Jan 8, 2007, 5:40 GMT
Mobile, AL - Damion Fletcher scored two touchdowns on the ground as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles crushed the Ohio Bobcats, 28-7 in the GMAC Bowl.
Fletcher carried the ball 20 times for 58 yards and Tory Harrison had nine carries for 68 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Eagles (9-5), who won a bowl game for the eighth time in school history.
Jeremy Young went 14-for-22 with 160 yards and an interception for Southern Miss.
Austen Everson went 14-for-34 with 175 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Bobcats (9-5), who have yet to win a bowl game in three attempts.
It was a quiet first quarter as neither team was able to get on the scoreboard, but Southern Miss scored three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime.
An eight-play drive that went 90 yards was capped off when Harrison took a handoff around the right end and raced into the end zone on a 43-yard score to make it a 7-0 game with 8:33 left in the half.
After forcing the Bobcats to punt on their ensuing possession, the Golden Eagles again put together a successful drive as Fletcher punched the ball in from two yards out to cap a nine-play, 60-yard drive for a 14-0 lead with 3:03 left.
On Ohio's next possession, James Denley picked off a pass by Brad Bower and took it into the end zone from 18 yards out to complete the burst for Southern Miss.
Southern Miss got the ball to start the second half and went on a monster 17- play drive that ate up almost 10 minutes of the clock and Fletcher completed the surge with a nine-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 lead with 5:05 left in the period.
The Bobcats finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth with a 13-play, 58- yard drive that was finished with a 13-yard touchdown catch by Thomas Christy with 9:34 to play.
Game Notes
This was the first time these two schools have faced each other.This was the fifth straight season Southern Miss played in a bowl game. The team is 8-9 all-time in bowl contests.The last time Ohio was in a bowl game was the 1968 Tangerine Bowl, which it lost to Richmond.Christy finished the game with two receptions for 43 yards.
This was the first time these two schools have faced each other.
This was the fifth straight season Southern Miss played in a bowl game. The team is 8-9 all-time in bowl contests.
The last time Ohio was in a bowl game was the 1968 Tangerine Bowl, which it lost to Richmond.
Christy finished the game with two receptions for 43 yards.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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