TicketsNov. 8, 2009
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati's 47-45 win over Connecticut Saturday night has been selected as the ESPNU College Football Game of the Week and will air on ESPNU from 2-5 p.m. Monday. Nearly 30,000 votes were cast in the fan poll, with the Bearcats coming out on top.
ABC's primetime crew of Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lisa Salters broadcast the game to a live audience from Nippert Stadium.
Sophomore Zach Collaros threw for 480 yards -- the second-best passing performance in Cincinnati's history -- which helped let the Bearcats match the best start in their history. He was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week Monday.
Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0 Big East) is off to its best start since 1951, when it won the Mid-American Conference title.
The sophomore has taken big steps in each of his three fill-in starts. In the first three quarters alone on Saturday, he threw for 447 yards, topping everyone except Greg Cook's 554-yard passing game in the school record book.
Collaros went 4 for 4 for 33 yards on UC's final drive, completed by Isaiah Pead's 14-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play with 1:52 left that made it 47-38.
Cincinnati finished with a school-record 711 yards of offense. Collaros had a hand in three touchdowns -- he threw for one and ran for two more. His 559 yards passing and running set a school record.
Kicker Jacob Rogers added four field goals, earning BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
UC continues a three-game homestand this weekend, taking on West Virginia Friday at 8 p.m. at Nippert Stadium. Tickets for the game are sold out and the game will be televised in HD by ESPN2.