Cincinnati Football: Bearcats Get Well Against Miami Redhawks

For the first time all season, the Cincinnati Bearcats put together a complete performance and looked like the team many people expected them to play like from the beginning of the season. 

The bye week allowed Cincinnati time to get healthy and give the offensive line more time to develop. That development certainly benefited Isaiah Pead, who rushed for 197 yards on only 10 carries, all in the first half. 

Pead himself was completely healthy for the first time all season and looks to have finally hit his stride. 

Beating the Miami Redhawks is not necessarily a big time win, but Miami has improved over last season and came into the game 3-2, having competed on the road with Florida well into the fourth quarter. 

With Big East play beginning Friday night in a nationally televised game for Cincinnati, the Bearcats are finally playing their best football. 

They are yet to win a road game and will be tested Friday at Louisville, a team that rolled Saturday to a 56-0 victory over Memphis. 

The Cardinals have been impressive this season, having started the year 3-2 with close losses to Kentucky and at Oregon State. 

The Bearcats appear ready to defend their Big East crown in a wide open conference.

With West Virginia as the only team that has been remotely impressive in the early season, Cincinnati has as good a shot as anybody to receive a BCS berth. 

While Cincinnati will never be completely healthy, getting Pead back to 100 percent and the return of tight end Ben Guidugli, who had a touchdown Saturday, gives the offense the firepower to consistently put 30 plus points on the board the rest of the season. 

Once again, the main question is whether or not the defense can hold up. If it can, another Big East Championship could be in order for the Bearcats in 2010.