Parting Scott: Bearcats love Primetime

UC and ABC under the lights to 46% of the country was a pretty good (and big) deal. That’s free ad time that’s tough to put a dollar figure on. Saturday night, the nation got a taste of UC’s campus and the Bearcats style of football in a 47-45 score-a-thon with Connecticut.

High profile sports can only enhance a school’s value. Exciting as they may be, they don’t televise chemistry labs to nearly half the country. Although in terms of chemistry, ABC knew the potion (and the motion) was here and had to be pleased with the game they got.

Fortunately, ABC’s main game each week is at night. Sure, if Brent Musberger and Kirk Herbstreit came here for a noon kickoff, we’d all be excited, but it just wouldn’t have the pageantry and flare and all of those other bubbly words that go with a crisp, night football game on a college campus.

That’s why UC performed well (at least offensively). Everything was going for them.

National TV. Students, faculty and fans can show off their university. And, one more thing….

College kids function better at night. It’s the blessing of youth. The players are juiced and so is the crowd (I mean really).

“The atmosphere was electric,” said Zach Collaros who enjoyed it so much he threw for 480 yards.

“It was just an awesome atmosphere. (I) definitely had some butterflies before the game, the game with ABC and everything. It was just an amazing feeling being out there, especially when our offense was clicking like that.”

What did you do at this age? I’m guessing a good ol’ nationally televised football game on your own campus probably would’ve fired anyone of us up.

Sure, some of us had to get up and work every now and then, but if you didn’t…lights out sometimes came as the light was entering the room.

If a college student doesn’t have to get up…they won’t. I can’t fathom sleeping ‘til 2 p.m. but I’m related to kids that have. Common sense says the youngsters take a while to wake up, so by 8 p.m. they’re just getting in gear.

“When your under the lights, there’s that extra excitement,” acknowledged Collaros. “ABC, national TV, it’s a pretty big honor for the University and we were all up for this game.”

Some of the fans and players were reminded of last year’s Pitt game and that festive, night atmosphere.

“It definitely felt different for me,” said Collaros (arguably, college football’s hottest quarterback after three starts). “I didn’t play in the Pitt game last year. But yeah, when Nippert Stadium is packed like that, it’s pretty loud. It was really rocking in there and big ups to the students and everyone that came out.”

That’s why when I see a 12 noon kickoff listed on the schedule, I cringe. Try as they might, the student fans aren’t into it and (in my opinion) the players approach the early part of the game with all of the gusto of an 8 a.m. calculus class.

Nighttime?

Different story. Just ask the late Ray Charles…”You Know The Night Time Is The Right Time…”
The evidence is overwhelming, especially in the most recent seasons.

In 2006, under Mark Dantonio, UC got itself into the conversation with the 30-11 whipping of #7 Rutgers. To me, that started the latest surge in popularity. While that game was well attended, it was NOT sold out (although seemingly everyone in town will claim to have been there now).

It even works on the road for the most part as ’07 saw huge night road wins at #21 Rutgers and #20 USF before the Bearcats came home and tore up #16 Connecticut 27-3. The formula is not foolproof though as #5 West Virginia beat UC the following week 28-23 (although if Earnest Jackson doesn’t drop a Ben Mauk pass over the middle, UC maybe scores in the final minute to take it).

To ’08, you have another shot at #23 USF at night and then the best atmosphere I’ve heard at a Nippert game with last year’s win over Pitt. Your losses last year? Oklahoma and UConn, both day games on the road.

Even this year you see a trend (with Rutgers being the exception). Southeast Missouri State was taken to the woodshed at night, then the Oregon State, Fresno State and Miami (OH) games were all victories during the day-but not quite with the same “flair”. They looked peppy on the road at USF, then a tad sluggish in the matinee at Syracuse.

Then Saturday night on ABC, the cameras come on, the joint’s packed and UC puts up a school record 711 yards of total offense with Zach Collaros throwing for 480 (333 in the first half alone).

“How was that? Was that exciting football?” Brian Kelly asked the media after the game. “That’s going to age me!”

Kelly was obviously happy with the Big East win but disappointed in the big plays Connecticut put up against the Bearcat defense and special teams.

On the other hand, you could sense Kelly’s gained even further respect for Zach Collaros at the quarterback position. A guy that started the season as the #3 is making Kelly rethink his offensive plans.

“He’s so wide-eyed and interactive in terms of his conversation all the time,” said Kelly. “He’s a really unique guy in that offense.”

So unique on this night that he fell just 74 yards short of Greg Cook’s all-time single-game passing record (and might’ve had it if the defense could’ve stopped UConn and gotten off the field a few times). And , his play on this night kept Tony Pike from getting some reps that had been hinted at.

Brian Kelly, just this past Tuesday said Tony Pike was still the starter when he was healthy. Now, with three straight precision-like performances by Collaros, plus his impressive appearance out of the bullpen against USF, the proverbial monkey-wrench has been thrown into those plans.

The guy that had some folks in town printing up “Pike for Heisman” shirts, now finds himself in a Dustin Grutza-like situation from last year. When Grutza got hurt, it was Pike who came in and claimed the starting job. Now with Tony’s arm and hand injury, Collaros has responded and it’s pretty tough to yank the “hot hand” that more than likely will be the Big East Offensive Player of the Week.

“He’s made it (the decision) harder,” Kelly admitted after the game. “I’ve changed my mind. Based on the way he’s played the last three games, I think I have to reconsider my decision.”

So, Pike will get to practice more in-depth this week, but you have to feel the pendulum swinging toward the sophomore Collaros. When you’re 9-0, that’s a good dilemma to have.

Two more to go and I say, keep’em under the lights. After all, you see a Bearcat during the day and he’s a cute, furry raccoon-like critter that you almost want to pet. But at night…all you see are eyes and teeth.

Facts are facts. If you don’t believe me, here’s the google search on the binturong a/k/a
Bearcat. The binturong is a nocturnal animal that sleeps on tree branches during the day. Then the
Binturong wakes up to search for food. When the binturong has been cornered, the binturong has been
known to be vicious.

I rest my case.