Kentucky Struggle to Auburn, Win 72-67

By: Jeremy Mays

Kentucky went into Auburn, Alabama to face the Auburn Tigers after a huge win over Florida but come a way with just a 5-point victory over the Tigers. The Cats had a 13-point lead at the half but lost intensity int he 2nd Half. At one point with 8:26 left in the game, Auburn had tied the game at 60 points each. UK continued to struggle defending the three point shot when the game was on the line. It was a homecoming for the Alabama natives Eric Bledsoe and DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins recorded yet another double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Cats get the week off before they head back to home to take on John Pelphrey's Arkansas Razorbacks.

1st Half UK 39 AUB 26

2nd Half UK 33 AUB 41

Final UK 72 AUB 67

Starters

Patrick Patterson 36 mins, 12 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts

DeMarcus Cousins 30 mins, 16 pts, 11 rebs, 3 asts, 1 stl, 4 blks

Darius Miller 19 mins, 3 pts, 2 rebs, 2 blks

Eric Bledsoe 38 mins, 13 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls

John Wall 35 mins, 13 pts, 2 rebs, 4 asts, 1 stl

Bench

Perry Stevenson 6 mins, 4 pts, 2 rebs, 2 stl

Ramon Harris 6 mins

Darnell Dodson 9 mins, 3 pts, 1 reb

DeAndre Liggins 14 mins, 5 pts, 3 rebs

Daniel Orton 7 mins, 3 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast, 1 blk

Did Not Play

Josh Harrellson

Mark Krebs

Jon Hood

Marvin Lewis named 2009 NFL Coach of Year

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Bengals' head coach, Marvin Lewis was named to 2009 NFL Coach of the Year. Marvin Lewis coached last year, going 4-11-1, and in the 2009 season turned the whole team around going 10-7.

Marvin Lewis and the Bengals had to deal with a lot this year, the death of Vikki Zimmer and Chris Henry was one of those. Despite deaths in the Bengals family, Cincinnati was able to get their first winning season since 2005.

Lewis has coached 16 years in the NFL, he has been with the Bengals since Jan. 14, 2003. Lewis is 46-50-1 as a HC for the Bengals.

CCU comes from behind, but no W to show for it

By: Cooper Ledford

The Cincinnati Christian University Eagles were visiting the Ausbury College colonials, Tuesday (this is so late because CCU does not release scores very quickly.) The game was a THRILLER.

At half time, CCU had a 5 point lead, and transformed it into a 13 point lead, only to slowly rally and hold on to the lead until the final buzzer.

CCU's Dartanian Thomas had two free throws with five seconds and his team down by two, but couldn't find the mark on either. He would again have a chance to redeem himself but could only make the first of two with .8 seconds left. The rebound was tapped in the air and Asbury snapped a five game losing streak and got their first KIAC victory of the season.

Asbury (9-8, 1-0 KIAC) was led by Phillip Morrison's fourth 30 point game of the season, as the junior went for 34. Morrison connected on all 19 of his free throw attempts including 13 in the second half. He was only seven-of-17 from the floor and hit only one-of-three from long range. Morrison also led the team with five assists.

Four other Eagles were in double figures including Jamal Morris with 14, Brian Johnson with 13, Justin Jones with 11, and Brock Hurtle off the bench with 14. Hurtle was a big part in the second half comeback, knocking down all four of his three's after intermission and three in the final six minutes. Johnson also led the team with eight rebounds, Jones added seven.

Both teams were 45% shooting on the night.

Next, CCU will host Alice Lloyd College, on Tuesday, the 19th. The game is at 3:00 PM ET and will not be televised.

Ochocinco to South Florida

By: Cooper Ledford

Bengals WR, Chad Ochocinco will be heading to south Florida to play in the 2010 Pro Bowl. No Bengals were heading to the Pro Bowl, but Ochocinco will be going to replace the injured WR for New England, Wess Welker.

It will be Chad's sixth Pro Bowl in his career. Many and most Bengal's fans say that they are happy that he is going to the Pro Bowl, but would prefer the Super Bowl.

The Pro Bowl is on Sunday, Jan., 31. The game will be at 7:30 PM ET and will be on ESPN. SWO Sports WILL make a recap for the Pro Bowl.

OSU upsets #6 Purdue.

