Some 940 miles away from the heart of Bearcat country, a 46-yard field goal by Texas’s Hunter Lawrence ended the possibility of a Cincinnati national championship berth. An incredible effort by Mardy Gilyard and the rest of Cincinnati’s undefeated team in a comeback win over Pittsburgh had hopes extremely high heading into Saturday night, but with Texas’s unimpressive 13-12 victory over Nebraska, the Longhorns, and not the Bearcats will be headed to Pasadena.

Regardless the Big East will be well represented in six bowl games, including the Sugar Bowl which is where Cincinnati will face defending national champion Florida.

The other bowl games are the St. Petersburg Bowl (Rutgers vs. UCF), Meineke Car Care Bowl (Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina), the Gator Bowl (West Virginia vs. Florida State), the International Bowl (South Florida vs. Northern Illinois), and the Papajohns.com Bowl (Connecticut vs. South Carolina).

Saturday saw three Big East match ups and thankfully all of them were closely contested, including the Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh instant classic which is where we’ll start.

#3 Cincinnati (12-0, 7-0) vs. #17 Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2) (45-44 Cincinnati win)

If ever a game were highlighted to point out the critical importance of special teams, this would be it. Bitter December weather and a feiety Heinz Field crowd had the Panthers primed for an upset as they lead throughout the entire ball game, but huge plays in the kickoff return game by Cincinnati’s Mardy Gilyard combined with a botched extra point hold late in the fourth quarter doomed Pittsburgh’s upset bid.

Down as many as 21 points to one of the more overly aggressive defensive ball clubs in the country, Cincinnati rallied behind Gilyard, their strike-at- all-angles-weapon, overcoming a poor performance by Tony Pike in the process.

What should not be overlooked in Cincinnati’s great escape is the performance by Dion Lewis. 29 rushes in the first half, a ridiculous 47 in the game. Two fourth quarter touchdowns along with the contest’s very first score and 194 yards rushing. Lewis played like a senior in his team’s biggest game and played like a certain bright spot for Pittsburgh fans everywhere. He’ll contest for the Heisman Trophy next season.

Although they won’t get a shot at Alabama in the national championship, Cincinnati will be matched up against Tim Tebow and the defending champion Florida Gators. A win against Urban Meyer’s team would surely be as decorated as they come and prove to the rest of the country that the Big East can play with anybody.

Connecticut (7-5, 3-4) vs. South Florida (7-5, 3-4) (29-27 Connecticut win)

With all the close losses and impossible to understand hardships that this Huskies team went through all season, it’s a minor miracle that they’ll end up with a winning record. Coach Randy Edsall deserves all the credit in the world as do his deep, multi-faceted backfield. Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon served as the backbone of the team’s offense all year long and in this one the two combined for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Connecticut can end their season on a rather high note with a match up against South Carolina, an SEC opponent. A win would be a major step forward for the program and an exclamation point on a tragic, rough season.

South Florida had a disappointing campaign but their future looks extremely promising with B.J. Daniels, one of the most exciting, talented, young quarterbacks in the nation, leading the way.

#16 West Virginia (9-3, 5-2) vs. Rutgers (8-4, 3-4) (24-21 West Virginia win)

What began as a season marred with low expectations thanks to the departure of senior quarterback Pat White, will end with one of the most plot driven bowl games in recent memory. In the Gator Bowl, Bobby Bowden in his final game will go up against the school where he started his much storied coaching career.

The Mountaineers find themselves in a very winnable game against a not-so-efficient Florida State squad.

In their 15th straight victory over the Scarlet Knights, West Virginia had a 21-3 lead in the third quarter but squandered it by allowing a 91-yard kickoff return and a 62-yard touchdown pass from freshman Tom Savage to freshman Mohamed Sanu.

The Mountaineers hung on however when JT Thomas intercepted a Rutgers pass to clinch the game. Rutgers heads to the St. Petersburg Bowl in a match up against a Central Florida team with an equal 8-4 record.

Big East Top Performers

Cincinnati Wide Receiver Mardy Gilyard- The senior wide receiver has officially established himself as a Devin Hester type game breaking talent. Anytime the ball is in his hands there’s a chance for six points; the higher the stakes, the greater the pressure, the more success he sees. Trailing the entire way against Pittsburgh, Gilyard kept his team’s undefeated aspirations alive with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown right before the half and a 68-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter.

Pittsburgh Running Back Dion Lewis- His numbers at halftime were more than enough for an entire game. Comparisons to Tony Dorsett are coming in abundance now and Lewis is primed to break all Pittsburgh’s rushing records if he should stay healthy and in college all four years.

Quote of the Week

“I think sometimes we kid ourselves that we have more control than we do. You’d like to think you’re really working to get it done. Look, it’s going to be what it’s going to be. If we won more games, then there wouldn’t be a situation where you have to worry. We didn’t. Right now we are who we are, and I’m not ashamed of who we are.”

Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano on his team’s disappointing trip to the St. Petersburg Bowl

Pina’s Final Power Poll

1. Cincinnati
2. West Virginia
3. Pittsburgh
4. Connecticut
5. South Florida
6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Louisville

Thanksgiving is officially behind us and Bowl Season is rapidly approaching. The Big East still has a national title contender that seems to dominate its opponents no matter who’s at quarterback and thanks to Notre Dame’s loss at Stanford on Saturday, the Gator Bowl will officially include a Big East team.

The Big East now has six bowl eligible teams (sorry Syracuse and Louisville) and has shaped itself into an extremely underrated, competitive football conference. Given that a few schools were forced to start young, unproven quarterbacks like Tom Savage, B.J. Daniels and Zach Collaros, the conference faired surprisingly well and should only progress over the next few years.

More heralded seasons by youngsters like Dion Lewis only reinforce the notion that the Big East isn’t standing pat, but rising up quicker than ever before.

Rutgers (8-3, 3-3) vs. Louisville (4-8, 1-6) (34-14 Rutgers win)

A team that normally hangs their hat on defense busted out this week with an explosive rendition of the wildcat offense. Freshman running back Mohamed Sanu ran for 148 yards out of the formation while finding the end zone twice. After an ugly opening week loss against Cincinnati that really exposed their youth and inexperience, the Scarlet Knights have rebounded greatly and put together a rather impressive season that holds a bright future.

On the other hand we have Louisville. Back to back losing seasons led to the firing of head coach Steve Kragthorpe who had two more years left on his contract. With literally no progress in his first three seasons at the helm, a firing was looking inevitable.

#5 Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0) vs. Illinois (3-8, 2-6) (49-36 Cincinnati win)

In his return to a starting role for the first time since Oct. 15, Tony Pike looked better than ever, throwing for a school-record six touchdowns including one flick of the wrist across his body that had to be seen to be believed. Bad news for Pittsburgh.

Pike looks firmly in control headed into next week’s showdown against the Panthers which could vault Cincinnati into a possible national championship or at the very least a major bowl game.

The Bearcats looked one dimensional on Friday, but it’s probably the best one dimensional performance a football team can have. Head coach Brian Kelly chose to hand the ball off just four times in the game’s first three quarters but with the success they had through the air who can blame him.

While it’s certainly a debatable subject as to whether or not Cincinnati’s spread can overcome the same scheme instilled in Gainesville or outsmart the likes of a stout Alabama defense, at #5 in the nation and four undefeated teams in front of them, it doesn’t look too likely that a no loss season will guarantee the opportunity to play for the title.

#9 Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1) vs. West Virginia (8-3, 4-2) (19-16 WV win)

Touted as the Backyard Brawl, this annual match up almost always plays like a close, tough battle no matter what the rankings say. Friday’s night’s showdown proved no different.

A back and forth tussle that saw a 16-16 tie with 45 seconds to play and a fourth and one for West Virginia, fullback Ryan Clarke converted on the game’s most climactic moment. Three plays later a 43-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Tyler Bitancurt sealed the deal.

With a game against Cincinnati next week, Pittsburgh now finds itself in a sticky situation in that they were once locks for second, and possibly even first place in the Big East, but now could finish as low as third if West Virginia can defeat Rutgers while they fall to the Bearcats.

West Virginia on the flipside is looking good at 8-3 and bowl eligible.

The conference’s two best running backs, Noel Devine and Dion Lewis did not disappoint, running for 134 and 155 yards respectively.

Connecticut (6-5, 2-4) vs. Syracuse (4-8, 1-6) (56-31 Connecticut win)

Undoubtedly the best 6-5 team in the country, Connecticut didn’t let this easy victory slip through their hands like so many this season. The Huskies amassed 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground for a season high 56 points in the rout.

Connecticut now finds themselves bowl eligible and is most likely headed for the St. Petersburg Bowl which would pit them against a Conference USA opponent.

Syracuse has now totaled four wins, which is a one game improvement over last season, and the program looks to be headed in the right direction. The Orange played hard in this contest and the final score wasn’t that accurate an indicator of how close things were as the Huskies scored two touchdowns in the final minute of action.

South Florida (7-4, 3-3) vs. #17 Miami (9-3, 5-3) (31-10 South Florida loss)

Earlier this season a dominating 17-7 win against then #18 ranked Florida State signaled a breakthrough performance against inner state big three rivals, but this past weekend South Florida fell back to earth after a 31-10 beat down at the hands of #17 Miami.

The Bulls defense gave up 401 total yards and looked overmatched all day long. A loss this ugly is a little alarming for South Florida as they probably headed into it expecting a more competitive performance.

Big East Top Performers

Connecticut Linebacker Lawrence Wilson: Granted he was lined up against a depleted Louisville offense, the Big East’s leading tackler added 17 more including a sack.

West Virginia Kicker Tyler Bitancurt: He was the difference maker in a game that saw just two touchdowns scored, kicking the winning 43-yarder as time expired as well as three more.

Quote of the Week

“They weren’t that much better than us. It’s just we didn’t execute.”
-South Florida defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul on his team’s lackluster performance against Miami.

My honest apologies to those who tune in each week for my Monday Morning Quarterback Column. Last week it just couldn’t get done, but I’ll do my best to make it up with in depth coverage of the three games which took place this past Saturday. We had a major upset, an expected outcome and a win for a suffering Connecticut program that was as emotional and fulfilling as one victory can possibly be.

Rutgers (7-3, 2-3) vs. Syracuse (4-7, 1-5) (31-13 Syracuse Win)

After finally cracking the top 25 for the first time this season, becoming the fifth Big East team to do so in 2009, Rutgers continued their woeful conference performances falling to Syracuse in what has to be the year’s biggest upset.

Fresh off a more than convincing 31-0 victory over South Florida, the Scarlet Knights looked terrible, specifically on the defensive end of the ball where they allowed 424 yards and 23 first downs by one of the most anemic offenses in the country.

Freshman quarterback Tom Savage played like a freshman, going 7 for 17 with 66 yards passing and two interceptions. In the end, Syracuse played like a team that wanted to win for its seniors on their day and they pulled it off.

South Florida (7-3, 3-3) vs. Louisville (4-7, 1-3) (34-22 South Florida Win)

B.J. Daniels had one of the better all around games by a quarterback this season, finishing with 304 yards passing and 141 yards rushing. He accounted for three touchdowns including a 20-yard run and a 16-yard pass. The freshman resiliently rebounded from the worst start of his career last week against Rutgers, accounting for 445 total yards (12 off of Matt Grothe’s school record) while surpassing his statistical output from last week in the game’s first two drives.

Albeit the win came against lowly Louisville. A team which has lost nine straight road games and looks as misguided as any team in the nation. The Cardinals actually managed to go up 16-14 on a second quarter punt return by Trent Guy, but a field goal at the half’s horn put South Florida up for good.

This clearly isn’t the Bulls season of dominance, but with a freshman quarterback taking his lumps, showing gradual progression and learning each week, South Florida looks like a dangerous school for the next few years and will certainly compete for the Big East title.

Connecticut (5-5, 1-4) vs. Notre Dame (6-5) (33-30 2OT Connecticut Win)

On national television, on the road, against a historic program playing on Senior Day, Connecticut was finally able to win that ever elusive close game which has been haunting them all season long.

It took two overtimes, but the Huskies managed to pull off the upset with a 4-yard Andre Dixon touchdown scamper through the left side of the line. Jordan Todman had the game’s highlight plays which included a 43-yard run in the second quarter that put Connecticut on the board and a 96-yard kick off return that tied the game at 17 in the third quarter.

Notre Dame’s Golden Tate had another fine game with nine receptions for 123 yards and one touchdown, but it wasn’t enough and all signs now point to this contest being the final nail in the coffin for Charlie Weis.

Quote of the Week- “You’ve got to understand what this team has gone through. A couple of close games, and then you lose a teammate, you lose a brother, you lose a son, and you’re trying so hard to honor him by winning on the field. We hadn’t done that.”

-Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall

Big East Top Performers- South Florida Quarterback B.J. Daniels- A superb day for the Bulls and specifically their young leader who, as previously mentioned, should only improve and get better over the next few years.

Connecticut Football Program- Huge win for the Huskies. No team deserved to win a game in the entire country more than Connecticut and to do it in front of the entire country made it all the sweeter.

Mike’s Big East Power Poll

Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
West Virginia
South Florida
Connecticut
Rutgers
Syracuse
Louisville

Saturday saw three Big East match-ups that came and went without any real unexpected drama or excitement. That is, until the sun went down.

Saturday night’s near miracle comeback by Connecticut against Cincinnati was wonderful. Yes, it was a little tough to see yet another Husky moral victory that, in reality, was an absolute back-breaker, but through it all we learned a little about the Bearcats in the process.

This was their first contest of the season where the opportunity to grab a victory was in question late in the fourth quarter. We’ll get into the specifics later on, but Cincinnati led 30-10 at halftime and ended up winning by just two points without turning the ball over once and racking up 711 yards of total offense. No team in the nation has as many resilient fibers in their being as Connecticut; they’re really hard to root against right now.

Now onto the game recaps.

Connecticut (4-5, 1-4) vs. #5 Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0) (47-45 Cincinnati win)

After backup quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 480 yards and a touchdown, ran for 75 yards, including two more scores and tallied a conference record 555 total yards, a good old fashioned quarterback controversy immediately ensued.

When asked about who would start next week against West Virginia, Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly said, “OK, I’ve changed my mind based on the way he’s played the last three games. I think I have to reconsider my decision.”

Collaros has now completed 70 of 89 passes for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns in the 3+ games he has been under center since coming in relief for an injured Tony Pike. Collaros has also added 281 yards rushing and four more touchdowns and could transform the senior Pike into a modern day Wally Pipp before it’s all said and done.

The actual game was it’s own little novel of development. With a seemingly insurmountable 37-17 lead midway through the third quarter, Cincinnati looked like they were cruising to another blowout win. But the Huskies simply refused to surrender. An 87-yard punt return by Robert McClain followed by two heroic touchdown runs by Jordan Todman (who also threw a successful two-point conversion pass to teammate Marcus Easley and finished with four rushing touchdowns) cut the Bearcat lead to 40-38 with five minutes left.

Collaros was cool as a cucumber even in this situation, driving his team down the field and setting up a 14-yard touchdown scamper by Isaiah Pead on fourth and one.

Whoever decided to put this game on national television clearly had no way of knowing how incredibly viewable it would be, but sometimes you just luck out.

With losses by Iowa and Oregon, Cincinnati’s national title chances managed to improve albeit with a scrappy win at home.

Connecticut has now lost five games this season by a combined 15 points.

#13 Pittsburgh (8-1, 5-0) vs. Syracuse (3-6, 0-4) (37-10 Pittsburgh win)

I know he’s only a freshman, but is it really that outlandish to suggest Dion Lewis as a legitimate Heisman candidate. If a first year player were to win it any year, this would be it as there’s no clear cut front runner by any stretch of the imagination and suddenly the Panthers find themselv in the nation’s top 10 and control their own destiny for a BCS bid.

On Saturday against a Mike Williams-less Orange, Lewis rushed for 110 yards (breaking the century mark for the sixth time this season) and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Lewis is seventh in the country in both yards and attempts, he’s averaging over five yards a carry and only a handful of halfbacks have found the end zone more often than him.

He’s more valuable to #8 Pitt than anyone could have ever predicted and with a primetime national television audience next week against Notre Dame, a big time performance should definitely get him looked at for the prestigious award. The fact that at this time last year he was a senior in high school only makes it more impressive.

In regards to this game specifically, one Greg capitalized on another Greg’s mistake when Pitt’s linebacker Greg Williams intercepted a Greg Paulus pass and took it 51-yards to the house to put the Panthers up 13-3 near the half. Things snowballed from there as Bill Stull continued his efficient play (16-25, 225 yards, one touchdown, no picks) and the Panthers defense resembled a living, breathing wall of bricks.

Louisville (3-6, 0-4) vs. West Virginia (7-2, 3-1) (17-9 West Virginia win)

Once Noel Devine grew hampered with an ankle injury, the Mountaineers offense looked anemic as they struggled to just 100 yards through the air and 17 points against the lowly Louisville Cardinals. Quarterback Jarrett Brown was downright awful from the gate (especially in the red zone), overthrowing a wide open Alric Arnett and rifling a pass to the wrong color in the end zone. Both passes occurred in the first quarter.

At one point looking like a serious contender to snatch the Big East crown away from either Pitt or Cincinnati, West Virginia still has a sliver of a shot, but after a performance like this it’s looking highly improbable.

Big East Top Performers

Connecticut running back Jordan Todman- Running for four quarters like the score was 3-3, Todman finished with four touchdowns and was a pea short of engineering a ridiculous comeback over one of the best teams in the nation.

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros- One of the more remarkable stories in the country right now. The backup Collaros is playing so well that his head coach is now rumored to take over at Notre Dame. Now that’s showing command of an offense.

Quote of the Week-

“Oh, damn”

-Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard after a first glance at the stat sheet Saturday night’s epic game

Michael’s Big East Power Rankings
1) Cincinnati
2) Pittsburgh
3) South Florida
4) West Virginia
5) Connecticut
6) Rutgers
7) Louisville
Syracuse

After nine weeks, two teams look like they’re starting to separate themselves from the rest of the league as both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh find themselves ranked in the top 15 with the Panthers looking forward to a November 14th nationally televised primetime showdown against Notre Dame. Last year’s Irish vs. Panther match-up played out like an intense online Texas Hold em duel, but instead of a pair of card sharks matching wits, a pair of former NFL coaches, Dave Wannstedt and Charlie Weiss, tried to call the other’s bluff.

One of the biggest question marks right now in the conference however, is coming out of upstate New York where the Syracuse Orange’s best player Mike Williams abruptly quit the program this morning in a surprising development.

On to this past week’s games. We only had four of them, but two of the conference match-ups really showed just how competitive Big East football has become. Any team (except Louisville) can win on any given Saturday.

#25 South Florida (6-2, 2-2) vs. West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) (30-19 South Florida win)

Coming into this game, West Virginia had shaped themselves into an extremely explosive ball club, with Noel Devine looking and acting like the six point threat he is every time the ball is tucked inside his forearm. On Friday their defense, in particular the secondary, was seriously taken advantage of.

Behind B.J. Daniels, South Florida (one of the most up and down, unpredictable teams in the nation) and his three touchdown passes, the Bulls surprised everybody but themselves on how talented a football team they can be.

Noel Devine ran for just 42 yards, three more than his quarterback, but the Mountaineers remained in the game up until the fourth quarter when the Bulls’ stingy defense didn’t allow Devine to get outside or Jarrett Brown to have any kind of success in the passing game.

#5 Cincinnati (8-0, 4-0) vs. Syracuse (0-3, 3-5) (28-7 Cincinnati win)

The story on the field here was clearly Cincinnati back-up quarterback Zach Collaros who threw for four touchdowns and no interceptions. Through two and a half games of action, Collaros has a completion percentage of 75 percent, nine touchdowns, one interception and 213 yards rushing. He’s making coach Brian Kelly look like a genuine genius while at the same time keeping the Bearcats perfect season hopes alive.

On the flip side, Syracuse is in shambles. The details are a little shady as of right now, but what we do know is that star wide receiver Mike Williams quit the team this morning. This isn’t as shocking as it seems, as Williams had a few off the field problems with new head coach Doug Marrone and his strict policies.

Williams is one of the best wide receivers in the nation and quite possibly could be selected on the NFL draft’s first day.

Rutgers (6-2, 1-2) vs. Connecticut (4-4, 1-3) (28-24 Rutgers win)

If you missed the final minute of this contest, it’s a must see.

The Huskies looked like they were going to win in dramatic fashion in their first home game since the death of Jasper Howard when on fourth and goal with 38 seconds left, Jordan Todman rumbled into the end zone to take a 24-21 lead.

Rutgers immediately responded on an 81-yard touchdown catch by Scarlet Knight’s receiver Tim Brown, a childhood friend of the deceased Howard and the magic was effectively sucked out of Rentschler Field.

The Huskies have now lost four games this season by a combined 13 points. Things have been tougher than tough in more ways than one, but Connecticut keeps on fighting.

Louisville (3-5, 0-3) vs. Arizona State (21-13 Louisville win)

With a 21-3 lead late in the third quarter, Louisville almost choked away an out of conference contest against Arkansas State.

Granted they were forced to start redshirt freshman Will Stein, who finished with 232 yards and one interception, but the Cardinals defense gave everybody a scare before the Red Wolves’ Corey Leonard let a possible tying touchdown pass soar over his intended receiver’s head in the end zone.

Louisville has four games remaining on their schedule; all against tough Big East opponents. The 2009 season couldn’t come to a close any quicker for Cardinals fans.

Big East Top Performers

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros- Looking like a young Matt Grothe, Collaros is making more plays outside of the pocket than in it.

Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage- In his first Big East road start, the freshman threw for three touchdowns, including a game winner in the game’s closing moments.

Quote of the Week

“Could we be [undefeated]? Yeah, but the reality of it is that we’re four and four,” he said. “And the reality of it is, we’ve got to understand how to finish these games off and make the plays at the end in order to win.”
-Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall

Power Poll

Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
South Florida
West Virginia
Rutgers
Connecticut
Louisville
Syracuse

The big questions heading into this week surrounded Connecticut and understandably so. In their first game since Jasper Howard was murdered on their campus, the Huskies came into West Virginia with heavy hearts and were emotionally charged up to come away with an upset. In Cincinnati, the Bearcats showed that they wouldn’t let their injured Heisman candidate slow down their ridiculous offense and over in Pittsburgh, Dion Lewis continued to be Dion Lewis.

The Big East now has three ranked teams: West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Heading into the year, there were was not a single team ranked from the conference as the Big East was hands down slighted worse than any other conference in the country. While we won’t know for sure until the bowl season whether or not the Big East can truly compete with the very best conferences like the Big 12 and Pac-10 have to offer, right now they’re representing themselves admirably.

Louisville vs. #8 Cincinnati (41-10 Cincinnati win)

Even without regular starter and the fundamental straw that stirs the offense, Tony Pike, the Bearcats rolled to an easy victory in this one. Pike, who will resume practice this week and could be ready for next weeks contest against Syracuse, stood on the sideline while backup quarterback Zach Collaros was nearly flawless. In the first start of his career, the sophomore threw one more touchdown than incomplete pass (three to two) and showed great poise both running and passing.

Regardless of who is at the helm, Cincinnati’s offense continues to look like it could shred almost any defense in the nation. If they manage to run the table, the Bearcats should get a shot at either the national championship or, at the very least, one of the major bowl games.

#15 Pittsburgh (7-1) vs. South Florida (5-2) (41-14 Pittsburgh win)

This was one of the more exciting match ups heading into the weekend, but it ended as one of the most anticlimactic. Behind consistent superstar Dion Lewis and quarterback Bill Stull, Pittsburgh completely dominated South Florida in all phases of the game.

Stull, who coming into the season was viewed as a major question mark, started this contest 11 for 11, ending up with 245 yards and two touchdowns. The senior will now surely finish his final year with more touchdowns than former Panther Dan Marino had his senior season and in doing so make Pitt’s offense more dangerous than it’s been in years. Freshman Dion Lewis passed the 1,000 yard mark with 111 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers defense also held the quickly fading Bulls to just 90 yards through the air.

#21 West Virginia (6-1) vs. Connecticut (4-3) (28-24 West Virginia win)

A back and forth battle with emotions running high, West Virginia star running back Noel Devine ruined the Huskies valiant attempt to win one for Jasper Howard, taking the ball 56 yards to pay dirt with just over two minutes to play. Connecticut looked as if they were poised to pull this one out, leading 17-14 at halftime and 24-21 with 3:50 left in the game.

The Huskies defense played a great game, blitzing constantly and putting serious pressure on Mountaineer quarterback Jarrett Brown who missed practice time this week with a concussion. However in the end, there was no stopping Devine. The junior took the ball 23 times for a total of 178 yards and the game winning score.

This game was just another heartbreaking loss for the Huskies who are having themselves a more than tough season both on and off the field.

Syracuse (3-4) vs. Akron (28-14 win)

Holding their opponent to zero yards rushing is usually a good precursor for a victory and the Orange were justly awarded one after doing just that. Running back Delone Carter pitched in, rushing for 170 yards and three of Syracuse’s four total touchdowns.

Quarterback Greg Paulus played a decent game going 12 for 17 for 105 yards and a touchdown. The game plan here was clearly not to put too much pressure on the first year players shoulders by dominating the ground game.

With the win, the Orange remain mathematically eligible to get six victories and their first bowl berth since 2004.

Rutgers (5-2) vs. Army (27-10 Rutgers win)

The Scarlet Knight defense stepped up once again. Rutgers forced three turnovers including a blocked punt by linebacker Steve Beauharnais who turned that into a score. Offensively they were aided by junior running back Joe Martinek who ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Rutgers has beaten the teams that they are favored against, but haven’t put up much competition against the tougher schools. The Scarlet Knights are probably the most mercurial team in the conference and at this point in the year it seems like they could beat, on any given Saturday, any given team in the Big East. On the other hand, they could get crushed.

Big East Top Performers:

Syracuse running back Delone Carter: Without Carter, there’s a small chance the Orange might have fallen to the 1-6 Akron Zips. A very important performance by the senior.

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros: It was his first career start and he performed like a veteran. Mastering the complex offense Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly has installed, Collaros was nearly perfect.

Quote of the Week

“We were surprised how much they passed. We didn’t have any pressure and they were able to find guys deep.”

-South Florida Defensive End George Selvie.

Power Poll

1) Cincinnati
2) Pittsburgh
3) West Virginia
4) Rutgers
5) Connecticut
6) South Florida
7) Syracuse
Louisville

Football takes a backseat this week in light of the incredibly tragic stabbing death of Connecticut’s Jasper Howard. How this team will move on from something as sad as this is simply an unthinkable dilemma and there is no doubting their focus certainly won’t be on football when they go up against West Virginia next week.

I only hope closure is brought to his teammates and family members as soon as possible; that the killer is found and brought to a swift and rightful justice.

There’s no appropriate way to smoothly transition from a situation as heartbreaking as this one to analyzing the four Big East football games that took place Thursday night and over the weekend, but we’ll start with Connecticut’s win over Louisville.

Connecticut (4-2) vs. Louisville (2-4) (38-25 Connecticut win)

At halftime, the Cardinals found themselves down a single point as they tried to formulate an upset and avoid falling to the Huskies three straight times. Behind half back Andre Dixon, Connecticut found themselves executing their traditional game plan of physical defense and an imposing running game. Dixon finished the day with 33 carries for 153 yards and three touchdowns.

While Connecticut’s strategy might be as conservative and predictable as they come, the Cardinals were eventually worn down by it, giving up 17 points in the third quarter. Louisville remains the doormat of the conference and have yet to bounce back from Bobby Petrino’s callous departure three years ago.
————-

#5 Cincinnati (6-0 vs. South Florida (5-1) (34-17 Cincinnati win)

This was hands down the most anticipated game of the season heading in, and it turned out to be even more of a let down than an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

The Heisman hopeful quarterback (Tony Pike) went down with tons of time left, South Florida’s freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels started out strong, but ended up performing as any freshman in that situation would, throwing costly interceptions and scrambling around when easier plays were open for the taking.

