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Cincinnati outlasts Western Michigan to win International Bowl

Jan 7, 2007 - 1:17 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Brian Kelly got his first win at Cincinnati by beating Western Michigan for a second time.

Making his debut as coach of the Bearcats, Kelly started his tenure at Cincinnati with a 27-24 victory over Western Michigan in the inaugural International Bowl.

Kelly came to Cincinnati after guiding Central Michigan to the Mid-American Conference title, including a 31-7 victory over Western Michigan on November 10. On December 4, he accepted the open position with the Bearcats, who lost coach Mark Dantonio to Michigan State.

Playing in a bowl for the fifth time in seven seasons, Cincinnati (8-5) looked like it was going to start the Kelly era with a rout as it jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter.

Western Michigan (8-5) fought back by scoring the last 17 points of the first half and tied the game, 24-24, on a seven-yard touchdown run by Brandon West with 10:59 to play.

Kevin Lovell kicked a 33-yard field goal with just under five minutes later to give the Bearcats a 27-24 lead. Cincinnati ran out the final 1:25 after Nate Meyer missed a 51-yard field goal attempt.

The Bearcats' defense opened the scoring as John Bowie returned an interception 25 yards for a score 3 1/2 minutes into the game.

Nick Davila then threw a pair of 21-yard TD passes to Dominick Goodman and Kevin Lovell converted a 37-yard field goal to make it 24-0 with 10:23 left in the first half.

Davila completed 19-of-35 passes for 214 yards and was intercepted twice. The game's MVP, Goodman finished with seven receptions for 109 yards.

But instead of the rout being on after Lovell's field goal, the Broncos responded with 17 straight points.

E.J. Biggers, a cornerback, threw a 76-yard TD pass to Jamarko Simmons off a reverse to get Western Michigan on the board with 9:45 left in the second quarter. Ryan Cubit threw a 30-yard TD pass to Herb Martin four minutes later and Meyer kicked a 29-yard field goal just before the half.

Cubit completed 23-of-43 passes for 184 yards and was intercepted twice. Simmons hauled in 13 receptions for 172 yards and West finished with 109 yards on 21 carries for Western Michigan.