By: Cooper Ledford

The Ohio State Buckeyes (12-5) were visiting the Purdue Boilermakers (14-2). Purdue was ranked No. 6 in the nation, while OSU was not ranked.

To start things off, Purdue had an early 13-9 lead, but after that the Buckeyes went on a 9-0 run. Ohio State ended up winning, 70-66. Ohio State gets back on track and wins after losing to Minnesota, while Purdue has now lost two strait games (started 14-0).

Evan Turner had a great night, with 32 points, yes, 32, 23 of which were in the second half. Late in the game, OSU was down by 13, but Evan Turner and the rest of the Bucks were able to overcome that deficit. Turner had 14 of the last 18 points by the Buckeyes.


William Buford posted 19 points, with seven rebounds.

For Purdue, Robbie Hummel had 32 points, he also tied the school record with eight 3-pointers and had 10 rebounds.

E'Twaun Moore added 19 points for the Boilermakers.

Next, the Bucks return home where they will play Wisconsin. The game will be on Saturday, at 8:00 pm ET, the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Picture: OSU's Evan Turner had 32 points in the Buckeyes' 70-66 win over No. 6 Purdue.

UK Ends 6-Year Losing Streak To Florida On The Road

By: Jeremy Mays

The Kentucky Wildcats head into the "Swamp" and get a huge road win over the Florida Gators ending a six year losing streak on the road to Florida. The Cats started the game off shaky with Florida starting off on a 7-0 run to begin the game. It wouldn't take long for the Cats to get settled in thanks to Eric Bledsoe who stole the show with a career-high 25 points. Daniel Orton showed tremendous effort on defense with 3 blocks in a row in the first half and ending the game with 4 blocks. Patterson and Cousins had usual solid games keeping the Gators off the boards tonight out rebounding them 38-32. John Wall kept the game in control running the floor with his highlight reel dunks and layups, as well as leading the team with 6 assists. The final score of this one was 89-77. UK continues their road trip to Auburn, Alabama to face the 9-7 Auburn Tigers.

1st Half UK 38 UF 31

2nd Half UK 51 UF 46

Final UK 89 UF 77

Starters

Patrick Patterson 37 mins, 15 pts, 7 rebs, 2 stls, 1 blk

DeMarcus Cousins 23 mins, 13 pts, 5 rebs

Darius Miller 26 mins, 9 ptsm 4 rebs, 2 asts

Eric Bledsoe 37 mins, 25 pts, 7 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls

John Wall 35 mins, 19 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asts, 1 blk

Bench

Perry Stevenson 5 mins

Ramon Harris 5 mins, 1 reb

Darnell Dodson 9 mins, 6 pts, 1 reb

DeAndre Liggins 6 mins

Daniel Orton 17 mins, 9 rebs, 1 stl, 4 blks

Did Not Play

Jon Hood

Mark Krebs

Josh Harrellson

EARLY BCS Predictions, 2011

(ranks is what I predict their ranks will be at the time of the bowl)

Sugar Bowl- #5Florida vs. #4Texas (Predicted records FLA: 11-2, TEX: 11-2)

Orange Bowl- #10Virginia Tech vs. #6Cincinnati (Predicted records VT: 10-2, CIN: 12-0)

Fiesta Bowl- #3Texas Christian vs. #7Boise State (again) (Predicted records TCU: 12-0, BSU: 12-1)
Rose Bowl- #8Iowa vs. #9Oregon (Predicted records IOWA 10-2, ORE: 11-1)

National Championship- #1Alabama vs. #2Ohio State (Predicted records BAMA: 13-0, tOSU: 12-0)

SWO SPORTS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

John Wall (UK basketball)

17 points in win over Georia.

Cincinnati Reds Sign Cuban Ace Pitcher Aroldis Chapman

By: Jeremy Mays

The Cincinnati Reds sign LHP Aroldis Chapman to a 5-year, $25 million dollar deal that could be pushed up to 6-years and $30 million. Chapman was arguably the best pitcher in the free agent market and is the much awaited big transaction that Reds fans have been anxiously waiting for. The Reds beat out the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins in the sweepstakes for Chapman's services. The Reds hope that Chapman will be able to make his Major League Debut in 2010 but he may have to be sent down to the Minor Leagues because his pitching mechanics are far from polished. Chapman is a lefty that has said to have got a fastball that can reach 100 mph. The Reds will have a stacked starting rotation with Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, Justin Lehr, Micah Owings, Edison Volquez, and Matt Maloney. Look to see Owings moved back to the bullpen and on the bench as a pinch hitter. The Reds may even be looking to trade Aaron Harang or Bronson Arroyo to free up some money and get some prospects in return.

