Cincinnati Bearcats @ Syracuse Orange Football Recap

Cincinnati 30, Syracuse 13

The Cincinnati Bearcats don’t control their own destiny in the Big East Conference’s race to the Orange Bowl. However, they know that if they can get just a little bit of help from the Sunshine State, they can play in the Sunshine State in the first week of January.

Cincinnati’s second effort with Munchie Legaux at quarterback went far better than its first attempt last week. After being blown out at Rutgers, the Bearcats rebounded to beat Syracuse 30-13 and stay alive in the Big East title hunt. With Legaux sputtering early, the Bearcats turned to Jordan Luallen to give the offense a running threat and perhaps jumpstart the offense, and he did. Twice Luallen broke runs that brought the Bearcats deep into Syracuse territory and got points. After stuttering through the first half, the Cincinnati offense finally settled in and tailback Isaiah Pead took over.

Pead dominated the second half and as has been the case for much of the season. Pead scored on a 24 yard touchdown run in the third quarter and took a screen pass 69 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The win helped stabilize a Cincinnati team that simply had not been the same since quarterback Zach Collaros went down with an ankle injury. With one game remaining in the season, Cincinnati will host Connecticut and, with a win, will earn at least a share of the Big East title. Conversely, Syracuse will play at Pittsburgh next week with one final opportunity to become bowl eligible in what has turned out to be a very difficult third season for head coach Doug Marrone.

Here’s what Cincinnati made possible with its victory in upstate New York: The Bearcats sustained a three-way tie atop the Big East with Louisville and West Virginia. In a three-way tie, West Virginia would go to the Orange Bowl as the Big East’s representative because the Mountaineers (who defeated Cincinnati) would have the highest BCS ranking. However, if Cincinnati can finish the season in a two-team tie with Louisville, the Bearcats would head to Miami due to their head-to-head win over the Cardinals earlier this season. How can that blessed scenario occur for the Sons of Cincy? They need West Virginia to lose this Thursday to South Florida. It’s true that USF has crumbled in recent weeks, but West Virginia has been known to lose games it should win (a home-field loss to Louisville this season was a particularly striking example). If South Florida can come through, Cincinnati’s wildest dreams will come true.

This was, indeed, a very productive weekend under the big top for the Bearcats.

> Find a great selection of Cincinnati Bearcats merchandise and more online along with Big East football gear from Big East Fans partner sites.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer