Maryland

WEEK 3 SATURDAY PREVIEW

Important road games highlight schedule

By Raphielle Johnson

Unfortunately for the Big East the talk of expansion hit its doorstep on Friday night with the reports of Pittsburgh and Syracuse being in discussions with the ACC. How far along are the parties? Will something happen in the near future? That’s all unknown right now, but the most pressing item of business for the Big East members is to take care of business on the field. And there are some important challenges on the table for the league, with the big games all being on the road.

WVU quarterback Geno Smith (Photo Credit: Dan Friend/MSN SportsNet)

Preseason favorite #19 West Virginia (2-0) takes on Maryland (1-0) in the biggest game of the day (Noon, ESPNU) from a conference perception standpoint. The Mountaineers won last season’s meeting 28-14 but while they controlled the action for much of the game they were unable to pull away. First-year head coach Randy Edsall is looking to strengthen the program in College Park and the win over Miami was a good start. But he hasn’t had much success against WVU throughout his career, finally beating the Mountaineers for the first time last season.

To be fair Edsall didn’t have this kind of overall talent at Connecticut, with one difference being the presence of quarterback Danny O’Brien. O’Brien threw for 348 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, but he’ll have to deal with the loss of two targets for this game. Seniors Ronnie Tyler and Quinton McCree were suspended indefinitely by Edsall due to an off-field incident, and their absence from the lineup will force other receivers to step to the forefront.

Juniors Kevin Dorsey (led the team in receiving in the opener) and Kerry Boykins look to be the first two who will get the chance to make plays, but the Terrapins also have a solid running back in senior Davin Meggett. Meggett rushed for 92 yards against Miami and can also get some things done as a receiver. The key for WVU defensively will be to make Maryland a one-dimensional team, and if they can force O’Brien to have to do things by himself the Mountaineers should be in decent shape.

“They do good things offensively,” said WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen. “What they showed against Miami is a lot of the stuff that we do. They try to get the ball out of their hands quickly. They use the perimeter to utilize space.”

One aspect that West Virginia needs to improve upon is how they begin games. In the wins over Marshall and Norfolk State the Mountaineers got off to slow starts, something they can’t afford to do against a quality team on the road. Being able to run the ball effectively will play a role in that, with Vernard Roberts and company needing the offensive line to open up lanes. But that could be tough due to the presence of one of the best defenders in the ACC in Maryland linebacker Kenny Tate.

Tate was a safety last season but he’s been moved up a level, which conceivably allows for the senior to be even more involved in the defense. Corner Cameron Chism, who sealed the win over Miami with an interception return for a touchdown, will be a tough customer on the outside. But West Virginia has the weapons on the outside needed to make plays in the passing game, led by Tavon Austin. Austin will also be a factor on special teams, an area that Coach Edsall wasn’t thrilled with following Maryland’s win over Miami.

“Kickoff and kickoff coverage we have made some changes and hopefully we can be better because we have to be better in that area this week,” remarked Edsall. “If not we will get burned because of the outstanding young man [Austin] that they have returning kickoffs and punts.”

West Virginia’s had their issues in the kicking game as well, but the returns haven’t been a sore spot. Maryland has some speedsters but if this were to turn into a full-on track meet the Mountaineers may have the edge. If Geno Smith and company can move the ball offensively it could be tough for Maryland to keep up in a shootout. But the game won’t get out of hand despite Edsall’s overall history against WVU. Look for this to be one of the better games of the day.

Pick: West Virginia (pick) (31-27)

Pittsburgh at Iowa (Noon, ESPN2)

It’s up to Pittsburgh (2-0) to make sure that the Big East doesn’t go 0-for-Iowa this weekend following Connecticut’s loss to Iowa State on Friday night, and the play of Tino Sunseri will have a lot to do with it. Sunseri has struggled in the new high octane offense, as he’s been slow in his reads according to head coach Todd Graham. In a system that stresses quick decisions it should come as no surprise that both Sunseri and the offense has struggled as a result.

Luckily for Pittsburgh the same can’t be said for running back Ray Graham, who leads the country in rushing with an average of 161 yards per game. Iowa (1-1), who had their troubles with Iowa State last week from a defensive standpoint, will need to force the Panthers to rely on the arm of Sunseri to move the football. The senior can make plays but through two games he’s been sporadic while Graham has been a constant. It’s pretty obvious who Iowa should force to go out and win the game.

James Vandenberg has yet to throw an interception for the Hawkeyes, completing 59% of his passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Marvin McNutt and Keenan Davis are two solid receivers for Iowa, but this is a offensive unit that wants to establish the run as well. Marcus Coker is tied for second in the Big Ten in rushing (90.5 yards per game), and as a team the Hawkeyes averaged more than 150 rushing yards per game.

Chas Alexcih and Myles Caragein will need to win their share of the battles in the trenches if Pitt is to slow down Iowa and eliminate the run. And Brandon Lindsey makes the move back to defensive end, which should improve the pass rush of a team that is tied for fourth in the Big East in sacks per game (2.5).

“I’ve probably spent more time with him personally than any kid on our team because I think he’s got a lot of potential and we’re going to have to move him around a little bit,” said Graham. “That also helps him, he’s got two sacks now, and he played very well at the field-side end.”

While it will be a tough road environment in Iowa City this is a game that Pitt is more than capable of winning. But whether or not they do ultimately comes down to Sunseri. If he can make quick, sound reads against Norm Parker’s defense the Panthers have a very good chance of winning. But if not, it will likely be a tough afternoon on the road.

Pick: Pittsburgh +3 (28-24)

Syracuse at USC (8 PM, FX)

After a lackluster showing in their 21-14 win over Rhode Island, Doug Marrone’s Syracuse (2-0) team hits the road for the first time to take on USC. The Trojans (2-0) haven’t looked great themselves but Lane Kiffin’s got some talented players to rely on. Two of those players are quarterback Matt Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods, who have formed one of the game’s best connections this season. Woods is second nationally in receptions, and while Utah was able to keep him in check Woods caught a school-record 17 passes against Minnesota.

That’s particularly troubling considering the fact that the Orange have had their issues in the secondary, although Keon Lyn has been solid through two games. Phillip Thomas and Shamarko Thomas will need to help out their cornerbacks from their safety positions if Syracuse is to be able to slow down USC in the air.

“Well, obviously, we’ll have to know where he is because he moves around quite a bit,” said Marrone of Woods. “Again, we’re not going to try to put in a lot of new things and create a sense of doing things that we’re not. I think that’s the wrong type of thing to do.”

Running back Mark Tyler has returned following a suspension and he rushed for more than 100 yards last week, adding a dimension to the USC offense that was missing in the win over Minnesota. Syracuse won’t be helped by the fact that defensive end Chandler Jones will likely miss the game due to injury, but either way they need to win the battle up front and get the Trojans off the field in third-down situations.

Offensively the Orange will need to establish their running game just one week after struggling to do so against an inferior opponent. If Antwon Bailey can’t get going on the ground Syracuse will be in trouble. No running game leads to more passing situations, which would likely mean that USC is controlling things on the line of scrimmage as well. Ryan Nassib has been solid for the Orange, but to expect him to win the game with his arm would be a really tough thing to do.

Pick: USC -14.5 (35-17)

Louisville at Kentucky (7 PM, ESPNU)

The battle for bragging rights in the Bluegrass State may not be the easiest on the eyes from an offensive standpoint, but the aesthetics should be of little concern to both Louisville and Kentucky (2-0). The Cardinals (1-1) have been unable to get the running game untracked thus far, and with Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright that’s a fact that’s been hard to fully comprehend. But a look at the offensive line shows why Louisville has struggled: five new starters, thanks to center Mario Benavides being out due to injury.

“There are not many options because we are playing the best that we have right now,” said Louisville head coach Charlie Strong. “You look at our offensive line and the more they play together, they’ll jell.”

But even with Benavides on the field Louisville would still have their share of problems due to the overall youth of the group. Run blocking is usually thought to be the easier part of the occasion for linemen but that hasn’t been the case for the Cardinals. Will Stein has been productive through the air, connecting with tight end Josh Chichester and receivers Josh Bellamy, Michaelee Harris and DeVante Parker on a consistent basis.

Louisville will need to find Danny Trevathan when going up against the Kentucky defense, but they have the ability to move the football. The same goes for Kentucky despite their struggles on that side of the football, due in large part to the fact that quarterback Morgan Newton is a very good athlete. But he’s hasn’t been accurate as a passer, completing less than 50% of his passes and throwing four picks to two touchdowns. Running back Josh Clemons and wide receiver La’Rod King will be two key cogs for the Wildcats that Louisville will need to slow down, and they’re more than capable of doing so.

The outcome will boil down to the team that makes fewer mistakes while capitalizing on those of the opposition. That can be said for any football game, but may apply even more to the Governor’s Cup due to the inconsistent nature of each offense. Can Louisville establish the run? If so, they’re more than capable of winning in Lexington.

Pick: Louisville +4.5 (Kentucky 17-13)

Akron at Cincinnati (3:30 PM, ESPN3)

Cincinnati (1-1) looks to bounce back from their rough outing at Tennessee, and to be honest there are few teams who fit the bill of being a good team to see after a loss than Akron (0-2). Rob Ianello’s Zips have struggled in just about every phase of the game thus far, and it’s extremely difficult to see them being able to slow down Zach Collaros and company. The Bearcats were outstanding on offense in the early going last week, but the two fourth down stops in the second quarter got things rolling in the wrong direction.

“It’s getting back and the details of playing winning football at each and every position,” said Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones. “It’s the fundamentals of tackling, stripping the football, blocking – it’s situational football.”

The Zips do have a very good linebacker in Brian Wagner, but overall they don’t look to have the horses to stick with Cincinnati’s offense. The problem for Akron: inexperience. 46 of their 76 scholarship players are freshmen or sophomores, which has been a problem in games against Ohio State and Temple (outscored 83-3). It could very well get to the five-touchdown margin once again for Akron given the gulf in experience and Cincinnati looking to atone for last week’s showing.

Pick: Cincinnati -34 (48-10)

Florida A&M at USF (7 PM, Big East Network)

Here’s another game that will more than likely get out of hand. USF (2-0) displayed good maturity last week as they whipped Ball State 37-7 to end a roller-coaster week that began with their win at Notre Dame. B.J. Daniels threw for 359 yards in the win and running back Darrell Scott ran the ball well behind the offensive line. Games like this one are more about avoiding bad habits and injuries since the majority of FCS teams don’t have the depth to hang around for 60 minutes.

FAMU quarterback Austin Trainor has thrown for more than 500 yards through two games, but the issue for the Rattlers is the running game. Levante Page leads the team with 39 yards rushing, a number that won’t get it done against the Bulls’ speedy defense. Can the Bulls score on defense or special teams for the third straight game? It’s more than possible, but at the least look for a dominant effort from the Bulls as they get closer to that conference opener against Pitt on the 29th.

Pick: USF (44-13)

Record: 13-4 overall; 7-7 ATS

QUINTON JEFFERSON HAS IOWA, PITT STRONG IN HIS RECRUITMENT

2011 PA defensive end has two schools standing out in his recruitment as he works through visits

The Woodland Hills program in Western Pennsylvania is no stranger to producing big-time college football prospects. Names such as Jason Taylor, Steve Breaston, Ryan Mundy, Shawntae Spencer, Lousaka Polite and Rob Gronkowski have come through George Novak’s program in recent memory. In fact, between 2001 and 2010, Woodland Hills had over 30 players earn Division 1-A scholarships, the most in the talent-rich WPIAL.

The number will certainly rise once signing day in February of 2011 rolls around as the Wolverines have three players currently on Chris Dokish’s Class of 2011 PA Top 25 High School Football Players which was posted on NBE Football yesterday. At #12 is 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end prospect Quinton Jefferson, who is being heavily recruited by some top football programs across the country.

“Most active teams right now are Cincinnati, Iowa, Pitt and Maryland,” said Jefferson about his recruitment. “I would say the leaders right now are Pitt and Iowa.”