Xavier makes comeback, beats GW

By: Coop Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (10-5) were visiting the George Washington Colonials (11-4). This was a great game, George Washington lead for most of the game, and had an 11 point lead at the half. Xavier did great midway through the second half, going on a 20-13 run. In the second half the Musketeers got 46 points, while GW got only 28. Xavier played well on defense, and on the free throw line, going 76.7%. The X-man were solid on three-pointers, going 9-18, 50%.

Jason Love lead Xavier in scoring with 19 points. Jordan Crawford added 18 points and Terrell Holloway added 15 points.

Xavier proved a lot today, no matter how much they are down by, never give up on them. It was a similar case when they played Butler, trailing most of the game, and ended up losing by two, but in this one, they trailed most of the game, but won by seven.

Picture: Jason Love posted 19 points in Xavier's win over George Washington, Sunday.

SWO Sports player of the week, month.

Hey guys, I am going to start doing an SWO Sports player of the week and month. This will be on every Monday. The player can be from any of the SWO Sports teams in football or basketball. The teams are Kentucky, Ohio State, Xavier, Cincinnati Bearcats, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, or Cincinnati Christian University Eagles.

I will have a poll on who should be the player of the week and month.

So far, John Wall (UK b-ball) is the player of the week while Terrelle Pryor (OSU Football) is the player of the month.

Tomorrow I will post the player of the week. I will post the player of the month on Jan. 31.

Bengals season comes to a close

By: Coop Ledford



The Cincinnati Bengals were hosting the New York Jets, Sunday Jan. 9th. It was a rematch of last week, where the Jets beat Cincinnati 37-0. The Bengals were trying to get their first playoff win in 19 years, while the Jets were trying to continue their season.



The Bengals lost in a heart-breaker, 24-14 as the Bengals' season ends.

A big reason why Cincinnati lost was because of the turnovers. Cincy had three, while New York had zero. Shayne Grahm also missed two field goals.

However, even though the Bengals lost, fans have nothing to hand their heads about, last year they went 4-11-1, they finish this year with a record of 10-7. Great season for the Bengals.

Kentucky Holds Off Georgia In SEC Opener

UK gets its first conference victory in a hard fought match vs an under rated Georgia Bulldogs team hot off a victory over #17 Georgia Tech. The Cats trailed at half time but 2nd Half heroics from DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Liggins kept the Cats in the game. Eric Bledsoe had a solid game for the Cats today but it was a huge test as the Cats struggled to the Bulldogs in their SEC Home Opener. Kentucky was able to pull a way late in the 2nd Half with a 76-68 win as UGA's front court consisting Albert Jackson, Chris Barnes and Jeremy Price all fouled out. It proved to be a test for the Cats as they faced an even matched front court based on height with a 6'11 Albert Jackson and 6'9 Trey Thompkins. The Wildcats go on the road on Tuesday night in Gainsville, Florida to take on Billy Donovan's Florida Gators in what will be UK's biggest road test of the season.

1st Half UGA 35 UK 34

2nd Half UGA 33 UK 42

Final UK 76 UGA 68

Starters

DeMarcus Cousins 25 mins, 16 pts, 7 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stls, 2 blks

Patrick Patterson 37 mins, 17 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts, 1 blk

Darius Miller 15 mins, 5 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl

John Wall 34 mins, 17 pts, 4 rebs, 5 asts, 1 stl

Eric Bledsoe 37 mins, 12 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast, 3 stls

Bench

Darnell Dodson 11 mins, 2 rebs, 1 stl

Ramon Harris 10 mins, 2 rebs, 1 blk

Perry Stevenson 9 mins

Daniel Orton 8 mins, 3 pts, 3 rebs 1 blk

DeAndre Liggins 14 mins, 6 pts, 1 reb, 3 stls

Did Not Play

Josh Harrellson

Mark Krebs

Jon Hood

Xavier survives La Salle

By: Coop Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (9-5) were visiting the La Salle Explorers (7-7), Thursday. LaSalle took an early lead in the game, a 7-0 lead, but Xavier came back and worked hard until the half, when they lead 41-26.

