Collaros accounts for 3 TDs to help No. 5 Cincy survive UConn

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Top 25 Overview

It was over when... UConn's two-point conversion attempt to tie the game failed in the fourth quarter. Gameball goes to... Zach Collaros. The backup QB impressed with 555 yards of total offense and three TDs. Stat of the game... 4-12, 2-2. Both teams went 4-for-12 on third down and 2-for-2 on fourth down. Complete Top 25 Overview

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	24	27
Total Yards	462	711
Passing	261	480
Rushing	201	231
Penalties	2-10	7-73
3rd Down Conversions	4-12	4-12
4th Down Conversions	2-2	2-2
Turnovers	0	0
Possession	27:15	32:45

Air/Ground Leaders
Connecticut Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Frazer 19/32 261 1 0 Team 0/1 0 0 0	Cincinnati Passing   C/ATT YDS TD INT Collaros 29/37 480 1 0
Connecticut Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Todman 26 162 4 46 Dixon 8 27 0 12	Cincinnati Rushing   CAR YDS TD LG Ramsey 12 91 0 44 Collaros 13 75 2 28
Connecticut Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Easley 6 87 1 28 Moore 4 77 0 52	Cincinnati Receiving   REC YDS TD LG Gilyard 12 172 0 54 Binns 5 108 1 41

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER				CONN	CIN
	TD	12:03	Isaiah Pead 1 Yd Run (Jake Rogers Kick)	0	7
	TD	07:27	Jordan Todman 6 Yd Run (Dave Teggart Kick)	7	7
	FG	04:57	Jake Rogers 41 Yd	7	10
SECOND QUARTER				CONN	CIN
	TD	14:12	Zach Collaros 4 Yd Run (Jake Rogers Kick)	7	17
	FG	09:47	Dave Teggart 42 Yd	10	17
	FG	04:49	Jake Rogers 27 Yd	10	20
	TD	01:48	Armon Binns 41 Yd Pass From Zach Collaros (Jake Rogers Kick)	10	27
	FG	00:00	Jake Rogers 34 Yd	10	30
THIRD QUARTER				CONN	CIN
	TD	09:59	Jordan Todman 46 Yd Run (Dave Teggart Kick)	17	30
	TD	07:03	Zach Collaros 28 Yd Run (Jake Rogers Kick)	17	37
	TD	02:08	Robert McClain 87 Yd Punt Return (Dave Teggart Kick)	24	37
FOURTH QUARTER				CONN	CIN
	FG	14:51	Jake Rogers 35 Yd	24	40
	TD	13:21	Jordan Todman 1 Yd Run (Jordan Todman Pass To Marcus Easley For Two-Point Conversion)	32	40
	TD	05:03	Jordan Todman 2 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)	38	40
	TD	01:52	Isaiah Pead 14 Yd Run (Jake Rogers Kick)	38	47
	TD	00:13	Marcus Easley 9 Yd Pass From Zach Frazer (Dave Teggart Kick)	45	47

Photo Wire
	Cincinnati defensive end Curtis Young, top, tackles Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer (10) to stop a two-point... (AP Photo/David Kohl) · View Photo · Photo Gallery

CINCINNATI -- A young quarterback came of age, kept his team unbeaten and possibly won a starting job, too.

Sophomore Zach Collaros threw for 480 yards -- the second-best passing performance in Cincinnati's history -- and showed beyond-his-years composure on the clinching drive of a wild 47-45 victory over Connecticut on Saturday that let the Bearcats match the best start in their history.

Fast Facts

• Zach Collaros threw for 480 yards, ran for 75 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Bearcats. The 480 passing yards were the second most in school history.

• Cincinnati is off to its best start since 1951 when it won the MAC title. Cincinnati is 4-0 all-time at home against Connecticut.

• Jordan Todman ran for 162 yards and four touchdowns for the Huskies, who have five losses this season by a combined 15 points.

• The Bearcats have won 10 straight Big East games.

• Connecticut dropped to 1-15 all-time against AP-ranked opponents.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

Their near-perfect quarterback replacement was the driving force.

"It's an amazing feeling being out there when everything is clicking," Collaros said. "It was a lot of fun."

Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0 Big East) is off to its best start since 1951, when it won the Mid-American Conference title. The stakes are much higher this time -- the Bearcats are keeping themselves in the conversation about national title contenders. The win over Connecticut (4-5, 1-4) provided more talking points.

The best one: Where would Cincinnati be without Collaros?

He's been so sensational in his three starts in place of the injured Tony Pike -- 79 of 89 for 1,100 yards with eight touchdown throws -- that coach Brian Kelly has changed his mind about automatically benching Collaros as soon as Pike is ready to go.

Although Pike began practicing fully last week after getting a special splint for his injured non-passing forearm, Kelly is considering letting Collaros start again against West Virginia on Friday night. Until now, Kelly has said it was Pike's job when he's ready.

"He's made it hard," Kelly said. "OK, I've changed my mind based on the way he's played the last three games. I think I have to reconsider my decision."

The sophomore has taken big steps in each of his three fill-in starts. In the first three quarters alone on Saturday, he threw for 447 yards, topping everyone except Greg Cook's 554-yard passing game in the school record book.

His most important work came after Cincinnati let most of a 20-point lead slip away, forcing the Bearcats to grind it out down the stretch. Collaros went 4 for 4 for 33 yards on the final drive, completed by Isaiah Pead's 14-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-1 play with 1:52 left that made it 47-38.

Cincinnati finished with a school-record 711 yards of offense. Collaros had a hand in three touchdowns -- he threw for one and ran for two more. His 559 yards passing and running set a school record.

"Collaros made a lot of good plays," UConn coach Randy Edsall said. "His athleticism really helps him out quite a bit. I think Brian will have a tough decision, but that's his problem."

Zach Frazer threw a 9-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left that cut it to 47-45, and Cincinnati recovered the onside kick to finish it off. Frazer was 19 of 32 for 261 yards.

UConn couldn't keep up with Cincinnati's high-powered offense, run by a quarterback who's no novice to winning.

Collaros went 30-0 as a starter in his last two years of high school and had one of those perfect moments on Saturday. He reared back and let fly a 41-yard pass to Armon Binns, who made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone while being tackled for interference.

Collaros bounced off two defenders on a 28-yard touchdown run that made it 37-17 midway through the third quarter, a seemingly comfortable lead. At that point, Kelly was considering letting Pike get in for a few throws to work off some of the rust.

The Huskies pulled off several big plays that took the game down to the closing minutes, just like all of theirs this season. Connecticut's losses have come by a combined 15 points.

"It never gets easier to take," running back Jordan Todman said. "We're going to have to deal with it. It's been a tough, tough year. We have to learn to finish."

Todman ran 46 yards for a touchdown and Robert McClain ran back a punt 87 yards for another score. When Todman went in from 1 yard out for his third touchdown of the game, it was 40-32 early in the fourth quarter -- the most points Cincinnati has allowed all season.

Todman's 2-yard run -- his fourth of the game -- cut it to 40-38 with 5:03 left, but Frazer was sacked on the conversion try, keeping Cincinnati ahead and putting the pressure on Collaros to finish the Huskies off.

He did.