Syracuse

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)

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.

WEEK 5 BIG EAST PREVIEW: ON TO OCTOBER

Scarlet Knights, Orange highlight schedule

By Raphielle Johnson

Big East play opened up on Thursday night with Pittsburgh beating USF in their best performance of the season, and after Saturday either Rutgers (2-1) or Syracuse (3-1) will be tied with the Panthers atop the standings. The Scarlet Knights and Orange meet at the Carrier Dome in a noon matinee (SNY/Big East Network) with Rutgers looking to snap a two-game losing streak in the series. The good news for Rutgers is that they show up with one of the top wide receivers in the Big East in Mohamed Sanu, who caught a Big East-record 16 passes last week against Ohio.

On the season the junior has caught 36 passes, and his receptions per game average (12.0 rpg) leads the country while he’s 8th nationally in yards per game with 121.0. Syracuse may be a bit raw in the secondary but their experience in covering another of the nation’s best (USC’s Robert Woods) could be beneficial for Keon Lyn and company.

The key for Rutgers will be how the other receivers perform with Sanu likely to receive increased attention. Players such at Mark Harrison and Brandon Coleman need to step up in the passing game, something that hasn’t always happened for quarterback Chas Dodd (5th in the Big East in pass offense). Rutgers will also need to be able to run the football, something they’ve done with mixed results this season.

Jawan Jamison rushed for 97 yards against Ohio in his best performance of the season, but Savon Huggins fumbled twice and Jeremy Deering wasn’t highly effective either. Syracuse will once again be without defensive end Chandler Jones but the presence of end Mikhail Marinovich and linebacker Marquis Spruill helps matters up front. Rutgers is 6th in the conference in rushing offense but Syracuse ranks 7th in rushing defense, so something will have to give in this aspect of the game.

Syracuse hasn’t set the field ablaze offensively either, but last week’s win over Toledo was a step in the right direction especially on the ground. Backs Antwon Bailey and Prince-Tyson Gulley (Gulley is reported to be out for the season with an off-field injury) both performed well against the Rockets, combining to rush for 180 yards and a touchdown. But they will be tested by the Scarlet Knights, who have been stingy against the run in allowing a conference-best 68.3 yards per game.

For Syracuse to run the football effectively the offensive line needs to keep defensive tackle Scott Vallone out of the backfield. Vallone has 2.5 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss on the season, and his ability to win at the point of attack can make things difficult on opposing offenses. Linebackers Khaseem Greene and Steve Beauharnais both have experience at their level, and the athletic ability to run sideline to sideline makes it imperative that the Syracuse offensive line allow their backs the opportunity to run north/south.

Syracuse has the ability to move the ball through the air as they rank 4th in the Big East in pass offense. Junior quarterback Ryan Nassib has thrown for 235 yards per game and has completed 71% of his passes with just one interception. He doesn’t make bad decisions with the football, and Nassib also does a good job of getting the ball to playmakers in the best possible positions to make something happen.

Receivers Van Chew and Alec Lemon have both shown signs of improvement as the season’s progressed, and in the middle of the field tight end Nick Provo ranks among the best in the Big East at his position. Rutgers is young in the secondary but they have picked off five passes in three games with junior Duron Harmon leading the Big East with three. Looking at these teams, this contest could come down to the wire and that would mean special teams. And Syracuse has arguably the best kicker in the Big East at their disposal.

Sophomore Ross Krautman, who was outstanding in his freshman campaign last season, has made five of six field goals on the season. But Rutgers senior San San Te has steadily improved throughout his four seasons in New Brunswick and is off to a good start to this season as he’s made six of seven with a long of 50 yards. Jordan Thomas (Rutgers) and Jeremiah Kobena (Syracuse) are both threats in the return game as well. Also keep an eye on turnover margin, a category that the Scarlet Knights have controlled in their three games (+10 margin).

Pick: Syracuse +1.5 (27-24)

Cincinnati (3-1) at Miami (Ohio) (0-3) 1 PM, ESPN3

It’s been a rough start to the Don Treadwell era in Oxford as the defending MAC champs remain winless, but there’s no better place to start turning things around than in a game against a bitter rival. That’s what Butch Jones’ Bearcats need to combat on the heels of their impressive beating of NC State; any early signs of a letdown can snowball into a real chance of being knocked off. The big difference for Cincinnati this season has been a simple one: turnover margin.

The Bearcats were by far the worst in the Big East last season with a margin of minus-15. They’ve turned that around completely through four games, as their plus-14 margin is tops in the country. Quarterback Zach Collaros is just 6th in the conference in passing yards per game but he’s thrown nine touchdown passes to just one interception, a far cry from his conference-leading 14 picks in 2010.

Running back Isaiah Pead has been outstanding on the ground (106 yards per game) and with receivers such as Anthony McClung, D.J. Woods and Kenbrell Thompkins the passing game is taken care of as well. Cincinnati is the best rushing team in the Big East with an average of 239 yards per game, and in last year’s 45-3 win over the RedHawks they rushed for 384 yards. If Miami is to have any shot of pulling off the upset one thing they must do is stop the run (allowing 175 yards per game).

Offensively for the Redhawks quarterback Zac Dysert runs the show, and it’s safe to assume that he’ll be looking for a bit of redemption as well. Dysert threw for just 165 yards on the afternoon, a number that became an issue due to Miami’s inability to run the football (42 yards rushing on 25 attempts). Dysert does rank second in the MAC in passing however, so he’s definitely a player that Cincinnati will need to keep in check.

Miami’s top targets in the passing game are Nick Harwell (Biletnikoff Award Watch List member) and Chris Givens, with the latter having 16 receptions this season. Harwell’s been banged up but the talent is definitely there, and if the Bearcats don’t keep him contained look out. Linebacker JK Schaffer and the rest of the Cincinnati defense had a good night against NC State and once again encounter a team that won’t do too much damage on the ground.

Two things can make this a tougher game than anticipated for Cincinnati: turnovers and special teams. The RedHawks rank among the nation’s best when it comes to kickoff returns (both returns and defending them), which could pose a problem for Ralph David Abernathy IV and the rest of the Bearcats. But Cincinnati may still have too much offensive firepower to be denied on the road.

Pick: Cincinnati -15.5 (37-20)

Western Michigan (2-2) at Connecticut (2-2) 3:30 PM, SNY/Big East Network

Connecticut takes on a Mid-American Conference opponent for the second consecutive weekend as they host a dangerous Western Michigan, whose two losses both came against Big Ten opponents on the road. Bill Cubit’s team will put the ball in the air early and often, which could be trouble for a UConn defense that will be without the services of corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson (knee). Gary Wilburn gets the start in his place opposite Dwayne Gratz, but the Huskies have been the best pass defense in the Big East due to the entire defensive backfield and not because of just one player.

