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Cincinnati seeks first Big East title

Nov 29, 2008 - 12:09 PM Syracuse (3-8) at (16) Cincinnati (9-2), 12:00 pm EST

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Cincinnati's first win over Pittsburgh left the Bearcats in position to accomplish another first.

The 16th-ranked Bearcats can clinch their first Big East Conference title with a victory Saturday at home against Syracuse.

Remarkably, Cincinnati (9-2, 5-1) is in this position after going through four quarterbacks this season.

Tony Pike, who is playing with a broken left forearm, threw three touchdowns in last week's 28-21 victory over Pittsburgh, the Bearcats' first win against the Panthers in eight tries.

Cincinnati's Dominick Goodman set a school record with his 22nd career TD reception, breaking the previous mark of 21 set by Jimmy O'Brien from 1967-69.

A win over Syracuse would give Cincinnati its first league title since winning the Missouri Valley Conference crown in 1964 and likely send the Bearcats to the Orange Bowl.

"The way I look at it, for me as a head coach, you don't enjoy the ride until you get there," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "We want to get to the Orange Bowl. We want to get to that destination."

West Virginia would still have a chance to tie Cincinnati for the Big East championship, but the Bearcats would win the tiebreaker based on their 26-23 overtime victory in Morgantown on November 8.

Pike, who missed two games after breaking his non-throwing arm against Akron on September 27, returned on October 25 and passed for only 136 yards in a 40-16 loss at Connecticut.

Since then, however, the junior has led the Bearcats to four straight victories and back-to-back nine-seasons for the first time in school history.

This season, Pike replaced Ben Mauck, who led Cincinnati to 10 wins last year for only the second time in school history and the first time since 1951.

"It's just staying the course," Pike said. "The offensive line and the rest of the team said they had their faith in me that I could take them there (to a Big East title). In each game, you build confidence and experience that you need."

Saturday marks the final game for Syracuse coach Greg Robinson, who was fired earlier this month after four dismal seasons with the Orange.

However, Syracuse stunned Notre Dame, 24-23, last week, improving to just 10-36 under Robinson, who has won only three Big East games during his tenure.