Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) – Zach Collaros threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns to power the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 69-38 triumph over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the highest-scoring game in Big East Conference history.
Isaiah Pead rushed for a career-high 213 yards and four scores for Cincinnati (4-6, 2-3 Big East), which got 139 receiving yards from Armon Binns. Pead also had a receiving score in the game, finishing with a career-high five touchdowns.
Chad Dodd racked up 335 passing yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions in defeat for Rutgers (4-6, 1-4). All four of Dodd’s touchdown passes went to Mark Harrison, who posted career highs of 10 catches and 240 receiving yards.
Just over a minute into the contest, Rutgers took a 7-0 lead on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Mohamed Sanu to Jordan Thomas.
Cincinnati fought back to grab a 13-7 advantage on two touchdowns by Isaiah Pead, a 34-yard touchdown reception on a pass from Zach Collaros and a 24-yard scoring scamper. The extra point was blocked after that first touchdown.
Rutgers cut its deficit to 13-10 with a 28-yard field goal by San San Te with just under three minutes left in the opening frame.
The final points of the first quarter were notched by Cincinnati, as D.J. Woods reached the end zone on a nine-yard run to push the lead to 20-10.
Just over a minute into the second quarter, Rutgers made the score 20-17 on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Chad Dodd to Mark Harrison.
Cincinnati then scored a pair of unanswered touchdowns to increase its advantage to 34-17. After Collaros reached the end zone on a two-yard run, Pead plunged in from nine yards out.
Dodd and Harrison hooked up again with 43 seconds left in the first half, and that five-yard pitch and catch cut the Rutgers deficit to 34-24.
To the credit of the Bearcats, they were able to drive 62 yards on six plays in just 33 seconds, and Collaros tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Woods with five seconds remaining. At intermission, the Bearcats owned a 41-24 edge.
Rutgers cut the deficit to 41-31 just 15 seconds into the third quarter, as Dodd threw a 66-yard touchdown strike to Harrison.
Once again, Cincinnati answered successfully, as a 24-yard touchdown run by Pead and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Collaros to Ben Guidugli enabled the Bearcats to carry a 55-31 advantage into the fourth quarter.
After Dodd and Harrison hooked up for a score early in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati put the game away with another Pead touchdown run and a Collaros scoring strike to Anthony McClung.
Cincinnati finished with 661 total yards, while Rutgers managed 391 yards.