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Teleconference Transcript
Dec 11, 2002
Author: Chris Jackson, Sun Belt Conference
Cincinnati Head Coach Rick Minter

On playing in the New Orleans Bowl
“We are extremely happy and excited to go to New Orleans and play in the New Orleans Bowl. We are proud to be Conference USA champions and we are happy for the New Orleans Bowl to have two conference champions playing against each other.”

On playing in a bowl after two league losses
“We had to fight to become bowl eligible, yet alone to be conference champs. We played a tough schedule and we lost a lot of close games. We knew we would end up chumps or champs - we were either going to a bowl game or going nowhere, but we won some tough games on the road. We had two conference losses and no room for error (following UC’s 23-14 loss to Southern Miss), but we won five of our last six and North Texas has won six of their last six, so we have two teams that are on a roll.

On sophomore quarterback Gino Guidugli
“There has been a lot of labels put on Gino since coming here (to UC). He feels like he needs to make all the plays, but he knows that if he can relax and play and be Gino, good things will happen. He is a quarterback at a local program (Guidugli is from Ft. Thomas, KY - only 10 miles from Cincinnati) and he is doing an outstanding job handling that.”

“He has helped guide our offense from a second place team to a conference championship team. With him, we can sell the local recruiting issue to a kid (in the area).”

On UC’s quick-strike offense
“We don’t do it often enough, but we have the ability to do that (be a quick-strike offense). We have good solid speed at receiver, not sprinter’s speed, but good solid speed. We block plays and throw plays and things happen.”

On North Texas’ defense
“No. 92 (DT Brandon Kennedy) is a great player. No. 85 (DE Adrian Awasom) is a great player. No. 22 (SS Craig Jones) is a great player. No. 1 (FS Jonas Buckles) is a great player. They are a group that is playing with confidence. They don’t do a lot of things fancy, they just line up and let (Kennedy) wreak havoc. Our offensive coaches have great respect for them.”

On senior UC kicker Jonathan Ruffin - a New Orleans native
“He hasn’t had many down times in his career. He was going to sign with Tulane, but they had a coaching change and now he’s a Bearcat. As a freshman in 1999, he hit some huge kicks in our first two or three games. Since then, he has been nothing but golden for us.”


Cincinnati senior left Guard Kirt Doolan

On UC’s mindset coming into the New Orleans Bowl
“We had great expectations (coming into the season) and nobody believed in us, but we knew that if we stopped hurting ourselves, we could be a good football team. We have no self-doubt because we are confident in our abilities. We are a group that has played together for a long time.”


Cincinnati senior kicker Jonathan Ruffin

On finishing career at home
“I couldn’t ask for anything more as a senior and I couldn’t be more excited.”

On kicking indoors at the Louisiana Superdome
“That will be perfect conditions. I don’t have to worry about field conditions, don’t have to worry about wind…I really like it.”

North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey

On playing in the New Orleans Bowl against Cincinnati
“We are excited to return to the New Orleans Bowl. We have an excellent opponent in Cincinnati. Their defense is very athletic and they cause turnovers because of that. They have a balanced offense and Coach (Rick) Minter said it best when we were down in New Orleans this week, their quarterback (Gino Guidugli) is becoming one of those players around the country that you call by his first name. In Denton (Texas), everyone knows who Gino is. Their offense is a great challenge for our defense. They come very prepared and play very hard.”

On his Mean Green defense
“I feel good about our defense. (Cincinnati) is the best big-play team we will face all year. They protect the quarterback and open holes for their runningbacks. They cause problems that we have not faced this year. They are very strong in both areas (the run and the pass).

On Sun Belt Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Kennedy
“He loves to play the game and he comes to play every week. He’s can’t help but play low because he is 5-foot-9 and 315 pounds, but he can dunk a basketball. His size works in his favor - that’s what is good about Brandon. He is one of a group of good players on our defense.”

On beginning the season 1-5
“We had a number of players returning from last season and we were in a similar position (North Texas started off the 2001 season 0-5). The players handled it pretty well and they knew that once conference play starts, there was a wonderful reward to get to at the end of the season.”

On Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli
“It is amazing on how advanced he is, being only a sophomore. He has a great arm and great fundamentals as a pocket quarterback. He also has a good group of receivers and he does not just home in on one guy. He gets rid of the ball (quickly) and looks like a 10-year veteran.”


North Texas DT Brandon Kennedy

On being only 5-foot-10 and being able to dunk a basketball on a 10-foot goal
“I don’t know how I do it. I just jump and reach for the rim. I used to play with my brothers and they could (dunk a basketball) and I had to, just to compete.”

On being 5-foot-10 inches tall
“As a defensive lineman, you are taught to stay low and it looks like it (my height) is working out for me so far. I get funny looks (from opposing teams) and they talk smack to me, but that is just part of the game. Our defensive scheme helps free me up a bit and make plays.”

On what he knows about Cincinnati
“They have an outstanding team. They have guys that can make plays and they have a great quarterback. We just have to stay with our game plan and everybody has to do his job.”


North Texas cornerback Don McGee

On facing Cincinnati’s offense
“We have played some of the best wide receivers in the country and we will have to stay in our game plan when we face their (UC’s ) receivers. We have to play our game and not play for them. Their quarterback is accurate and he knows when to throw the ball. He is our main focus.”

On teammate Brandon Kennedy
“The first time I saw him, they said he could dunk and I didn’t believe it. (When on the football field) he started making plays and made it easy for the defensive backs.”

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