Being recruited as a defensive end, Jefferson has some explosiveness off the edge and could be as good as any pass rusher in the state this year. As a junior Jefferson counted five sacks and nine passes batted down while helping Woodland Hills to a 12-2 record. His highlight of the year was recording a sack at Heinz Field against rival Gateway as the Wolverines won the WPIAL championship, 10-0, on the home field of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The championship was the 6th for coach Novak (five at Woodland Hills and one at Steel Valley), a mark only two other coaches have achieved in the storied history of the WPIAL.

While Jefferson certainly has his mind on recruiting, he also is motivated for a successful senior season with the Wolverines and knows they will have a target on their backs as defending Class AAAA WPIAL champions.

“This summer I would like to maybe see some more colleges but I want tp work on concentrating on getting better for my senior season,” said Jefferson.

One of those colleges he has seen left a big impression on him. Jefferson visited the campus of Iowa earlier this month to get an up-close and personal view of Kirk Ferentz’s program. Ferentz is a native of Western PA himself, having graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh.

“I have to set some more visits up,” said Jefferson, “but the visit that impressed me the most was Iowa. The campus is very nice and so are the people, [the]coaching staff is great and their art studio was the best I [had] seen so far, [it] just blew me away and that is what I wanna major in college.”

NBE Sports will certainly keep an eye on the recruitment of Quinton Jefferson as it sounds like he will be one of the next Division 1-A products from the football factory of Woodland Hills. Stay tuned…

*********Follow NBE Sports on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBESports*****

Sports fans should also visit StubHub.com – The Safe Way to Buy & Sell Tickets Online for tickets to any NCAA event or NBA, MLB, NHL game or UFC, WWE or concert tickets at an arena near you this spring.

CLASS OF 2011 PENNSYLVANIA TOP 25 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

by CHRIS DOKISH

It’s a down year for talent in the state, both with the number of elite prospects and the overall number of high-major prospects, but there are still some very good players to be recruited.

The glamour positions of quarterback and wide receiver are severely lacking, and there are no elite offensive linemen or linebackers, but there is an excellent running back which is a rarity in the state, three excellent cornerbacks, and a slew of exciting pass rushers.

As always, the final rankings are my own, but only after talking to many high school coaches, college scouts, and independent scouts, such as Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting.

1. Ben Koyack, Oil City HS (Oil City) TE – It’s not often that a tight end is the best player in the state, but there is little doubt that will be the case this year. At 6′5″ and 230 pounds, he has good size with a frame to get even bigger. He also possesses great hands to go along with good speed and athleticism. More of a threat as a receiver but is a willing and good blocker. Most of all, he just knows how to play football. Committed to NOTRE DAME over Penn State, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Oklahoma, West Virginia, LSU, California, Virginia Tech, USC, and many others. Bottom line – A perfect fit for new coach Brian Kelly and there’s no reason why he can’t be a star at the college level.

Read more

JAMAL MERRITT UPDATES RECRUITMENT

Maryland athlete open in his recruitment, but speaks highly of Rutgers and looks to visit WVU next week

by JOHN TALTY

When a football player gets labeled an athlete it almost always is because of that player’s versatility.

That theory holds particularly true for Sherwood (Md.) 6-foot, 170-pound athlete Jamal Merritt.

Merritt has experience at wide receiver, cornerback and safety for his team and is subsequently being recruited at each position by different schools. He expects to get a better idea of what position he wants to play in college during his senior season, but right now is content to play whatever necessary.

“Right now I’ll just play wherever the coach wants me to play but as the season goes on that’s when I’ll get a better feel for what I want to play,” Merritt said. “That will be one of the main things that will help me choose what school I want.”

Read more

2011 NJ TE JACK TABB TALKS RECRUITING, CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT & MORE

by JOHN TALTY

2011 Red Bank Catholic (NJ) tight end Jack Tabb has been following the story of conference realignment fairly intently and finds the whole story very intriguing.

“I think it’s all pretty interesting,” Tabb said. “I heard Rutgers might be going to the Big 10 and I think it could be a good fit for them.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end has proven himself as one of the top tight ends on the East Coast and has already reeled in 18 offers from some top-notch programs.

But none might be bigger than the offer from SEC powerhouse Florida.

Read more