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CINCINNATI --Wearing a bright red No. 15 jersey that was supposed to protect him from hits in practice, quarterback Tony Pike took a snap in shotgun formation Tuesday and soon got bumped off-balance by a charging defensive player.

The Cincinnati Bearcats thought: Oh, no!
Pike instinctively prevented himself from falling by extending his left arm -- the one with the forearm covered by a soft cast -- to the ground. Then, he took stock of what he felt.

The forearm, which is held together by a plate and six screws, didn't hurt at all.

Three weeks after he broke his non-passing arm, the Bearcats quarterback was back taking snaps in practice, planning to start next Saturday at Connecticut. It's a huge boost for Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0), which has gone through four quarterbacks because of injury.

"You can't even really feel it anymore," Pike said after practice. "Today we went live a little bit and it was good to be able to fall on it and have the confidence in your mind that you don't have to worry about it in the game."

"He hasn't exhibited the rust that I thought might be there after having two weeks off," coach Brian Kelly said. "It's still a matter of how's it going to be after that first hit. You have a question there. I can't answer that question. Tony's ready to play, he's cleared to play. But if he gets hit on that arm -- ouch, it's going to hurt."

"With Tony Pike coming back this week, I believe it will add another dimension to our offense," running back Jacob Ramsey said. "Tony's experienced with our scheme. He really knows what's going on out there."
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