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 4 1/2 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 © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
