Tony Pike answered all the questions six times over.

The senior quarterback returned from a major injury to his non-throwing arm and had a record day Friday, passing for six touchdowns in a 49-36 victory over Illinois that kept fifth-ranked Cincinnati unbeaten.

And now, back at full strength.

"Words can't describe how amazing this feels," Pike said.

Cincinnati (11-0) remained one of six unbeaten Bowl Subdivision teams, ranked fifth in the BCS standings. The Bearcats finish their regular season next weekend in Pittsburgh, playing for their second straight Big East championship.

"I wouldn't say it was easy to get to 11-0, but 11-0 is not going to matter if we lose to Pittsburgh, and the guys know this," said senior Mardy Gilyard, who caught two touchdown passes and ran back a kickoff for a score. "If we take care of business, the rest is up to the voters and the computers whatever else is out there, to figure out what we do with the postseason."

Pike had the biggest hand in the latest win.

He hadn't played since Oct. 15, when he damaged a protective plate in his left arm. He needed surgery to replace the plate, and didn't start any of the last four games. He got into a 24-21 win over West Virginia for four snaps, and threw for a pair of touchdowns in his very limited role.

Would he be sharp in his return as a starter? Could he take a hit? He answered the questions with one sensational half.

Yes, and yes.

Pike threw a career-high four touchdowns in the first half alone while leading the Bearcats to a 35-20 lead. He was knocked to the ground twice by the Illini (3-8), the second time when he stayed in the pocket long enough to get off an 11-yard touchdown pass to Gilyard.

The Bearcats were a more balanced team when sophomore backup Zach Collaros ran the offense in Pike's absence. They abandoned any pretense of the run Friday, handing off only four times in the first three quarters.

"We knew we had to throw the ball to win today, and that was the plan all week," coach Brian Kelly said. "We were going to throw it all over the ballpark today."

Pike finished 32 of 46 for 399 yards. On the season, he has thrown 23 touchdowns with only three interceptions.

He even ran a quarterback draw to show the arm wouldn't hold him back.

"It felt fine today," Pike said. "It feels great now."

The Illini couldn't handle a spread offense that's better than anything they'd see in the Big Ten. Cincinnati had 35 points in the first half alone _ as many as the Illini allowed in any full Big Ten game this season.