CINCINNATI (AP) - Tony Pike is getting to run the Cincinnati
Bearcats' high-powered passing offense this week, looking to use a
bye to get back into starting form after his arm injury.
The unbeaten Bearcats also are focusing on that other, sometimes
overlooked area of the offense. Coach Brian Kelly wants to run the
ball more.
Fifth-ranked Cincinnati had some of its best balance of the
season during a 24-21 victory over West Virginia last weekend that
gave the Bearcats (10-0) their best start in school history.
Sophomore Isaiah Pead ran for a career-high 175 yards against a
defense more worried about the pass, and backup quarterback Zach
Collaros threw for 205 yards.
Even if Pike is able to start on Nov. 27 against Illinois, Kelly
wants him handing off plenty of times.
"Teams are overplaying the pass, doubling up the receivers, so
you have to be able to run the football," Kelly said this week.
Sounds strange coming from a coach who loves to empty the
backfield in his no-huddle, spread offense, but it's one of the
ways he can protect Pike as well as take advantage of Pead's
emergence as a threat to shred defenses. After the home game
against Illinois, the Bearcats will play for the Big East
championship at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5, facing a team that has good
offensive balance of its own.
"It's still about adjusting during the game," Kelly said. "I
would tell you that working on the running game is weather-related.
Obviously you've got a chance on Dec. 5 playing in Pittsburgh that
it might not be the optimal time to throw the football. You might
be confronted with elements that force you to do that."
Pike damaged a plate in his non-throwing forearm during a 34-17
win at South Florida on Oct. 15, forcing his sophomore backup to
finish that game and start the next four. Collaros is a much better
runner and gave the offense more balance.
In his 4½ games filling in, Collaros completed 77 percent of his
passes for 1,305 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions.
He also ran for 329 yards and four touchdowns.
Collaros' strong performance allowed Pike to take his time to
recover from surgery to replace the plate in his left forearm.
Wearing a protective brace, he got into the game against West
Virginia for four plays and threw a pair of touchdown passes.
Although Pike's return was the highlight, Pead was the star. He
carried 18 times - the most by any Bearcats running back this
season - and averaged 9.7 yards per run. The sophomore had a
52-yard run that showed his speed and cutting ability.
"I haven't seen 18 carries since my last game in high school,"
said Pead, who broke Archie Griffin's career rushing record at
Eastmoor Academy in Columbus, Ohio. "I never thought with Collaros
and Pike that I'd get the ball that many times."
Kelly was pleased with the results and kept calling plays that
got him the ball.
"We've got great running backs in our league," Kelly said.
"Finally we can show our league and the country that we've got
one, too."
Cincinnati also is using the bye week to upgrade its schedule
and facilities. The Bearcats announced a deal this week to play
Virginia Tech at the Washington Redskins' stadium in 2012. They're
already scheduled to play at Ohio State that season. Virginia Tech
beat Cincinnati 20-7 in the Orange Bowl last season.
"Certainly there's some recruiting advantages, playing in that
metro area that's a rich recruiting area," Kelly said. "I think
it's pretty important for us to go in that direction. There's lots
of reasons (for scheduling Virginia Tech), but the one that I think
is important for us is to be in that kind of marketplace and keep
building our program. We're not there yet, and we need that kind of
exposure."
The university also moved forward this week with plans to build
practice fields, including a covered field. The Bearcats currently
practice at Nippert Stadium, which is the smallest stadium in the
Big East and isn't covered. Kelly has made it a priority to improve
the facilities and the pay for assistant coaches.
"Our team's arrived, but our program still has to look at
infrastructure, we still have to continue to be competitive
salary-wise with the coaches," Kelly said. "All those things are
still in the process. We didn't in two years go from the bottom of
the league, in terms of infrastructure, to the top. We have a lot
of work left there."
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
