A heart-warming element of this amazing 2009 team was their adoption of Mitch Stone, a 12-year-old cancer patient, called "a key to this special season".

The Bearcats responded with a quick touchdown drive to tie the game, Jacob Ramsey bulling in from 2 yards out.

The Panthers pounded the Bearcats with 24 second quarter points as they utilized the pinpoint passing of Bill Stull to score seemingly at will.

The deficit ballooned back to 14 on another scoring run from Lewis, the Bearcats got yet another long kick return from Gilyard and DJ Woods snagged an 8 yard touchdown pass from Pike.

Hutchins missed the extra point but the Panthers had a 44-38 lead with 1:36 left and dreams of crashing the Bearcats Big East title and BCS hopes in the snowy afternoon.

His perfectly lobbed pass found a tumbling Binns in the end zone for the Bearcats first lead of the day with a scant 33 seconds left.

The Panthers could do nothing with the time they had left and the Bearcats would celebrate its 2nd consecutive Big East Title and BCS Bowl berth.