Louisville

WEEK 8 BIG EAST PREVIEW

Three conference games on the slate

By Raphielle Johnson

Another week of realignment speculation gives way to Big East football, but whether or not the attention remains on the field this weekend will depend on whether or not the Board of Curators at the University of Missouri can make up their minds. But that’s a discussion for another time, especially with the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy up for grabs at the Carrier Dome (Friday 8 PM, ESPN). West Virginia (5-1, 1-0) heads north in search of some payback after their loss to Syracuse helped contribute to them not earning the Big East’s BCS berth. The Orange (4-2, 0-1) are also coming off of a bye week, and they find themselves with four wins despite injury issues and some consistency issues.

Consistency has been an issue for the Mountaineers as well, especially for an offense that has struggled with slow starts this season. Head coach Dana Holgorsen refuses to be seduced by WVU’s second half performances, and he’s let it be known that he isn’t thrilled with the offensive production. Could this be “coach speak” considering the fact that the Mountaineers average 40.8 points per game while leading the Big East in both total and passing offense by wide margins? Maybe so but it’s also an acknowledgement of the fact that it takes consistent excellence to win a championship, something the Mountaineers learned first-hand last year.

“Every game is a challenge – you have to get up for every game,” said Holgorsen earlier this week. “You have to play your best every game. Every game is going to present its own challenges. We’ll know what those challenges are this week, and we’re working hard to make sure that we accomplish what we’re set out to accomplish.”

Syracuse won last year’s meeting due in large part to West Virginia’s generosity with the football. Geno Smith threw three interceptions and the Orange scored nine points off turnovers in winning 19-14 in Morgantown, their first win on the road in the series since 2000 (and their first win over WVU since 2001). But Smith has shown a higher level of maturity when it comes to decision-making, as he’s thrown for 2,159 yards and 16 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Receivers such as Tavon Austin, Ivan McCartney and Stedman Bailey have been productive in the new offense, with all three ranking in the top four in the Big East in receiving yards per game.

Syracuse’s issue on defense has been their secondary, a unit that was inexperienced to start the season but has also had to deal with injuries to key safeties Phillip Thomas and Shamarko Thomas. Both are back and corner Keon Lyn has improved his play by the game, but this is a significant challenge for the Syracuse defensive backs. Will it help that they’ve already run into USC’s Robert Woods and Marquise Lee? That’s the hope.

“We’re healthy, and it will be a great challenge for us,” said Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone. “They have a very good receiving corps. When they catch the football, they can take it to the end zone any time.”

WVU also ranks fourth in the conference in rushing offense, with the spread’s threat of the pass opening up lanes for Dustin Garrison and the other backs on the ground. Syracuse allows just over 104 yards per game on the ground, with hard-hitting linebackers Marquis Spruill and Dyshawn Davis ranking among the better linebackers in the Big East. They may be asked to do a little more in pass coverage by coordinator Scott Schafer but the athletic ability to do so is definitely there.

Syracuse won’t be looking to get into a shootout but that doesn’t mean their offense isn’t capable of putting points on the board, with quarterback Ryan Nassib third in the Big East in passing yards per game. Nassib’s thrown 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions, with his favored targets being receivers Alec Lemon and Van Chew and tight end Nick Provo. The issue for Syracuse in the passing game has been the consistency of their receivers, including Dorian Graham. When they step up and make plays the Orange look every bit the team that’s scored 33 points or more in three of their four wins. But they also need the offensive line to open up holes for senior running back Antwon Bailey.

Syracuse ranks 6th in rushing offense, a point of concern when considering the fact that they aren’t the most prolific passing team either. West Virginia’s defensive strength lies in the secondary, so the success that Syracuse has on the ground on Friday night could determine the outcome of the game. Their issues on the ground have also played a role in the red zone offense, a category in which the Orange are last in the Big East. By comparison West Virginia leads the Big East in red zone offense and is third in red zone defense. Syracuse’s chances of winning hinge on their ability to convert their opportunities in the red zone into touchdowns as opposed to field goals along with turnovers. But it’s tough to see Geno Smith and company being as reckless with the ball this time around.

