The Phanatic Magazine
Ben Mauk threw three touchdown passes to lead the 20th-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats over the No. 21 Scarlet Knights, 28-23, at Rutgers Stadium.
Mauk completed 20-of-37 passes for 257 yards with just one interception for the Bearcats (6-0, 1-0 Big East), who used a 21-point third quarter to continue their best start to a season in 53 years.
Marshawn Gilyard caught five passes for 97 yards with a score for Cincinnati, which hasn't won six straight to start a season since winning eight in a row to begin the 1954 campaign.
Mike Teel struggled for Rutgers (3-2, 0-1), ending 22-of-38 for 334 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions -- all in the second half. Ray Rice ran for 94 yards and score for the Scarlet Knights, who have dropped two straight after beginning the season 3-0.
Down eight points, 28-20, Jeremy Ito connected on a 47-yard field goal 5:02 into the fourth quarter to draw Rutgers within five points. Then, a reeling Rutgers defense made a big play as Glen Lee stripped Mauk of the ball and the Scarlet Knights recovered with 6:58 left.
However, Rutgers failed to mount any serious offense on the ensuing drive and the Bearcats were able to run the clock down to 2:13 before Rutgers took over one last time.
Teel managed to march his troops down to the Bearcats' 17-yard line, but his crossing pass intended for Tim Brown was picked off by Ryan Manalac to all but end the game.
The pick was the third of the half by the Bearcats of Teel.
Brown ended with 127 yards on seven catches.
Rutgers got going thanks to its defense. Devin McCourty returned an interception 36-yards for a touchdown with 5:04 left in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
The Bearcats responded on their next possession, as Mauk hit Dominick Goodman with a 15-yard TD pass.
Ito, though, gave Rutgers a 10-7 lead just 2:01 into the second quarter and after Ramsey fumbled the ball away to the Scarlet Knights, Rice capitalized with a one-yard TD run to send Rutgers into the break with a 17-7 lead.
The Bearcats rallied in the second half, though, scoring 21 third quarter points to take the lead.
After Teel was picked off for the first time in the half, Bradley Glatthaar ran in from three yards out to cut the deficit to 17-14.
Then, after Ito hit a 26-yard field goal to increase the Rutgers lead to 20-14, Mauk's screen pass to Marcus Barnett went for a two-yard touchdown, with 47 seconds left.
Teel was then picked off for a second time on the first play of the ensuing drive and on the first play from scrimmage Mauk connected with Gilyard in the end zone with 28 seconds on the clock to make it a 28-20 contest.
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