Cincinnati, OH (My Sportsbook) - Tony Pike threw for 272 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as 16th-ranked Cincinnati captured the outright Big East title with a 30-10 victory over Syracuse at Nippert Stadium.
John Goebel added 67 rushing yards and a score for the Bearcats (10-2, 6-1 Big East), who were assured of at least a share of the conference title and the league's automatic BCS berth when West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh on Friday.
Pike completed 28-of-44 passes, including 11 to Mardy Gilyard, who finished with 114 yards receiving. Jacob Ramsey and Kazeem Alli hauled in the scoring passes for Cincinnati, which is likely headed to the Orange Bowl or Sugar Bowl.
"Well clearly, we had to have some discussion," said Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly. "We got college age kids that saw that they won the Big East championship but still had a game to play. My style is straight forward and I told it like it was. We were excited, but I didn't want to share with anyone and neither did the kids. That is why we had to finish it the right way."
The Greg Robinson-era came to a merciful close at Syracuse (3-9, 1-6), which gave the outgoing coach his most significant win in four years at the school last week at Notre Dame. Robinson finished 10-37 with the Orange, who earlier this month announced the decision to make a change.
Cam Dantley completed a mere 6-of-23 passes for 59 yards with a touchdown for Syracuse, while Curtis Brinkley was held to just 60 yards on 16 carries. The Orange managed only 211 total yards and eight first downs, while the Bearcats finished with 412 yards and 25 first downs.
"Not good. Not good at all," saidRobinson. "I wish we could have played better. I would have liked to finish it with a win. But whatever, it is what it is."
Cincinnati didn't lack focus early, despite having already wrapped up the BCS bowl berth, scoring on its first two possessions.
Goebel capped a 14-play, 88-yard drive that ate up half of the opening period with a 10-yard touchdown run. After a Ramsey touchdown run was negated by an illegal block on the second series, another penalty and a sack eventually forced a 45-yard field goal from Jake Rogers early in the second quarter for a 10-0 lead.
A 58-yard run by Syracuse fullback Tony Fiammetta set up a 33-yard field goal by Patrick Shadle to put the Orange on the board with 4:45 left in the half, but Pike directed an 11-play drive that ended with a 38-yard Rogers field goal in the final minute to send the Bearcats into the break with a 13-3 edge.
The Orange forced a Cincinnati turnover early in the third quarter when Gilyard fumbled after a reception. Syracuse took over at midfield, but Dantley was picked off by Corey Smith at the Cincinnati 26.
Smith's long return set the Bearcats up at the Syracuse 40 and Pike needed just five plays to put his team in the end zone. He threw passes of 15 and 13 yards to Gilyard before finding Alli for a seven-yard score to make it 20-3 midway through the third.
Pike was intercepted on Cincinnati's next series, but the Orange could do nothing offensively inside their own 10 and the Bearcats got the ball back at the Syracuse 29 following a 23-yard Rob Long punt. Rogers soon after drilled another 45-yard field goal for a 23-3 cushion.
A 15-yard scoring connection from Pike to Ramsey early in the fourth gave the Bearcats a 27-point advantage before the Orange finally sustained a drive in the second half and reached the end zone on a six-yard pass from Dantley to Dan Sheeran. Prior to the scoring march, Dantley was just 1-for-15 through the air.
Game Notes
Cincinnati held possession for more than 12 1/2 minutes in the first quarter...The Orange finished 3-of-14 on third down...Cincinnati concludes its regular season next week with a game at Hawaii before learning its bowl destination.