Pick: West Virginia 34-21

Friday 8 PM (ESPN2) Rutgers (5-1, 2-0) at Louisville (2-4, 0-1)

They’ve finally come to a conclusion at Louisville, with head coach Charlie Strong deciding that offensive coordinator Mike Sanford would not return to the program. Shawn Watson will take over, and give the fact that he was already the quarterbacks coach maybe this works out well for the Cardinals. Watson’s already said that he’ll incorporate parts of the West Coast offense into the attack, which could be a positive for an offensive line that’s struggled for much of the season. The quick passes that tend to be a part of the West Coast attack should also help out freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has shown signs of growth despite the many offensive issues.

But the Cardinals are in for a tough battle on Friday night as they host arguably the hottest team in the Big East in Rutgers. Gary Nova has done well as the starting quarterback, moving the Scarlet Knights down the field in spite of a rushing attack that’s by far been the worst in the Big East. But Jawan Jamison rushed for 101 yards last week in the 21-20 win over Navy, and he’s been their best rusher this season. If Jamison can build on last week’s performance Rutgers can put forth a more balanced attack, and the same goes for their wide receivers outside of Mohamed Sanu.

Despite the extra attention Sanu still caught 10 passes for 100 yards, and on the season he’s caught 55 passes. It’s far easier said than done to keep the football out of his hands, but at some point guys such as Mark Harrison and Quron Pratt will be called upon to make big plays. While they’re definitely talented the Rutgers receiving corps hasn’t supported Sanu to the level that Greg Schiano needs them to if the Scarlet Knights are to win the Big East. But they’ve still won five of six games thanks to a defense that’s the best in the country at taking the ball away from opponents.

“If you watch their defense, they are going to bring pressure from the field, they are going to bring it from the boundary and bring it up the middle,” said Strong of the Rutgers defense. “They are hitting the quarterback and causing balls to pop out. They are hitting receivers and causing balls to pop up. They are a pressure defense and are playing really well.”

Defensive tackle Scott Vallone and linebackers Khaseem Greene and Steve Beauharnais have been in the middle of it all, and corner Logan Ryan picked off two passes in their emphatic win over Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago. To say the least it will become apparent early if the Cardinals have improved offensively, especially up front. The return of senior center Mario Benavides helps matters, but it may not be enough against Coach Schiano’s defense.

Pick: Rutgers 27-14

Saturday Noon (Big East Network): Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0) at USF (4-2, 0-2)

Cincinnati didn’t play their best football last week against Louisville, but they did enough to win the game 25-16. The same can’t be said for USF, who fell 16-10 at Connecticut and look to be in the midst of their annual October plunge. An interesting fact about the USF program is that for all their early-season success they’ve haven’t finished Big East play with a winning conference record since 2007. If Skip Holtz’s team wants to entertain any thoughts of being a factor in the Big East race this season they have to defend their home field against a team that has the conference’s best scoring offense, not to mention a defense that’s forced the second-most turnovers in the Big East.

Linebacker JK Schaffer has led the way for the Bearcats along with defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, who was outstanding against Louisville last weekend. USF hasn’t had trouble moving the football as they rank second in the conference in total offense, but they have failed to cash in on opportunities in the red zone as they’re tied for sixth in the Big East in red zone offense. B.J. Daniels got off to a hot start following the game at Notre Dame, but that could partially be attributed to the strength of schedule. On the season Daniels has completed 61.5% of his passes with eight touchdowns to just three interceptions. The decision-making has improved, but the time has come for the points to improve as well.

Cincinnati has put up points due in part to their schedule as well, with Zach Collaros not playing his best football in wins over Miami (Ohio) and Louisville. But the Bearcats have been able to account for that on the ground, with Isaiah Pead leading the league’s best rushing offense. Collaros ranks third in the conference in total offense, behind Geno Smith and Daniels, and his legs make the senior a dangerous player to defend when he’s on. But Cincinnati needs more from him through the air if they’re to both take advantage of a talented receiving corps (D.J. Woods, Anthony McClung and Kenbrell Thompkins) and contend for a Big East title. It’s going to be tough against a USF secondary that could make a case for being the best in the conference, especially one that should have a sense of desperation.

Desperation. That’s what the game will boil down to for USF, who all of a sudden finds themselves staring at an 0-3 league record. Cincinnati’s won the last two meetings in Tampa so there won’t be any reason for them to believe that they can’t win at Raymond James Stadium. The key for USF: red zone opportunities. If they cash in on their chances the Bulls have a very good chance of winning, but that goes out the window if they can’t. The defense will also need to force Collaros to win the game with his arm by taking away the run.

