Huskies keep fighting back, but never catch Bearcats

Cincinnati - Say this about UConn.

The Huskies sure know how to keep things interesting.

Trailing by 20 points in the third quarter and allowing Cincinnati to move up and down the field with ease, UConn showed tremendous heart and grit and almost upset the No. 4 Bearcats.

But after pulling to within two points on Jordan Todman's fourth touchdown of the night with 5 minutes, 3 seconds remaining, quarterback Zach Frazer was sacked on two-point attempt that would have tied the game and Cincinnati scored on its next possession - Isaiah Peed's 14-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 1:52 remaining - and the Bearcats escaped with a 47-45 victory in a Big East game before 35,111 at Nippert Stadium and a prime-time national television audience.

The Bearcats (9-0, 5-0) kept themselves very much alive in the national title picture while handing UConn (4-5, 1-4) its third straight loss. The Huskies have a much-needed bye next week before making their first trip to South Bend on Nov. 21 to play Notre Dame.

UConn has now lost five games by 15 points.

Zach Collaros, starting his third game at quarterback in place of injured starter Tony Pike, passed for 480 yards and one touchdown while running for 75 yards and two more scores for Cincinnati, which finished with 713 total yards.

The Bearcats needed every one of them, too, because the Huskies kept fighting back.

The Huskies made three big plays - Todman's 46-yard touchdown run, Robert McClain's 87-yard punt return and a 53-yard pass from Zach Frazer to Kashif Moore that led to Todman's third TD of the night - to twice overcome 20-point deficits and stay within striking distance, 40-32, with 13:21 left.

They then drove 62 yards to pull within 40-38 on Todman's 2-yard touchdown run on fourth down, but Ricardo Mathews sacked Frazer on the conversion attempt to keep the Bearcats in front.

After Peed scored his TD and Cincinnati went up 47-38, UConn quickly moved 77 yards and scored again, this time a 9-yard TD pass from Frazer to Marcus Easley with 13 seconds left, but Cincinnati's Charlie Howard recovered Dave Teggart's onside kick and only then were the Bearcats able to exhale.

Todman finished with 162 yards on 26 carries while Frazer finished 19 of 32 for 261 yards with one touchdown.

For the first time in three weeks, UConn didn't allow the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown when Desi Cullen's kick forced Mardy Gilyard to take a knee 4 yards deep in the end zone. But that didn't deter the Bearcats, who needed only 2:57 to take their opening drive 80 yards in eight plays for a touchdown as Peed scored from a yard out two plays after Jacob Ramsey's 44-yard run brought the ball down to the UConn 1.

Give the Huskies credit, however. They responded with their most impressive game-opening drive of the season, going 89 yards in 11 plays and tying the score when Todman cut inside a block by Moore and scored from 5 yards out with 7:27 left in the quarter.

UConn had great tempo throughout the drive and great balance. Todman accounted for 23 yards (14 rushing), Dixon had three carries for 20 yards and Frazer was 3-for-3 for 30 yards.

Unfortunately, UConn's defense couldn't figure out Cincinnati's offense. The Bearcats had 227 yards in the first quarter, Ramsey had 73 yards on five carries, Gilyard had seven catches for 108 yards and Collaros was 9-for-11 for 138 yards.

Cincinnati took a 10-7 lead on a 41-yard field goal by Jake Rogers with 4:57 left in the quarter and completed an 87-yard scoring drive on the second play of the second quarter when Collaros scooted around the left end from 4 yards out to make it 17-7.

UConn's answer: a 42-yard field goal by Dave Teggart with 9:47 left in the half that could have been more if Easley hadn't dropped a third-down pass at the Bearcats 10. That made it 17-10, but Cincinnati scored 23 points in the final 4:49 of the half to make it 30-10.

c.banning@theday.com