No. 5/7 Football Closes Out October Against Syracuse On Halloween

Oct. 28, 2009

Game Notes | Roster | | Live Audio

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AT A GLANCE
Date: Oct. 31, 2009
Time: Noon (EST)
Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
Venue: Carrier Dome
Capacity: 49,262
Surface: FieldTurf
Live Stats: GoBEARCATS.com
Series Record: UC leads 5-4
In Syracuse: SU leads 3-2

ON THE AIR
The game will be televised nationally by ESPNU. Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and David Diaz-Infante (analyst) will have the call.

The game will air over the Cincinnati Bearcats Radio Network presented by IMG College starting at 11:30 a.m. on 700 WLW AM, XM 144, and Sirius 123. Dan Hoard (play-by-play), Jim Kelly Jr. (analyst), Tom Gelehrter (sideline), and Mo Egger (host/engineer) make up the UC broadcast team.

The radio broadcast can also be heard over the internet at GoBEARCATS.com.

No. 5/7 Football Closes Out October On The Road, Facing Syracuse On Halloween
UC will be back on the road for a Halloween matchup at the Carrier Dome with Syracuse at Noon on ESPNU. The two schools will meet for the 10th time with UC holding a 5-4 edge in the all-time series. The Orange lead 3-2 in games played at the Carrier Dome, but UC has won two straight in Syracuse and four straight overall in the series. UC enters with an offense that ranks No. 2 in the nation in scoring (40.7 ppg), No. 2 in passing efficiency (163.80), and No. 7 in total offense (458.6 ypg), while the Bearcats defense leads the country in sacks (4.14 spg), tackles for a loss (10.4 tflpg), ranks No. 3 in turnover margin (1.57), and No. 11 in scoring defense, allowing only 13.7 points per game.

THE SERIES
The schools have met nine times with UC winning four straight to lead the all-time series 5-4. SU holds a 3-2 edge at home.

THE COACHES
Brian Kelly, the two-time reigning BIG EAST Coach of the Year, is in his third full season at the helm of the Cincinnati football program with a 29-6 record and a 19-year career mark of 166-57-2. Kelly led the Bearcats to a school-record 11 wins, a BIG EAST Championship, and a Bowl Championship Series game berth in 2008. He won two NCAA Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State and led Central Michigan to the 2006 Mid-American Conference Championship. He is the leader in victories among active BIG EAST coaches and is the only current BIG EAST coach with 150 or more career wins.

Doug Marrone is 3-4 in his first season as the head coach at Syracuse. He spent the previous two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. This is his first meeting against UC.

A LOOK AHEAD
UC will spend the entire month of November in Cincinnati, playing three-straight games at Nippert Stadium. First up will be a Nov. 7 matchup against Connecticut. UC leads the all-time series 4-1 with a 3-0 mark at Nippert. UConn defeated the Bearcats, 40-16, a year ago at Rentschler Field.

STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS ...

• The Bearcats are off to their best start since 1954. This is the fourth time in school history the Bearcats have started a season 7-0 (1897, 1932, 1951, and 1954).
• Cincinnati has won 13-straight regular season games.
• UC sits at No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, No. 7 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and No. 8 in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings. UC is 15-7-1 all -time when ranked.
• QB Tony Pike suffered an injury in the second half of the USF game. His left (non-throwing) arm is in a cast and his status for the Syracuse game is unknown.
• QB Zach Collaros made his first career start at quarterback against Louisville, going 15-of-17 for 253 yards, three touchdowns, and 52 yards rushing.
• WR Mardy Gilyard caught his eighth touchdown pass of the season and 22nd of his career, tying him for UC's all-time lead with former teammate Dominick Goodman (2005-08).
• UC leads the nation in sacks (4.1), tackles for a loss (10.4) and ranks third in turnover margin (1.6).
• Offensively, the Bearcats are second in the country in both scoring offense (40.7 ppg) and passing efficiency (163.89). They also rank No. 7 in total offense (458.57), and No. 10 in passing offense (306.7).
• UC has turned the ball over four times in 2009, all on INTs, the fewest turnovers in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
• UC is also the lone NCAA FBS team to have not lost a fumble in 2009.