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A LOOK AHEAD TO WEEK #2 IN THE BIG EAST

Favorites looking to avoid the upset

By Raphielle Johnson

Week two of the college football season will bring about a different challenge for the Big East. The first weekend was primarily about avoiding the embarrassing defeat, and the conference was able to do that with the lone loss being Syracuse falling to Minnesota in overtime. The one conference game was Cincinnati visiting Rutgers on Labor Day, and the defending champions made quite the statement in front of a sold-out crowd and a national television audience.

The second weekend will bring about a couple of challenging games for teams favored to finish in the top half of the Big East standings. Pittsburgh will visit the defending MAC champion Buffalo Bulls, who are coming off of a solid win at UTEP. West Virginia has a score to settle with East Carolina visiting Morgantown. While those are both games that can be lost the two Big East members need to win from a national perception standpoint. Connecticut and Syracuse will play ranked teams on Saturday; the Huskies host #19 North Carolina while the Orange visit #9 Penn State.

To say that these two are playing with “house money” would be going too far, but they’ll be underdogs nonetheless. A win by either (or both) would be a boost to the Big East, but both need to avoid a blowout at the very least. Below is a breakdown of each game involving Big East schools this Saturday, along with a peek at what their next opponent has going on.

#19 North Carolina @ Connecticut (Noon on ESPNU)

Responsibility number one for the Husky special teams: block Bruce Carter. The UNC linebacker blocked three punts in last year’s meeting, which was also the first career start for Zach Frazer. The 38-12 Carolina whipping was a night to forget for Frazer and the rest of his teammates, a night on which Connecticut’s lack of a passing game was exploited by Butch Davis’ defense. The passing game was cited to be a key to the Huskies’ season ever since spring camp and the initial returns were not as good as hoped last weekend.

Three interceptions in the win at Ohio, a combination of suspect reads by Frazer and a bad case of the “dropsies” for a few receivers contributed to the effort. Luckily the running back tandem of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon was able to make up for the turnovers, with both backs rushing for at least 100 yards on the night. The Tar Heel defense is more seasoned than last year’s outfit so it may be tough sledding for the rushing attack. Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead will be looking for more out of the passing game.

When Carolina has the football they proved to be stronger on the ground than through the air in beating The Citadel last weekend. Backs Shawn Draughn and Ryan Houston both played well, making up for an uneven game through the air. But that’s to be expected, given what the Heels lost at wide receiver. Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate (missed most of 2008 with a knee injury) and Brooks Foster comprised one of the best groups in the ACC last season, and their best receiver coming into 2009 spent last season as a running back (Greg Little, but to be fair he was a WR as a freshman and one of the best recruits at the position coming out of high school). Scott Lutrus (stinger) is expected back in the lineup this week, but Sio Moore (hamstring) is unlikely to play. The Huskies have a chance to beat North Carolina but will need more from their passing game if they’re to do so.

Week 3 Opponent: Baylor (1-0). On the heels of their impressive win at Wake Forest, Robert Griffin III and company have this weekend off.
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Syracuse @ #9 Penn State (Noon on Big Ten Network)

Greg Paulus was solid in Syracuse’s loss to Minnesota, even with the ill-fated pass in overtime. The question now: how will he play on the road in front of some 106,000 people? Happy Valley is not a “regular” college football experience, and the key for Paulus and company will be keeping their composure. Similar to Minnesota there could be some opportunities in the short passing game (press coverage from a secondary is rare in the Big Ten), although you have to expect Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley to look at that tape are resolve to take away the bubble screen.

The Syracuse defense, which was solid in the defeat, will have to figure out a way to slow down QB Daryll Clark and the Penn State offense. Clark is a championship quarterback who seldom makes the mistake that kills his team, and as soon as you focus solely on him there’s RB Evan Royster to make you pay. Even with the loss of their top three receivers from 2008 the Nittany Lions have options on the outside, notably Derek Moye and Chaz Powell. Syracuse will have their hands full and then some on Saturday afternoon.

Week 3 Opponent: Northwestern (1-0). The Wildcats should be 2-0 when they visit the Carrier Dome next weekend; Pat Fitzgerald’s team hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
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Pittsburgh @ Buffalo (Noon on ESPN GamePlan/ 360; WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh)

Despite the fact that the Panthers won last season’s meeting and the Bulls have both a new quarterback and a new running back; this is a dangerous football game. Dion Lewis was sensational for the Panthers against Youngstown State, and the passing game was adequate considering the opponent. Pitt can rely on Lewis and Ray Graham, along with other options, to control the game on the ground but they’ll need to further establish the passing game against the Bulls.

Just like Pittsburgh, Turner Gill will look to establish the running game by committee due to the loss of James Starks (torn labrum). Brandon Thermilus finished the opener with twenty-five carries and Mario Henry had eleven, but while there is a noticeable division in the number of carries both will get ample opportunities to make things happen. QB Zach Maynard is more of a game manager at this point, but the presence of WR Naaman Roosevelt makes the Buffalo passing game a credible threat. Roosevelt going up against Aaron Berry could be the individual matchup of the weekend in games involving Big East teams.

If the Panther defense can make the Bulls one-dimensional (YSU finished with forty-six yards rushing on thirty-five carries) they’ll be in good shape; it’s still unknown whether or not Maynard can win a game with his arm. If Buffalo is forced to find out it could be a long afternoon for the home team.

