CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The UC Bearcats have secured the Keg of Nails in the battle versus the Louisville Cardinals.
Zach Collaros started because Tony Pike couldn't play, and the UC Bearcats didn't miss a beat.
Collaros threw three touchdown passes and Cincinnati won its seventh straight game, 41-10 over Louisville at Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats didn't waste time after they received the opening kickoff. They drove 78 yards in ten plays, with Isaiah Pead running the final yard for the score. During that drive, Collaros completed five out of six passing attempts. He also rushed twice for 11 yards.
After the defense stopped Louisville on downs, the Bearcats had another scoring drive. This time, Collaros passed 29 yards to Armon Binns for a big pickup near midfield. Then Collaros and Binns connected again for a 24-yard touchdown play.
UC took a 21-nothing lead early in the second quarter when Collaros threw to Isaiah Pead for a 15-yard touchdown.
Immediately after that was the only time Louisville scored a touchdown. The Cardinals had a 64-yard drive that consumed eight minutes. There were many short runs from Louisville's Darius Ashley, a product of Cincinnati's St Xavier high school. A four yard touchdown pass completed the drive from Adam Froman to Josh Chichester, a product of Lakota West High School.
Both teams added third quarter field goals, but then UC scored two touchdowns in quick fashion. Collaros threw a 31-yard scoring pass to Mardy Gilyard, and less than two minutes later, Isaiah Pead ran 67-yards for the score.
Collaros completed 15 of 17 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball eleven times for 52 yards.
Pead had six rushes for 88 yards and three touchdowns.
The Bearcats dropped to No. 8 in the BCS. They play at Syracuse next Saturday afternoon.
