The loss to UConn could have been worse. Hunter Cantwell could have been stuck on the sidelines.

Just ask University of Cincinnati football coach Brian Kelly who lost his third quarterback of the year in a 17-15 win over Akron. The latest is Troy Pike, a junior, who completed 23 of 24 passes for 320 and two touchdowns before suffering a broken forearm.

Pike was standing in for Dustin Grutza who is on crutches after suffering a broken leg in the opening game loss at Oklahoma. Grutza was the successor to Ben Mauk, who lost a plethora of appeals to the NCAA before the season, seeking to add another year of eligibility.

Kelly says two red shirt freshmen will compete for the job.

A Cincinnati blogger doesn’t think Pike will be out for long:

He’s scheduled to have surgery on Monday. The prognosis is that he’ll be out for three weeks. But with the Bearcats facing a bye week after their Oct. 11 game against Rutgers, he could miss only two games.

Sounds like wishful thinking on his part. Five to six weeks sounds more realistic.

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Speaking of injured quarterbacks, West Virginia’s Pat White hurt a thumb in the third quarter of the Mountaineers’ win over Marshall and never returned to the game. Word is the injury is not serious. 

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.