WMU quarterback Alex Carder has completed 68.7% of his passes on the season for 987 yards and seven touchdown passes to go along with four interceptions. And if there’s one receiver the Huskies must pay attention to its Jordan White, who has caught 43 passes through four games, by far the highest number on the team. As for the Broncos’ rushing attack Tevin Drake leads the way with 201 yards on the season, and the run isn’t something that Sio Moore and the rest of the UConn defense will have to be too stressed about.

The question for the Connecticut offense is a simple one: what will they get out of the quarterback position? Johnny McEntee once again received the majority of the snaps, completing 12 of 21 passes for 213 yards and a pair of scores without an interception. Could McEntee be pulling away from dual threat Scott McCummings and true freshman Michael Nebrich? If you ask head coach Paul Pasqualoni that could definitely be the case, but McEntee will need his skill position players to step up in order to be effective.

Nick Williams was that player last week, accounting for 113 yards and a touchdown on just two receptions against Buffalo. Isiah Moore leads the Huskies with 16 receptions but tight end Ryan Griffin and wide receiver Kashif Moore will also need to contribute after quiet games last weekend. But that’s not how Connecticut will look to win games, especially when going up against one of the best pass defenses in the nation. WMU ranks 6th nationally in pass defense and 16th in pass efficiency defense, which could be a problem for a quarterback who’s completing just 47% of his passes to date.

UConn has to get their rushing attack untracked, with a key component being senior D.J. Shoemate. The USC transfer missed the first two games with a sprained ankle then returned for the loss to Iowa State, only to see just a handful of reps last week. The Huskies will need another back to go along with redshirt freshman Lyle McCombs, who has rushed for 366 yards and four touchdowns this season. If the Huskies can effective run the football they’ll be in good shape, but to say the least this is a very dangerous game with West Virginia looming next weekend.

Pick: Western Michigan +3 (Connecticut 21-20)

Marshall (1-3) at Louisville (2-1) 3:30 PM, WHAS/ESPN3

Louisville enjoyed a bye week following their win over in-state rival Kentucky and it could not have come at a better time for the banged-up Cardinals. Starting quarterback Will Stein was lost in the first half of that game to a shoulder injury, making way for freshman Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater performed well and took care of the football, allowing players such as Dominique Brown to make plays and lead the offensive attack.

It remains to be seen if Stein can go (he is listed atop the depth chart for this week) but at the very least Louisville will be in good hands with Bridgewater if the Miami native has to make the start. Brown has helped rejuvenate the rushing attack for Louisville, an area in which they’d struggled in games against Murray State and FIU. Brown will alternate between quarterback (in their “Wild Card” formations) and running back, sharing the load with Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright. And the Cardinals have received solid contributions in the passing game from the likes of tight end Josh Chichester and receivers Josh Bellamy, Michaelee Harris and DeVante Parker.

Marshall has struggled at times defensively but it’s important to point out who the Thundering Herd have played thus far. A weather-shortened loss at West Virginia followed by games against Southern Miss, Ohio and Virginia Tech is nothing to scoff at. Doc Holliday’s team will be ready for this challenge, and with defenders such as defensive end Vinny Durry and linebacker George Carpenter they’ve got the talent needed to make things tough on Louisville.

The question for Marshall will be whether or not they have the ability to move the ball on offense against a Louisville defense that ranks 21st nationally in both total and scoring defense. The Thundering Herd have struggled to move the football at times, as they rank 112th in total offense and 113th in scoring offense. Linebacker Dexter Heyman will lead a fast unit that will also make a change in the secondary, with Adrian Bushell now starting at one of the cornerback spots.

Special teams will be an area to keep an eye on as well, with Marshall having the outstanding Andre Booker on both kickoff and punt return duty. Booker ran back a punt for a touchdown at West Virginia and it doesn’t take much daylight to spring him loose. Either Chris Philpott or Josh Bleser will handle the punting chores, and there will be a need for punts with good hang-time if they’re going to neutralize Booker. This can be a tough game if the Cardinals allow it to be through poor execution, but they should be 3-1 when time expires.

Pick: Marshall +11 (Louisville 21-13)

Bowling Green (3-1) at #22/23 West Virginia (3-1) 3:30 PM, Big East Network

After a disappointing loss to LSU due in large part to turnovers and poor tackling, West Virginia looks to get back on the right track before beginning league play next week. But Bowling Green will be anything but a walk in the park for the Mountaineers, who face the task of slowing down an offense that puts up an average of 468.5 yards per game. Quarterback Matt Schilz has already thrown 14 touchdown passes and 1,169 yards with just four interceptions.

Receivers Kamar Jorden and Eugene Cooper have been his preferred targets, but Dave Clawson’s Falcons can do a lot more than just throw the football. Running back Anthon Samuel is averaging seven yards per carry while Jordan Hopgood has been a solid supplementary piece. West Virginia is allowing more than 133 yards per game on the ground (328 total yards per game), and if Bowling Green can get well above those numbers it could be a longer day than expected in Morgantown.

Offensively the key for the Mountaineers will be sound decision-making from quarterback Geno Smith. Yes the junior threw for well over 400 yards against LSU, but he also threw a pair of interceptions. When Smith is making good choices with the football in terms of who should get the ball and where, Dana Holgorsen’s team is extremely tough to stop. Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney have been the most reliable receiving options for WVU this season, and it’s tough to see that changing against a Bowling Green defense that’s given up 199 yards per game through the air.

West Virginia should take better care of the football this week than last, and they’ll also need improved play on special teams especially punter Corey Smith. Look for the WVU secondary and passing game to ultimately prove to be the difference against a very tough opponent despite the MAC coaches picking Bowling Green to finish 5th in the East Division. Coach Clawson’s team has shown itself to be better than that thus far.

Pick: Bowling Green +18 (West Virginia 38-21)

Record: 23-8 overall; 14-13 ATS

WEEK 4 HONORS ANNOUNCED

Sanu, Schaffer and O’Donnell honored by Big East

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mohamed Sanu • Jr. • WR • Rutgers • South Brunswick, N.J.
Sanu set BIG EAST and school records with 16 receptions in the Scarlet Knights’ 38-26 win against previously unbeaten Ohio, shattering the previous mark of 13 catches set in 1993 and held by six players.  He finished with career highs of 176 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in the win, giving him 29 receptions in the last two games. Sanu ranks as the national leader in receptions (12.0 per game) and is eighth nationally in receiving yards (121.0 ypg).

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JK Schaffer • Sr. • LB • Cincinnati • Cincinnati, Ohio
Schaffer had a team-high nine tackles with an interception to key Cincinnati’s defense in a 44-14 win against North Carolina State. Schaffer’s 16-yard interception return set up a Cincinnati scoring drive and helped the Bearcats take an early 21-0 lead against the Wolfpack. Schaffer is the BIG EAST leader in passes defended (6) on a defense that has 16 takeaways — the most in the nation this season.