The Explorers went on a 20-0 run midway through the second half to tie the game. It was then a close game where every point was important, Xavier took a six point lead with under one minute to go and held on to it. Xavier ended up winning 68-62.

The sophomore guard Jordan Crawford lead in scoring with 22 points, while Jason Love had 11 points in the return to his hometown of Philadelphia.


Next, the Muskies will return to Atlantic 10 play as they will go to the Nation's capital, Washington DC to play George Washington. The game is on Sunday, at noon, the game will be televised on FSN Ohio.

Picture: Jordan Crawford had 22 points at LaSalle on Thursday.

Bucks beat Hoosiers in Evan Turner's return

By: Coop Ledford

The Ohio State Buckeyes (11-4) were hosting the Indiana Hoosiers (7-7), Wednesday night. iTwas the return of Evan Turner, after breaking two bones in his back. Turner had eight points, five assists and five rebounds.

The star of the night was Jon Diebler, who had 21 points, while William Buford added 16 points for the Bucks.

For the Hoosiers, Verdell Jones III had a great night, 22 points, while Christian Watford added 11 for the Hoosiers.

Ohio State ended up winning 79-54.

Next, Ohio State will travel to Minneapolis, MN, to take on the Gophers. The game is on Saturday, at 3:30 pm ET, the game will be on the Big Ten Network.

Buckeyes update

By:  Coop Ledford

Some of the notable seniors and juniors that were eligable for the 2010 NFL draft will be staying to play another year at Ohio State, others will go into the NFL.

The one player that has made his decision to go into the NFL is defensive end, Thaddeus Gibson. 

Some players that are staying are Cameron Heyward, Chimdi Chekwa, and Ross Homan.

That is alll that we know, but if we get any more news on the Buckeyes and the NFL, we will let you know.

Expectations for the SWO teams in 2010

REDS:  I expect the Reds this season to at least finish 3rd in the NL Central.  They showed how good they could be at the end of the season, when it was too late, but they should be able to keep it up.

BENGALS:  Next season I expect the Bengals to win the AFC North or come in 2nd place and go to the playoffs with a wildcard berth.  They had one of their best seasons ever this year, so there is no reason why they cannot do it again next year.

CINCINNATI BASKETBALL:  UC should go into the first round of the NCAA, they have looked good so far, so I have faith in them.

XAVIER BASKETBALL:  I expect Xavier to make it into the NIT, they have not looked like the old Xavier, they don't look nearly as good as before.

OHIO STATE BASKETBALL: I expect the Buckeyes to make it to at least the first round of the NCAA tournament.  OSU has looked solid this season, I don't see any reason why they cannot make it into the NCAA.

KENTUCKY BASKETBALL:  I expect UK to go to the Final four, UK us 15-0, with great wins over Connecticut, North Carolina, and Louisville.  If UK can keep up what they have been doing so far, they can defiantly win the SEC and go to the Final Four.

CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN U. BASKETBALL:  CCU is not all the great, I do not expect the Eagles to make it into any postseason play.

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL:  UK did good last year, they went to the Gaylord Music City Bowl, they played a solid game versus Clemson, the ACC runner-up.  I expect UK to go to another Bowl game, probably the Music City Bowl, maybe even the Chick-fil-a bowl this year.

CINCINNATI FOOTBALL:  UC did great this year, 12-0 as a season record and won the Big East.  They played a team that was way out of their league, Florida.  I expect UC to win the Big East once again, even without Brian Kelly, UC is still going to be a great team in 2010.

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL:  I expect the Bucks to go 12-0 or 11-1 in the regular season.  OSU fans are wanting a perfect season, and with most of the players returning, they are more than caplibale of doing that.  I expect Ohio State to go to a BCS Bowl game and win the Big Ten.  I also think that OSU will either go to the Rose Bowl once again, or the BCS National Championship. 

Buckeyes hunt Ducks

By: Cooper Ledford SWO SPORTS FOUNDER & CEO

The Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2) were playing in the Granddaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Their opponent was the Oregon University Ducks (10-3). The Ducks were favored by 75% of people in the United States, OSU was heavy under-dogs. Oregon was trying to finish with their first win in school history over the Buckeyes, while the Bucks were trying to end the bowl losing streak. Ohio State ended up winning the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, with a score of 26 to 17. Here is how it all happened.

To start things off, on Ohio State's first drive of the game, Terrelle Pryor connected with Brandon Saine for a 13 yard touchdown pass, OSU had a quick 7-0 lead. Late in the first quarter, it was fourth down, so the conservative Jim Tressel sent out Devin Barclay to kick a field goal. Barclay's kick was perfect, the score was 10-0, Silver Bullets on top. The Webbed foots would get on the board when Morgan Flint kicked a 24 yard field goal, it was a one possession game, 10-3. Oregon would tie it up when running back, LeGarrette Blount, extended him arm over the goal-line as he was falling, but that gave Oregon a touchdown, 10-10 was the score. In the last minute and fifteen seconds of the game, after a Devin Barclay field goal, OSU had a 13-10 lead. Masoli, on the next drive would throw an interception to Ross Homan, the Buckeyes would get the ball back. Right before the half, Aaron Pettrey kicked a 45 yard field goal to give Ohio State a 6 point lead going into the half. To start off scoring in the third, Jeremiah Masoli ran for a one yard touchdown for the Ducks to give them their first lead of the game, 17-16. Ohio State would regain the lead when Barclay kicked a 38 yard field goal, it was 19-17, Bucks on top going into the fourth quarter. with 7:02 to go in the fourth, OSU had the ball on third down, Pryor found DeVier Posey making a great catch in the endzone, a 17 yard score, Ohio State had a 26-17 lead. The Buckeyes would get the ball back later on after a missed field goal by Morgan Flint, OSU was able to run the clock out and win the game.

Terrelle Pryor was the 2010 Rose Bowl MVP. Pryor went 23 for 37, passed for a career high 266 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Pryor also added 72 yards on the ground. Pryor was 80% of Ohio State's offense, getting 338 total yards.

DeVier Posey lead the game in receiving yards, he had 101 off of 8 receptions. Ohio State now gives the Big Ten their first Rose Bowl win since 2000. The Buckeyes also end their 3-in-a-row BCS skid. Ohio State finished with a record of 11-2, and give the seniors their first bowl win, and Jim Tressel's first Rose Bowl game, and win.

All through the game Ohio State did good on drives. Here is how OSU's drive summaries went: Passing TD, punt, Field goal, punt, field goal, field goal, field goal, Interception, punt, passing TD, end of game. Oregon was not as successful here is how the Ducks' drives went: Punt, punt, field goal, rushing TD, Interception, rushing TD, fumble, punt, punt, missed field goal.

Ohio State controled the ball a lot longer than Oregon. Ohio State had the ball for 41:37, as opposed to 18:23 for Oregon.

