Connecticut

WVU SUES BIG EAST; LEAGUE MOVES FORWARD

Marinatto given go-ahead to invite schools

By Raphielle Johnson

The never-ending saga that is the long-term stability of the Big East Conference moved a little closer to a solution on Tuesday as the 13 presidents gave commissioner John Marinatto the go-ahead to invite new members. The goal of the Big East is to get to 12 football members, with a couple of those institutions being “football-only” members. Three are expected to be full members of the conference, and there have been plenty of rumors in recent weeks about which schools are in line for the spots. Following the meeting at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott, Commissioner Marinatto issued the following statement:

“We had a very productive meeting and were able to discuss the great progress we have made in the last few weeks regarding conference realignment.

“Our Presidents voted unanimously to extend invitations to specific institutions, including both football-only and all-sport members to join the BIG EAST Conference. I will be speaking to representatives of those schools shortly and look forward to announcing with them their acceptance into the BIG EAST. The addition of these members will extend our reach, bring us to exciting new markets, strengthen our status within the BCS, and lay the foundation for possible further expansion, all while maintaining the high quality and standards our Conference is known for.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto (Photo Credit: William Perlman/Newark Star-Ledger)

“In light of the lawsuit filed by West Virginia yesterday, the Presidents also discussed and confirmed our continuing commitment to enforce the Conference’s 27-month notification period for schools choosing to leave. The Conference believes these claims to be wholly without merit and will explore all its legal options to protect its interests and to ensure that West Virginia lives up to its obligations.”

Obviously the other key aspect of his statement was the portion on the league’s response to West Virginia filing a lawsuit on Monday, with the hope being that they’ll be allowed to leave the conference for the Big 12 following this academic year as opposed to being subject to the 27-month notification period as written in the conference’s bylaws. The suit can be read here (.PDF file), and a very good explanation of the lawsuit and it’s validity was given by Brian Ewart of VUHoops.com.

The question now likely isn’t when the Mountaineers get to leave but rather how much this will cost them. Whether or not any of the parties involved want this to go to trial is debatable, especially if the Big 12 were to find themselves dragged into the litigation, but this doesn’t look to be a situation that will be solved immediately. It’s also relevant to both Pittsburgh and Syracuse, who cast their lot with the ACC, and could have an idea of what a possible settlement could look like should they attempt to take that route.

ACC commissioner John Swofford stated at the league’s basketball media day in Charlotte that the league is ready for the two schools whenever they can join, be it in 2012 or the expected 2014. But unlike the Big 12 their TV deals are in good shape with their current membership. Since the Big 12 signed their deals with a 10-member league in mind, dropping below that number (should Missouri actually move to the SEC) would cut the value of their contracts (the Big 12 was able to get ESPN and FOX to agree to paying as if the conference were still a 12-member league following the departures of Colorado and Nebraska).

These are definitely interesting times for the Big East, who will more than likely announce new members within the next week or so.

WEEKLY HONORS ANNOUNCED & NEW POWER POLL

Sunseri, Brown and Philpott honored

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tino Sunseri • Sr. • QB • Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, Pa.
Susneri completed 29 of 42 passes for a career-high 419 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 35-20 win against Connecticut, moving the Panthers into a tie for second place in the BIG EAST standings. The yardage total ranks fourth in school history, is the highest by a Pitt player in eight years, and is the highest by a collegiate quarterback in Heinz Field history. Sunseri completed 69 percent of his passes and did not throw an interception to help the Panthers register 529 yards of offense — their most since the 2000 season.

 
BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Preston Brown • So. • LB • Louisville • Cincinnati, Ohio
Brown registered seven tackles and had two sacks to key Louisville’s 27-10 win against Syracuse, moving the Cardinals into a tie for second place in the BIG EAST standings. Brown led a Cardinal defense that limited the Orange to season lows in points and yards (246) and didn’t yield a touchdown until there was 1:31 left in the game.
 
BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Philpott • Sr. • K • Louisville • Atlanta, Ga.
Philpott scored nine points in Louisville’s 27-10 win against Syracuse, making field goals from 44 and 32 yards and connecting on all three of his PAT attempts. Philpott, who leads Louisville in scoring with 39 points, has made six of his last seven field goal attempts in the past three games and has made 8 of 12 on the season.
 
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Teddy Bridgewater • Fr. • QB • Louisville • Miami, Fla.
Completed 17 of 24 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-10 win against Syracuse.
 
Darwin Cook • So. • LB • West Virginia • Cleveland, Ohio
Had a game-high 11 tackles with two pass breakups, including a key breakup on a fake field goal, in a 41-31 win at Rutgers.
 
Jarred Holley • Jr. • FS • Pittsburgh • Easton, Pa.
Had nine tackles and a sack in a 35-20 win against Connecticut.
 
Marquis Spruill • So. • LB • Syracuse • Hillside, N.J.
Had nine tackles with a sack and a forced fumble in a 27-10 loss at Louisville.
 
Shawne Alston • Jr. • RB • West Virginia • Hampton, Va.
Had 14 carries for a career-high 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-31 win at Rutgers.
 
Weekly Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. Cincinnati (last week: 1st)
The Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) had a bye last week, which allowed them to fine-tune some things while watching the rest of the Big East race shake out. This week brings a trip to Pittsburgh to take on a team that lost its best offensive player (Ray Graham) for the remainder of the season. Derek Wolfe, JK Schaffer and the rest of the Bearcat defense will need to focus a little more on the run, but at the very least they know they control their own destiny.

This week: at Pittsburgh (7 PM, ESPNU)

2. West Virginia (3rd)
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) once again got off to a slow start, but they were able to answer in the second half with 20 points while holding Rutgers scoreless in the 41-31 win. Shawne Alston took advantage of the bad weather to rush for more than 100 yards while Tavon Austin made an impact on the ground as well as in the passing game. This week brings about the test of a Louisville team that’s playing with confidence, so don’t be fooled by the early point spreads.

This week: Louisville (Noon, Big East Network)

3. Pittsburgh (5th)
The Panthers (4-4, 2-1) were solid in their win over Connecticut on Wednesday night, but the loss of Ray Graham is one that will play a major role in the remainder of their season. Wisconsin transfer Zach Brown takes over for the Big East’s leading rusher, and while he’s more than capable of fitting into the offense as both a runner and receiver it’s hard to fully replace what Graham brought to the table. That puts more on the shoulders of Tino Sunseri, who will need another solid performance in order to beat Cincinnati.

This week: Cincinnati (7 PM, ESPNU)

4. Louisville (7th)
The Cardinals (4-4, 2-1) fed off of the return of defensive back Anthony Conner and put forth their best showing of the season in beating Syracuse 27-10. Teddy Bridgewater made sound decisions with the football and one week after Jeremy Wright rushed for more than 100 yards it was Victor Anderson who got it done on the ground. But against West Virginia it will be the defense, that’s been very good for much of the season, under the microscope.

This week: at West Virginia (Noon, Big East Network)

5. Rutgers (4th)
Eric LeGrand leading the team onto the field fired up Rutgers (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday, and they played very well in the first half against West Virginia. But critical mistakes in the second half spelled doom for the Scarlet Knights, who have now lost 17 straight in the series. They need to bounce back in quick order however, as a USF team that will likely be desperate for their first conference win visits. Gary Nova has to make sound decisions with the football in order for RU to be successful.

This week: USF (7 PM, ESPN3)

6. Syracuse (2nd)
One week after playing their best game of the season the Orange (5-3, 1-2) laid an egg at Louisville, falling 27-10 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate thanks to a late window-dressing score. Syracuse was able to muster only 246 yards of offense as the Cardinals got after Ryan Nassib while also short-circuiting the run game. Syracuse will need to be better if they’re to entertain any thoughts of getting back into the Big East race, beginning with this week at Connecticut.

This week: at Connecticut (Noon, ESPNU)

7. Connecticut (6th)
The Huskies (3-5, 1-2) lost at Pittsburgh 35-20, and given their first half offensive showing Paul Pasqualoni’s team is lucky the margin wasn’t wider. Johnny McEntee once again struggled to make plays through the air, an issue made tougher to solve given the lack of playmakers on the outside. UConn needs to help out Lyle McCombs, and the defense didn’t put up the best fight last week either. That could be an issue against Syracuse.

This week: Syracuse (Noon, ESPNU)

8. USF (8th)
The Bulls (4-3, 0-3) are second in the Big East in total offense and third in scoring offense, but they have no league wins to show for it. The bye week came at just the right time for Skip Holtz’s team, who needed to regroup in the worst way. USF is the most penalized team in the conference and they haven’t been anything to write home about in the red zone either. It’s the little things that cost teams conference games, and USF needs to get better at those if they’re to right the ship.