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Pat O’Donnell • Jr. • P • Cincinnati • Lake Worth, Fla.
O’Donnell was pivotal in establishing field position in Cincinnati’s 44-14 win against North Carolina State as he averaged 59.7 yards on three punts, pinning the Wolfpack inside the 20-yard line twice. North Carolina State’s average starting field position in the first half was its own 17-yard line, which helped the Bearcats build a 24-7 halftime lead. O’Donnell is averaging 47.6 yards on nine punts this season.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

Isaiah Pead • Sr. • RB • Cincinnati • Columbus, Ohio
Rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries and had three receptions for 24 yards and a TD in a 44-14 win against North Carolina State.

B.J. Daniels • Jr. • QB • USF • Tallahassee, Fla.
Completed 15 of 24 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 130 yards and a TD on 15 carries in a 52-24 win against UTEP.

Lindsey Lamar • Jr. • WR • USF • Tampa, Fla.
Had 215 all-purpose yards and two touchdown receptions in a 52-24 win against UTEP. Had four receptions for 85 yards and had 94 kickoff return yards on five attempts.

Ryan Nassib • Jr. • QB • Syracuse • West Chester, Pa.
Completed 16 of 24 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 overtime win against Toledo.

Geno Smith • Jr. • QB • West Virginia • Miami, Fla.
Completed 38 of 65 passes for 463 yards (all school records) and two touchdowns in a 47-21 loss to No. 2 LSU.

Weekly Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. USF (4-0; last week: 1st)

Last week: beat UTEP 52-24
The Bulls went out and took care of business on Saturday night, but all was not well in Tampa. Head coach Skip Holtz once again voiced his concern with the team’s depth as the second unit didn’t take full advantage of the extra playing time. The good news to come out of the game was that as a team USF rushed for 373 yards. But the bad habits will have to be taken care of with Big East play opening this week.

This week: at Pittsburgh (Thursday 8 PM, ESPN)

2. West Virginia (3-1; 2nd)

Last week: lost to LSU 47-21
The Mountaineers fought their way back into the game Saturday night, cutting the lead to 27-21. But the combination of poor tackling and poor special teams did them in on the ensuing kickoff return (99 yards to push the LSU lead back out to 13 points), and a minus-4 in turnover margin is not how you beat one of the best teams in America. But Geno Smith and company will bounce back.

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

3. Cincinnati (3-1; 4th)

Last week: beat NC State 44-14
The Bearcats exacted a measure of revenge on the Wolfpack on Thursday night, putting forth their best performance of the season when considering the caliber of the opponent. Zach Collaros and Isaiah Pead were two of the offensive stars while the defense got back to the ball-hawking ways that have been evident in each of the team’s wins. Keep an eye on Cincinnati’s ability to force turnovers as the season wears on.

This week: at Miami (Ohio) (1:00 PM, ESPN3)

4. Syracuse (3-1; 5th)

Last week: beat Toledo 33-30 (OT)
Syracuse’s win over the Rockets wasn’t without controversy (Toledo has requested that the game be vacated as a result of a missed PAT being ruled good and upheld by replay) but there were positives to be found. Ryan Nassib was once again accurate and didn’t turn over the football, and backs Antwon Bailey and Prince-Tyson Gulley moved the ball on the ground.

This week: Rutgers (Noon, Big East Network)

5. Pittsburgh (2-2; 3rd)

Last week: lost to Notre Dame 15-12
The issues on offense remain (it should also be noted that Ray Graham hasn’t reached 100 yards rushing in either of the last two games) but there’s also the matter of Pitt giving up leads in the fourth quarter. And there isn’t a great deal of time to solve the issues with USF arriving in town for the league opener on Thursday night. Todd Graham’s team needs to find a way to turn things around, and soon.

This week: USF (Thursday 8 PM, ESPN)

6. Rutgers (2-1; 6th)

Last week: beat Ohio 38-26
It was the “Mohamed Sanu Show” at High Point Solutions Stadium on Saturday as he caught 16 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. But while he was outstanding Sanu was the lone Scarlet Knight to catch more than one pass. Where’s Brandon Coleman? Mark Harrison and Tim Wright? These three will need to step up if Rutgers is to continue winning games. It was also good to see Jawan Jamison rush for 97 yards, providing a spark to the running game.

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

7. Louisville (2-1; 7th)

Last week: Bye
Will the Cardinals be able to get running backs Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright untracked following the bye week? The good news for the Cardinals is that Dominique Brown played very well in the win over Kentucky, and the bye should allow some of their banged-up players to get healthy (center Mario Benavides sticks out). Louisville will need to have everything clicking against a Marshall team that’s already faced WVU and Virginia Tech.

This week: Marshall (3:30 PM, WHAS)

8. Connecticut (2-2; 8th)

Last week: beat Buffalo 17-3
The Huskies may have found a playmaker on the perimeter in Nick Williams, who’s been used primarily as a kick returner for much of his career. Johnny McEntee had his best game from a numbers standpoint but still needs to get better, especially with opponents keying on the run. Speaking of which, D.J. Shoemate saw limited duty (only a handful of snaps) on Saturday so the question remains whether or not he’s 100%.

This week: Western Michigan (3:30 PM, SNY)

WEEK 4 BIG EAST RECAP: MOUNTAINEERS FALL AT HOME

LSU shows their class in Morgantown

By Raphielle Johnson

Saturday night was a big occasion in Morgantown due to the national media attention that come with playing the number two team in America. But unfortunately for #16 West Virginia (3-1) they found out the hard way what it takes to win such contests, falling to #2 LSU (4-0) 47-21 in front of a sold-out crowd at Milan Puskar Stadium. The differences were simple but costly: special teams, tackling and turnovers. The Mountaineers were able to move the football in the air against one of the country’s best defenses, racking up 463 yards passing on the night.

“They were a smarter football team than we are,” said head coach Dana Holgorsen. “We had four turnovers and they had none. We had twice as many penalties and the special teams were completely one sided, so those three things pretty much got them the victory.”

But they were a minus-4 in turnover margin, with LSU scoring 21 points off of those mistakes. Les Miles’ team set the tone on their first drive, going 58 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 11-yard pass from Jarrett Lee to Rueben Randle. Brandon Taylor would pick off Smith to end WVU’s third possession of the game, and the Tigers would convert that into a touchdown to take a 13-0 lead. One quarter in and Coach Holgorsen’s team was in trouble against a defense littered with ball hawks (Tyrann Mathieu clearly stands out).

But West Virginia would answer early in the second quarter as Smith connected with Stedman Bailey to cut the LSU lead to six. After both teams ended their next drive with a punt LSU moved ahead 20-7 on a 52-yard pass from Lee to Odell Beckham with 6:53 left in the half. The Mountaineers wouldn’t do much with their ensuing drive, and they very nearly shut the door on themselves for good in the final seconds of the half.

Mathieu, coming on a blitz, was able to pick off a Smith pass and return it 16 yards to the Mountaineer 1. LSU would score two plays later on a pass from Lee to Chase Clement to make the score 27-7 at the break. WVU outgained LSU 163-85 in the quarter but because of turnovers and missed assignments they found themselves down three scores at the half. To say the least that won’t get it done against the nation’s best.