Pick: USF 34-31

Record: 30-14 (2-2 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.

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)

BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARDS & POWER POLL

Bailey, Ryan and Krautman honored

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Stedman Bailey • So. • WR • West Virginia • Miramar, Fla.
Bailey registered his fourth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards to lift West Virginia to a 43-16 win against Connecticut. He had seven receptions for 178 yards, including second-half touchdown catches of 84 and 27 yards, to help the Mountaineers break open what had been a one-point halftime lead. Bailey leads the BIG EAST in receiving yards, averaging 105.7 yards per game.

 
BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Logan Ryan • So. • CB • Rutgers • Berlin, N.J.
Ryan keyed a Rutgers defense that had four interceptions and six sacks in a 34-10 win against Pittsburgh, lifting the Scarlet Knights to a 2-0 start in BIG EAST play. Ryan had two interceptions against the Panthers, including a 45-yard return for a touchdown, to go with four tackles and a pass breakup. Rutgers leads the nation with 22 takeaways this season, while the Scarlet Knights lead the BIG EAST in pass defense efficiency (104.0) and scoring defense (15.2 ppg).
 
BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ross Krautman • So. • K • Syracuse • Franklin Lakes, N.J.
Krautman scored 13 points, including the game-winning field goal as time expired, to give Syracuse a 37-34 win at Tulane. The gamewinner was Krautman’s third field goal of the game and his second of the fourth quarter as the Orange staved off Tulane’s comeback from a 17-point third-quarter deficit.
 
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Marcus Smith • So. • DE • Louisville • Columbus, Ga.
Had three sacks in a 14-7 loss at North Carolina. Led a defense that had four sacks, eight tackles for loss and held the Tar Heels to 264 yards of offense.
 
Justin Francis • Sr. • DT • Rutgers • Opa-Locka, Fla.
Had eight tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries in a 34-10 win at Pittsburgh.
 
Ryan Nassib • Jr. • QB • Syracuse • West Chester, Pa.
Completed 19 of 34 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown in a 37-34 win at Tulane.
 
Geno Smith • Jr. • QB • West Virginia • Miami, Fla.
Completed 27 of 45 passes for 450 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-16 win against Connecticut.
 
Jewone Snow • Fr. • LB • West Virginia • Canton, Ohio
Had seven tackles, a half-sack for a safety and a pivotal 83-yard fumble return in a 43-16 win against Connecticut.
 
Weekly Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. West Virginia (last week: 1)
The Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0) once again got off to a slow start, but a critical turnover turned the tide as they blew out Connecticut at home. If there’s any thing that Dana Holgorsen and his staff may focus on during the bye week it’s those slow starts. Remedy that situation and the Mountaineers will be tough to beat.

This week: Bye

2. Cincinnati (3)
Cincinnati (4-1) was off this week, but now the conference grind begins with the Keg Of Nails battle with Louisville. Zach Collaros has been better at valuing the football this season, but the biggest story has been the defense. The Bearcats have forced 18 turnovers, the second-highest total in the conference.

This week: Louisville (Noon, Big East Network)

3. Rutgers (5)
The Scarlet Knights (4-1, 2-0) make the jump thanks to their impressive second half against Pittsburgh. Gary Nova hit on two touchdown passes while the defense forced four turnovers and sacked Tino Sunseri six times. Rutgers goes out of conference on Homecoming weekend as they host Navy, who’s had some issues on the defensive side of the football.

This week: Navy (2 PM, ESPN3)

4. Pittsburgh (2)
Things did not go well for the Panthers on Saturday as the offense struggled throughout and the defense eventually ran out of gas in the 34-10 loss. Ray Graham’s been the one constant for Todd Graham offensively, but the passing game needs to step up. Tino Sunseri remains the starter, but the offensive line needs to do its part as well.

This week: Utah (Noon, ESPNU)

5. USF (4)
USF had last week off and it couldn’t have come at a better time as the Bulls were gashed by Pittsburgh in front of a national television audience. B.J. Daniels and company were slowed down by the Pitt defense as the game wore on, and the defense could not stop the Panthers. If they have similar issues at UConn there there should be some concern.