Daniels is somewhere in the top 20 in the category of most exciting players in the country and as he gets older, South Florida could be a very, very dangerous team. In the here and now however, Cincinnati looks like a national title contender. They went into a hostile environment under the nation’s watchful eye and systematically dominated a pretty good Bulls team.

The way they switched up their entire offensive attack after Pike’s injury, running it effectively time and time again, having their way with a very talented Bulls defensive line, was more than impressive and should be duly noted by pollsters should the Bearcats run the table.
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#20 Pittsburgh (6-1) vs. Rutgers 4-2) (24-17 Pittsburgh win)

There really isn’t too much more that can be said about freshman Dion Lewis. Rushing for 180 yards and two scores on 31 carries against a commanding Scarlet Knight defense, he’s obviously a special player and possibly the Big East’s M.V.P. up to this point.

This was the first win over Rutgers in four years for the Panthers and it was huge in more ways than one. Pittsburgh now finds itself atop the Big East and ranked for the first time all season.
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#23 West Virginia vs. Marshall (24-7 win)

The Big East finally seems to be getting the respect it deserves, with a third ranked team in the BCS standings. West Virginia probably should have been here before, but they solidified a much deserved spot with a powerful out of conference win over Marshall.

When Jarrett Brown went down with a concussion, Noel Devine picked things up for the Mountaineers, rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. West Virginia looks like they could beat anybody on any given day, given their enormous amount of talent on both sides of the ball. If Brown can recover and get healthy, West Virginia has just as good as shot as anybody to win the Big East.

Big East Top Performers

Pittsburgh Running back Dion Lewis- In another stud performance against a team that Panther seniors badly wanted to defeat, Lewis stepped up in a big way, proving to be the key difference maker.

Connecticut Running back Andre Dixon- The defense knew what was coming at them and Dixon continues to deliver.

Quote of the Week

“Cincinnati should be ranked in the top five. They are that good. Their quarterback (Tony Pike) is ridiculous. He’s as good as there is out there.”

— South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt

Power Poll

1. Cincinnati
2. Pittsburgh
3. South Florida
4. West Virginia
5. Connecticut
6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Louisville

With the conferences two best teams taking a week off, the rest of the Big East was given the opportunity to make statements. West Virginia went on the road, clobbered a clearly outmatched Orange squad and made a case to be ranked in the top 25. Connecticut also went on the road, nearly beating preseason conference favorite Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. Rutgers thoroughly routed out of conference Texas Southern and Louisville barely slipped by Southern Mississippi in another average performance.

Here’s the rundown on the Big East’s four games this past Saturday and what they mean as the season nears the midway mark.

Pittsburgh (5-1) vs. Connecticut (3-2) (24-21 Pitt win)

This game was a simple case of a better team making good use of all four quarters to eek out a hard fought win. Trailing 21-6 late in the third quarter and getting almost no first half production from their quarterback, the Panthers didn’t pack things in. Instead, they made good use of their not so secret weapon, freshman running back Dion Lewis and took over, out gaining the Huskies 147 yards to just six in the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh’s secondary looked a little shaky, giving up a 79-yard-touchdown pass late in the first half on a blatant blown coverage. QB Bill Stull also looked terrible before he hurt himself late in the first half but managed to compose himself for the fourth quarter where he throw two touchdown passes and converted a crucial two point conversion to tie the game.

Connecticut showed they can play with the conference’s best, but aren’t quite there yet to be considered a part of the elite.

West Virginia (4-1) vs. Syracuse (2-4) (34-13 WVU win)

On the road against what I consider to be a Syracuse team that isn’t as bad as their record indicates, the Mountaineers showed how good they can be when they don’t carelessly turn the ball over. Jarrett Brown had an efficient day, completing 22 out of 30 passes with no interceptions.

Noel Devine had another stellar game, rushing for 91 yards and getting in the end zone twice. With this impressive performance, the Mountaineers should be in line for a top 25 ranking sooner than later. Their only loss has come against one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC at Auburn and in that game they turned the ball over several times and still remained in position to win.

Syracuse benched starting quarterback Greg Paulus at halftime after he could only complete five passes for 30 yards and an interception through the first two quarters. Sophomore Ryan Nassib came in and threw two touchdowns, one going to Mike Williams who with it tied Marvin Harrison for second on Syracuse’s touchdown reception list obtaining 20 for his career. Williams showed it doesn’t matter who throws him the ball, he’ll go up and get it; he’s the Orange’s lone bright spot right now.

Rutgers (4-1) vs. Texas Southern (1-4) (42-0 win)

If any team in the country has a clear identity, it’s the Scarlet Knights and their defense. Holding a Texas Southern team that put 75 points up just a few weeks ago (albeit against Texas College) to nil on the scoreboard and -25 yards rushing was quality.

Jonathan Freeny had 2.5 sacks for Rutgers as they totaled seven in total on the day. Texas Southern was Rutgers’ second Football Championship Subdivision opponent this season and the win won’t count towards the six needed to gain a bowl berth. Nonetheless, Greg Schiano’s club did what it was expected to do and his defense is looking like a different unit than we saw in the season’s opening loss to #8 Cincinnati.

The Scarlet Knight’s also forced four turnovers including a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Seeing if they can keep up their tough defense against conference opponents is the big question.

Louisville (2-3) vs. Southern Mississisppi (3-3) (25-23 win)

With an uninspired victory at home against a mediocre out of conference opponent, Louisville once again looked like the worst team in the Big East. It’s tough to give them this designation even after grinding out a win, but the Cardinals looked bland, trailing by a point with just over two minutes to go before kicking a winning field goal with 30 seconds to go.

Sophomore running back Victor Anderson looks like the Cardinals only real offensive option as he ran for 90 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries.
Three of Louisville’s next four games are on the road against some of the most resilient teams the Big East has to offer. They should find themselves in a deep hole by the time November rolls around.

Quote of the Week

“This was Round 1. We had to come out strong and set the tone for the rest of the Big East, show them what we’re about.” — West Virginia FB Ryan Clarke

Big East Top Performers

Rutgers Junior Defensive End- Jonathan Freeny. With 2.5 sacks against Texas Southern, Freeny is now averaging over one sack per game. The junior (no relation to Dwight) is third in the Big East in tackles for loss and second in sacks.

West Virginia Quarterback Jarrett Brown- Brown showed just how devastating West Virginia could be when he doesn’t throw any interceptions as he led them to a huge road win in a raucous Carrier Dome.

Finally Big East conference play is underway. While none of the games were actually, you know, close, we finally can catch a glimpse of how good (or bad) some teams actually are. South Florida jumped into the AP Top 25, joining Cincinnati as the only two Big East teams on the list, the Bearcats and West Virginia both saw out of conference success, which has been a consistent theme of the Big East’s young season. And Rutgers and Connecticut both had the week off.

Now onto the weekends games….

#23 South Florida (5-0) vs. Syracuse (2-3) (34-20, USF win)

It was a one point game at halftime, but then B.J. Daniels absolutely broke the Orange’s back with an 85-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage of the second half. The story of this one was the defensive domination by South Florida’s front four. Everybody knows about George Selvie, but junior defensive end Jason Paul-Pierre looked like a dominating force. Reading a Syracuse screen pass perfectly, the 6’ 6” Paul-Pierre snatched a Greg Paulus lob out of the air and took it untouched 18 yards for a score. Paul-Pierre was recruited by Florida, Florida State and Miami (Fl.), can do a standing back flip in his pads and looks like he’ll be playing on Sundays in a couple of years.

Looking at Syracuse, who held their own for a half, it has to be said that Mike Williams might be one of the most valuable offensive players in the conference. Where would they be without him? He single-handedly kept the Orange in Saturday’s game with shoe string catches, a refusal to let any cornerback sniff any ball in his vicinity and 186 yards receiving with two touchdowns.

On South Florida’s end offensively, their 6’ 2”, 225 pound horse of a running back Mike Ford looks like a mini Brandon Jacobs. He had two touchdowns on the day and couldn’t be taken down by just one Syracuse defender. South Florida is a confident team that’s currently riding a tumbling snowball of momentum into the heart of their season. Their next game will be a nationally televised home game against #8 Cincinnati on Oct. 15, a Thursday night. This is the game of the year if you’re a fan of Big East football.

Pittsburgh (4-1) vs. Louisville (1-3) (35-10 Pitt win)

One week after a very tough loss to North Carolina State, the Panthers traveled to Louisville and flexed their muscles. Either Bill Stull is turning into one of the more pleasant surprises in the conference, or Louisville’s secondary is that bad. Stull absolutely torched the Cardinals in the second half with three touchdown passes, all on game breaking, deep balls.

Most of Pittsburgh’s big names are on the offensive side of the ball, but their defense was just as impressive, recording six sacks and holding Louisville to zero points in the second half.

The story here is less the Cardinals, who were expected to struggle this season and have so far lived up to their bill, and more about the Panthers who besides a bump in the road last week where they gave up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, are playing like one of the best teams in the Big East. They haven’t been ranked yet this season, but they will be if they can win their next three games, the third being a home contest against #23 ranked South Florida.

West Virginia (3-1) vs. Colorado (35-24 win)

If Darren Sproles, Ray Rice and Kevin Faulk can have success in the NFL then so can Noel Devine. The quicker than quick speedster had a career high 220 yards rushing and one touchdown.

A performance like this from Devine really shouldn’t shock anybody who has seen his 5’ 8” frame run with a football, but 10 Mountaineer turnovers in the past two games should. West Virginia fumbled the ball four times in the first half alone and are a team that can’t be considered at the top of the Big East until they find more consistent quarterback play and a major reduction of the turnovers.

#8 Cincinnati (5-0) vs. Miami (OH) (37-13)

Starting the season on the outside looking in, the Bearcats now find themselves in the drivers seat for a BCS Bowl game. They’re ranked in the top 10, undefeated and playing in a conference that should receive more respect than was given to it a few months ago.

This contest showed the pass happy, high octane Cincinnati offense in rare form, winning the ballgame on the ground. Heisman hopeful Tony Pike had a lackluster 23 for 42 performance with two touchdowns and one pick while receiver Mardy Gilyard managed to find the end zone once again.

Cincinnati didn’t play their finest game this week and still won by 24 points. A testament to the class of the conference.

Quote of the week

“We kept our foot on the pedal in the second half. I think our defensive line is the best in the country.”
-Pittsburgh Linebacker Adam Gunn

Top Performers:

West Virginia RB Noel Devine- He took it 77 yards to the house on the Mountaineers second play from scrimmage and didn’t slow down from there. Without him and his ridiculous 7.4 yards per carry, West Virginia would be in serious trouble

Syracuse WR Mike Williams- His second appearance on the top performers list. Williams is the best wide receiver in the conference and possibly the nation. Better than Mardy Gilyard, better than West Virginia’s Jock Sanders. Williams is playing like a first-round pick with more receiving yards than Georgia’s A.J. Green and Notre Dame’s Golden Tate.

by MICHAEL PINA

In August, heading into the fall, most analysts around the country had the Big East ranked from top to bottom as one of the weakest conferences Division-I football had. Four weeks into the season and those pundits have been proven wrong.

South Florida, without starting quarterback Matt Grothe, went into Tallahassee and absolutely dominated the Seminoles, especially along the line of scrimmage. Rutgers took it to Maryland on the road as well. The Big East could not quite come up with a three-game sweep against the ACC, all on the road, as Pittsburgh squandered a large fourth quarter lead against North Carolina State, narrowly losing in Raleigh.

