Cincy QB Pike expected to practice

CINCINNATI (AP)—Tony Pike will practice with fourth-ranked Cincinnati this week, his status still uncertain because of an injury to his non-passing arm.

Coach Brian Kelly said Monday that the senior quarterback will participate in more practice drills. Then Kelly will decide whether he has a chance to play on Saturday night against Connecticut (4-4).

Pike broke his left forearm last season, had a plate and six screws inserted, and returned after missing two games. With a cast on the arm, he led Cincinnati to its first Big East title.

The plate was damaged in a win over South Florida on Oct. 15, and Pike had to have the plate replaced. Sophomore Zach Collaros has led the Bearcats (7-0) to wins over Louisville and Syracuse, throwing seven touchdown passes in those two games. He also ran for a pair of touchdowns after replacing Pike in the win at South Florida.

The Bearcats are confident Collaros can run the offense, so there’s no urgency to rush Pike back into the lineup before he’s comfortable playing with the surgically repaired forearm. Pike has been limited to individual work in practice so far.

“This will be the first week that he actually takes some team reps and 7-on-7 reps,” Kelly said. “I don’t know what to expect until I see him in that form. He’ll do that Wednesday and we’ll see how he looks.”

Pike was one of the nation’s leading passers when he got hurt, running Cincinnati’s spread, no-huddle offense with a deft passing touch. Pike ranks eighth nationally in yards passing per game with 299 and has gotten the attention of NFL scouts.

Kelly said it’s unclear when Pike might play again.

“He’s a lot closer than he was,” Kelly said. “It’s hard to say. He’s obviously got to feel comfortable in his own mind that he can be out there. We probably won’t know for a couple of days.”

While Pike recovers, Collaros has kept the offense going. Cincinnati ranks fifth nationally in scoring with 39 points per game and eighth in total offense with 454 yards.

Collaros has completed 75 percent of his passes for 749 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception this season. He also has run for 213 yards and two touchdowns.

The sophomore showed his strengths as a quarterback at Syracuse. Three of his four touchdown passes came off broken plays, when he was able to scramble for time and find an open receiver. The 28-7 win kept Cincinnati off to its best start since 1951.

Collaros was third on the depth chart last spring, behind Pike and fellow sophomore Chazz Anderson. Kelly didn’t like the way he improvised instead of running the offense, a habit that Collaros has gotten under control.

“You want to extend plays, but you don’t want to make plays up,” Kelly said. “There needs to be discipline in the approach to any position, but moreso at quarterback. That’s what Zach has done a much better job at.”