This week: at Connecticut (3:30 PM, Big East Network)

Syracuse (6)
The Orange (4-2, 0-1) got off to a good start at Tulane, but the offense slowed down and nearly handed the win over to the Green Wave. If one thing’s become certain with Doug Marrone’s team it’s that things will not come easy. This is a good time for a bye week with West Virginia due to visit on the 21st as the secondary still needs work.

This week: Bye

7. Louisville (8)
One gets the feeling that the Cardinals will alternate with Connecticut at the bottom of this poll for the foreseeable future. The Cardinals struggled mightily offensively once again but the defense kept them in the game at North Carolina. Mike Sanford will return to the staff although what his role will be is unknown. Will that help Teddy Bridgewater and company? That remains to be seen.

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

8. Connecticut (7)
The Huskies drop due to what happened after Johnny McEntee’s fumble. While that play was clearly the catalyst for what West Virginia did, the Huskies accounted for just seven yards of offense from that point until late in the fourth quarter. UConn, who was supposed to be able to rely on their rushing attack, averaged just 2.3 yards per rush on Saturday. It’s going to be tough sledding the rest of the way for Paul Pasqualoni’s team.

This week: USF (3:30 PM, Big East Network)

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)

TCU LIKELY HEADED TO THE BIG 12

Horned Frogs unlikely to play a game in Big East

By Raphielle Johnson

The Big East Conference was hit with another bit of bad news on Thursday morning, as Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas notified Big East commissioner John Marinatto of his intentions to speak with Texas Christian University about joining the Big 12. Neinas took over for the recently dismissed Dan Beebe, and the Big 12 has been a busy league in recent days as a result. Missouri has decided to explore its options, which may include possible membership in the SEC. But whether or not the Tigers have enough votes to make such a move remains to be determined, and they’ve yet to commit either way (stay in the Big 12 or go elsewhere).

With TCU and Missouri the Big 12 would be at 10 total members, and depending on who’s doing the talking the league may either want to move to 12 members or stay at 10. But if the Tigers were to make a move a slot opens, and that’s where things get interesting. BYU was a school brought up in recent weeks, so maybe they’re an option with Louisville and West Virginia also being possible candidates. So in a sense what Missouri decides to do could spell the end of the Big East as a viable BCS AQ conference, although that status is already in trouble with TCU not joining.

Without the Horned Frogs (and Pittsburgh and Syracuse), the Big East will be down to just six football-playing members when the dust settles. And that doesn’t take into consideration who else may be trying to leave. The remaining Big East presidents (which included TCU at Sunday’s meeting at Georgetown) gave Commissioner Marinatto the authority to seek out new members, but what prospective candidates would sign off on joining such an unstable league? Navy AD Chet Gladchuck said as much to Gene Wang of the Washington Post today, stating that the Big East needs to get its house in order.

“As it stands today, the issue is not ours. The issue is theirs. They’ve got to figure out how to right the ship.”

That sounds about right, and even with some possible candidates on the table the currently volatile membership is an extremely difficult sell for the Big East. Connecticut president Susan Herbst released a statement today that read as follows:

“Conference realignment continues to be a very fluid situation as we have seen developments and new rumors nearly every day. It is important that none of us here at UConn become too anxious over this situation. We will continue to monitor the national landscape and be in communication with officials from other schools and leaders from around the country. UConn has always competed at the high level of collegiate athletics and will continue to do so in the future.”

Cynics will ask if the Huskies are committed to the Big East and rightfully so, given the overtures sent out to the Atlantic Coast Conference in the aftermath of Pitt and Syracuse’s move. The remaining football members of the Big East are looking out for their interests first and rightfully so. But the necessity to do so could ultimately result in the end of the conference’s run sponsoring football.

WEEK 5 HONORS ANNOUNCED & POWER POLL

Graham, Beauharnais and Merrell honored

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ray Graham • Jr. • RB • Pittsburgh • Elizabeth, N.J.
Graham rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and finished with 309 all-purpose yards to lead Pittsburgh to a 44-17 win against No. 16/14 USF. He had four receptions for 42 yards and had 35 yards on kickoff returns as the Panthers keyed an offense that gained 523 yards against the Bulls. Graham, the nation’s third-leading rusher this season (146.8 ypg), was also chosen as the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.