While the ACC’s heavyweights (Miami, Virginia Tech) are still likely the cream of the crop of the two conferences, from top to bottom, the Big East has shown to be a much more competitive conference than originally predicted.

South Florida (4-0) vs. #18 Florida State (17-7 win)

In front of the largest home crowd in Florida State
history, the Bulls absolutely demolished a strong Seminole offensive line. Freshman quarterback and Tallahassee native B.J. Daniels was the story within the story, rushing for 128 yards and throwing for 215 and two touchdowns. Daniels showed an ability to not only scramble, but elude defenders and get up field like a half back.

With Daniels in the fold and the Bulls defensive line looking like one of the best in the nation, South Florida is riding high as one of two undefeated teams remaining in the conference. Things could get very interesting during Big East play as they received 145 votes in the AP 25 list but have yet to crack the list.

Pittsburgh (3-1) vs. North Carolina State (38-31 Loss)

The first loss of the season for Pittsburgh was a tough one to swallow. With a lead for most of the contest, the Panthers stingy defense was anything but as they allowed NC State quarterback Russell Wilson to pick them apart both with his legs and right arm.

Freshman phenom Dion Lewis looked like he was on his way to another immaculate outing before being held to just 16 yards in the second half. Lewis finished with two scores.

With the ball deep in Wolfpack territory, the Panthers had an opportunity to tie the game with just under two minutes left in the game. Quarterback Bill Stull who finished with just 12
completions, two of them for touchdowns, threw the ball out of the end zone on fourth down and the game was over

Pittsburgh is still a very talented team with the best running back in the conference and a normally effective defense, but this loss was hard to walk away from and it’ll be interesting to see how they can come back next week on a nationally televised stage in Louisville.

Syracuse (2-2) vs. Maine (41-24 win)

Trailing 17-13 at halftime, this could have been a disturbing loss for the Orange. Behind running back Delone Carter’s four touchdowns, Syracuse managed to slink by two fake punts and a couple perfectly executed onside kicks to get the expected home victory against a Division I-AA opponent.

Regardless of the fact that this win came against a relatively weak team, it marked the first time the Orange have been at .500 in three years. Greg Paulus manages to remain the most creative quarterback in the conference, repeatedly ad-libbing in the pocket and more often than not making something out of nothing.

The Orange are playing better than people expected and when it comes down to being the worst team in the conference, Syracuse might be scraping that label off their backs sooner than later.

Connecticut (3-1) vs. Rhode Island (52-10 win)

Similar to Syracuse, the Huskies faced off against a heavily out matched opponent and pulled off a dominating victory.

Behind the running back duo of Andre Dixon (98 yards rushing) and Jordan Todman (three touchdowns), Connecticut led this one from the get go and never really let up.

This is one team that can’t be judged too greatly until conference play starts to heat up, but one thing for certain is that the Huskies are improving each week.

Rutgers (3-1) vs. Maryland (34-13 win)

Defense is the face of Rutgers football this season. It’s the key to their success and the reason for their sole loss. Against a relatively big name ACC opponent and in College Park none the less, the Scarlet Knights forced five turnovers and allowed just 28 yards rushing.

The first play of the game was a 36-yard interception return for a score by Rutgers linebacker Antonio Lowery. In today’s brand of football, it isn’t all that common to find a winning team put 34 points on the board while their quarterback completes less passes than a hand has fingers. With the defense playing like 11, 200-plus pound killer bees, there’s almost no need for an offense.

Rutgers started the season with an embarrassing loss, but after three straight wins they’re looking like a very tough team in an increasingly competitive conference.

Louisville (1-2) vs. Utah (30-14 loss)

This wasn’t expected to be an easy game for Louisville as they traveled to Salt Lake City and were thoroughly ravaged by one of the best teams in the country a season ago. Running back Victor Anderson’s longest run on the day was a measly six yards as he ran for 22 in total. A halftime deficit of 20-0 was more than enough to show it simply wasn’t the Cardinals afternoon.

The only team with a losing record in the Big East,
Louisville has so far been the least impressive program in the conference. All of a sudden they’re playing in a rather deep league which could make for a long October in Louisville.

#10 Cincinnati vs. Fresno State (28-20 win)

While the victory wasn’t its most impressive of the season, the Bearcats still managed to pull away with another non-conference victory. This game mirrored the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts Monday night football game as Fresno State, desperate to keep Cincinnati’s explosive off the field, dominated possession time 43:42 to just 16:18.

Similar to Peyton Manning however, Tony Pike managed to do the most with his rare opportunities, throwing for three touchdowns and 300 yards. Marty Gilyard is looking like one of the most talented receivers in the nation, as he compiled 177 more yards and two touchdowns on his nine receptions. His second score coming in the fourth quarter to extend a three point lead to 11. It was a career day for Gilyard and his sixth 100-yard performance in his last eight games.

Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews carried the ball an unbelievable 38 times in an attempt to keep the clock running and Pike and company on the sideline.

Expect this strategy to be copied by future Big East opponents later on in the season. Also expect lower scoring Cincinnati performances that could eventually lead to a loss.

Big East Top Performers:

South Florida Quarterback B.J. Daniels- A few quotes about Daniels after his memorable debut.

“He’s a great athlete. I’m glad to have him as my quarterback” – Bulls defensive end and team leader George Selvie.

“He killed us. Boy, they’ve got a great one there.” – Florida State’s legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.

South Florida’s entire defensive line- Both top performers had to come from South Florida this week and the biggest reason for the upset was the defensive line’s aggressiveness from the first quarter to the last sack. Just an absolutely demoralizing performance that should really strike fear into the hearts of every Big East offensive coordinator.