This week: at Rutgers (7 PM, ESPN3)

PHYRRIC VICTORY FOR PITT AND REALIGNMENT LINKS

Panthers lose Graham, Saddler for season

By Raphielle Johnson

One of the key story lines for the Pittsburgh Panthers going into Wednesday night’s league tilt with Connecticut was the play of quarterback Tino Sunseri in relation to their hopes of winning a Big East title. Thanks to a record-setting evening from the redshirt junior those hopes remain intact, but the aspirations of Todd Graham’s team rest even more on Sunseri’s shoulders given their personnel losses. Sunseri set a Heinz Field record for passing yards in a game with 419, completing 29 of 42 passes with two touchdown passes while also rushing for another 40 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers’ 35-20 win over the Huskies.

But in victory came major setbacks, with star running back Ray Graham being lost for the season with an injury to his right knee. Also lost for the season were wide receiver Cam Saddler (sternum) and offensive lineman Matt Rotheram (right ankle), but when you lose the Big East’s leading rusher the dynamic of the season changes. Pitt (4-4, 2-1) will go with senior Zach Brown in Graham’s place and similar to the Graham the Wisconsin transfer is just as valuable in the passing game as he is on the ground.

“Zach Brown came in and did a tremendous job in all three phases of playing running back — picking up the pass protection, making sure he’s getting out on his routes and running the football,” said Sunseri following Wednesday night’s win.

Brown rushed for just 30 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries but he was the Panthers’ leading receiver, catching nine passes for 84 yards. Before the injuries began to hit it looked to be a good night for Pittsburgh in spite of the sparse crowd (the announced attendance of 40,219 was generous), with Sunseri leading the team right down the field on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead on his eight-yard run. UConn’s (3-5, 1-2) issues on defense were more fundamental on Wednesday night, with the linebackers near invisible in pass coverage and many players allowing Pitt pass-catchers yards after the catch due to poor tackling.

Of their 529 yards of offense Pittsburgh gained 433 through the air with an average of 14.4 yards per completion. Many of Sunseri’s throw were of the short variety in hopes of accounting for an offensive line that’s been hit hard by injuries and allowed the most sacks in the country. Pittsburgh ended the first quarter with a 14-0 lead as Sunseri connected with Mike Shanahan on an 18-yard strike with 54 seconds remaining, and with the Huskies unable to accomplish much offensively the home team looked to be in good shape with a 21-3 halftime lead.

“We are doing to watch the film but what we are going to say -everybody who had pass coverage responsibly could have been a little bit better,” said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni. “At the end of the day, that’s what we will say. I thought he (Sunseri) threw the ball pretty accurately tonight so it’s not going to be just the linebackers, it will be the safeties and it will end up being the corners and it will end up being everybody.”

Johnny McEntee had a far better second half than first for UConn, throwing for 173 of his 193 yards and two scores in the final 30 minutes. But it’s still a passing attack that lacks punch when looking at both the passer and the receivers. Lyle McCombs rushed for a game-high 124 yards and it was the third time in the last four games that the redshirt freshman has surpassed the 100-yard mark. Similar to Jordan Todman last season (albeit not as productive) McCombs has been provided with minimal help in most games this season, and as a result teams are able to load the box and force McEntee to beat them. It hasn’t happened yet, and as a result it’s going to be tough sledding the rest of the way for UConn to reach bowl eligibility much less contend for a Big East title.

Next up for Pittsburgh is Cincinnati, who visits Heinz Field next Saturday night. Connecticut will host Syracuse the same day at noon.

Big East Realignment Links

- Louisville and West Virginia look to be the two choices for one spot in the Big 12…or could they both be invited?

Things got interesting early this week with reports that the Big 12 was ready to invite West Virginia, with the Mountaineers holding a press conference with the league on Tuesday in Morgantown to announce their acceptance. That didn’t happen, with the lobbying of Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell’s lobbying on behalf of Louisville being the reason why. As a result of this West Virginia senator Joe Manchin is calling for an investigation. Glorious times in college athletics these are.

The Big 12 isn’t expected to make a move until after Missouri makes its decision on whether to stay in the league or move on to the SEC (many expect Missouri to make the move), but now the Big 12 will take more time to deliberate on the matter. The bigger question is whether the Big 12 wants to remain at 10 institutions or make the move back to 12. If it’s the latter then one would have to wonder why the league wouldn’t just offer both and add another school to reach that number. Interesting days lie ahead on this subject, which may drag on for a bit (as if it hadn’t already).

- Big East officials on a western tour of sorts

Big East commissioner John Marinatto and senior associate commissioner Nick Carparelli were both in Boise on Thursday meeting with Boise State officials and making a presentation to the school about the direction of the conference and what role Boise State could play in it. This comes one day after the two were in Colorado Springs meeting with officials at the Air Force Academy. Boise State president Bob Kustra met with Big East officials in Washington on Sunday.

HUSKIES, PANTHERS MEET IN CRUCIAL LEAGUE GAME

Winner picks up key Big East win

By Raphielle Johnson

Big East football is on the menu for Wednesday night, with the matchup featuring a pair of teams who can still realistically have designs on winning the conference title. Connecticut (3-4, 1-1), who beat USF in their last game despite failing to score an offensive touchdown, hits the road to take on Pittsburgh (3-4, 1-1) at Heinz Field. The biggest question surrounding this contest: which Pittsburgh offense will the partisans in the Steel City see: the one that clicked on all cylinders in a dominant showing against USF, or the one that’s sputtered in losses to Rutgers and Utah?

One issue that Todd Graham’s team had in the 26-14 loss to Utah was the number of touches that junior running back Ray Graham received. The goal is for the Big East’s leading rusher to get somewhere around 30 total touches throughout the course of a game. Graham had just 15 (12 rushes, 3 receptions) against the Utes, who should be credited for their play defensively. But for that number of touches to happen on a day in which both quarterbacks combined to throw for fewer than 100 yards was a bitter pill for many fans to swallow. Job one on Wednesday night will be to get Graham the football, and UConn will do its best to limit his productivity.

“Some guys are going to get past the second level of the defense, but they’re not going to get the ball all the way down the field,” noted UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni of Graham. “If this guy gets past the second level of the defense, there is a chance the ball is going all the way to the end zone, regardless of the field position when the ball was snapped.”

In last season’s meeting, a 30-28 UConn win, Graham rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries with Dion Lewis going for 77 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Obviously Graham will get more touches than that with Zach Brown providing the change of pace when called upon. And it could be tough sledding for Pittsburgh as the Huskies rank 11th nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 89 rushing yards per game. The linebackers have been a big reason why UConn has been so good against the run, with an assist from linemen such as Kendall Reyes.

Jory Johnson (61 tackles), Yawin Smallwood (54) and Sio Moore (44) are the top three tacklers on the team, all three can run and once they arrive at the football their impact is certain to be felt. But UConn’s defensive issues are defending the pass, which could play right into the hands of a quarterback in Tino Sunseri who needs to have a good game in the worst way. Following the Utah loss Coach Graham made the decision to go with Sunseri exclusively, no longer looking to freshman Trey Anderson when the junior struggled.

“We have worked hard with him to make sure he understands what we’re trying to accomplish and to adapt some things to help him execute what we’re doing,” said Coach Graham. “He continues to have a great attitude, he works hard and I have a lot of confidence that he will play well.”

UConn allows 262 passing yards per game, and with their best cornerback (Blidi Wreh-Wilson) still out with a knee injury the Huskies there will be opportunities for Sunseri to connect with his receivers. Whether or not he can take advantage of them will play a large part in the outcome of the game. Offensively Connecticut is unable to say the same thanks in large part to a passing attack that for the most part remains as punchless as it was during their run to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl last year. Johnny McEntee has played well in a few games this season but the win over USF was a step back for the junior signal-caller.

UConn may average more passing yards per game than Pittsburgh but at least the Panthers have some playmakers on the outside. UConn’s best receivers from a receptions standpoint are Isiah Moore and Kashif Moore, but in terms of being a true threat tight end Ryan Griffin may be that guy. Look for Pittsburgh to focus more of their attention on slowing down redshirt freshman running back Lyle McCombs, who has rushed for 705 yards in seven games. But in order for Pittsburgh to shut the Huskies down they need to force turnovers.

Pitt has forced just seven turnovers all season while UConn’s defense has 16 takeaways. Special teams and turnover margin could be the difference with neither offense consistently performing at the level required of good football teams, but the outcome ultimately comes down to the question asked at the start. If “good Pitt” shows up offensively the Panthers are a very tough team to contain. If not: they’re in trouble.

Pick: Pittsburgh 31-17

Record: 30-17 (0-3 last week)

TELECONFERENCE ADDRESSES SOME ISSUES

Withdrawal fees conditionally doubled for football members

By Raphielle Johnson

Big East Conference commissioner John Marinatto held a teleconference this afternoon in hopes of answering some questions on the path the conference was headed. With the news last night that Missouri could well be on their way to applying to join the SEC, some wondered if that would speed up the Big East’s expansion timeline. According to Marinatto that won’t have an effect on how the Big East goes about identifying and inviting prospective members.

“Stay tuned (on time frame),” said Marinatto. “We’re not rushing ourselves to meet anyone’s deadline. The sooner, the better.”

One thing that the conference members did agree to in their conference on Monday night was the conditional raising of the league’s exit fee for football members from $5 million to $10 million (the basketball members will remain at $5 million). That fee increase will be triggered by the acceptance of an invitation to join the Big East by one institution (according to Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com this would stand for either Navy or Air Force; fee remains the same in the case that another school is the first to join), as opposed to when the league gets to its established goal of 12 football-playing members (the number is at six with Pittsburgh and Syracuse heading to the ACC and TCU going to the Big 12).

“This development is a significant step forward, as well as a positive demonstration and acknowledgement of the continued benefits of being in the BIG EAST Conference,” said Marinatto. “It sends a message to those institutions we are talking to about joining us. In addition, our members have given us their support to move towards a 12-team football model. Each of our member schools is behind this effort, and we are confident we can achieve it. We hope to have an announcement soon concerning new members.”

As for possible candidates Marinatto could not go into specifics or identify the schools that the Big East has had discussions with, but he did state that he was pleased with the candidates. Marinatto also stated that no invites have been handed out, which contradicts the Houston Chronicle’s report late Monday that the University of Houston received an invitation to join the conference.

“When the dust settles, we will emerge stronger than ever,” said Marinatto. “It’s our commitment to meet the standards to meet our BCS qualifications.”

The question of whether or not the new exit fee figure was considered to be “low” when compared to that of other conferences, Marinatto said, “I don’t think there’s a magic number to prevent schools from leaving a league.” In regards to whether or not the low fee was an issue, Marinatto also stated that the figure wasn’t an issue for the schools that he’s had discussions with.

The conference will communicate with the leaders of conferences in which prospective members currently reside, and Marinatto added that “I don’t think anyone will be blindsided or feel bushwhacked when the process is complete.”

No conferences have contacted the Big East about discussions with their members since the Big 12 inquired about TCU, and there is a chance that the football conference could consist of 14 teams in 2013. Marinatto stated that Pitt and Syracuse will be held to the 27-month notice even if the Big East has its 12-member configuration, and he would like for a possible football championship game to be played in New York City in hopes of having success similar to the basketball tournament.

WEEKLY HONORS ANNOUNCED & UPDATED POWER POLL

Pead, Byron Jones and Brandon Jones honored

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Isaiah Pead • Jr. • RB • Cincinnati • Columbus, Ohio
Pead rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in a 25-16 win against Louisville in the Bearcats’ BIG EAST opener. Pead keyed Cincinnati’s comeback from a 16-7 halftime deficit by breaking free for a 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave the Bearcats the lead for good. Pead has rushed for 624 yards and eight touchdowns this season and ranks second in the BIG EAST in rushing at 104.0 yards per game.

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Byron Jones • Fr. • CB • Connecticut • New Britain, Conn.
On a day when Connecticut was held without an offensive touchdown, Jones made the difference on the defensive end with a 10-yard fumble recovery in the fourth quarter to lift the Huskies to a 16-10 win against USF. Jones also had seven tackles as part of a defensive effort that held the Bulls’ offense, which had averaged better than 500 yards per game, to 339 yards and four turnovers.

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brandon Jones • Jr. • CB • Rutgers • Sicklerville, N.J.
Jones helped seal Rutgers’ 21-20 win against Navy when he blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter that would have given the Midshipmen the lead. It was the first blocked kick of the season for Jones and the fourth for Rutgers. Jones also had two tackles and an interception as the Scarlet Knights held Navy to season lows of 20 points and 303 yards.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Derek Wolfe • Sr. • DT • Cincinnati • Lisbon, Ohio
Had a career-high 11 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two quarterback hurries in a 25-16 win against Louisville.

Lyle McCombs • Fr. • RB • Connecticut • Staten Island, N.Y.
Rushed for 130 yards on 32 carries in a 16-10 win against USF.

Khaseem Greene • Jr. • LB • Rutgers • Elizabeth, N.J.
Had a career-high 14 tackles in a 21-20 win against Navy. Helped hold the nation’s leading rushing offense to 204 yards below its average.

Mohamed Sanu • Jr. • WR • Rutgers • South Brunswick, N.J.
Had 10 receptions for 100 yards in a 21-20 win against Navy. Moved into sixth place on the school’s career receptions chart (150).

Ryne Giddins • So. • DE • USF • Seffner, Fla.
Had career highs of 11 tackles, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss with a forced fumble and a pass breakup in a 16-10 loss at Connecticut.

Weekly Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. West Virginia (last week: 1; Bye)
The Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0) return from their bye week ranked 15th in the first BCS standings, and there should be motivation to keep things rolling this week. West Virginia visits Syracuse on Friday night, and with that there’s the chance for Geno Smith and company to avenge last season’s defeat. But they’ll need to avoid the slow start if they’re to do so in the Carrier Dome.

This week: at Syracuse (Friday 8 PM, ESPN)

2. Cincinnati (2; beat Louisville 25-16)
It wasn’t pretty but the Bearcats (5-1, 1-0) woke up in the second half and beat Louisville 25-16 to retain possession of the Keg of Nails Trophy. Now they visit a USF team that should be borderline desperate to turn things around, but Cincinnati brings a vastly improved defense to the table. But like West Virginia, the Bearcats need better starts from Zach Collaros and the rest of the Cincinnati passing game.

This week: at USF (Saturday Noon, Big East Network)

3. Rutgers (3; beat Navy 21-20)
Rutgers (5-1, 2-0) played well defensively, limiting the nation’s best rushing offense to 167 yards on the ground, not even half of Navy’s average per game. Gary Nova made some mistakes but played well in throwing for 271 yards and two touchdowns while Jawan Jamison rushed for 101 yards in the win. Now comes the quick turnaround, with a trip to Louisville next up. Much will be learned about Rutgers’ chances of winning the Big East in how they handle this road trip.

This week: at Louisville (Friday 8 PM, ESPN2)

4. Syracuse (6; Bye)
Syracuse (4-2, 0-1) had the week off following their last-second win at Tulane, and now comes the task of retaining possession of the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy with West Virginia visiting on Friday night. The Orange can’t allow the game to become a shootout, but at the very least Ryan Nassib will need consistent play from receivers Van Chew, Alec Lemon and Dorian Graham if they’re to win.

This week: West Virginia (Friday 8 PM, ESPN)

5. Pittsburgh (4; lost 26-14 to Utah)
The reason why the Panthers (3-4, 1-1) stay put is that USF, a team they whipped two games ago, looked just as bad in their loss to Connecticut. Pitt’s passing game provided nothing on Saturday, and with Ray Graham getting just 15 touches that spelled disaster for the “High Octane” attack. At least the special teams (two touchdowns) showed up, but there’s a lot to work on with Connecticut next on the 26th.

This week: Bye

6. Connecticut (8; beat USF 16-10)
For the second consecutive season the Huskies (3-4, 1-1) beat USF without the benefit of an offensive touchdown. After two solid weeks throwing the football Johnny McEntee struggled, but Lyle McCombs came through with 130 yards rushing. If UConn’s going to entertain realistic thoughts of bowl eligibility they need more consistent play from the offense, and the defense needs to build on Saturday’s showing.

This week: Bye

7. USF (5; lost 16-10 at Connecticut)
The Bulls (4-2, 0-2) did more to shoot themselves in the foot on Saturday afternoon than anything, ultimately falling in a game that they were expected to win. All of a sudden the team many thought could contend finds itself in the conference cellar with Cincinnati visiting Raymond James Stadium. And if the Bulls want to at least finish with a winning league record they have to win. B.J. Daniels and the offense need to be more consistent in not only moving the football but scoring points. Disappointing start for Skip Holtz’s squad.

This week: Cincinnati (Saturday Noon, Big East Network)

8. Louisville (7; lost 25-16 at Cincinnati)
The Cardinals (2-4, 0-1) are young offensively, and that’s been a big reason for their struggles. Where would this team be if not for their defense? Louisville held a 16-7 halftime lead thanks to the defense, which made things tougher than anticipated on Cincinnati. And after facing the second-best defense in the conference with regards to takeaways, Teddy Bridgewater and company will have to deal with the nation’s best this week.

This week: Rutgers (Friday 8 PM, ESPN2)

BEARCATS WIN UGLY, OTHERS NOT AS FORTUNATE

Cincinnati retains the Keg of Nails

By Raphielle Johnson

To say the least it wasn’t the prettiest day on the field for Big East teams, with many getting off to slow starts with a couple teams being unable to recover. Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0) didn’t get off to a good start themselves against Louisville at Paul Brown Stadium, going into the locker room at the half down 16-7 after the Cardinals returned an interception 63 yards with 30 seconds left in the second quarter. But Butch Jones’ team was able to bounce back offensively while their defense limited the Cardinals to 78 yards and seven first downs in the second half in their 25-16 win. The Bearcats retain possession of the Keg of Nails Trophy, picking up their fourth consecutive victory in the series.

“We have three rivalry games but this is really our rivalry,” said Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, who rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown. “We don’t like Louisville and they don’t like us. There’s bad blood there.”

Cincinnati accounted for 330 yards of offense on the day, 91 yards below their season average, but it was their defense that kept the Bearcats within striking distance. Louisville (2-4, 0-1) performed well on defense themselves, which didn’t come as much of a surprise given the improvements made by defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. But their young offense couldn’t generate enough in the way of points or yards, although Louisville’s first two drives did result in Chris Philpott field goals. The Cardinals forced Cincinnati punts on the Bearcats’ first four possessions of the game, but the home team took the lead with 5:01 left in the half on a 26-yard pass from Zach Collaros to D.J. Woods.

Collaros had a quiet day by most standards as he completed 18 of 26 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown to go along with his interception late in the half. Philpott’s third field goal of the half made the score 9-7, but things got even better for the Cardinals as Cincinnati looked to regain the lead before the intermission. Mike Evans picked off a Collaros pass and ran it back 63 yards to push the lead out to nine, but those were the final points of the day for Louisville. On their second possession of the third quarter Cincinnati pulled to within two points as Collaros’ rush from one yard out made the score 16-14. Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of the Louisville offense couldn’t accomplish much of anything through the air or on the ground, and that would eventually cost them the lead.

Pead’s 50-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter gave the Bearcats a 22-16 lead, and Cincinnati would cap the scoring with 1:21 left on a Tony Miliano field goal from 21 yards out. Will Stein did return for the Cardinals but he completed just two of four passes for six yards. Quarterback is likely the least of Louisville’s concerns at this point in time; the fact that they’ve struggled so much running the football has been the biggest indictment of the Cardinals. The offensive line lacks experience and right now their best running back is Dominique Brown, who is a quarterback (although he may have to make a Michael Bush-like move to running back). Cincinnati has a lot to improve upon as well, most notably their third down conversions (4 for 14 on Saturday) and a passing game that could use some fine-tuning. But the defense is much improved since last season, and a big reason why Cincinnati is 5-1.

“Good teams find ways to win games when they don’t play their best,” said Jones. “In the second half we got Isaiah Pead in a little bit of a rhythm. I can’t say enough about our defense. They’ve been a rock of consistency for us and it showed today. Great team win.”

Utah 26, Pittsburgh 14

It was said before Saturday’s game against Utah that the Pittsburgh (3-4, 1-1) offensive staff wanted to get star running back Ray Graham 30 touches throughout the course of the game. And on a day in which both quarterbacks struggled mightily it would have been good for the Panthers to do so. But Graham finished with just 15 touches while Tino Sunseri and Trey Anderson attempted a combined 30 passes (completing nine with Anderson being picked off twice), and Utah shook off their slow start to win 26-14 in front of a disappointed crowd at Heinz Field. To their credit the Utes are among the best defenses in the Pac-12 against the run and Graham finished with 46 yards on 12 carries (21 came on one play), but there’s no excuse for the Big East’s leading rusher to only get 12 carries.

“They dominated us defensively and took Ray away,” said head coach Todd Graham. “They were dominating the line of scrimmage up front. Obviously, we want him to have more than 15 touches.”

Pitt finished the game with 120 yards of offense, but early on it didn’t seem as if they’d be made to pay for such production thanks to their defense and special teams. Colem Peterson put the Utes on the board first with 5:08 left in the first quarter on a field goal from 23 yards out, but Buddy Jackson answered with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Special teams would strike again just over two minutes later as Antwaun Reed scooped up a blocked punt and took it into the end zone from 10 yards out. Up 14-3 at the end of the first quarter, Pittsburgh simply needed their offense to get going but the Utes wouldn’t allow it. Utah’s front seven controlled the flow of play more and more as the game progressed, and by halftime they’d cut the margin to 14-13.

“The credit goes to the defense and I can’t say enough about how our defense played and our numbers were outstanding, 120 yards of total offense,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “They played hard from start to finish (and) they played smart and did very good things.”

Two more Petersen field goals, with the second coming with 7:45 left in the game, gave the Utes a 19-14 lead that was nearly insurmountable with the way that Pittsburgh was playing offensively. Pitt may have sacked Jon Hays seven times but the Utes sacked Pittsburgh quarterbacks six times, but at least Utah had the productive John White IV. White rushed for 171 yards on 36 carries as Utah looked to relieve some of the pressure on the young Hays (making his second-ever start) by counting on their junior college transfer.

Pitt was unable to get enough time for their quarterbacks in the final minutes of the game, with defensive end Derrick Shelby picking off an Anderson pass with 1:12 remaining and returning it 21 yards for a touchdown. Shelby’s somersault into the end zone shut the door on any chances of a Pittsburgh comeback, and the Panthers are left with plenty of questions to answer in the 11 days leading up to their game against UConn.

“A game like that is frustrating but at the same time we can’t really dwell on it,” said free safety Andrew Taglianetti. “We have to bounce back. We have five conference games left and those are the big ones. We need to focus up and come back and finish strong.”

Rutgers 21, Navy 20

If not for cornerback Brandon Jones there’s a strong likelihood that Rutgers is sitting at 4-2 right now. Jones, who picked off a Navy pass in the first quarter, blocked a 34-yard field goal attempt with 4:43 remaining to preserve a 21-20 lead. And that would ultimately be the final score as Rutgers (5-1, 2-0) won their fourth consecutive game of the season. The Midshipmen were in good shape offensively on their first possession of the game, only to have Jones pick off a Kriss Proctor pass at the Rutgers 23-yard line. Gary Nova and the Scarlet Knight offense went right down the field, but a Savon Huggins fumble at the goal line turned the ball back over to the Midshipmen. Nova threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions, with Mohamed Sanu (10 catches, 100 yards) being the preferred target once again.

But it took awhile for things to get going offensively. Neither team would score in the first quarter, but Rutgers’ final possession of the period set the stage for a Jawan Jamison touchdown run from one yard out 32 seconds into the second quarter. Navy answered with a 12-play drive but a Steve Beauharnais tackle of Proctor for a loss of two on fourth and goal turned the ball over to the Scarlet Knights. Navy, who entered the game as the nation’s best rushing offense, rushed for 162 yards (less than half their average) on the afternoon as Rutgers did a solid job of fulfilling their assignments.

“All the defensive coaches did an incredible job of fighting through the game and making the adjustments,” said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. “And a great job by our kids to take what they were instructed to do during the game and make those changes.”

But it didn’t take long for the Midshipmen to get on the scoreboard as Chris Ferguson picked off Nova and returned it 16 yards to tie things up. Rutgers would have to give the ball up on downs on their next possession at the Navy 32, and it would take all of two plays for the Midshipmen to take the lead. Alexander Teich rushed for 14 yards, and Proctor followed that carry with a 54-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-7. Proctor finished the game with 39 yards rushing on 15 carries while also throwing for 106 yards. But the leading rusher in the game was Rutgers’ Jawan Jamison, who rushed for 101 yards on 22 carries. Joe Martinek also chipped in for the Scarlet Knights with 44 yards on four carries, and as a team the Big East’s worst rushing offense accounted for 152 yards on the day.

After a Navy field goal made the score 17-7 early in the third quarter, Rutgers made their charge back into the game. Gary Nova connected with Quron Pratt from 10 yards out to cut the margin to three points with 3:28 left in the quarter, and his pass to Tim Wright with 12:57 left in the game made the score 21-17. Navy would cut the lead to one with 7:52 left on a Jon Teague 41-yard field goal, but that would be as close as they’d get thanks to the efforts of Brandon Jones. Coach Schiano didn’t want to even think about 2006 after the win, and it’s best for this young team to simply focus on the task at hand. Next up is a conference game at Louisville on Friday night.

Connecticut 16, USF 10

For the second consecutive season the USF (4-2, 0-2) Bulls found a way to lose to a Connecticut (3-4, 1-1) team that failed to score an offensive touchdown. Lyle McCombs rushed for 130 yards on 32 carries to lead the Huskies, who struggled passing the ball after two weeks of decent results. But their defense and kicker Dave Teggart did enough to keep the team within striking distance until halfway through the third quarter, with a Byron Jones fumble return providing the winning points. As for the Bulls, who weren’t consistent offensively, a season in which they were expected to contend for the Big East title could be at a crossroads in that regard.

“Offensively today, outside of the first drive and the opening drive of the second half, we couldn’t put anything together,” said USF head coach Skip Holtz. “At halftime, we only had about 75 yards. We moved the ball much better in the second half. This game is about two things, penalties and turnovers.”

USF lost 85 yards on nine penalties while UConn was penalized just three times, and the turnover margin of minus-2 didn’t help matters either. The first half was particularly ragged for both teams as the Huskies went into the locker room with a 6-3 lead thanks to a pair of Teggart field goals. USF came out of the locker room hot, going 75 yards on seven plays to take a 10-6 lead on B.J. Daniels 22-yard run. USF did a lot of their damage on that drive through the air, with Daniels hitting his receivers on quick passes and allowing them to make a play after the catch. But the Bulls soon went back to running the football, and while they did finish with 175 yards rushing the rhythm established in that scoring drive was lost.

UConn answered the USF scoring drive with one of their own, going 67 yards on eight plays to set up Teggart’s third field goal of the game. Two plays into USF’s next possession disaster would strike for the visitors as a pitch from Daniels to Darrell Scott was lost, only to be scooped up and taken into the end zone by Jones. That closed the scoring for the game as the UConn defense continued to make things tough on the Bulls when they weren’t killing themselves, and McCombs did enough to make up for a subpar passing attack. Due to their play in the non-conference portion of the schedule bowl eligibility was thrown into doubt for UConn, but a game like this is a step in the right direction despite it’s less than attactive nature.

“They were determined about not letting this game get away from them,” said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni. “We talked last week about getting a lead in the third quarter and taking that lead into the fourth and finishing the game. We had a lead and they got that done tonight.”

Next Week’s Schedule

Rutgers at Louisville (Friday 8 PM, ESPN2)

West Virginia at Syracuse (Friday 8 PM, ESPN)

Cincinnati at USF (Saturday Noon, Big East Network)

BIG EAST WEEK 7 PREVIEW: BACK TO THE FIELD

Keg of Nails on the line in Cincinnati

By Raphielle Johnson

Another week and another round of realignment rumors regarding the Big East. Could a resolution be coming soon? Possibly, but with the situation being a fluid one there’s no telling when this may all end. That’s the good thing about Saturdays: they move the focus back to the field if only for a few hours. Six Big East teams are in action on Saturday, with four meeting in important conference battles. The headliner: Louisville (2-3, 0-0) taking on Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0) at Paul Brown Stadium (Noon, Big East Network) with the Keg of Nails Trophy up for grabs. With the Bearcats having won the last three games in the series, a large number of Louisville players have yet to touch the trophy, and that should be more than enough motivation for Charlie Strong’s team.

Louisville hasn’t performed well on the offensive side of the football this season, and the running game has been a big reason why. The Cardinals are sixth in the Big East in rushing offense with an average of 116.6 yards per game, with Dominique Brown leading the way with 170 yards on the year. Brown was originally their “Wild Card” quarterback but the struggles of Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright has led to more carries as a running back for the sophomore. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been solid all things considered, completing 63.8% of his passes this season. The Cardinals are talented at wide receiver and tight end (Josh Chichester), but if they struggle to run the football against a defense that’s 2nd nationally in turnover margin and 5th in rushing defense it’s going to be a long afternoon.

“What’s happening to us offensively is people are able to load the box because we are not running the ball,” said Strong earlier this week. “It is making us one dimensional and we have to throw the ball. Now, they are bringing a lot of pressure and that is where you are getting the sacks and pressure from.”

The Louisville offensive line has struggled, which was to be expected of a unit that returned just one starter from last season and he’s (center Mario Benavides) been out for much of the season due to injury. Linebacker JK Schaffer isn’t called on to be a sackmaster but he’s been a key component in a defense that’s bounced back from a poor 2010. Schaffer leads the Bearcats in tackles with 35 while also picking off three passes, and as a team the Bearcats have forced 18 turnovers. But the real strength for Cincinnati has been their rushing defense, a category in which they lead the Big East. Does Louisville essentially abandon the run, something they’ve had to do in recent games since they’ve been unable to establish anything? If so, a one-dimensional outfit could play right into the hands of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati also has the second-best rushing offense in the Big East with senior Isaiah Pead leading the way with an average of 95.2 yards per game. Pead ranks third in the conference in rushing yards per game, and with quarterback Zach Collaros’ ability to run the ball the Bearcats’ spread attack is a tough matchup for any defense. Collaros also has the assistance of receivers Anthony McClung, D.J. Woods and Kenbrell Thompkins, but they rank just 6th in passing offense. Louisville is also a good defensive team against the run, ranking 10th nationally through five games. But they haven’t run into an offense that can take advantage of one-on-one situations across the board yet this season like the Bearcats, although FIU did have T.Y. Hilton in their win over the Cards.

In last year’s meeting, a 35-27 Cincinnati victory, both teams went over 400 yards of offense and Collaros threw five touchdown passes. But Louisville, who rushed for 228 yards in a losing effort, does not have a Bilal Powell (24 carries for 209 yards, 2 TD) at the ready for Saturday. That inability to consistently run the football is what will ultimately get Louisville in trouble against an improved and opportunistic defense. It’s tough to see how much different the crowd will be with the game in a pro stadium, but either way the Bearcats simply have too much this time around.

Pick: Cincinnati -13.5 (34-17)

3:30 PM (Big East Network) USF (4-1, 0-1) at Connecticut (2-4, 0-1)

Connecticut and USF have put together some thrilling finishes in recent years, with the Huskies winning each of the last two meetings with field goals in the final minute of play. But this is a far different UConn team than those two outfits, as the Huskies have struggled to maintain a consistent level of play. USF on the other hand comes in off of a bye week spent smarting over the rough loss at Pittsburgh, so it’s safe to assume that Skip Holtz’s team is more than ready to get back on the field. And while the Bulls did have the benefit of a less than strenuous schedule leading into the Pittsburgh game, they were able to move the ball against the Panthers as well.

With a talented offense led by B.J. Daniels, USF has more than enough weapons to score points on a defense that ranks 7th in the conference in pass defense and 5th in total defense. “B.J. Daniels is an excellent quarterback,” said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni. “They run the ball really well and he’s an excellent thrower and an excellent scrambler.” In addition to Daniels in the backfield there’s the tandem of Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray, and the Bulls are currently the Big East’s best rushing offense with an average of 223.2 yards per game on the ground. Defensive lineman Kendall Reyes is the leader up front for the Huskies, and linebacker Sio Moore has been a steady performer as well.

But the issues for UConn defensively have been in the secondary, as corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson’s knee injury has exposed this unit. USF has the conference’s second-best passing offense, and while the aforementioned schedule has played a role so has the development of Daniels. Daniels has completed 62.5% of his passes with eight touchdowns and just one interception, a far cry from his 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2010. The improved health of the receiving corps has played a role in Daniels’ development from last season to 2011, with Sterling Griffin and Lindsey Lamar being two of the key figures.

As for the UConn offense, they’ve improved some despite the recent struggles running the football. Who’s going to step up alongside Lyle McCombs? The redshirt freshman got off to a good start this season, but it;s become apparent in recent weeks that he’s better as part of a tandem as opposed to the featured guy. Losing D.J. Shoemate for the season definitely hurts, but Jonathan Jean-Louis is a capable back in his own right. If the backs can step up things should become simpler for Johnny McEntee, who has thrown the ball well the last two weeks. His critical fumble in the third quarter changed the game at West Virginia last weekend, but overall the junior was solid.

Do the Huskies have enough firepower to win this game? That’s definitely up for debate, but there’s no doubt that given the way this series has gone anything can happen. The Bulls should be hungry to remove the nasty taste of that Pittsburgh loss, but the maturity of a program that’s still looking to break through within the conference will be tested. These are the games that title contenders don’t slip up and lose. Can USF get back into the race? That question will be answered on Saturday afternoon.

Pick: Connecticut +7.5 (USF 27-23)

Noon (ESPNU) Utah at Pittsburgh (3-3, 1-1)

To say the least it’s been a roller coaster beginning to the Todd Graham era, with the Panthers following up their most impressive showing of the season with a disappointing effort at Rutgers last week. This week brings their final non-conference game of the season, as a Utah team that’s struggled of late looks to turn things around themselves. The Utes’ problems have come on the offensive side of the ball, as they’re dead last in the Pac-12 in total offense. Losing quarterback Jordan Wynn due to a shoulder injury didn’t help matters, and Jon Hays will be making his second start of the season as a result.

Hays threw three interceptions against Arizona State last week, but he may be in store for a better outing with a start under his belt. Brandon Lindsey and the rest of the Panthers up front need to get after Hays in passing situations, and force him to make plays under pressure. The good news for Hays is that he’s got some solid players to get the ball to, most notably running back John White and wide receiver DeVonte Christopher.

“John White ran hard and Jon Hays showed promise for his first outing and has things to build on,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham. “We’ve got to continue working on our primary issue, which is taking care of the football.”

Pitt’s had its issues taking care of the football as well, with the Panthers throwing four interceptions in last week’s loss. Tino Sunseri owned three of those picks, and while there were issues from a decision-making standpoint the offensive line’s play did not help matters. When it comes to pass blocking there’s a lot of work to be done, because the sacks aren’t solely a matter of the senior quarterback holding onto the ball for too long. But if there’s been one thing that the Panthers have done well up front it’s open holes for Ray Graham, the top rusher in the Big East. Graham rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown last week, and his rushing average ranks second nationally. Utah knows that they’ll have their hands full with him.

“They have an outstanding tailback, maybe the best in the country,” said Whittingham. “He is second in the country in yards per game, but he’s first in total yards gained. He is a great back. The challenge for us is that he is getting about 150 yards per week on the ground, but he is also their leading pass receiver. He is doing a lot of good things for Pitt.”

Turnover margin will be critical in this contest, but Pitt’s experience at quarterback should be something they can take advantage of. But if they’re not making the proper reads and the offensive line struggles to block against a defense that ranks 19th in rushing defense, look out. In the end look for Ray Graham to make the difference, with a little help from a better Sunseri and an opportunistic secondary.

Pick: Pittsburgh -6.5 (31-24)

2:00 PM (ESPN3) Navy (2-3) at Rutgers (4-1, 2-0)

Greg Schiano’s hot Scarlet Knights look to keep things rolling against a Navy team that’s dropped its last three games and did not perform well on the heels of their heartbreaking loss to Air Force as they were blown out by Southern Miss. Rutgers whipped Pittsburgh in the second half last week as freshman Gary Nova threw two third quarter touchdown passes to get things rolling after a slow start. Nova will make the second start of his career, but the key to his long-term success will likely be the performance of the Rutgers running backs.

Neither Jawan Jamison nor Savon Huggins posted great stats last week, but they performed well enough for a rushing attack that’s by far the worst in the Big East. Those two, along with Jeremy Deering, likely hold the hopes of a Big East title in their collective hands. It also helps Nova that he’s got one of the best receiving corps in the Big East to throw to, with Mohamed Sanu leading the way. But Quron Pratt has stepped up in recent weeks, and last week Mark Harrison was heard from following a quiet start to his campaign. Harrison was one of the most improved players in the Big East last season, and if he can build on last week’s outing the Rutgers offense will be that much better.

“The quarterback needs to read [the routes] out,” said Schiano. “Mo [Sanu] saw double coverage almost the whole game again, and I don’t think that’s going to change. That will open up some other guys.”

Navy brings the always-tough to defend triple option attack, led by quarterback Kriss Proctor and fullback Alexander Teich leading what is the nation’s top rushing attack. Defensively for the Scarlet Knights it comes down to two words: assignment football. Every player has to simply do their job and not get caught out of position. If an attack like Navy’s is forced to deal with gaining just three yards or so per rush that’s a lot better than having the Midshipmen spring one for a big play. Rutgers has played well against the run, ranking 20th nationally in rushing and total defense, but this is their toughest ground test to date. Linebacker Khaseem Greene and defensive tackle Scott Vallone will be key cogs in the Rutgers defense if they’re to slow down the Midshipmen.

A fast start will be critical for the Scarlet Knights on Homecoming weekend, especially against an opponent that can do so much damage on the ground. If Rutgers can hit on a couple big plays through the air early, that should loosen things up against a defense that ranks 112th in rushing defense (to be fair, Navy has already faced South Carolina (Marcus Lattimore) and Air Force). Look for the game to be close right down to the wire, with the Scarlet Knights pulling out the win.

Pick: Rutgers -3.5 (24-20)

Last week: 3-1 straight up, 1-3 ATS

Season: 28-12 (18-18 ATS)

WEEK 6 BIG EAST RECAP

Rutgers wakes up in the 2nd half

By Raphielle Johnson

The battle between first place teams in New Brunswick got off to a horrific start for both offenses, with Rutgers (4-1, 2-0) take a 6-3 lead into the halftime break thanks to a pair of San San Te field goals. During the adjustment period many wondered if both the Scarlet Knights and Pittsburgh (3-3, 1-1) would bench their starting quarterbacks, and it would have been understandable if both had done so. But Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano held off on removing Gary Nova, and the decision paid off with a pair of third quarter touchdown passes in what would become a 34-10 Rutgers victory.

Pittsburgh on the other hand called on freshman Trey Anderson to start the third quarter in place of Tino Sunseri, and not much changed for the Panthers. The offensive line couldn’t protect either quarterback as the Scarlet Knights sacked Sunseri six times and harassed Anderson into just four yards passing on five attempts (two completions). Justin Francis finished the game with three sacks and Khaseem Greene and Wayne Warren chipped in with two apiece. Rutgers, who leads the nation in takeaways with 22, picked off Pitt passers four times (Sunseri three times) with corner Logan Ryan grabbing two.

“They were getting to us and we weren’t able to make them hurt on the blitz and you live and die by the sword of the blitz and they were living and getting a lot of pressure on us,” said Sunseri of the Rutgers defense. “We couldn’t get the ball out and couldn’t get it to our playmakers.”

But for as disappointing the effort was for Pitt, it was that good for Rutgers especially in the second half. Nova wasn’t great throwing the football but he didn’t turn the football over, throwing for 174 yards and the two third quarter touchdowns. Running backs Jawan Jamison and Savon Huggins combined to rush for 86 yards, with Huggins’ scoring run from three yards out answering a Ray Graham score early in the fourth to make the score 27-10. Graham, who rushed for a game-high 165 yards, put Pittsburgh back into the game at the start of the fourth quarter with a 64-yard run. He capped the drive on the next play, and despite being down 20-10 it wasn’t inconceivable that the Panthers could win the game.

But Rutgers was able to answer on special teams, with the versatile Jeremy Deering returning the ensuing kickoff 73 yards back to the Pitt 19. Three plays later Huggins effectively shut the door on Pittsburgh, as they had to abandon the run in favor of a passing game that was ineffective all day. Ryan returned his second interception of the day 45 yards for a touchdown with 5:26 remaining to cap the scoring, moving Rutgers to 2-0 in Big East play for just the second time in school history (2006).

“We don’t have a championship game so every week we play, it is the championship game,” said Schiano. “You don’t know what it is going to take to win this league. We will take them one at a time and at the end of the year we will add up our wins and see where it puts us. But it is exciting to be 2-0 in a good football league.”

Rutgers hosts Navy next week on Homecoming while Pittsburgh will go out of conference for the final time this season as they host Utah at Heinz Field.

West Virginia 43, Connecticut 16

Sometimes all it takes is one play to derail an upset attempt, and that’s exactly what happened to Connecticut in Morgantown on Saturday. Driving into West Virginia (5-1, 1-0) territory in the third quarter, UConn (2-4, 0-1) quarterback Johnny McEntee fumbled the football on a scramble to his left. WVU linebacker Jewone Snow picked up the ball and ran 83 yards back to the UConn 12-yard line, and two plays later Geno Smith connected with Tavon Austin to make the score 17-9. It was still a one-possession game at that point, but the wind was gone from the Husky sails on both sides of the football. The end result: a 43-16 Mountaineer win that was closer than expected for two-plus quarters.

“Johnny tucked the ball in and didn’t have anyone to throw it so he ran it, and instead of going down he stayed up, got hit, and the ball came out,” said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni of the fateful play.

From that point forward the Huskies didn’t gain double-digit yards until late in the fourth quarter, while West Virginia put together five scoring drives on six possessions to eventually hold a 43-9 lead. Ty-Meer Brown’s interception return of a Pat Millard pass with 7:54 left in the game got the Huskies into double figures, but that was of little consolation for a team that remains winless all-time in Morgantown. Smith had another good afternoon throwing the football despite the slow start, throwing for 450 yards and four touchdowns. He’s now over 2,000 yards passing for the season, and it’s not going to take long for the junior to surpass his 2,763 yards of a season ago.

West Virginia was able to take advantage of an overmatched UConn secondary as their protection of Smith improved, with Stedman Bailey (seven catches for 174 yards, 2 TD) and Ivan McCartney (6 for 131) going over 100 yards receiving and Austin catching seven passes for 74 yards and a score. McEntee threw for 193 yards and wasn’t picked off, but the Connecticut signal-caller was sacked five times with Bruce Irvin and Terence Garvin getting two apiece. UConn couldn’t do much on the ground either, averaging just 2.3 yards per rush on the day. The Huskies were a serious underdog going into the game, and all it took for it to head in that direction was one play. Next up for the Huskies is USF at home while West Virginia has a bye week before their trip to Syracuse.

North Carolina 14, Louisville 7

It was a tough week for Louisville in the aftermath of their disappointing loss to Marshall, with things coming to a head in the form of offensive coordinator Mike Sanford not making the trip to Chapel Hill. But the young Cardinals put up more of a fight than many expected against North Carolina, with neither team accomplishing much offensively until the second half. Ultimately the Tar Heels were able to do just enough in beating the Cardinals, who drop to 2-3 on the season going into conference play.

Giovani Bernard’s three-yard run opened the scoring with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, and he was arguably the best offensive performer on the day with 109 yards on 25 carries. But the true problem for Louisville had more to do with themselves than anything that North Carolina did. The Cardinals gave up 78 yards on nine penalties, with a few of the calls coming at the worst possible time for Charlie Strong’s team. One of those penalties kept the Heels’ first scoring drive alive UNC got Brandon Dunn to jump on 4th and 2 with North Carolina lined up to attempt a field goal.

“We started back in training camp working on that,” said UNC interim head coach Everett Withers. “We’ve got an arsenal of those kind of plays. We figure if we can get inside the kicker’s range and they jump offsides, so be it.”

The Tar Heels would score on the first drive of the fourth quarter as Bryn Renner connected with Dwight Jones on a 43-yard touchdown pass, making the score 14-0 with 12:19 remaining. Louisville wouldn’t get onto the board until 42 seconds remained in the game as Teddy Bridgewater connected with Daniel Brown on an 18-yards pass. Bridgewater completed 19 of 30 passes for 173 yards and the touchdown along with one interception while Brown led the Cardinals with 47 yards rushing on 18 carries. Louisville only allowed two sacks but the offensive line still has a long way to go as league play begins, and Sanford will rejoin the staff although Strong was unsure of what his role would be immediately after the game.

Louisville opens Big East play at Cincinnati next week with the Keg of Nails Trophy on the line.

Syracuse 37, Tulane 34

After racing out early the Orange (4-2, 0-1) made things more difficult than they had to be at the Mercedes Benz Superdome, ultimately needing a 21-yard field goal from Ross Krautman as time expired to escape with the win. Ryan Nassib got back on track for Syracuse as he completed 19 of 34 for 186 yards and two touchdows, with both touchdown passes going to Dorian Graham. Graham had his best game of the season on a night that saw Alec Lemon and Van Chew both kept under wraps as he caught four passes for a team-high 55 yards and the two scores. Antwon Bailey once again surpassed the 100-yard mark on the ground, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. The senior also caught four passes for 34 yards.

But even with the improved offensive output from Syracuse, it was Tulane who opened the scoring on an Orleans Darkwa 40-yard run just over three minutes into the game. But the Green Wave had problems stopping the Orange in the first half, as Syracuse would score the next 24 points with Nassib’s draw from four yards out making the score 24-7 with 9:06 left in the half. Darkwa scored his second touchdown of the night on a one-yard run just over three minutes later, capping a drive that saw Tulane hit on two big plays in the passing game to move down the field. Tulane finished the game with 471 yards of offense and did the majority of their damage through the air, as Ryan Griffin threw for 335 yards and two touchdowns.

Syracuse answered with a touchdown pass to Graham, but Tulane refused to back down and cut the margin to 31-24 by the half. The Green Wave refused to quit, and their defense rose to the challenge in the second half by forcing the Orange to punt on their first four possessions of the half. A Krautman field goal with 4:19 left in the game put the Orange up 34-27, but Tulane needed just three plays to tie things up as Griffin hit Xavier Rush on a 58-yard strike. But that would be the last time the Green Wave would touch the ball with Syracuse bleeding the clock while moving down the field, ultimately leading to the game-winning kick. Next up for Syracuse is a bye week before hosting West Virginia on the 21st.

“”If you don’t have any heart conditions come on out, it’s going to be fun,” said Nassib. “We play in a lot of situations that you dream of as a kid. Two minutes to go to win the game. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

WEEK 6 BIG EAST PREVIEW

Focus returns to the field, first-place battle
By Raphielle Johnson

To say the least it’s been a tough week for the Big East Conference, which found out that TCU will most likely join the geographically friendlier (and from the looks of it, more stable) Big 12. And Friday’s teleconference offered nothing more than the consideration of raising the league’s current exit fee, but nothing concrete came out of the call. There have been much better days for John Marinatto’s league, which makes this a good time for the focus to return to the field.

And the best game on the schedule this week is a conference affair with Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0) visiting Rutgers (3-1, 1-0) in a battle for outright possession of first place. Offensively the two teams come into the matchup in New Brunswick (3:30 PM, ESPNU) in far different situations. Pittsburgh put together their best offensive showing of the season last Thursday in their 41-17 win over USF, showing off the “High Octane” attack that first-year head coach Todd Graham brought with him from Tulsa.

Rutgers on the other hand won a sloppy affair at Syracuse thanks in large part to their opportunistic defense, and freshman Gary Nova took over for starter Chas Dodd at quarterback in the second half. Who will Greg Schiano call on to start on Saturday? That remains to be seen, with the coach stating that for those outside of the program it will be a game-time decision.

“I probably won’t go public with the decision, either way, till kickoff,” said Schiano earlier this week. “Two kids that are really good football players, that are great team guys, that are fully committed to this family, to this program. I just want to make sure I do what’s right by them and by the team, and that’s what I’ll do.”

Against Syracuse Nova, who hails from Don Bosco Prep, completed 14 of 24 for 122 yards and a touchdown while avoiding the catastrophic decision that would short-circuit the comeback. Dodd threw for 166 yards but completed just 14 of 31 passes, and with the quarterback position in flux Rutgers needs to get more from a run game that ranks 117th nationally in rushing offense (75.5 yards per game).

Starter Jawan Jamison stated early this week that he feels like Rutgers is ready to break out on the ground, and that’s definitely possible with the Panthers in town. Pitt ranks 6th in the Big East in rushing defense (allowing 124.8 yards per game) and last in total defense, but their biggest issue has come in defending the pass.

Jarred Holley is one of the better defensive backs in the Big East, but the key for the Panthers will be their ability to get after the quarterback. Pitt is tied for fifth in the conference in sacks with 13 sacks, and Brandon Lindsey leads the team with four. The Rutgers offensive line has improved in this area after a rough 2010, but there are still question marks up front. If they can keep Dodd or Nova upright, Rutgers will have chances to make plays down the field due in large part to Mohamed Sanu.

“They move him around quite a bit so you can’t isolate him,” remarked Graham. “He has tremendous ability. He is able to contort his body and go get balls, and make one handed catches. He is the guy that you have to know where he is at all times.”

The key for Rutgers will be for other receivers to step up, which is what Mark Harrison and Quron Pratt did last weekend. If they can get the same from those two in addition to more from Brandon Coleman (three catches on the season) and Tim Wright, look out. The talent is defintely there for the Scarlet Knights to reach their current average of 31.8 points per game. Rutgers also brings a defense that’s tied for the national lead in turnovers forced (18; Cincinnati), but they’re going up against a tough outfit in the Pittsburgh offense.

Ray Graham was outstanding against USF last week, rushing for more than 200 yards for the second time this season, and he leads the Big East in rushing by a wide margin. The junior has eight rushing touchdowns to his credit this season, and along with Zach Brown leads a run game that’s third in the conference. But Rutgers ranks third in rushing defense, and one player who’s played a key role in that is linebacker Khaseem Greene (Ray Graham’s brother).

Greene is tied for third in the Big East in tackles per game with 8.5 but he’s not the only defender that Pittsburgh should be concerned with. Defensive tackle Scott Vallone (2.5 sacks, 5.0 TFL) has played well this season, as have defensive end Justin Francis (2.5 sacks) and linebacker Steve Beauharnais (5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks). Rutgers’ defensive area of concern is in the secondary, but even with the personnel losses from a season ago the Scarlet Knights are 3rd in the conference in pass defense and 2nd in pass efficiency defense.

That all combines to mean that Pitt QB Tino Sunseri has to make sound decisions as he did against USF, something that is more important given the opportunistic nature of the Rutgers defense. Sunseri ranks 4th in the Big East in passing yards per game but is 6th in pass efficiency as he’s thrown four interceptions. If Sunseri can get the ball to the likes of Hubie Graham, Cameron Saddler, Mike Shanahan and Devin Street on a consistent basis, Rutgers won’t be able to load the box in hopes of stopping Ray Graham.

Both teams have been solid in the kicking game, with Pitt’s Kevin Harper improving over the last three games and Rutgers possessing the ability to block kicks (blocked two last week). But the deciding factor will ultimately be turnover margin. Pitt hasn’t been particularly good at forcing them (just six forced turnovers), but the key for them will be to not hand the ball over the Rutgers and give the Scarlet Knights a short field. If they can do this, look for Pittsburgh to leave High Point Solutions Stadium 2-0 in league play.

Pick: Pittsburgh -7 (27-14)

Noon (Big East Network): Connecticut (2-3, 0-0) at West Virginia (4-1, 0-0)

Connecticut has had its fair share of problems on the offensive side of the football this season, but it was the pass defense that let them down against Western Michigan last weekend. The Broncos put up 479 yards in the air on their way to a 38-31 win, and with cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson still out with a knee injury this is the wrong time for the Huskies to have to face the Mountaineers.

Not only is West Virginia coming off its best offensive showing of the season, but they’re more than motivated for this game. The reason why: their loss at UConn last season cost them the outright Big East title and a BCS bowl bid, and it was the Huskies’ first-ever win in the series to boot. This all shapes up to be a bad afternoon in Morgantown for Paul Pasqualoni’s team, but at least QB Johnny McEntee played his best game of the season last weekend.

The junior has his completion percentage just over fifty percent (50.4%) following his four touchdown game against WMU, but McEntee and company will take on a better secondary led by corner Keith Tandy. West Virginia leads the Big East in both pass defense and pass efficiency defense, the reason why they rank 2nd in the conference in total defense despite being the league’s worst against the run. Lyle McCombs and Jonathan Jean-Louis have to be effective on the ground for UConn if they’re to entertain any thoughts of leaving with the upset win.

But the biggest problem for the Huskies is in their own secondary, with Geno Smith being the Big East leader in passing yards per game (341.8) and second in pass efficiency (148.0). Smith has a full compliment of receivers, led by Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney, with all three ranking in the top five in the Big East in receiving yards per game.

It remains to be seen how Dwayne Gratz, Gary Wilburn and the rest of the Husky secondary covers the Mountaineer receivers, but it’s likely that defensive coordinator Don Brown will have to dial up the blitzes. But that could very well leave those defensive backs exposed, opening things up for a field day for West Virginia.

“You’ve got to hang your hat on fundamentals, on techniques,” said Pasqualoni of his secondary. “I think last week at times, we just tried to do too much. Let’s take care of what’s in front of us and what they’re doing.”

The Huskies will also need to account for freshman running back Dustin Garrison, who rushed for 291 yards on 32 carries in last weekend’s 55-10 pasting of Bowling Green. It was the first time this season that a running back stepped up for Dana Holgorsen, and the gaps are definitely there in this system for Garrison (or whoever else totes the football) to make things happen.

“If we hand the ball off and we’re fitting it upright and he’s hitting the hole and making people miss, he’s probably going to carry it 32 times,” said Holgorsen of Garrison. “He’s a little bit better than the others right now, but when (Andrew) Buie’s in there, we didn’t take him out. Same thing with Vernard (Roberts). All three of those guys are capable of running routes and catching screens and making things happen.”

Connecticut’s been strong up front, and in linebacker Sio Moore they have one of the Big East’s best. But there has to be a significant amount of concern as to whether or not they have enough horses to run with the Mountaineers for 60 minutes. Hard to see that being possible this season, unless West Virginia is once again reckless with the football. Hard to see that happening either.

Pick: West Virginia -19.5 (48-17)

Noon (ESPN2): Louisville (2-2, 0-0) at North Carolina (4-1)

Louisville played their first game after a bye week and threw away the momentum gained in their win over in-state rival Kentucky, sputtering offensively in their home loss to Marshall. That didn’t sit well with head coach Charlie Strong, and one would have to expect that the Cardinals had a spirited week of preparation for their trip to Chapel Hill. But for a team that’s struggled to run the football due in part to struggles up front, running into one of the best defensive lines in the country is not a good way to test their development.

UNC defensive end Quinton Coples gets a lot of the ink since he will more than likely be a high first round draft pick come April, but he’s not the only Tar Heel that Louisville needs to be concerned with. Defensive tackles Tydreke Powell and Sylvester Williams are both 300-pound road blocks inside, and ends Kareem Martin and Dante Paige-Moss can also get it done on the side opposite Coples.

UNC may rank just 6th in the ACC in rushing defense, but it needs to be noted that those numbers include against Georgia Tech. And Louisville is no Georgia Tech when it comes to running the football, which could mean bad things for the Cardinals. Dominique Brown rushed for 91 yards against Kentucky but was quiet last week, and the same goes for Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright. If Louisville is to have any chance of winning in Chapel Hill, they must be able to run the football.

Offensively the Tar Heels are talented with quarterback Bryn Renner leading the way. In his first season as the starter, Renner is completing 75.7% of his passes and ranks 2nd in the ACC in pass efficiency. The wide receivers (Jheranie Boyd, Eric Highsmith and Dwight Jones) are solid and backs Giovani Bernard and Ryan Houston make for a good combo, but Louisville’s defense led by Dexter Heyman can hold their own with UNC.

But the offense is the reason why this is such an uphill battle. Multiple outlets have reported that offensive coordinator Mike Sanford is no longer with the program, a situation emblematic of the Cardinals’ problems on that side of the football. Shawn Watson has been named the new offensive coordinator. With their issues at running back and on the offensive line, that’s the last thing Louisville needs to deal with. Things could get ugly for either Teddy Bridgewater or Will Stein under center as a result.

Pick: North Carolina -13.5 (31-13)

8 PM (SNY) Syracuse (3-2, 0-1) at Tulane (2-3)

On the heels of their disappointing loss to Rutgers the Orange head to the building that’s housed a couple of historic moments for their basketball program to take on Tulane. A big reason for Syracuse’s loss were the five turnovers, with Ryan Nassib throwing three interceptions. But that was quite the departure for Nassib, who went into the game having thrown just one pick. The Green Wave have been good at forcing turnovers this season as they average two per contest, but if the Orange can run the ball they should be OK.

Tulane is allowing 168.4 rushing yards per game, so while Syracuse averages just 101 yards per game Antwon Bailey should be able to reach the 100-yard mark. Bailey fumbled twice against Rutgers, but with ball security being a focus in the aftermath of that loss he’ll take better care of the football. And the fact that his linemen would stand behind Bailey during Saturday’s post-game press conference shows that they have faith that he will bounce back.

“I didn’t know about that right away,” said head coach Doug Marrone. “We have great kids. Our kids are out there trying. They’re not trying to make mistakes. It goes to show you the type of communication and the type of accountability that they have and how we rely on one another.”

Bob Toledo’s team is strongest defensively in the secondary, with the Green Wave ranking third in Conference USA with six interceptions. Derrick Strozier and Ryan Travis lead the way with two picks apiece, but Tulane’s aforementioned issues against the run may be what Syracuse focuses on early. If Nassib can then connect with Van Chew, Alec Lemon and Nick Provo through the air, the Orange could approach the 33.4 points per game that Tulane’s giving up.

Offensively Tulane has a pair of running backs that Syracuse will need to be mindful of in Orleans Darkwa and Robert Kelley, with the latter leading Conference USA in all-purpose yardage (146.4 yards per game). But Syracuse has performed well against the run, with freshman Dyshawn Davis being one of the key contributors in the front seven. Their questions come in the secondary, but Keon Lyn has played well and as a group Syracuse has taken strides against the pass. And with the likes of Shamarko Thomas and Orlando Fisher possibly returning, a group that lacked depth becomes stronger.

“”I’m very excited about the progression of the younger players and how they’re coming along in the system, and I’m excited to get some of our veterans back,” said Marrone. “What that will do is create depth where we will not lose a lot from the first group to the second group no matter who it is.”

Also keep an eye on the Syracuse special teams, which suffered a few critical breakdowns against Rutgers. Ross Krautman missed just one field goal all of last season, but due in part to failed protections his percentage is down in 2011. Saturday night offers the Orange one last game before their bye week to remedy the issues in a game situation. Look for them to get the job done.

Pick: Syracuse -10 (27-14)

Record: 25-11, 17-15 ATS (2-4, 3-3 last week)

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