After a Drew Alleman missed field goal from 30 yards out West Virginia began to make their run back into the game. Smith led the Mountaineers on a six-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to 27-14 on a 12-yard pass to Tyler Urban. The WVU defense would ride the momentum, but every time they got a stop there was LSU punter Brad Wing. Wing averaged 48.7 yards per punt and all six of his punts were inside of the 10-yard line.

Compare that to WVU punter Corey Smith, who averaged 10 fewer yards per punt with the average bolstered by a 50-yarder. That was just one part of the special teams edge for LSU. The other would come just when the Mountaineers and their fans thought they had a chance to win. After another touchdown cut the deficit to six points, LSU’s Morris Claiborne returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to make the lead 34-21.

That six-point margin would be as close at West Virginia would get, as the defense missed tackles and could not get off the field in dealing with such a physical unit. There were also penalties, ten of them to be exact with some coming in key areas of the field (there were two different illegal procedure calls on wide receivers). So while the Mountaineers saw that they have the skill to compete on a higher level, the simple mistakes will need to be eliminated if they’re to become a championship-caliber team. LSU is there, but WVU still has some steps to take.

“We did some good things offensively and defensively, but you can’t beat a good team by doing that,” noted Holgorsen. “You can talk about 500 yards if you want to, but the only thing I’m going to talk about tomorrow is four turnovers.”

Notre Dame 15, Pittsburgh 12

In a matchup of two teams that have found ways in which to beat themselves this season it was Notre Dame that came up with the big drive late. Tommy Rees led the Irish on an 11-play, 85-yard drive in the fourth quarter, connecting with tight end Tyler Eifert for a six-yard touchdown pass to make the score 13-12. The two connected again on the subsequent two-point conversion, and with Notre Dame sacking Tino Sunseri twice on the Panthers’ final drive the Irish won 15-12.

“I think Tommy was 8-for-8 in his last drive and Tyler Eifert was huge, he went up in traffic two or three times, got hit and held onto the ball,” said head coach Brian Kelly. [It was] just guys making plays on the last drive is really what stands out.”

Rees and the Notre Dame (2-2) offense went through their fair share of difficulty throughout the game, turning the ball over two more time to push their number to 15 in four games. But the defense came through for the visitors, as they limited Pitt (2-2) to 103 yards rushing and 268 yards of total offense. Ray Graham led Pitt with 89 yards on the ground, but 42 of those came on one carry. Tino Sunseri didn’t turn the ball over but he was sacked five times and threw for just 165 yards and a touchdown.

Pittsburgh was able to capitalize off of a Notre Dame fumble late in the first quarter as Kevin Harper connected on a field goal from 39 yards out. But penalties and missed assignments for both teams turned the game into a defensive struggle following a Jonas Gray 79-yard run to put the Irish up 7-3. Pitt would add another field goal and go into the half down a point, and then put together their best drive of the game to start the second half.

The Panthers went 80 yards in 19 plays, chewing up more than eight minutes on the clock, scoring on a three-yard pass from Sunseri to Hubie Graham to make the score 12-7. Pitt head coach Todd Graham decided to go for two at a point in the game where many would refuse to “chase points” and it came back to bite them. The conversion attempt failed, leaving the door open for the Irish to take the lead on a touchdown and make the margin three with a conversion of their own.

Once again closing the game was an issue for Pittsburgh, who committed nine penalties to offset the eight for Notre Dame. That’s something that will have to get better in a hurry, because league play begins for the Panthers on Thursday night against USF. “That’s the thing that’s so frustrating right now in our locker room,” said Sunseri. “We feel like we are inches away from really busting this open and really being in that uptempo offense and understanding it, and being able to put points on the board.”

Syracuse 33, Toledo 30 (OT)

Syracuse (3-1) found a way to escape against the Rockets at home but not without controversy. Following Ryan Nassib’s touchdown pass to Alec Lemon with 2:07 remaining in regulation kicker Ross Krautman hooked the PAT, only to have the officials rule that he made the kick. The play was reviewed, with the replay official ruling that the play should stand as called. Toledo (1-3) would go down to tie the game on the final play of the fourth quarter, but Syracuse would pick off Austin Dantin on the first play of overtime and go on to win on a Krautman field goal. But while they have a good argument for being robbed, Toledo head coach Tim Beckman did no such thing.

“I don’t know anything other than what they tell me in the [coaches] box,” said Beckman. “They said it was a little bit off to the left. When you come into these games, you learn as a team and coaching staff that it’s us against the world. We have to make sure we don’t give the touchdown up, so they can’t kick that PAT.”

What many thought to be a tricky contest for the Orange (3-1) leading up to the noon kickoff got off to an ominous start, as Toledo went 80 yards on 22 plays to start the game. The Rockets only got a field goal out of the drive but they set the tone early in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse would turn the ball over on their first possession, and three minutes after their first score Toledo made it 10-0 on a Morgan Williams touchdown run.

The Orange rallied in the second quarter, scoring 13 unanswered points beginning with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Nassib to Nick Provo. Krautman made two field goals but Toledo’s Jeremiah Detmer responded with a 52-yarder as time expired. The two would each score a touchdown in the third quarter, setting the stage for an action-packed fourth. Morgan Williams answered a Krautman field goal with his second touchdown of the day, putting Toledo up 27-23 with 10:54 left.

Syracuse would score eight minutes later, beginning the sequence that many will ultimately remember from this game. Defensively the Orange had their issues with All-American Eric Page, who finished with 13 receptions for 158 yards. But Antwon Bailey and Prince-Tyson Gulley combined to rush for 180 yards and Ryan Nassib threw for 213 yards and two scores in the win. Syracuse opens Big East play next week as they host Rutgers.

Rutgers 38, Ohio 26

Ohio showed up in New Brunswick hoping to get off to their best start since 1976. But unfortunately for the Bobcats (3-1), Rutgers had wide receiver Mohamed Sanu who put forth a record-setting performance in the Scarlet Knight victory. Sanu caught 16 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, with the receptions setting both Rutgers (2-1) and Big East records.

Chas Dodd completed 21 of 32 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns for Rutgers, but the bigger development came at running back. With many expected Savon Huggins to take over following the bye week (and transfer of De’Antwan Williams), it was actually Jawan Jamison who led the team on the ground. Jamison rushed for 97 yards on 29 carries as head coach Greg Schiano stuck with the hot hand.

“I think it will be a good mix but I thought Jawan ran it really well today,” said Schiano. “There were a couple plays that were negative plays that he made a guy miss in the backfield. Those are the plays that don’t get a lot of notoriety but they are key.”

Tyler Tettleton was outstanding for Ohio in a losing effort, throwing for 339 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. But Ohio lost four of five fumbles, which gave Rutgers the boost they needed at critical junctures in the game. Marcus Cooper’s 4-yard fumble return late in the first half gave Rutgers a 21-7 lead, and while the Bobcats would close to within four (21-17) they couldn’t get over the hump. Next up for Rutgers is a trip north to take on Syracuse in the league opener for both.