 
BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Steve Beauharnais • Jr. • LB • Rutgers • Saddle Brook, N.J.
Beauharnais had nine tackles, two sacks and an interception to lead Rutgers to a 19-16 win at Syracuse in double-overtime. Beauharnais’ interception came on Syracuse’s last drive of the fourth quarter and his 44-yard return allowed the Scarlet Knights a chance at the potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. Beauharnais anchors a Rutgers defense that leads the nation in takeaways (18) and is fourth nationally in sacks (3.5 per game).
 
BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jamal Merrell • So. • LB • Rutgers • Bear, Del.
Merrell blocked two kicks — a field goal attempt and a PAT try — potentially taking four points off the board in a game that went to double-overtime before Rutgers prevailed 19-16 against Syracuse. Merrell also started at linebacker and contributed four tackles and a forced fumble as part of a defense that produced five takeaways against the Orange.
 
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

JK Schaffer • Sr. • LB • Cincinnati • Cincinnati, Ohio
Had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a half-sack in a 27-0 win at Miami (Ohio). Led a defense that held the RedHawks to -3 rushing yards.
 
Johnny McEntee • Jr. • QB • Connecticut • Fullerton, Calif.
Completed 22 of 39 passes for career highs of 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-31 loss to Western Michigan.
 
Jarred Holley • Jr. • S • Pittsburgh • Easton, Pa.
Had 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a 44-17 win against No. 16/14 USF.
 
Dustin Garrison • Fr. • RB • West Virginia • Pearland, Texas
Rushed for 291 yards — the most by a Bowl Subdivision player this season — and two touchdowns on 32 carries in a 55-10 win against Bowling Green.
 
Julian Miller • Sr. • DT • West Virginia • Columbus, Ohio
Had seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in a 55-10 win against Bowling Green.
 
Week 5 Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. West Virginia (4-1, 0-0) Last week: 2nd
Last week: beat Bowling Green 55-10
WVU turned it on after falling behind Bowling Green 10-3 in the first quarter. The Mountaineers scored 52 unanswered points and put up the highest yardage total in their history at Milan Puskar Stadium. Dana Holgorsen’s team looked every bit the preseason favorite in their final tune-up for league play.

This week: Connecticut (Noon, Big East Network)

2. Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0) Last week: 5th
Last week: beat USF 41-17
Ray Graham and company looked outstanding on Thursday night, giving the partisans their first true look at “High Octane Football”. Tino Sunseri was more decisive in his reads both passing and running the football, something that needs to continue if they’re to contend for a Big East title.

This week: at Rutgers (3:30 PM, ESPNU)

3. Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0) Last week: 3rd
Last week: beat Miami (Ohio) 27-0
Butch Jones’ Bearcats notched their first shutout since 2006 in beating the RedHawks in Oxford on Saturday, a good way to go into their bye week. Cincinnati has already forced 18 turnovers this season, a far cry from last season’s pedestrian effort. And if Zach Collaros and company can continue to move the ball on offense they’ll be a factor.

This week: Bye

4. USF (4-1, 0-1) Last week: 1st
Last week: beat USF 41-17
To say the least things got out of hand at Heinz Field for the Bulls, who couldn’t slow down the Pitt offense or continue to move the football on offense. With a bye week to figure things out on both sides of the football, Skip Holtz’s team should be able to bounce back from the big loss. But B.J. Daniels has to be more productive in order for that to happen.

This week: Bye

5. Rutgers (3-1, 1-0) Last week: 6th
Last week: beat Syracuse 19-16 (2OT)
It wasn’t pretty but the fact remains that Rutgers won their league opener and ended a two-game losing streak to Syracuse. But now there’s the question of who will start against Pittsburgh on Saturday: incumbent Chas Dodd (who was ineffective on Saturday) or freshman Gary Nova? Nova didn’t turn the ball over and led the Scarlet Knights back for the win, so practice will ultimately decided who gets the nod.

This week: Pittsburgh (3:30 PM, ESPNU)

6. Syracuse (3-2, 0-1) Last week: 4th
Last week: lost to Rutgers 19-16 (2OT)
Defensively the Orange got off to a good start with Dyshawn Davis forcing a fumble that was returned for a score on Rutgers’ second offensive play of the game. But the offense sputtered with Ryan Nassib throwing three picks and Syracuse as a team turning the ball over five times, blowing some good chances to put away Rutgers. They’re favored to beat Tulane but it will be more difficult than expected if they don’t clean things up.

