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BIG EAST FOOTBALL STOCK REPORT: WEEK #3

By Anthony Jaskulski

1. Pittsburgh 2-0, (0-0), Stock: LEVEL

Last game (2008): W 54-27 at Buffalo

Next game: Sept. 19 vs. Navy

Strong Point: In two games, the best two players for the Panthers have been the guy’s who replaced the best two players from last season. Running back Dion Lewis—Shady McCoy’s replacement—has tallied up over 100 yards a game in both wins, including a 190 yard performance in Buffalo, while linebacker Adam Gunn—Scott McKillop’s replacement—checked in with 11 tackles and three sacks Saturday, earning himself Big East defensive player of the week.

Area of Improvement: Despite annihilating their MAC opponent Saturday, the Panther defense gave up an uncharacteristic 500 total yards and 25 first down’s to Buffalo.

Overall Analysis: So if I told you Pitt’s offense ran up a near 400 total yards on offense and scored 54 points would you believe me? How about if I said the Panther defense surrendered 500 yards on defense? A usual automatic check in at the psych’-ward actually was the truth this Saturday. It’s a bittersweet surprise with the offensive unit. If the defense can string it back together, Panther fans might see one of the more sturdier squads in years.
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2. West Virginia 2-0, (0-0), Stock: LEVEL

Last game: W 35-20 vs. East Carolina

Next game: Sept. 19 at Auburn

Strong Point: Quarterback Jarrett Brown threw for a career-high 334 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, going 24 of 31. He also rushed for 73 yards.

Area of Improvement: Starting the game slow, penalty’s and mistakes kept West Virginia from pulling away from their opponents before the fourth quarter. Three penalty’s in the first half accounted for all 20 of ECU’s points, contributing to the Pirates 178 total yards in the half.

Overall Analysis: West Virginia improved, and especially on the offensive end where they capped on 509 total yards and punted just four times the entire game. The other end of the sword is the one that constantly buries the Mountaineers. 11 penalty’s for 104 yards and three lost fumbles Saturday is not what makes up a conference winning team. ECU is in no way the team they were a year ago, and this schedule for West Virginia only gets tougher. A date with Auburn in Alabama this Saturday will teach us a lot about where WVU is as a team. Turnovers and sloppy first half play won’t result in a win this week.
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3. Cincinnati 2-0, (1-0), Stock: RISING

National Rank: 23

Last game: W 70-3 vs. SE Missouri State

Next game: Sept. 19 at Oregon State

Strong Point: Marty Gilyard exploded on the scene last week, putting the ball in the end zone four times, scoring on a punt return, a run and two pass catches. He had six catches for 111 yards from his wideout position. He averaged 18.5 yards per catch.

Area of Improvement: It is pretty hard to find anything wrong with Cincinnati as a team in these last two weeks. Aside from a few plugs to fill in on the defensive end, the Bearcats have played all but impeccable football in their first two games this season.

Overall Analysis: Given their inferior opponent in SEMO last week, Cincinnati still did their job by looking nearly perfect, surgical football. Big East offensive player of the week Tony Pike threw up 223 yards in just one half of play—he sat the second half due to the score. The offense is definitely the highlight of this team, and in two games, they are already over 1,000 team yards combined. Even more frightening, the combined score for the Bearcats is 117-18. Now enter their toughest opponent to date, Oregon State in Corvallis aka College Football’s black hole. This will be a gigantic measuring stick for Cincinnati.
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4. South Florida 2-0, (0-0), Stock: LEVEL

Last game: W 35-13 vs. at Western Kentucky

Next game: Sept. 19 vs. Charleston Southern

Strong Point: South Florida’s ground assault accounted for more than half of the total offensive yards with 253 yards on 42 team carries. Moise Plancher led the way with 115 yards on 18 carries.

Area of Improvement: It’s never good when your defense gives up 200 yards rushing to the opposition. It’s even that much worse when you play a team from the Football Subdivision. While Western Kentucky has a solid team for their ranks, they are nowhere near the talent, recruiting and ability of a D-1 team like USF. It’s completely unacceptable in the second week of the season.