Connecticut 17, Buffalo 3

It wasn’t pretty from an offensive standpoint for either team, but the Huskies (2-2) found a way to get out of Buffalo with a much-needed win. And they may have found themselves a playmaker on offense as well. Nick Williams, known for his abilities in the return game, turned two slants into huge gains for UConn. A 64-yard connection with Johnny McEntee went for 64 yards, setting up UConn’s first score on a pass from McEntee to Mark Hinkley. Williams’ second reception was a 49-yard touchdown that shut the door on the Bulls (1-3).

McEntee once again received the majority of the snaps at quarterback, and while he didn’t put forth a legendary performance he was good enough. McEntee completed 12 of 21 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Huskies win despite a disappointing showing on the ground (42 attempts for 80 yards). And despite the absence of safety Jerome Junior (violation of team rules) and the loss for Blidi Wreh-Wilson due to injury, the UConn defense survived giving up a couple big plays through the air.

Next week the Huskies host a tough Western Michigan team in their final non-conference game, and there are a couple questions to answer offensively. Is McEntee the man head coach Paul Pasqualoni will go with for the long haul? With Michael Nebrich attempting just one pass that may be the case. And how healthy is D.J. Shoemate? Shoemate caught a pass but didn’t get any carries, so maybe the ankle is still a concern for the coaching staff. But to say the least, UConn needs good answers to these questions sooner rather than later.

#18 USF 52, UTEP 24

USF (4-0) had a field day on the ground, rushing for 373 yards (four yards short of the school record) and four touchdowns in their blowout win over the Miners. B.J. Daniels, who also threw for 202 yards and a pair of touchdowns, kicked off the scoring with a 71-yard run three minutes into the game. But the Miners (2-1) were able to answer almost immediately, getting a good kickoff return and going 33 yards in less than two minutes to tie the game. USF was good against the run, but once Quenton Washington was lost the pass defense struggled.

“Defensively I thought our run defense was good, they were stout,” said head coach Skip Holtz. “Our front seven played well. I thought our pass defense was poor. I thought it was very poor tonight. I think you know all of a sudden we were down a starter in Q [Quentin Washington] and I say it all the time, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.”

The Bulls would score two more rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, and they would lead 31-17 at the intermission. The first of two Lindsey Lamar touchdown receptions (54 yards) made the score 38-17 with just under nine minutes left in the third quarter. The Miners were able to come back with Carson Meger connecting with Kevin Perry on a 25-yard scoring strike, but that would be their final points of the night.

Daniels connected with Lamar for a second touchdown pass with 6:46 left in the game, and just 14 seconds later Sam Barrington’s 30-yard pick six closed the scoring. USF has scored directly off of a turnover in each of their four games this season but there’s still plenty of work to be done going into Thursday’s conference opener at Pittsburgh, especially from a depth standpoint.

“I think some guys are coming along and some guys are emerging, but we’re not where we need to be right now,” said Holtz of his reserves. “We are a work in progress and we got to get better than what we are right now.”

WEEK 4 BIG EAST SATURDAY PREVIEW

Mountaineers look to make a statement

By Raphielle Johnson

It’s been a tough week for the Big East Conference due in large part to the expansion talk that’s taken over the entire nation it seems. But the conference got off to a good start to this week as Cincinnati blew out NC State 44-14 on Thursday night. But Saturday offers the marquee opportunity for the league to make a national statement, as #16 West Virginia (3-0) hosts #2 LSU (3-0) in front of a national audience (8 PM, ABC).

The ESPN show “College Gameday” makes its first-ever trip to Morgantown, and what’s normally a frenzied environment should be even more excited for this contest. But this is a steep challenge for the Mountaineers, who lost in Baton Rouge last season 20-14. There may not be any grass for the superstitious Les Miles to munch on (WVU’s field is FieldTurf) but he’s got one of the nation’s best defenses to rely upon.

The Tigers are second in the SEC in total defense, allowing 207 yards per game, second in rush defense and third against the pass. The defensive line is deep and talented, and in sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu the Tigers have one of the nation’s best. The key for the Mountaineers on offense will be to get something of consequence going on the ground in order to slow down that front four. WVU is sixth in the Big East in rushing with an average of 78.7 yards per game, so that will be easier said than done.

“They are wherever the ball is,” said WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen about the LSU defense. “They get there really fast, and they’re pretty impressive once they get there. You can study their personnel all you want to, but they’re all capable of making plays.”

So how will the Mountaineers move the football against the talented LSU defense? They’ll need a big night from quarterback Geno Smith and his receiving corps, led by Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney. This trio has caught five of Smith’s seven touchdown passes, and Austin is also dangerous in the return game. Last year’s meeting turned on a Patrick Peterson punt return for a touchdown, so both teams will need to be at their best on special teams.

Offensively LSU is led by quarterback Jarrett Lee, who has been entrusted to simply not make mistakes with Jordan Jefferson serving a suspension. Lee will also have the services of a key weapon in receiver Russell Shepard, who was suspended for the first three games of the season. Along with Rueben Randle the Tigers will have a tandem that can test the WVU secondary, but Lee won’t be a gunslinger.

“It’s a physical nature,” said Holgorsen of the LSU offense. “They’re going to put in a fullback and a tight end and they’re going to get after you. If you put too many people in there, then they’re going to one-on-one you on the outsides with their talented receivers.”

The Tigers are a very physical offensive team, with an experienced offensive line opening holes for a committee of running backs who can move the ball down the field. Spencer Ware and Michael Ford combine to average 148 yards per game and have scored a combined seven touchdowns. The battle up front is one that Julian Miller, Bruce Irvin and the Mountaineers have to win if they’re going to have any chance.

To be frank, this is the contest where we’ll see how much Irvin has progressed. Considered to strictly be a “sack master” last season, the personnel losses forced Irvin to step into a larger role in Jeff Casteel’s scheme. If the front three can do their jobs players such as leading tackler Najee Goode will have the opportunity to run and make plays. But if not it could be a long night against an LSU team that’s won their last 35 regular season non-conference games.

Few are giving West Virginia a chance of winning this game, due to the disparity in conference pedigree and the fact that LSU posted one of the most impressive performances thus far in their win over Oregon. The crowd could be a factor, but the Tigers have played (and won) in front of hostile environments many times before. If the Mountaineers can stand up to the physical test they’ll run into in the trenches they’ve got a shot to pick up a huge victory.

Pick: West Virginia +5.5 (27-24)

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (Noon, ABC)

Pittsburgh (2-1) looks to rebound from a stunning fourth quarter collapse, and recapture the local fans’ attention who seem more interested in the Week 3 NFL Odds at this point, in their loss at Iowa last week, but that will be tough to do with Notre Dame (1-2) coming to town. The Fighting Irish may have picked up their first win of the season last week but don’t be fooled by the record. Brian Kelly’s team could very well be 3-0, but the reason they aren’t is a simple one: turnovers. The Irish have turned the ball over 13 times in three games and are a minus-8 in turnover margin, with five turnovers in each of their losses.

