USF falls behind, loses to Cincinnati 34-17
TAMPA (AP) – Tony Pike threw two touchdown passes before spraining his left wrist and backup Zach Collaros ran 75 yards for a score to lead No. 8 Cincinnati to a 34-17 victory over No. 21 South Florida Thursday night.
Collaros squirted through an opening in the middle of the defense for the long touchdown three plays after replacing Pike.
The senior injured his non-throwing arm late in the second quarter and went to the locker room just before halftime. He returned for the third quarter, wearing a protective sleeve over the wrist. He then left after being hit as he released an incomplete pass on Cincinnati’s first possession of the second half.
Pike, who broke his left forearm last season and played with a plate and six screws that are still in place, threw scoring passes of 3 and 8 yards to Armon Binns in the second quarter, helping the Bearcats (6-0, 2-0 Big East) to a 17-10 halftime lead over South Florida (5-1, 1-1).