Overall Analysis: Another week another cupcake. Seeing the first three weeks of USF’s schedule makes me want to apologize to season ticket holders. What could you possibly gain from playing three teams out of the Subdivision other than the BCS committee completely avoiding your resume despite your record? You can’t really consider the Bulls losing stock or gaining stock because they’re playing games that are pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Sept. 26 at Florida State will be USF’s first big matchup this season.
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5. Connecticut 1-1, (0-0), Stock: LEVEL

Last game L 10-12 vs. North Carolina

Next game: Sept. 19 at Baylor

Strong Point: Connecticut did a solid job locking up one of the more solid offenses in ACC in UNC. The Huskies held the ‘Heels to just 268 total yards, and completely stifled the ground game, holding them to 35 yards on 38 total attempts.

Area of Improvement: The Huskies had an even worse performance on offense then their opponents, accounting for just 196 total yards, including a sub-par 94 yard performance from quarterback Zac Frazer.

Overall Analysis: It’s tough to take a moral victory from a ranked opponent, when that opponent posted 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in your house to defeat you. Connecticut lost the game on a last minute safety thanks to a holding penalty in the end zone on tackle Dan Ryan. The Huskies defense has proven themselves as a much better unit from a year ago. The problem is the offense has proven themselves as something much worse than what they were a year ago. They have to get better, and must improve on an offense averaging less than 230 yards per game this year.
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6. Syracuse 0-2, (0-0), Stock: LEVEL

Last game: L 7-28 at Penn State

Next game: Sept. 19 vs. Northwestern

Strong Point: The Syracuse defense surrendered just 78 total yards in the ground game to PSU, and forced two fumbles, as well as an impressive goal line stand in the first half of the game, forcing the turnover and gaining possession with a 7-7 tied game at the time.

Area of Improvement: Despite quarterbacks Greg Paulus and Ryan Nassib rotating on several possessions, throwing a wrench in PSU’s gameplan, the Orange still had no rhythm or solid momentum at any point in this game, posting just 200 total yards and a weak 5 of 13 on third down conversions.

Overall Analysis: I’ll reiterate from last week: you can’t expect Syracuse to all of a sudden wake up from being one of the worst teams in D-1 football last year, and start posting incredible numbers. They have so many places to improve, but they are looking better and they are doing it in tiny increments. I have faith in new head coach Doug Marrone and you should to, Syracuse faithful.
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7. Rutgers 1-1, (0-1), Stock: LEVEL

Last game: W 45-7 vs. Howard

Next game: Sept. 19 vs. Florida International

Strong Point: Rutgers’ offense bounced back from last week, putting up a solid 245 rushing yards, including 124 yards from Jourdan Brooks and 89 from De’Antwan Williams.

Area of Improvement: The defense still has a lot of work to do, as defined Saturday by the near-300 yards given up by the Scarlet Knights defense to Howard. If not for 14 penalty’s, with more than half coming from offensive possessions in Rutgers territory, Howard would’ve scored more than just a lone touchdown.

Overall Analysis: Not much to analyze from Rutgers after their matchup with the heavily outnumbered and outclassed Howard Bison. Defense still needs work and, quite frankly, so does the offense. The most exciting part from Saturday, however, came from quarterback Tom Savage who, as I thought in last weeks Stock Report, would receive the starting nod in week two, in which he did, and passed with flying colors, tallying up 223 yards going 8 of 13 and two touchdowns.
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8. Louisville 1-0, (0-0), Stock: FALLING

Last game: BYE

Next game: Sept. 19 at Kentucky

*Stats are from two weeks ago vs. Indiana State since last week was a bye week for the Cardinals.

Strong Point: Tailback Victor Anderson had a solid game, rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown, anchoring a Louisville ground game that tallied up 176 yards as a team.

Area of Improvement: The Cardinals offense converted just once on 3rd down and saw a rather rugged game from new starting quarterback Justin Burke, who did have 223 yards, but two awful interceptions.

Overall Analysis: How could a win make your stock fall you ask? Easy, when one of the worst teams from the Football Championship Subdivision, the Indiana State Sycamores and their current 1-54 record over the past five years, comes into your stadium and leads you all the way to the halfway mark of the second half. The Cardinals did, however, hold ISU to 101 total yards, but their lack of execution on the offensive end and ongoing problems with penalty’s—14 for 128 yards on Saturday—continues to make me believe that this will be Louisville’s one and only win this season. So please, bask in it and marinate on it while you have a bye week coming up Cardinal fans, it won’t last.