Ranked Football Teams Visiting Nippert Stadium Through 1986
Friday night, our Bearcats host #18 UCF. When UC hosts ranked teams it is always exciting.
Bearcats have had amazing success against ranked football teams.
For example, from 1999 through 2008, Bearcats won six of eight games against ranked teams in Nippert!
Most Exciting Game: Kansas State 1995.
Most underated Bearcat team: against #1 Miami FL 1986.
Note: This list ends at 1986, because I am still watching the full Miami FL 1986 game on youtube!
Key:
Season, Bearcats record, conference
Opponent, ranking, score, conference
Notes.
2017 UC 3-8 AAC
L 25th UCF 51-23 (AAC)
Unbeaten UCF is NCAA co-champion.
2016 UC 3-8
L 6th Houston 40-16 (AAC)
Greg Ward Jr led the game in passing and rushing.
2013 12-1
L 19th Louisville 31-24 OT1 (AAC)
Teddy Bridgewater threw two crazy 4th quarter TDs.
K Tony Miliano snuck ball inside L goal post to tie the game with 7 seconds left in reg.
Limping QB Brendon Kay had two dropped passes in OT.
Last game between UC and UL out of 53 in series. UC owns the series with 30 wins 22 loses one tie.
But somewhere in Louisville there are still two “Keg of Nails” trophies.
Full game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XM3zzKWrmI
November 16, 2019, the Bearcats match up again with Coach Charlie Strong in Tampa's RayJay Stadium.
That is, if Coach Strong is still HC of USF!
2012 10-3
L 22nd Rutgers 10-3 (BigEast)
Last time that Rutgers won 9 games in season. Bearcats in 4-way
5-2 Big East Conference tie. Butch Jones left two games later for Tenn.
This year, the HCs Butch Jones and Kyle Flood are both offensive coaches at Alabama.
2008 10-3 BigEast
W 24th USF 24-10 (BigEast)
Mardy Gilyard and Connor Barwin (he was a TE) both caught TDs from Tony Pike.
2008 10-3 Big East
W 20th Pitt 28-21 (BigEast)
Pitt’s RB Shady McCoy opened with a TD run.
Next, Tony Pike threw TD passes to Bones Barnett, Goody Goodman and Mardy Gilyard. Game over. Everyone jumps on the field. But not too soon, thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Q1Pm5pmN8
The River Trophy stays in Natti, but the goalposts went down.
Here is the full 2009 Pike to Binns game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr-gCnQm_74
2007 10-3
W 16th UConn 27-3 (BigEast)
That’s when UConn had a team and a conference. They still had Randy Edsall and RB Donald Brown.
Bearcats had QB Ben Mauk (the first Bearcat Grad Transfer), who had his passing arm smashed years earlier
playing for Wake Forest. Often Mauk could not throw the football during the week! Before the game started
HC Brian Kelly had to keep a eye on Mauk just to see if he could throw anything. One game in 2007, he couldn't, so
he didn't play. Mauk only played one season for the Bearcats, but did not play in 2018 because he couldn't get a waiver.
2007 10-3 BigEast
L #5 West Virginia 28-23 (BigEast)
Bearcats were ranked #21.
Ben Mauk threw two TDs to Bones Barnett.
Fulll game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TxpK65RxOw
2006 8-5
W 7th Rutgers 30-11 (BigEast)
Greg Schiano was choppin’ wood, but Rutgers did win their first bowl game ever that season.
Of course, right now, Rutgers needs a new coach. Schiano is the favorite.
Little used Sr QB JUCO transfer Nick Davila was the star for the Bearcats.
2005 4-7 Big East
L West Virginia 38-0 (BigEast)
On a cold Wednesday night, Pat White, Steve Slaton and Rich Rodriquez had a big night.
2000 7-5 C-USA
W 24th Southern Miss 27-24 (C-USA)
QB Deontey Kenner had a decent night in a C-USA match-up,
Rick Minter led Bearcats to only their 2nd bowl game.
1999 3-8 C-USA
W 9th Wisconsin 17-12 (Big10)
A red-zone fumble, muffed punt, and touchdown-negating penalty in last 8 mins for Whisky,
but Ron Dayne had 231 rushing years, setting Big10 career rushing record.
Week before, UC lost to D1-AA Troy State.
1997 8-4 C-USA
L 24th Southern Miss 24-17 (CUSA)
Rick Minter took UC to first bowl in 47 years, playing on the frozen Smurf Turf in the Humanitarian Bowl.
1995 6-5
L 21st Kansas State 23-21 (Big 8)
KSU took a 17-14 lead with a Miller to Lockett 28 yard pass with 4:24 to go.
Bearcats QB Eric Vibberts threw a go-ahead TD to Robert Tate with 44 seconds left.
KSU won with a 21 yard TD with no time remaining!
Watch the ending and weep! If the Bearcats had won, they probably go to their first bowl game.
KSU finished 5th in the country. The next week, Bearcats won at 10-2 VaTech.
The ending:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_mf4Mrbwo8
1992 3-8 Ind
L 8th Penn State 24-20 (Ind)
Penn State “staggered away with a victory” in the first game of the 1992 season,
according to the Baltimore Sun
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm...story.html
The year before Penn State won 81-0.
1991 4-7 Ind
L 13th East Carolina 30-19 (Ind)
Paul Brown probably saw this game, because, the Bearcats sacked future Bengal QB Jeff Blake for a safety with 4:42 left in the game to get within range of ECU (21-19). UC FR RB David Small had his 6th 100 yard rushing game that season. ECU finished 11-1 with a Peach Bowl win.
1990 1-10 Ind
L 25th Louisville 41-16 (Ind)
Paul Anderson and Terry Strong led the Bearcats in Tim Murphy’s 3nd year.
1986 5-6 Ind.
L 1st Miami (FL) 45-13 (Ind)
QBs Danny McCoin vs Vinny Testaverde (one earned the Heisman that year).
Reggie Taylor rushed for 1628 years in his last Bearcat year; 5018 years in his UC career.
Full game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sibWC3UFM9M&t=48s
Jimmy Johnson was Canes HC. Dave Wannstedt was DC and a Canes Grad Assistant was named Tommy Tuberville. Bearcats had a skinny DB from Ashtabula, OH HS named Urban Meyer.
HC Dave Curry (5-6) had a talented team in 1986. This Bearcat team fought to the bitter end.
After watching this game I have a lot more respect for Coach Curry and his Bearcat teams.
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Up Next: Friday Night Showdown #18 UCF
