18 CINCINNATI
Last fall the Bearcats' faithful got a glimpse of how good quarterback Zach Collaros can be. He filled in for injured Tony Pike in late October and in four starts shredded defenses for 1,233 passing yards, eight touchdowns (with one interception) and a 78.3% completion rate. Most important, he led Cincinnati to four victories. While Pike was a 6' 6", pocket-bound gunslinger in the Bearcats' spread offense, the 6-foot, 209-pound Collaros made big plays with his arm and legs. His third play from scrimmage after replacing Pike against South Florida was a 75-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw.
Cincinnati's offense was one of the nation's most prolific in 2009 (38.6 points per game, fourth best in the nation), but new coach Butch Jones believes it can be even more dynamic with Collaros, a junior, directing a unit that has six starters returning. "This will be an up-tempo football team like it was last year," says Jones, "but Zach is more of a dual threat than Pike was. He adds another element with the run game, and we plan to use that other dimension to keep defenses off balance."
Jones, who replaced Brian Kelly last December, comes to Cincinnati from Central Michigan, where his most recent quarterback, Dan LeFevour, shattered MAC records, including total touchdowns (150). The Bearcats' staff believes Collaros can put up similar Xbox numbers in Jones's version of the spread. "Zach reminds me a lot of Dan in that he's hungry and competitive," says Jones.
Collaros and his teammates may need to score often for Cincinnati to win its third straight Big East title. The defense, which will switch from a 3--4 to a 4--3 to take advantage of its strength at defensive line, is thin and unproven. Five starters are back from a unit that allowed 39.4 points over its last five games, including 51 to Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
That 27-point drubbing was a sour end to an otherwise sweet year: Cincinnati won a school-record 12 games and finished with its highest final ranking (No. 8). "We were a few seconds from playing for a national championship," says Collaros, whose Bearcats likely would have faced Alabama in the BCS title game had Texas lost in the Big 12 championship. "There's no reason why we can't be right up there again."
Fast Facts
CONFERENCE Big East
COACH Butch Jones (1st year)
2009 RECORD 12--1 (7--0 in Big East)
FINAL AP RANK 8
RETURNING STARTERS 11
Offense 6, Defense 5
Schedule
SEPTEMBER
4 at Fresno State
11 Indiana State
16 at N.C. State
25 Oklahoma
OCTOBER
9 Miami (Ohio)
15 at Louisville
22 South Florida
30 Syracuse
NOVEMBER
13 at West Virginia
20 Rutgers
27 at Connecticut
DECEMBER
4 Pitt
Key Players
ARMON BINNS
WR, Senior
The lanky, 6' 4" Binns is a dangerous red-zone option. He caught 11 TDs over Cincy's last nine games of 2009.
ISAIAH PEAD
RB, Junior
The team's leading rusher in '09, Pead officially takes over as the starter and will have a prominent role in the offense.
WALTER STEWART
DE-LB, Sophomore
Cincy's new 4--3 defense hinges on the 6' 5", 226-pound Stewart's getting pressure off the edge.
PHOTO
ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES (COLLAROS)
Jones believes the offense will not miss a beat with the mobile Collaros (12), who led Cincinnati to four wins in '09 as a backup.
PHOTO
JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES