University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Cincinnati
No. 5 Cincinnati Edges UConn 47-45
11/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 7, 2009
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The University of Connecticut football team battled to a 47-45 loss in front of a sold out crowd of 35,100 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday Night. Sophomore Jordan Todman (No. Dartmouth, Mass.) had a career night for the Huskies running for a career best four touchdowns on a career high 162 yards.
UConn falls to 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in the BIG EAST while the fifth-ranked Bearcats improve to 9-0 and 5-0 in the BIG EAST.
Quarterback Zach Collaros was 29 of 37 in the air for an unbelievable 480 passing yards and one touchdown to help the Bearcats to remain undefeated on the year. Jacob Ramsey led Cincinnati in rushing with 12 carries for 91yards while Mardy Gilyard had 12 receptions for 172 yards.
Connecticut junior quarterback Zach Frazer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) was 19 of 32 in the air for 261 yards. Todman led the team in rushing with 26 carries for 162 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Marcus Easley (Stratford, Conn.) was the top-receiver for the Huskies with six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Easley has recorded a TD in five-straight games.
The two teams traded touchdowns on their opening possessions as the Bearcats drove down the field 80 yards on eight plays to score on a one-yard run by Isaiah Pead less than three minutes into the game.
The Huskies came right back and moved the ball 79 yards in 11 plays as Todman had his first score of the night on a six-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.
Cincinnati scored the next 10 points on a 41-yard field goal by Jacob Roberts with 4:57 to go in the first quarter and a four-yard TD run by Collaros to complete a 10 play-87 yard drive 48 second into the second quarter.
Husky sophomore kicker Dave Teggart (Northborough, Mass.) kicked a 42-yard field goal with 9:47 to go in the half to bring UConn to within seven at 17-10, but the Bearcats then scored 13 points in the final minutes of the first half to make it 30-10 Cincy at the half.
UConn scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter as Todman scored a TD on a 46-yard run with 9:59 left in the quarter and senior Robert McClain (Lusby, Md.) had an 87-yard punt return for a TD with 2:08 left in the third. McClain's return for a TD was the first of his career as he finished the night with a career best 116 return yards. Collaros had a 28-yard TD run in the quarter for Cincy's only score of the quarter.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Frazer connected with sophomore Kashif Moore (Burlington, N.J.) on a 52-yard pass to set up Todman's third touchdown of the night. Moore initially looked like he had the score, but was down at the one-yard line as Todman capitalized just a play later. Easley was there for the two-point conversion to cut the Cincinnati lead to just eight.
On a fourth and one with a little more than five minutes remaining in the game, Todman recorded his career best fourth touchdown run of the game to pull the Huskies within two points. Frazer dropped back to pass on the two-point conversion but was knocked down by Curtis Young as Cincy kept their lead heading into the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
It looked like the Huskies had stopped Cincinnati on their final drive of the game when junior Lawrence Wilson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) put pressure on the running game to force a fourth down. But the Bearcats went for it and Isaiah Pead broke free from the UConn defense to run in a 14-yard score putting Cincy back up by nine with just 1:52 remaining in the game.
Easley brought the Huskies within three points with 13 seconds remaining in the game scoring his first touchdown of the night on a nine-yard pass from Frazer. Teggart tacked on the extra point to bring the Huskies within two.
UConn's on side kick attempt was fielded by Charley Howard to seal the Cincinnati victory.
Following an off week, Connecticut returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 21 when it travels to Notre Dame for a 2:30 p.m. game. That contest will be nationally-televised on NBC.
Players Mentioned