This week: at Tulane (8 PM, Cox Sports)

7. Connecticut (2-3, 0-0) Last week: 8th
Last week: lost to Western Michigan 38-31
Head coach Paul Pasqualoni cited a lack of pressure on WMU QB Austin Carder in discussing why the Huskies gave up 479 passing yards on Saturday, but quite honestly a secondary without Blidi Wreh-Wilson was torched. Gary Wilburn has to get better in a hurry, and it’s tough to see QB Johnny McEntee putting up a 300-yard, four touchdown performance in back to back weeks. With nothing but league games left, bowl eligibility is in jeopardy.

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

8. Louisville (2-2, 0-0) Last week: 7th
Last week: lost to Marshall 17-13
The Cardinals took a major step back on Saturday, as their failure to prepare during the bye week and days leading up to Marshall resulted in a loss. A hard lesson for a young team to learn, but it’s probably one that Charlie Strong’s program needs in order to grow. Next up is a very tough matchup for an offensive line that’s been poor thus far: North Carolina, which boasts one of the best defensive lines in the country.

This week: at North Carolina (Noon, ESPN2)

WEEK 5 RECAP AND PRESIDENTS MEETING

Rutgers win slopfest in the Carrier Dome

By Raphielle Johnson

Three plays. That’s all it took at the beginning of the game between Rutgers (3-1, 1-0) and Syracuse (3-2, 0-1) to realize that Saturday’s game at the Carrier Dome would not be the “usual” football game. Two fumbles, the second of which was returned for a 66-yard touchdown by Syracuse’s Ri’Shard Anderson, in 42 seconds. But even though the Orange held the lead from that point until Gary Nova found Mohamed Sanu with 2:09 left in regulation, they couldn’t seal the deal. And that ultimately cost them in a 19-16 double overtime loss to the Scarlet Knights, who broke their two-game losing streak in the series.

In a game that featured a combined nine turnovers (five by Syracuse), Rutgers turned to the freshman Nova with starter Chas Dodd struggling to move the offense with consistency. And despite being sacked four times Nova was solid, completing 14 of 24 for 122 yards and the aforementioned touchdown without throwing an interception. The Scarlet Knights could do nothing on the ground, with Jawan Jamison’s 48 yards on 24 carries and thanks to sacks as a team Rutgers finished with a paltry five yards on the day. But the defense more than upheld its end of the bargan, picking off Ryan Nassib three times and ending the game on a forced fumble by Edmond Laryea in the second overtime.

“I’ve never seen a performance like that by our defense,” remarked head coach Greg Schiano after the game. “I’m sure when I turn the tape on, we’re going to have mistake after mistake, but if you think about all the short fields they were on, it was great. We intercepted three, got two fumbles and blocked two kicks. That’s an unbelievable day.”

Those short fields, and the inability to cash in, ultimately did in the Orange. Three times Syracuse began possessions inside of the Rutgers 31 yard line, and each time their possession ended with either an interception (twice) or a blocked field goal. Rutgers could have tied the game on Marcus Cooper’s return of the blocked kick but a penalty called it back. All that did was delay the inevitable as Nova led the Scarlet Knights on an 11-play, 46-yard drive culminating in the three-yard pass to Sanu to tie things up at 13. They even had a chance to win the game in regulation as Steve Beauharnais picked off Nassib and returned it 44 yards to the Syracuse 34, but San San Te’s miss from 44 yards out sent the game into overtime.

The two teams exchanged field goals in the first overtime, and Te supplied what would eventually be the winning points on Rutgers’ second possession. Two plays into Syracuse’s final possession the Orange turned the ball over for a fifth time, handing Rutgers a victory that may not have been pretty but counts just the same. Both teams have a lot to work on, and Rutgers has a decision to make with regards to the quarterback position (Schiano stated that he and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. will evaluate the position in practice this week). But in a battle of teams who hope to surprise folks in the Big East race, this was an important first step to take.

“I can’t wait to get back to work,” said Schiano. “We have a great team in Pittsburgh coming in here. They showed that Thursday night. They are going to have a rest on us. For about three or four hours, I’m going to enjoy this one.”

Rutgers hosts Pittsburgh next week while Syracuse steps out of conference for the final time this season with a game at Tulane.

Cincinnati 27, Miami (Ohio)

In last year’s meeting Miami (Ohio) couldn’t run the football, and it was more of the same on Saturday as the Bearcat defense limited the RedHawks to minus-3 yards in their first shutout since a win over Eastern Kentucky in 2006. In the “Victory Bell” rivalry this was Cincinnati’s (4-1) first shutout in Oxford since 1898. Quarterback Zach Collaros didn’t have his best game from a passing standpoint (one touchdown, two interceptions) but he did account for 340 yards of offense (251 passing, 89 rushing). Isaiah Pead rushed for just 49 yards but scored twice, but this contest was more about the effort put forth by a defense that’s shown major strides through five games in 2011.

“They [Cincinnati defense] pretty much did what we’ve seen them do all week on film,” said Miami quarterback Zac Dysert. “We just had a hard time picking it up and getting into a rhythm.”

Both teams got off to a slow start, with neither scoring until Collaros found tight end Travis Kelce on a 30-yard pass with 6:08 remaining to make the score 6-0 Bearcats. The third quarter was when Cincinnati made their move, with a Pead capping a pair of 80-yard drives and linebacker JK Schaffer returning a fumble on an attempted punt 17 yards for the final points of the game. Cincinnati has now forced 18 turnovers on the season (tied atop the Big East with Rutgers), and their turnover margin of +12 leads the conference (Rutgers leads in average turnover margin per game due to having played one less game). Due to their offense the Bearcats aren’t going to be a team that dominates time of possession, but unlike last season the defense is making plays and that’s been the difference.

“They might have been a little too hyped to play this week,” said head coach Butch Jones. “But players stepped up and made plays in the second half to lead this team to a victory, and that speaks volumes to our football team and the stability and leadership to persevere in the second half.”

West Virginia 55, Bowling Green 10

West Virginia (4-1) needed a back to step up in their crowded backfield, and boy did they receive such an effort from freshman Dustin Garrison. Garrison rushed for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries as the Mountaineers ran up a season-best 643 yards and 55 points on the overwhelmed Falcons. The game wasn’t always headed in this direction as Bowling Green took advantage of a slow WVU start to take a 10-3 lead halfway through the first quarter. But Dana Holgorsen’s charges woke up and scored 52 unanswered points at Milan Puskar Stadium. And despite four fumbles West Virginia didn’t turn the ball over once, a far cry from their four-turnover effort against LSU the week prior.

Geno Smith completed 18 of 30 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns, with his 33-yard connection with Ivan McCartney tying the game at 10 just 1:30 after Bowling Green’s score. Shawne Alston closed the scoring for the quarter with an 8-yard touchdown run, and it was essentially “school’s out” in the second quarter as the Mountaineers put together three drives the ended with touchdowns. Garrison’s second rushing touchdown came with 12:59 left in the third quarter to make the score 45-10, and Alston’s second scoring run in the fourth quarter capped the scoring.

Defensively West Virginia picked off three Matt Schilz passes with Keith Tandy picking off two, and the plus-5 turnover margin was their best effort of the season to date. West Virginia opens Big East play next week as Connecticut visits in a matchup of two of the three teams who shared the Big East crown last season. The Huskies beat West Virginia for the first time ever last season on their way to a Tostitos Fiesta Bowl appearance.

Western Michigan 38, Connecticut 31

Before the season started many looked at Connecticut’s non-conference slate and saw a possible record of either 4-1 or 5-0. But after yesterday’s loss to Western Michigan the Huskies are 2-3, and likely in serious danger of not getting to a bowl game with league play on the horizon. UConn was without the services of starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who sprained a knee in their win at Buffalo last week, and they definitely missed his services against the Broncos. Austin Carder threw for 479 yards and five touchdown passes, the final of which was a 41-yard pass to Chleb Ravenell with 1:35 remaining to provide the final points.

UConn had one last chance to tie the game, but Ryan Griffin was stripped of the football on the tail end of a 28-yard reception at the WMU 13-yard line. Quarterback Johnny McEntee played his best game of the season on Saturday, completing 22 of 39 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. But it wasn’t enough as the UConn pass defense suffered its first significant letdown of the season, and a one-dimensional offense (Western Michigan rushed for just 11 yards) proved to be too much to contain with Wreh-Wilson out of the lineup.