“We try to correct everything that occurs as we move forward,” said Kelly of how the Irish deal with their 1-2 start. “So we don’t go back to those things relative to what happened in the past, other than we try to correct those mistakes and then move forward.”

Tommy Rees, who took over for the ineffective Dayne Crist in the loss to USF, has completed 69.7% of his passes despite throwing five interceptions. Rees has six touchdown passes on the year, and there’s no mistaking who the top target is. Michael Floyd, one of the best receivers in the country, has caught 31 passes for 397 yards and two touchdowns in three games and slowing him down will be the priority for the Pitt defense.

But Floyd’s not the only weapon that Notre Dame looks to. Running backs Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray will both see action, with Wood being the primary ball-carrier (299 yards, 4 TDs). Pitt can look to their defensive line led by Chas Alexcih, Myles Caragein and Brandon Lindsey in slowing down the run as they’ve allowed just 80 yards per game on the ground. But the Panthers have given up 336 yards per game through the air, by far the worst in the Big East. If they can’t get to Rees up front it could be a long afternoon for that secondary.

“One thing that has hurt us is we have given up a lot of big plays on pressures and were not a team who has done a lot of that in the past,” said head coach Todd Graham earlier this week. “We are too loose in a lot of situations especially when we lost the momentum against Iowa. We had moments where blitzes were called and guys just didn’t go and execute.”

While Pitt needs to clean that up on defense, the bigger concern remains the play of quarterback Tino Sunseri. While the senior has completed 62.5% of his passes he’s thrown four interceptions to just three touchdowns. The speed at which Sunseri makes his progressions in an offense that’s supposed to specialize in quickly getting rid of the football has been an issue.

If Pitt can get things going in that area they’ll be a tough team to stop thanks to running back Ray Graham. Graham has rushed for 419 yards and six touchdowns in three games, and his versatility makes him a difficult matchup for just about anyone. Manti Te’o and company will look to slow him down and make Sunseri beat them. The question now is whether or not the senior can get the job done.

Pick: Pittsburgh +7 (Notre Dame 31-28)

Toledo at Syracuse (Noon, Big East Network)

On the heels of their first defeat of the season, Syracuse (2-1) returns home to take on a tough Toledo squad. The Rockets (1-2) have already taken Ohio State down to the wire, but they came back to earth last week as Boise State blew them out 40-15. Tim Beckman’s group will pose quite the challenge for a team that struggled at home to beat Wake Forest and Rhode Island, and the combo of running back Adonis Thomas and receiver Eric Page is a big reason why.

“They have an excellent player in [Eric] Page, who’s one of the best players in the country and an All-American candidate,” said Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone. “There is a lot of experience on the football team that is coming in here, and we’re going to have to play extremely well to beat them.”

Thomas is averaging 75.7 yards per game and is second on the team in receptions per game to Page, who catches 8.3 passes for 91.3 yards per game. Page’s ability could be an issue for the Syracuse secondary, which has struggled at times this season. The Rockets will play two quarterbacks, with Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens, with Dantin getting the start and Owens coming in off the bench.

Offensively Syracuse could be in good shape thanks in large part to quarterback Ryan Nassib, who played well in defeat last weekend. Receivers Van Chew and Alec Lemon were productive against USC and in tight end Nick Provo the Orange have one of the best in the Big East. But Syracuse needs to get their running game going, as it ranks 109th nationally.

Antwon Bailey gets the majority of the carries but he’s been under 50 yards in each of the last two games. If Syracuse can get their running game in order they’ll be that much better offensively. But that’s a big “if”, and combined with the Rockets’ not being afraid of the competition could spell trouble. Don’t be surprised if this game is close late.

Pick: Syracuse -2 (28-24)

Ohio at Rutgers (2 PM, ESPN3)

Rutgers (1-1) returns to the field following a bye week and they’ll be short a running back as De’Antwan Williams has decided to transfer. Freshman Savon Huggins was expected to see more reps beginning with this contest against Ohio (3-0), but there will also be carries for Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering. The Bobcats, who are looking for their first 4-0 start since 1976, rank at or near the top of the MAC in a number of statistical categories including total defense (lead the conference).

Ohio ranks 2nd in the MAC in rushing defense, which should make things tougher for the Scarlet Knights on the ground. That could put more on the shoulders of quarterback Chas Dodd and his receiving corps, as they’ll take on a defense that’s 6th in the MAC against the pass. Nose guard Neal Huynh leads Ohio with 20 tackles, and linebacker Noah Keller is solid at the middle linebacker spot.

Offensively the Bobcats list three possibilities to start at quarterback, and Tyler Tettleton has started all three games to date. In fact he’s gotten so many more chances to both throw and run with the football that it’s tough to say that it’s an “either or” situation at the position. Donte Harden and Ryan Boykin have been the leaders on the ground yardage-wise but it’s Tettleton who has rushed for three scores.

Ohio may not throw a great deal but LaVon Brazill is one player Rutgers will need to keep track of in the passing game. Defensively the Scarlet Knights have been good; despite giving up 24 points at North Carolina they did force five turnovers. They may not reach that number against Ohio, a team that’s disciplined and takes care of the football. Given the optimism surrounding the Bobcats it would not be a surprise if Rutgers were to lose. In order to avoid the upset however, they must get something from the ground attack.

Pick: Ohio +4 (Rutgers 21-20)

Connecticut at Buffalo (6 PM, Big East Network)

The focus goes from the hunt for an ACC invite to a trip to Buffalo for UConn (1-2), and they could very well head back to Storrs 1-3 if they don’t get improved play from the quarterback position. Johnny McEntee has seen the majority of the snaps but he’s completing just 44.9% of his passes, and the position as a whole has a completion percentage of 44.2%. Regardless of what Lyle McCombs and D.J. Shoemate can get done on the ground it’s difficult to move the football when you’re one-dimensional.

And the lack of offense could prove to be a problem as the Bulls (1-2) have moved the ball well behind Cincinnati transfer Chazz Anderson. Anderson’s done a solid job of running the offense, having already connected with ten different receivers in the first three games. Running back Branden Oliver has rushed for 358 yards and five touchdowns, but despite Buffalo’s talent on offense the UConn defense hasn’t been the problem despite some big-play breakdowns.

Wide receiver Isiah Moore played well in the loss to Iowa State, and if the quarterbacks can get the ball to Moore and his fellow receivers in positions where they can go on to make plays the Huskies will move the football. But as it’s been seen in three games that’s easier said than done for this group. The Huskies can’t afford to turn the ball over (eight giveaways) especially early. Look for them to narrowly avoid Buffalo’s upset bid.

Pick: Buffalo +9.5 (Connecticut 27-20)

UTEP at USF (7 PM, ESPN3)

One final tune-up for the start of conference play for USF (3-0), who has arguably been the most impressive team in the conference. B.J. Daniels tied the school record for passing yards in a game last week and could very well break it this week. UTEP (2-1) struggled last week in their win over New Mexico State, and it goes without saying that the Miners can’t afford to have their quarterback complete just 9 of 28 passes.

