin Lovell's 33-yard field goal at 8:49 of the fourth quarter earned
the Cincinnati Bearcats an exciting 27-24 win over a game Western
Michigan Broncos squad in the inaugural International Bowl on Saturday (
