Cincinnati QB Pike has surgery, status uncertain

Published Oct. 21, 2009 1:38 a.m. ET

foxsports

Quarterback Tony Pike had surgery Tuesday to repair a damaged plate in his non-throwing arm, leaving his status uncertain for fifth-ranked Cincinnati's game against Louisville.

Pike broke his left forearm last season, had a plate and six screws inserted, and returned after missing two games. He led the Bearcats to their first Big East title by playing with a cast on the arm.

During a 34-17 win at South Florida on Thursday night, the plate shifted when Pike was hit, forcing him to miss most of the second half. Sophomore Zach Collaros helped the Bearcats (6-0) pull away, running for a pair of touchdowns.

Pike met with a specialist on Monday, participated in a light practice with a cast on the forearm, then chose to have the surgery after consultations with another specialist. Coach Brian Kelly was notified on Monday night.

The plan is for Pike to spend two days trying to keep the swelling to a minimum, then return to practice on Thursday and see what he can do. After that, Kelly will decide which quarterback starts against Louisville (2-4) on Saturday.

"It's going to depend on the next 48 hours," Kelly said. "He cannot go out there if he can't protect himself. We can't put him in a position where he can't feel comfortable in protecting himself. The last time (he had surgery), it took two weeks for us to feel he was ready to go. We're hoping that process is accelerated. That's why we're not going to rule him out for Saturday night now."

Most likely, Collaros or sophomore Chazz Anderson — both of whom bailed the Bearcats out last season when Pike and Dustin Grutza got hurt — will play against Louisville. The Bearcats' next game is at Syracuse (2-4) a week later.