Week 3 Opponent: Navy (0-1). The Midshipmen open their home schedule with Louisiana Tech this weekend. Navy gave Ohio State all it wanted and then some in a 31-27 loss in Columbus.
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Howard @ Rutgers (3:30 PM on ESPN GamePlan/ 360; SNY)

This game is more about the Scarlet Knights than the Bison; if Howard should pose a serious threat we’ll know that there are far more issues for Rutgers to address than what was exposed on Monday. Tom Savage was handed the keys to the offense in the second half and it’s tough to see anyone other than him starting on Saturday. Howard provides a good opportunity for Savage to establish an in-game chemistry with his entire receiving corps; either Mohamed Sanu (10 catches against Cincinnati) was that good or the rest of the group was that bad on Monday.

Also on the agenda is improvement to the pass defense. Seemed like whenever the Bearcats wanted to the area in the middle of the field right behind the linebackers was wide open. Howard’s passing game is nowhere near that of Cincinnati’s so it’ll be tough to truly gauge the changes/improvements. More than anything, Howard offers Rutgers an opportunity to fine-tune fundamentals; competitively they won’t get much out of the matchup.

Week 3 Opponent: Florida International. The Golden Panthers were off this past weekend, and the extra week of preparation could be a good thing. Mario Cristobal’s team visits Alabama on Saturday.
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East Carolina @ West Virginia (3:30 PM on ESPN 360)

This is the game of the day within the conference, with the Mountaineers looking for some payback following last year’s embarrassing effort in Greenville. There were turnovers, penalties and missed assignments in the 24-3 West Virginia loss, issues that Coach Stewart will likely touch on during their preparation during the week. Neither team was too impressive in wins against FCS opponents, but at least the Mountaineers didn’t have to survive a late rally.

Patrick Pinkney struggled through the air for ECU, completing just twelve of twenty-seven pass attempts and throwing two interceptions in the 29-24 win over Appalachian State. ECU ran for 189 yards on the ground, with Dominique Lindsay leading the way with 105. Lindsay missed all of last season (torn ACL), and given a small number of carries throughout his career it may be difficult at the start to get a read on his running style. The Pirates will look to get things done on the ground by committee; if Reed Williams and company can force Pinkney to go to the air West Virginia could force a few turnovers.

West Virginia was more balanced in their win over Liberty, with Noel Devine and Jarrett Brown both having good days for the offense. It also helped matters to have Jock Sanders back; the receiver who was suspended from the team for off-field issues had eight catches against the Flames. If West Virginia can stop the run and maintain their own offensive balance, they could match the margin of victory in avenging last year’s loss.

Week 3 Opponent: Auburn (1-0). The Tigers open SEC play this weekend, hosting Mississippi State in the second of four straight games at Jordan-Hare to begin the season.
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USF @ Western Kentucky (7 PM on ESPN GamePlan/ 360; BrightHouse Sports Network)

The Bulls were rather sloppy in the first half of their opener against Wofford on Saturday night. That being said, the Terriers may be a better outfit than the Western Kentucky team they’ll visit. In their first game as a full-time FBS member the Hilltoppers were tuned by a young Tennessee team 63-7. Coach Leavitt will have the opportunity to work in a number of players, although not as many as a home game due to rules regarding the number of players allowed to travel. The key for USF: stay sharp and don’t get sloppy. That can happen when playing against a team with inferior talent; guys walk out onto the field thinking they can simply show up.

Similar to Rutgers they won’t face a strenuous test this weekend. But unlike the Scarlet Knights the Bulls visit a team celebrating its first home game as an FBS member. Quickly taking care of that emotion can make all the difference between a routine game and a contest that requires unexpected “heavy lifting”.

Week 3 Opponent: Charleston Southern (0-1). Charleston Southern, who lost to Florida on Saturday, visits Wofford this weekend.
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Southeast Missouri State @ #23 Cincinnati (7:30 PM on Fox Sports Ohio)

The Bearcats were clicking on all cylinders Monday afternoon, and the goal against Southeast Missouri State is to keep the ball rolling and not get anyone hurt. Many players will get the chance to play on Saturday night, including quarterbacks Chazz Anderson and Zach Collaros, and that could be an asset should something happen to Tony Pike. The defense looked solid, playing well in Bob Diaco’s 3-4 scheme. It helps matters than seven of the ten new starters are seniors, meaning that they’ve been on the field in the past…they just haven’t had the distinction of being a “starter”.

One of Coach Kelly’s issues with the 4-3 was that too many substitutions were required, not allowing for flexibility of the personnel on the field. Therefore a lot of the guys who were slept on nationally in the preseason have a good idea as to what they’re doing. The Bearcats will learn a lot more about themselves the following weekend when they take on Oregon State in Corvallis.

Week 3 Opponent: Oregon State (1-0). The Beavers head to Las Vegas to take on UNLV.
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Louisville: Bye week

The Cardinals weren’t the most impressive team in their win over Indiana State, but they averted total disaster simply by winning the game. The bye week comes at a time when there’s an awful lot to work on. One constant: RB Victor Anderson. Louisville will face in-state rival Kentucky (1-0) next Saturday.