The Miners will likely go with freshman Jay Hall again this week, which could prove to be problematic given how well the USF defense has played. Offensively the Bulls can look to Daniels and running back Darrell Scott, who played the best game of his young USF career last week. UTEP could make things interesting for a half or so, but by the fourth quarter look for a few USF players getting some extra rest for next week’s meeting with Pittsburgh on a short week.

Pick: USF -29 (48-17)

RECORD TO DATE: 18-6 overall, 12-8 ATS

WEEK 3 HONORS ANNOUNCED

Smith, Heyman and Bitancurt receive honors

Press Release

BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Geno Smith • Jr. • QB • West Virginia • Miami, Fla.
Smith set a school record by completing 36 passes on 49 attempts for 388 yards — all career highs — to lead West Virginia to a 37-31 win at Maryland. He registered his second 300-yard game of the season and the fourth of his career, and saw three separate receivers finish with at least 100 yards for the first time in school history.

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dexter Heyman • Sr. • LB • Louisville • Louisville, Ky.
Heyman was named the Howard Schnellenberger MVP of the annual Governor’s Cup matchup between Louisville and Kentucky after he had 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the Cardinals’ 24-17 win in Lexington. Heyman keyed a Louisville defense that limited Kentucky to just 35 rushing yards.

BIG EAST SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tyler Bitancurt • Jr. • K • West Virginia • Springfield, Va.
Bitancurt scored 13 points, making field goals of 21, 34 and 35 yards and going 4-for-4 on PATs, in West Virginia’s 37-31 win at Maryland. Bitancurt leads all BIG EAST players in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game, and ranks fifth on West Virginia’s career scoring chart (186 points).

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Derek Wolfe • Sr. • DT • Cincinnati • Lisbon, Ohio
Had two sacks and forced a fumble that was returned 54 yards for a touchdown in a 59-14 win against Akron.

Andre Davis • Fr. • WR • USF • Tampa, Fla.
Blocked a punt and scored a touchdown on the ensuing 11-yard return as part of a 70-17 win against Florida A&M. Also had three receptions for 39 yards and another touchdown.

Darrell Scott • Jr. • RB • USF • Ventura, Calif.
Rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries and had an 84-yard touchdown reception in a 70-17 win against Florida A&M. Finished with 230 all-purpose yards.

Ryan Nassib • Jr. • QB • Syracuse • West Chester, Pa.
Completed 23 of 37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown in a 38-17 loss at Southern California. Had a streak of 22 consecutive completions spanning two games.

Terence Garvin • Jr. • S • West Virginia • Springfield, Va.
Had nine tackles, an assisted tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 37-31 win at Maryland.

Weekly Power Poll

By Raphielle Johnson

1. USF (3-0; last week: 1st)

Last week: beat FAMU 70-17
The Bulls went out and took care of business on Saturday in beating Florida A&M. B.J. Daniels tied Matt Grothe for the most passing yards in a game in school history, Darrell Scott went off and USF scored off of a turnover for the third straight game.

This week: UTEP (7 PM, ESPN3)

2. West Virginia (3-0; 2nd)

Last week: beat Maryland 37-31
The Mountaineers were well on their way to an impressive beating of Maryland as they led 34-10 in the second half. But they allowed the Terrapins back into the game, not locking things down until Eain Smith picked off Danny O’Brien late in the fourth quarter.

This week: LSU (8 PM, ABC)

3. Pittsburgh (2-1; 3rd)

Last week: lost to Iowa 31-27
Talk about giving one away. The Panthers led at Iowa by three scores early in the fourth quarter, only to see the offense sputter and the defense run out of gas. Tino Sunseri still has a way to go with regards to how quickly he gets through his progressions, and whether or not Pitt can win the conference depends on his development.

This week: Notre Dame (Noon, ABC)

4. Cincinnati (2-1; 5th)

Last week: beat Akron 59-14
Cincinnati took advantage of a hapless opponent on Saturday, especially from a defensive standpoint. The Bearcats scored three times on defense…in the first half. In two wins UC has forced ten turnovers, but failed to force any against their one credible opponent to date (Tennessee). There’s still a lot of work to be done on both sides of the ball.

This week: NC State (Thursday 8 PM, ESPN)

5. Syracuse (2-1; 4th)

Last week: lost to USC 38-17
Don’t be fooled by the final score: the Orange did some good things out in Los Angeles. QB Ryan Nassib performed well in the face of a tough pass rush, not turning the ball over and pass-catchers such as Alec Lemon and Nick Provo were productive as well. But the running game struggled, and that’s the main concern that comes out of that game for Syracuse.

This week: Toledo (Noon, Big East Network)

6. Rutgers (1-1; 6th)

Last week: Bye
The Scarlet Knights had a bye week but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t busy. De’Antwan Williams has decided to transfer, meaning that Rutgers is down to three backs (all possibilities to start): Savon Huggins, Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering. Rutgers will also shake some things up on the offensive line in hopes of getting the running game going.

This week: Ohio (2 PM, ESPN3)

7. Louisville (2-1; 8th)

Last week: beat Kentucky 24-17
Starting quarterback Will Stein went down with a shoulder injury in the second quarter, and that could have been a good time for the Cardinals to fold. But they didn’t thanks to Teddy Bridgewater and Dominique Brown, who led the way in the win over Kentucky. Look for Brown’s role as a runner to expand as his performance (14 carries, 91 yards) was the first time this year Louisville truly got going on the ground.

This week: Bye

8. Connecticut (1-2; 7th)

Last week: lost to Iowa State 24-20
Once again the quarterback position underwhelmed, with Johnny McEntee getting the majority of the snaps. Scott McCummings was able to move the ball some in his designated packages, but Paul Pasqualoni and his staff have to figure the position out before the season tumbles downhill. The defense has had a few breakdowns but has performed well; how much longer before they truly crack from having to carry the offense?

This week: at Buffalo (3:30 PM, ESPN3)

PITTSBURGH, SYRACUSE MAKE MOVE TO ACC OFFICIAL

Charter member, Panthers leaving Big East

By Raphielle Johnson

The news became official early Sunday morning, with Pittsburgh and Syracuse being unanimously approved as new members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. That was essentially a formality due to the idea that schools don’t apply to join a conference without knowing that they’ll have the votes necessary for inclusion. The ACC now sits at 14 members, but while commissioner John Swofford stated during the teleconference that his job is to focus on making this new union work no one closed the door on moving to 16 members at some point.

That’s a big deal for Big East commissioner John Marinatto, who must now attempt to pick up the pieces of a league once again fractured by the rival ACC. But how can that be done when no one knows what the future may hold for them. According to the Hampton Pilot, Connecticut and Rutgers could be on the ACC’s radar if (or when) they decide to move to 16 schools. And with just seven football-playing schools the Big East is not a viable BCS conference (according to BCS rules you need eight teams in a league), which has everyone one concerned and rightfully so.

