Bearcats battle Cardinals in Big East brawl

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11/12/2008 - Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 22nd-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats try to remain in the thick of the Big East race this Friday, as they tangle with the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The Bearcats are coming off their biggest win of the year, as they knocked off then 20th-ranked West Virginia 26-23 in overtime last weekend.

"It was just a great football game, one that we knew that we had to win if we wanted to talk about being a Big East contender," stated head coach Brian Kelly.

The win was the second straight over a Top 25 opponent and it pushed Cincinnati into a three-way tie with WVU and Pittsburgh for first place in the Big East standings at 3-1. The Bearcats, who are bowl eligible for the third straight season, host Pittsburgh on November 22nd in a game that could very well be for the Big East title.

The Bearcats though, better be careful not to look past a Louisville club that has fared well at home, posting a 4-2 ledger. The Cardinals however, have had some issues on the road, where they have dropped their last two games, including a 41-7 setback at nationally-ranked Pittsburgh this past weekend. With the loss, Louisville fell to 5-4 overall and a dismal 1-3 within the conference.

As for the all-time series, Cincinnati owns a 26-20-1 edge over Louisville, but the Cardinals have won the last five meetings, including a 28-24 victory at Nippert Stadium last season.

Tony Pike ran for a touchdown and threw for another in overtime to lift the Bearcats over WVU, 26-23, this past weekend. The effort was a gritty one from Pike, who completed 16-of-30 tosses for 178 yards. It was Pike's third straight start and his first complete game since returning from a broken arm (non-throwing arm) that required a plate and six screws. He is one of four quarterbacks that have played this season for Cincinnati and he has started because Dustin Grutza still isn't fully recovered from a broken leg. With Grutza being listed as questionable, Pike will most likely get the nod under center once again and that certainly isn't a bad thing considering he has thrown for 1,229 yards, with 10 touchdowns and just three picks this season.

Dominick Goodman and Mardy Gilyard have been the primary options in the passing game and they have accounted for 97 catches, 1,353 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Last weekend, Goodman paced the team with six receptions for 81 yards, while Gilyard opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. In the backfield, Jacob Ramsey heads the Bearcats with 520 rushing yards this season and that includes an 83-yard effort versus WVU last weekend.

The defense and special teams of Cincinnati played well last weekend, but both groups struggled to seal the victory for the team. Trailing by 13 points with just 1:11 left, WVU earned a safety after Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber ran out of the back of the end zone. WVU than got the ball back and marched down field, using seven plays to score a touchdown and convert a two-point attempt. With the score at 20-17, WVU was able recover the ensuing onside kick and sent the game into overtime on a 52-yard field goal. The Bearcats had now given up 13 points in just over a minute after holding WVU to only a touchdown through the first three-plus quarters. The defense, though, rallied and limited WVU to just a field goal in overtime, setting up the offense to win the game for Cincinnati.

"We played very well defensively today," stated coach Kelly. "We needed to play that well. Team defense, but at the end of the day, you are going to have to make individual tackles on one or two of those guys, and we came up with them all night."

Despite the near collapse at the end of the game, the Bearcats' defense did play rather well, holding WVU to just 317 total while forcing two turnovers and recording four sacks. On the year, Cincinnati is limiting foes to 332.2 total ypg and the defense has also picked off 12 passes and notched 19 sacks. Connor Barwin heads the program with seven sacks, and Mike Mickens leads the way with 59 tackles and three interceptions.

The Cardinals are coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the season, as they managed just 299 total yards and turned the ball over five times in a 41-7 loss at Pittsburgh. Hanging onto the ball has become an issue for Louisville, which has now committed 21 turnovers on the year. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw a pick and lost a fumble last weekend and he finished the game with 164 yards and a score on 15-of-28 tosses. It wasn't a great effort by Cantwell, who has thrown for 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions this season. Doug Beaumont was his top target with five receptions for 65 yards last weekend and he continues to pace the club with 42 catches and 508 receiving yards on the season. Tailback Victor Anderson toted 17 times for 73 yards last weekend, as he continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals. He now has 913 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, helping Louisville to average a hardy 178.7 rushing ypg on the year.

Louisville has done a rather solid job on defense this season and even in last weekend's loss to Pittsburgh this unit fared well. The defense was responsible for just three touchdowns surrendered last weekend and that was pretty good considering the Cardinals' offense committed five turnovers. The unit limited Pittsburgh to just 320 total yards, including only 90 on the ground. On the year, Louisville is holding its foes to 316.9 total ypg and it has been especially tough against the run, permitting just 91.4 ypg. Jon Dempsey tops the roster with 55 tackles and he paced the team with eight stops in last weekend's loss.