PICTURES: THE ROSE BOWL TROPHY, COACH TRESSEL GETS THE GATORADE BATH, THE TEAM CELEBRATES THE ROSE BOWL WIN

Gators chomp Bearcats

NEW ORLEANS -- Tim Tebow and coach Urban Meyer stood together in one corner of the Louisiana Superdome, sang the school fight song and then offered a final gesture.
Tebow took off on a victory lap. Meyer saluted the Florida fans.
It was Tebow's way of saying goodbye. It may have been Meyer's, too.
Forde: Dream sequence
Tim Tebow's Florida finale provided a perfect ending to his historic college career -- and an ideal introduction to a skeptical NFL, writes Pat Forde. Story
Bennett: Uncertain future
One of the great unknowns for the future of Florida's football dynasty will be the immediate plans of coach Urban Meyer, writes Brian Bennett. Blog
Tebow rose above all the distractions caused by Meyer's uncertain future and capped a storied college career with his finest performance. It was the best in BCS history, too.
Tebow threw for a career-high 482 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 51 yards and another score, and fifth-ranked Florida overwhelmed No. 4 Cincinnati 51-24 Friday night in the Sugar Bowl.
For Tebow and the Gators (13-1), this certainly was The Big Easy.
"It was incredible," Tebow said. "Just a great game. It was exactly how you want to go out with these seniors and these coaches in your last game and your last time together. It just really doesn't get any better than this."
Florida's most anticipated season ever ended in New Orleans instead of Pasadena. It came against Cincinnati (12-1) instead of Texas. It was about redemption instead of perfection.
None of that mattered when the Gators took the field.
Tebow wouldn't let it.
"This has been the best four years of life," the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner said.
He completed his first 12 passes, led the Gators to scores on their first five possessions and finished with 533 total yards -- more than anyone in Bowl Championship Series history. He topped former Texas star Vince Young's record of 467 yards set against Southern California in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
"They couldn't stop Superman," Gators guard Carl Johnson. "They needed some kryptonite."
A Fitting Farewell
Tim Tebow set a BCS record for total yardage by an individual player, surpassing Vince Young's legendary 467-yard performance against USC in the '06 title game.
Most Total Yards, BCS Games
Year
Player
Bowl
Yards
'10
Tim Tebow, FLA
Sugar
533
'06
Vince Young, TEX
Rose
467
'09
Mark Sanchez, USC
Rose
429
'02
Rohan Davey, LSU
Sugar
427
The Bearcats lost their bid for a perfect season and surely will spend the next year listening to questions about whether they belong in the big games against the biggest boys.
Florida, meanwhile, became the first school in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win 13 games in consecutive seasons.
Tebow and his teammates had hoped to repeat as national champions, but a 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game knocked them out of the title picture.
"We tried to show coach where we should have been," Johnson said. "We had to make a statement game, not only for us, but for coach Meyer. We had a bad game at a crucial moment, but we're still Florida, we're still here and we ain't going nowhere."
The Gators spent the last four weeks regrouping from the disheartening loss.
Things got worse when Meyer announced his resignation last Saturday, three weeks after being rushed to the hospital because of chest pain. Meyer changed his mind the following day, and instead said he would take an indefinite leave of absence.
No one knows how long he will be away or whether he will return at all.
"I plan on being the coach of the Gators," Meyer said. "I know I'm anxious to get home. We'll address the future at the appropriate time."
His wife, Shelley, said she had no idea what will happen.
"We just need to take a step back and think and relax and we'll see what happens from here," she said. "But this couldn't have ended better right now, right here. This couldn't have been a better day ever."
Meyer didn't look like his fiery self against his alma mater. Then again, Tebow & Co. made this a stress-free game for every Gator.
Cincinnati stacked the line of scrimmage, essentially forcing Tebow to beat them through the air. That worked for the Crimson Tide. It backfired for the Bearcats.
The bulky left-hander had all kinds of time to pass and picked apart Cincinnati's sketchy defense. He nearly had a career game in the first half alone. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, 18 yards shy of his previous career high.
He found Aaron Hernandez for a 7-yard score to cap Florida's first possession, hooked up with Deonte Thompson on a perfectly thrown ball to the corner of the end zone in the second quarter and then dropped a deep ball into roommate Riley Cooper's hands for an 80-yarder. That was longest completion of Tebow's career.
The Gators pushed the lead to 30-3 early in the third quarter and cruised the rest of the way.
"I didn't see this coming," said Tebow, who stayed in the game until there was about 3 minutes to play. "But I knew we had a great game plan."
Tebow completed 31 of 35 passes and finished with a 35-6 record in three years as a starter. Cooper had seven catches for 181 yards. Hernandez added nine receptions for 111 yards.
Florida clearly had something to prove after getting thumped in Atlanta, and Cincinnati ended up on the receiving end. The Bearcats were playing in their second straight BCS game, but this one was even more lopsided than last year's 20-7 loss to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Tony Pike got much of the blame for that one after throwing four interceptions.
Former coach Brian Kelly could get charged with this one.
Kelly bailed on the Bearcats in early December, leaving behind a lame-duck staff and plenty of angry players. The players spent a few days spewing over Kelly's decision, then insisted they understood he made a business decision. The coaches, meanwhile, spent the last three weeks searching for jobs and trying to keep the team focused despite a huge distraction.
"It doesn't help, you know?" interim coach Jeff Quinn said. "It's never easy to have coaching changes right before your season ends. It's hard to do. You go through this thing all together. And it's just like a player not being there that's a key guy."
Without Kelly, who called plays all season, the offense suffered.
"It's never easy to go through a loss, especially one like this," said Pike, who completed 27 of 45 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
Florida finished with a Sugar Bowl-record 659 yards, and the last celebration for the most successful senior class in SEC history came on the Sugar Bowl logo.
"Guys were anxious to get it done," linebacker Brandon Spikes said. "That game in Atlanta hurt. I told the guys we would get another opportunity to play like we know how to play, and I think we did that today."