Connecticut president Susan Herbst released a statement on Sunday, and while she did say that the school remains committed to the Big East they will keep their options open. That would essentially sum up what the other football-playing schools are thinking at this time. There’s talk of a possible union between the Big East’s remainders and those of the Big 12 (should Oklahoma and friends head west to the Pac-12), but it’s pretty obvious that the “strategy” of waiting to see what happens (also, waiting to negotiate a new TV deal) is a really bad idea.

But what can the league really do in this case? Obviously an unstable entity (a keyword used by administrators of both Pitt and Syracuse during their teleconference to announce their acceptance into the ACC was “stability”), the Big East really doesn’t have a lot that it can do at this time. Media outlets in both Connecticut and New Jersey have come to the same conclusion: that neither UConn nor Rutgers can afford to not act quickly on finding the best possible situation for their athletic departments.

The next critical decisions will likely be made by Oklahoma and Texas, who both have Board of Regents meetings scheduled for tomorrow with conference affiliation being on the agenda for both. Texas was rumored to be a possibility for ACC membership, but that may have been squashed with the ACC holding their equal revenue sharing plan in high value. The Longhorn Network, which upset Texas A&M to the point of leaving to the SEC (a move being held up by litigation led by Baylor), would likely have to be reconstructed in some form for Texas to fit into either the Pac-12 or ACC.

So this all likely means that the Big East and its football members will be rooting for the same thing (the Pac-12 moves to 16, including Texas) but for possibly different reasons. On one hand that would be the conference’s best path to survival, but on the other there would be two open spots should the ACC decide to go to 16 at some point as opposed to one or zero (if Texas were to succeed in bringing Texas Tech along). The ACC struck first in a move that surprised many, confirming the fact that we know nothing when it comes to realignment. But this much is certain: John Marinatto and company had better roll up their sleeves. No longer can the Big East afford to simply sit and watch the landscape of college athletics change, hoping that they avoid the “bullets” that will fly.

Oh yeah, the Big East played football yesterday. The league won four of its six games, with the two defeats (interestingly enough) being suffered by Pittsburgh and Syracuse. And the ESPN show College Gameday will be in Morgantown next week for West Virginia’s huge contest with LSU. Possible audition for the SEC? Who knows, but it wouldn’t hurt Oliver Luck’s program if the football team and fans treated the day as such.

Iowa 31, Pittsburgh 27

Leading 24-3 at one point, Pittsburgh’s offense went flat in the fourth quarter and the defense ran out of steam in Iowa City as the Hawkeyes came back to win. Slow progressions in the passing game were once again an issue for QB Tino Sunseri, and while it may be too early to call for Trey Anderson to take over the job one can’t blame Pitt fans for thinking such today. But with the news of the day, Saturday was a day of mixed emotions for those around the school.

West Virginia 37, Maryland 31

The Mountaineers jumped out to a big lead but had to hang on to win in College Park. After giving up three straight touchdown drives to make a 34-10 lead 34-31, the WVU defense stood its ground and gained a critical turnover in the fourth quarter. Eain Smith’s interception in the final minutes deep in Mountaineer territory gave the ball back to the WVU offense, which drove down the field for the game-sealing field goal.

Cincinnati 59, Akron 14

The Bearcats got out of the gates quickly in taking care of the Zips, who can make a case for being one of the worst teams at the FBS level. After failing to force a turnover in their loss at Tennessee last week, Cincinnati forced five in the first half alone (returning three for touchdowns) in taking a 49-0 halftime lead.

Louisville 24, Kentucky 17

Senior quarterback Will Stein was knocked out of the game in the first half with a shoulder injury, opening the door for freshman Teddy Bridgewater. The Miami native got the job done for the Cardinals, who snapped their four-game losing streak in the series. Louisville’s defense shouldn’t be overlooked however, as they limited the Wildcats to 35 yards rushing on 32 carries and sacked Morgan Newton six times. The Cardinals were also able to get their running game going, rushing for 181 yards on 40 attempts and Dominique Brown supplying the spark.

USF 70, Florida A&M 17

USF took full advantage of the Rattlers in Tampa, rewriting parts of the school record book in the beating. The Bulls established new marks for total yards (745, which is now also a Big East record), and quarterback B.J. Daniels tied Matt Grothe’s school record with 382 passing yards. Darrell Scott scored on a 56-yard run and an 84-yard reception…in the same quarter. It was that kind of night for USF, who moves to 3-0 with UTEP visiting next week.

USC 38, Syracuse 17

While the final score may be taken by some as a picture that things got out of hand in Los Angeles, there were positives to be taken out of the game for the Orange. Most notably the play of quarterback Ryan Nassib, who is now up to seven touchdowns and one interception on the season. The problem for Syracuse was that they couldn’t slow down Matt Barkley, who threw for 324 yards and five touchdowns in leading the Trojans to the win.

PITTSBURGH, SYRACUSE APPLY FOR ACC MEMBERSHIP

Big East finds itself in big trouble

By Raphielle Johnson

In a story that’s picked up considerable speed over the last 20 hours or so, the Big East Conference could take a serious (and immediate) hit to its membership. Reported first by Pete Thamel of the New York Times and Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com, Pittsburgh and Syracuse have applied to become members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The story broken by Thamel on Friday night acknowledged conversations between the schools and the conference, only to be followed by a report from McMurphy that the schools had formally applied for membership. To make a long story short, school presidents don’t apply to join a new conference without knowing that they’re going to have the necessary votes from said league’s presidents to make the move. According to McMurphy, Big East commissioner John Marinatto did not find out about the schools applying for ACC membership until earlier today while in College Park attending the West Virginia/Maryland game.

The move will get the ACC to 14 all-sports members, and with prevailing wisdom being that the future of college athletics will be four 16-team “super-conferences” that leaves two spots to fill there. Could the ACC, which would now have five former Big East members within its ranks, come calling for two more schools? That’s a big question to answer, but to say the least the other seven Big East football members (this number includes TCU) are working the phones frantically.

The same can be said for the Big East, which has been reported to have been in contact with each of the remaining Big 12 schools save Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Do the two weakened conferences look to band together to form a fifth league and stave off (temporarily) the “wave of the future”? To say the least there’s an awful lot still in the air for the Big East and its members, but to say the least they’ve been put on notice in a big way. Super-conferences will likely be here sooner rather than later, and the goal for each school now is to make sure they have a seat at the table before the music stops.

Related Links

- Rutgers and Seton Hall looking at uncertain futures due to the latest news

- Cincinnati president Greg Williams stated at the Bearcats’ game against Akron that UC remains committed to the Big East. Interim athletic director Bob Arkeilpane said the same while also noting that the school will keep all options open. Cincinnati has not applied to another conference.

- The Louisville Courier-Journal caught up with athletic director Tom Jurich, who doesn’t seem too thrilled with the administration at Pittsburgh right now.

- USF president Judy Genshaft and athletic director Doug Woolard released a statement that really didn’t say a whole lot.

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