“Usually, when it’s those kind of numbers, it means you weren’t able to get to him enough and weren’t able to harass him enough,” said UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni of Carder’s afternoon. “I thought we slowed him down a little bit in the second half, but he did a good job of getting the ball to other people as the game went on.”

Gary Wilburn got the start in place of Wreh-Wilson, and Western Michigan went after him early and often on Saturday. Ravenell (nine catches for 123 yards, 2 TD), Jordan White (12 for 173, 2 TD) and Robert Arnheim (10 for 113) all surpassed the 100-yard mark receiving, and UConn could only sack Carder twice as he often had plenty of time to find open targets. Kashif Moore was the receiving star for the Huskies as he finished with eight receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Lyle McCombs accounted for 188 yards of offense (136 rushing) and caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from McEntee early in the fourth quarter to give UConn a 24-17 lead.

But in a quarter that had the looks of “who had the ball last would win” it was Western Michigan who landed the final shot. Next up for UConn is a trip to West Virginia, and they’ll be without the services of offensive lineman Jimmy Bennett (torn ACL) and running back D.J. Shoemate (shoulder), who missed Saturday’s game and will be out for the rest of the season. And with the defense showing signs of cracks against Western Michigan, the Huskies could be in a lot of trouble in Morgantown next week.

Marshall 17, Louisville 13

Louisville had a bye week following their win over in-state rival Kentucky, and apparently the extra week to listen to praise was the last thing that Charlie Strong’s team needed. With starting quarterback Will Stein (shoulder) out freshman Teddy Bridgewater got the start, and while he had his moments the entire Louisville (2-2) offense was out of sync against a solid Marshall defense. Mistakes kept the Thundering Herd in the game, and they ultimately capitalized in the fourth quarter and left Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium with a 17-13 victory. And to say the least, Coach Strong was not in a good mood following the game.

“You practice what you play. Last week in practice we didn’t practice well so we got it today.” said Strong. “As a coaching staff we accepted that and we saw our results today. The only way this team is going to move forward … as a coaching staff, we have to do a better job of coaching.”

Bridgewater completed 22 of 29 for 221 yards and a touchdown (two interceptions) but once again the problem offensively was the lack of a running game. Louisville rushed for 60 yards on 29 carries with Victor Anderson leading the way with 24 yards rushing. Dominique Brown, who rushed for 91 yards against Kentucky, could only account for just 11 yards on six carries. Marshall on the other hand rushed for 117 yards and quarterback Rakeem Cato threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which was a 4-yard connection with C.J. Crawford with 1:49 remaining to win the game.

The two turnovers and 11 penalties for Louisville were signs of a team that wasn’t focused or polished, and the inability to clean things up an take advantage of their bye week cost the young Cardinals. To say the least this is a hard lesson to learn but possibly a necessary one if Louisville is to continue to progress as a program. Next up for the Cardinals is a trip to North Carolina, and their problems on the offensive line (and the offense in general) could spell doom against one of the nation’s best defensive lines.

“This is definitely a wake-up call for everyone,” said tight end Josh Chichester. “We know we are a better team it just didn’t show tonight. We know we have to prepare for next week.”

Big East presidents meet on Sunday

The highly-anticipated meeting of the 15 Big East presidents (including TCU but subtracting Pittsburgh and Syracuse for obvious reasons) took place at Georgetown on Sunday, and to be honest not too much of consequence came out of it. The presidents gave commissioner John Marinatto the go-ahead to begin discussions with prospective members, but the bigger issue with regards to the long-term viability of the Big East wasn’t sewn up.

“The Presidents voted unanimously to authorize the Commissioner to aggressively pursue discussions with a select number of institutions that have indicated a strong interest in joining the BIG EAST Conference. The Presidents are also actively considering changes to the Conference’s governing bylaws to further solidify the membership of the Conference.”

“Actively considering” is where the problem lies. What should have happened in the meeting was that the league presidents would agree to back up their verbal commitment to the conference by raising the amount of the buyout should a school want to withdraw from the Big East. The current standard ($5 million and a 27-month notice) is not enough to keep schools committed, and without that solidarity it may be tough for Commissioner Marinatto to actively pursue new members. At the least TCU reaffirmed its commitment to the conference, and Connecticut president Susan Herbst was cited for playing an active role in committing to the Big East. But without the raised exit fee you have to wonder if folks are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

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