Big east roundup \ Saturday’s games

Cincinnati 26, No. 20 West Virginia 23, OT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Tony Pike threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kazeem Alli in overtime to lift Cincinnati, creating a three-way tie atop the Big East. West Virginia (6-3, 3-1) scored 13 points in the final 1:11 to force overtime, including Pat McAfee’s 52-yard field goal as time ran out. McAfee added a 27-yard field goal on West Virginia’s overtime possession. Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1) managed just two first downs after halftime after leading 20-7, but answered the field goal with a well-run touchdown drive and created a first-place logjam with West Virginia and No. 25 Pittsburgh.

Rutgers 35, Syracuse 17

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Mike Teel threw three touchdown passes and resurgent Rutgers rallied from an early 14-point deficit to beat Syracuse for its third straight win. Teel found Tiquan Underwood for scoring passes of 5 and 16 yards and he connected with Kenny Britt nine times for 107 yards, including a 16-yard TD, as the Scarlet Knights (4-5, 3-2 Big East) kept their hopes alive for a fourth straight bowl bid. Kordell Young rushed for 143 yards and scored a go-ahead 1-yard run early in the third quarter, and little-used halfback Joe Martinek rambled 45 yards around left end after taking a direct snap as Rutgers posted its fourth straight win over Syracuse (2-7, 1-4). The seventh loss made the Orangemen bowl ineligible for the fourth straight year under embattled coach Greg Robinson, who is now 9-35 overall and 3-23 in the conference. For a couple of minutes in the first quarter, it seemed like Syracuse would build off its win over Louisville last weekend. Doug Houge scored on an 82-yard touchdown run on the first possession by the Orangemen and Da’Mon Merkerson recovered a blocked punt in the end zone less than two minutes later for a 14-0 lead.

Associated Press