University of Louisville
Cincinnati
Cardinals Top Cincinnati, 28-13
October 27, 2001 | Football
Oct 27, 2001
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI - T.J. Patterson returned from a sprained ankle and ran for a season-high 136 yards and a pivotal touchdown Saturday as Louisville pulled away to a 28-13 victory over Cincinnati.
Louisville (7-1, 3-0) got its running game back and stayed on track for a second consecutive Conference USA title by knocking off its most surprising challenger.
Cincinnati (4-3, 4-1) came into the game with its best conference record since 1964 and one of the country's top freshman quarterbacks. Gino Guidugli threw for 295 yards, but the first of his three interceptions set up Patterson's 23-yard touchdown run that made it 21-13 in the third quarter.
Dave Ragone completed 12 of 28 for 154 yards and had two notable runs. He twisted backward, stretching the ball as far as he could over the back of his head for a 2-yard touchdown that made it 14-0 in the first half.
He also scrambled 24 yards on third-and-9 midway through the fourth quarter, sustaining a drive that culminated in his clinching 5-yard touchdown pass to Zek Parker.
Patterson, sidelined for three weeks by the bad ankle, restored a running game that had managed only 74 yards total in the last two games. The Cardinals ran for 222 overall, their second-best total of the season.
Tony Stallings got it started with a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Ragone's twisting score made it 14-0 midway through the second quarter.
Cincinnati stayed conservative on its first five possessions and managed only two first downs. Once the Bearcats let Guidugli throw, they made it a game.
An offensive interference penalty for an illegal pick wiped out Guidugli's touchdown pass and forced Cincinnati to settle for Jonathan Ruffin's 26-yard field goal.
Jon Olinger ran down the middle of the field and got a half-step past cornerback Ronnie Gallishaw, who jumped and missed Guidugli's high-arching throw for a 71-yard touchdown play that made it 14-10 at halftime.
Ruffin's 43-yard field goal cut it to 14-13 early in the third quarter. Anthony Floyd's 16th career interception - matching Sam Madison for the Louisville career record - broke the Bearcats' momentum and set up Patterson's touchdown run.
A holding penalty wiped out Guidugli's 35-yard touchdown pass to Olinger early in the fourth quarter, and Ragone led Louisville 64 yards for the clinching score.
