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BIG EAST MONDAY MORNING QB: WEEK #2

by Michael Pina

Syracuse (0-2) vs. Penn State (28-7 loss)

Going up against a national title contender in their house was probably the last thing Syracuse could have wanted. While they weren’t routed to the point of embarrassment, they played well throughout the first half; forcing turnovers and moving the ball effectively, they just simply could not put points on the board.

A microcosmic example came towards the end of the third quarter with Syracuse driving in Penn State’s red zone. Facing a third and goal, quarterback Greg Paulus had a clear path to the end zone, but hesitated and ended up getting tackled before he could correct his mistake. Then on 4th down, Paulus delivered a perfect pass to his number one receiver Mike Williams who promptly dropped it. Two touchdown chances that this football team has to convert on if they want to be a competitive group.

Syracuse looks improved from last year, but currently sit right where they were projected to be in the preseason, at the bottom of the Big East.

Connecticut (1-1) vs. UNC (12-10 loss)

Pitching a shutout against the 19th ranked team in the nation for most of the game, Connecticut allowed 12 unanswered points to be scored on them in the fourth quarter as North Carolina broke their back.

Even though Connecticut was not expected to win the ball game heading in, this game could have a devastating aftermath. Next up for the Huskies is a road game against a Baylor team that’s coming off a surprising victory at Wake Forest. After a very winnable game at home against Rhode Island, conference play starts up and things could start to snowball. Next week’s game will say a lot about the University of Connecticut’s mental makeup.

Pittsburgh (2-0) vs. Buffalo (54-27 win)

Dion Lewis is both the present and future of Pittsburgh football. Standing at just 5’8”, the freshman is averaging over seven yards a rush and just under 160 yards a game. Lewis currently leads the conference in rushing yards, is tied with Cincinnati’s Mardy Gilyard with five total touchdowns, is sixth in total offense and first in all-purpose yardage. Going up against Buffalo, the reigning MAC champion, the Albany native showed his endurance when he closed out the game with an 85 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Spinning in the whole and shedding would be tacklers, Lewis is a mesmerizing talent.

With Lewis playing so well, quarterback Bill Stull was able to fly under the radar, throwing three first half touchdowns. More importantly there were no interceptions.

Defensively, senior linebacker Adam Gunn leads the nation in sacks and the conference in tackles.

After two games the Panthers are looking like the talented squad many had predicted would finish the season atop the Big East.

West Virginia (2-0) vs. East Carolina (35-20 win)

Jarrett Brown might not have the arm strength of former star quarterback Pat White, but that doesn’t seem to matter as he continues to establish himself as a dangerous offensive weapon. Brown finished the game with a career-high 334 yards through the air and four touchdowns while the Mountaineer defense did their part, holding East Carolina scoreless in the second half. Wide receiver Jock Sanders also contributed a great deal as he currently leads the conference in receptions.

An announcer for the game aptly described running back Noel Devine as a “ping-pong ball in the bathtub”. With one touchdown on the day and a long run of 31 yards, the junior remains one of the toughest pound for pound elusive runners in the nation.

West Virginia persists as one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country and as the season goes on that reputation should only continue to grow, making them a certifiable Big East title contender once again.

South Florida (2-0) vs. W. Kentucky (35-13 win)

The obvious story line here is senior quarterback Matt Grothe passing Pat White for all time yardage gained in Big East history. He didn’t squeak by the record number either, he exploded through it gaining 53 yards with his legs and 208 with his right arm. Grothe has now accumulated 10,702 yards in his unheralded yet illustrious career.

The most productive Bull on Saturday wasn’t Grothe however, it was running back Moise Plancher who quietly ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

While the final score would indicate a dominating performance, South Florida led by the slim margin of 14-6 at halftime and 21-13 at the end of the third quarter. The Bulls are an undefeated team, yet after two games its still difficult to pin down what their limitations are.

Rutgers (1-1) vs. Howard (45-7 win)

Coming off a truly embarrassing opener on Monday night against Cincinnati, Rutgers made the wise decision to turn the reins over to freshman quarterback Tom Savage. He didn’t disappoint, throwing for 223 yards and a couple touchdowns.

While the Scarlet Knights were vastly improved from their opening performance, at one point scoring four touchdowns in six plays, Howard didn’t do themselves any favors with 121 lost yards on 14 penalties.

Rutgers looks like they can still contend in the Big East, but as of right now they can only go as far as their true freshman can take them.

#23 Cincinnati (2-0) vs. SE Missouri State (70-3 win)

Through two weeks of action the Bearcats have outscored their opponents 117-18. The only Big East team ranked in the top 25 looks like a finely tuned offensive juggernaut. Last week it was quarterback Tony Pike throwing the ball all over Piscataway and Saturday senior wide receiver Mardy Gilyard was Head Coach Brian Kelly’s weapon of choice. Opening the game with a punt return touchdown, Gilyard never slowed down, accumulating 197 total yards and scoring three more times.

At this rate by the end of the season, Kelly will be the most sought after coach in the country. His high powered offense and ridiculously entertaining brand of football makes Cincinnati a very, very dangerous team heading forward.

Big East Top Performers:

Dion Lewis RB Pittsburgh- The most impressive freshman in the entire nation, Lewis is currently third in the country in rushing.

Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati- Scoring four touchdowns in three different fashions (punt return, rushing and receiving) Gilyard could prove to be a major X-factor throughout the season.