Brian Kelly could only plan one week at a time during the 2008 season.

The Cincinnati head coach had no choice. Every other week, the Bearcats starting quarterback suffered an injury, and Kelly would have to find another adequate replacement to fill the position.

The No. 13 Bearcats (10-2, 6-1 Big East) had never played in a Bowl Championship Series game in program history, so with quarterback woes plaguing the offensive week after week during the regular season, the early season success seemed destined to be short lived. Kelly said he had to stay focused on the present, constantly preparing a new quarterback to start.

All the focus on the present paid off. Kelly’s Cincinnati squad clinched the Big East regular season title with a win over Syracuse Saturday and will play in its first BCS game. The Bearcats, in their fourth season in the Big East, are headed to the Orange Bowl.

‘This is tremendous for us,’ Kelly said Monday during the Big East coaches’ teleconference. ‘I’m like a proud parent watching my kids make good decisions.’

Months before Cincinnati brought the Big East trophy onto the field after a 30-10 win over the Orange (3-9, 1-6 Big East) and celebrated its first conference title, Kelly faced multiple obstacles. And the quarterback carousel never seemed to stop. First, the NCAA rejected quarterback Ben Mauk’s request for an extra year of eligibility.

With Kelly’s first choice for quarterback unable to play, next came Dustin Grutza, a senior who led the Bearcats to success in 2006. But Grutza fractured his right fibula with a residual high ankle sprain Sept. 4 against Oklahoma. Kelly’s third-string quarterback Tony Pike stepped in, but then Pike broke his non-throwing arm two games later in the fourth quarter against Akron Sept. 27.

‘I had to stay focused and think ‘What’s next?’ Getting a young quarterback ready to play,’ said Kelly, Cincinnati’s second-year head coach. ‘I think if you thought so far down the road you’d probably pass out.’

The injuries were ominous, the type of setbacks that usually lead to the downfall of a team that looks promising in the preseason.

Redshirt freshman Chazz Anderson stepped in temporarily for Cincinnati, providing two wins for the program. Pike returned to play against Connecticut Oct. 25 with a soft cast on his arm. Running backs Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel helped Cincinnati’s offense during each quarterback transition. With one game left in the Bearcats’ regular season, Ramsey has scored two touchdowns while averaging 51.6 yards per game, and Goebel has contributed seven touchdowns while averaging 44.3 yards per game.

Four wins later, Cincinnati already knew it had clinched its first Big East title before the clock started in its last conference game of the season against a floundering Syracuse squad.

‘Going into a game knowing you already have the title won is every head coach’s nightmare,’ Kelly said. ‘You have to keep the guys motivated to perform. I was very proud of how mature they acted and performed.’

In Kelly’s first season at the helm in Cincinnati, the Bearcats finished third in the league with a 10-3 overall record, 4-3 in the conference. With the win over the Orange Saturday, Cincinnati tied the school record for most wins in a season at 10. If Cincinnati defeats Hawaii this weekend, it will achieve the most single season wins in program history.

‘We’re really excited about being champions,’ Kelly said. ‘We still have a lot to accomplish in our last game. From my standpoint we have handled this maturely, and now our responsibility is to represent the Big East the best way we can.’

Most ImprovedRutgers started the 2008 season in dismal form. The Scarlet Knights dropped five of its first six games under struggling senior quarterback Mike Teel. Without Ray Rice, Rutgers’ former All-American running back, the Scarlet Knights’ struggles were noticeable.

After dropping its first conference game to West Virginia Oct. 4 and its second to Cincinnati Oct. 11, Rutgers rebounded with a five-game winning streak.

Now the Knights sit in a three-way tie for second place with one game remaining.

During the five-game streak, Teel emerged as the leader head coach Greg Schiano expected him to be. In Rutgers’ 49-16 win over South Florida, Teel completed 18-of-29 passes for 294 yards, three passing touchdowns and one rushing score. Schiano said his team started to train and prepare for each game more, including outside designated practice hours.

‘Preparation was the key,’ Schiano said Monday during a teleconference. ‘They all practiced more than the 17 hours we practice as a team. They are also very good about not letting what happened last week affect the game coming up. So that made the difference.’Rest of the bunch

After West Virginia lost to Pittsburgh Friday, Cincinnati’s Big East title was solidified. Now West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Rutgers are tied for second place in the league, each owning a 4-2 mark in conference play.

The Panthers (8-3) narrowly defeated the Mountaineers (7-4), 19-15, on Friday, and will travel to Connecticut (7-4, 3-3 Big East) for its season finale. West Virginia will host South Florida (7-4, 2-4 Big East) in both teams’ final game.

Rutgers had a bye last weekend and will host Louisville (5-6, 1-5 Big East) Thursday. If the Cardinals fall to the Scarlet Knights, it will sit tied at the bottom of the Big East with last-place Syracuse. The Cardinals hold a better overall record than the Orange, but Syracuse won the matchup between the two teams, 28-21 Nov.1.

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on December 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm