Posted by Kevin Weidl
America, meet Cincinnati QB
Tony Pike. The 6-foot-5, 209-pounder introduced himself to the football world with an impressive performance against Rutgers on Monday. In a game on national TV that NFL scouts were bound to be checking out, if even for just a little while, Pike had a statement game with a nearly-perfect outing.
Pike, who we had as a fifth-round pick heading into the season, opened eyes with his impressive poise in the pocket, his patience and his decision making. Rutgers did not have an answer for him. The Scarlet Knights would blitz and he'd beat it with a quick throw. He read their coverages extremely well and made very few mistakes. He finished 27 for 34 for 363 yards with three TDs and one INT. And the interception was a great play by the defensive end on a screen pass.
Pike, who is in his first year as the full-time starter, sees the field really well with his height and has great accuracy and a nice touch on his passes. He also has some sneaky mobility in the pocket. He needs to add some weight and his arm strength needs to improve as well. The good news is his frame is favorable to add 20 pounds easily enough and if he grows into his body, that should help his arm strength as well.
Now, no one is saying he's suddenly going to become a first- or even second-day pick after one game and you have to be careful about having a knee-jerk reaction from this impressive performance. But he showed a lot of good things, highlighted by his poise and ability to read the field extremely well. If he can build on those things, he can improve his stock as the season progresses.
For a look at the Troy DE who could give the Gators fits, Miami S Randy Phillips' biggest problem and a projected third-round QB who needs a good performance this weekend to stay that high of a pick, become an ESPN Insider. 
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