Cats win, back to back Big East champs
- Saturday, December 5, 2009 5:07 PM
- Written By: Garrett Sabelhaus
It was the worst they've played all year against the best team they've played all year. Still, the Bearcats won their second-straight Big East Championship over Pittsburgh Saturday 45-44.
Three interceptions thrown by Tony Pike and an inability to stop the run (or the pass) made it look like it would be a long day for the Cats. But Mardy freakin Gilyard is the MVP of this team hands down. He scored twice today, once on a 99 yard kickoff return and another on a 68 yard pass from Pike. Gilyard had 381 all-purpose yards and countless times returned kickoffs that put UC in great field position.
Most notably, in my opinion, the final kickoff just after Pitt blew the extra point that left them up by only six instead of seven. Gilyard took the kick out to near the 40 that gave UC the ball with 1:30 left near midfield. At that point I just got a feeling that UC would score.
UC color analyst Jim Kelly Jr. said it best though. Pitt scored too quick. Hindsight is always 20/20 but you have to think that Dave Wannstedt, if he could do it over again, would kneel the ball and go for the field goal as time expired or with too few second on the clock for UC to score (this is what's called a run-on sentence in journalism, can you sense my excitement.)
There was obvious frustration on the UC bench nearly the whole game until the fourth quarter. You have to wonder how much that team was on the verge of collapse. I thought the defense did ten times better in the second half. They gave up two touchdowns but yes, that is better for them.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=293390221
It's a pretty unreal feeling. Can't help but feel great for guys like Gilyard and Pike. Imagine what they would say had you told them four or five years ago that they would be 12-0 with a chance at the national title.
Now UC fans will be rooting hard for Nebraska tonight against Texas. If the Huskers win, it would leave four undefeated teams. Alabama or Florida, UC, Boise St. and TCU. Two of those teams are BCS schools and two are not. If UC gets left out in that situation it would be a crime.
