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BIG EAST MONDAY MORNING QB: WEEK 1

by Michael Pina

As exciting as the opening Saturday of college football is for much of the American public, it isn’t too revealing. There are very few big time match-ups nationally, and the schools that have winning traditions usually don’t want to bring in anybody too tough as to get the season started on the wrong note. After all, in the current bowl system, one loss and there’s a good chance your national title hopes are over. This is why South Florida toyed with Wofford, Pittsburgh stomped Youngstown State and Louisville easily handled an Indiana State team that has precisely one victory in their last 29 games. With that being said, I’d like to think some impressions can still be made, especially from the schools looking to prove something in the 2010 season.

Syracuse (0-1) vs. Minnesota (23-20 OT loss)

Even though they ended up losing a game that they led for the majority, the Orange have a lot to look forward to. The excitement surrounding Greg Paulus’s arrival and some stellar defensive play by junior safety Max Suter along with Freshman Brandon Sharpe (who originally committed to Louisville) had the upstate New York basketball school rocking in the Carrier Dome.

The defensive line as a whole was pretty solid, allowing just 3.5 yards per carry from Minnesota runners, but the clear lynchpin for their season is Suter, the strong safety. He was absolutely everywhere, breaking up passes, taking on the persona of a chain-link fence when roaming down in the box. Playing a style that can best be described as an under-control recklessness, Suter looked like Syracuse’s very own John Lynch.

West Virginia (1-0) vs. Liberty (33-20 win)

In the first game of the post-Pat White era, West Virginia fans were quickly reminded that they still have Noel Devine. The junior running back picked up where he left off last year with 112 yards on just 17 attempts, including a 24-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter that put the game away. New starting quarterback Jarrett Brown was effective both on the ground and through the air, throwing for 243 yards and averaging 7.7 yards a carry with a touchdown.

As is true with every Big East team that pulled off a convincing win in the season’s opening week, their opponent was a vastly over-matched school so there really isn’t too much to take away until conference play rolls around.

South Florida (1-0) vs. Wofford (40-7 win)

With an impressive performance against a surprisingly tough Wofford squad, quarterback Matt Grothe now needs just 88 yards to pass the aforementioned Pat White as the Big East’s all-time leader in total yards accumulated. The lopsided score is a little deceiving as the game was well within Wofford’s grasp down 16-7 at halftime. The Terriers moved the ball with ease in the early going but couldn’t get out of their own way as the game dragged on, making a few special teams mistakes that could have easily been avoided. Only one of South Florida’s scoring drives started on their side of the 50 yard line which is a real testament to the importance of field position and special teams.

Pittsburgh (1-0) vs. Youngstown State (38-3 win)

In the first half of his collegiate playing career, freshman running back Dion Lewis averaged 8.8 yards per carry. He scored three times and was barely needed in the second half as Pitt ran away with a 35-point victory. It’s obviously very early with just a tiny sampling against Youngstown State, but Pittsburgh fans might have already forgotten the name LeSean McCoy.

The big question with the media’s pre-season conference favorite lies at the quarterback position. Starter Bill Stull didn’t play terrible, but he didn’t exactly impress anybody either, going 11 for 16 for 123 yards with an interception. Tino Sunseri, a red-shirt freshman came in during the 3rd quarter of the blowout and went 5-8 for 80 yards with a touchdown pass. This is certainly something to keep an eye on and could be a major issue for the Panthers as the season unfolds.

Louisville (1-0) vs. Indiana State (30-10 win)

The reigning conference champion had a strong showing, albeit it was against one of the worst teams in the nation, in their opener. Behind running back Victor Anderson, one of the most talented halfbacks in the entire Big East, the Cardinals had little trouble dispatching the Sycamores, a team that currently finds itself on a 28 game losing streak.

Connecticut (1-0) vs. Ohio (23-16 win)

Despite losing two of the most talented players that have ever suited up for Huskies football in Darius Butler and Donald Brown, UConn looked pretty good in their opener. Their overall offense was not too notable, but sophomore running back Jordan Todman ran for 157 yards on 25 carries including one end zone scamper. Connecticut never trailed in this one and their defense forced both a fumble and an interception while also attaining a safety, but overall their chances of competing throughout the season are long.

Cincinnati (1-0) vs. Rutgers 15 (0-1) (47-15 Cincinnati win)

In the only Big East conference match-up of the weekend, Cincinnati went into Piscataway, New Jersey and absolutely demolished Greg Schiano’s squad. I’ll focus in on the Bearcats’ offensive dominance more on my Big Performers List (below), but right now the questions revolve around Rutgers. Specifically at the quarterback position, true freshman Tom Savage replaced senior Domenic Natale at the beginning of the second half and looked as good as advertised. In his debut, the Springfield (PA) native went 15 for 24 for 135 yards and a touchdown.

Standing at 6’ 5” and weighing 230 pounds, Savage was recruited by Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee and Michigan but was set in his ways when he committed to Rutgers. If the Scarlet Knights want to amend their opening game beat down, starting Savage the rest of the way wouldn’t be a bad decision.

Big Performers List

Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike had more passing yards in the first half (286) of his season opener, than any other Big East quarterback accumulated throughout their whole game. With a comfortable 31-7 lead at halftime, Head Coach Brian Kelly eased his ankle on the accelerator just a tad and the five-year senior ended up with three touchdowns and 362 yards on 34 attempts. Cincinnati’s offense as a whole didn’t even punt the ball until midway through the fourth quarter. Pike, along with his veteran offensive line, talented wide outs and ingenious offensive scheme, made a huge statement as the reigning Big East champions look strong to repeat.

Besides Cincinnati, Pittsburgh was looked at as one of the strongest teams in the conference and the opening week breakout performance by freshman Dion Lewis reinforced that notion. Picking up right where current Philadelphia Eagle LeSean McCoy, Lewis sniffed out the end zone three times, two on the ground, one through the air. With a big question mark at quarterback heading into the season, taking the Big East crown could be dependent on the 5’ 8” freshman out of Albany, New York.