Syracuse News

BIG EAST FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES (8/15/2010)

By Raphielle Johnson

Five more awards announced have their preseason watch lists this week: the Bednarik (awarded to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player), Biletnikoff (awarded to the nation’s best wide receiver), Camp (awarded to the nation’s most outstanding football player), Maxwell (also awarded to the nation’s most outstanding football player), and the Guy (awarded to the nation’s best punter). The Big East players named to each of the watch lists are as follows:

Bednarik: DE Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh), FS Robert Sands (West Virginia), LB Derrell Smith (Syracuse) and LB Lawrence Wilson (Connecticut)

Biletnikoff: Jonathan Baldwin (Pittsburgh) and Armon Binns (Cincinnati)

Walter Camp: RB Noel Devine (West Virginia) and RB Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Maxwell: WR Jonathan Baldwin (Pittsburgh), QB Zach Collaros (Cincinnati), RB Noel Devine (West Virginia), RB Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh), RB Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati), QB Tom Savage (Rutgers) and RB Jordan Todman (Connecticut)

Guy: Rob Long (Syracuse)

As for the injuries that have hit the wide receiver position within the Big East in the first two weeks of practice (not even a full 14 days), it’s a good thing the conference went with a running back from each school for the cover of its media guide. Rutgers and Syracuse have seen receivers expected to be important cogs within their respective offenses go down, with the Scarlet Knights knowing that their lost receiver will be out for the season. Tim Wright, who won the job opposite Mohamed Sanu in spring practice, went down with a knee injury on Tuesday and was officially declared out for the season on Wednesday. The man who gets the first shot at replacing Wright is Mark Harrison, who fell just short of getting the top spot on the depth chart at the end of the spring. Harrison averaged just over sixteen yards per reception in 2009 but had just five catches on the season.

As for Syracuse, the first day of practice for Delone Carter (and third day of practice overall) ended up being a bad one for freshman Jarrod West. West left practice without sock or cleat on his right foot early in the session, and head coach Doug Marrone didn’t sound too optimistic when discussing the injury with reporters following practice. With the Orange having a number of possession receivers but lacking difference makers on the outside the hope was that West, who was an all-state selection in Pennsylvania last year and originally committed to Stanford, would be a player they could count on to make a difference. Of course the true severity of the injury is still unknown, and you can only hope for good news if you’re a Syracuse fan.

John F. Silver of the Manchester Journal-Inquirer wrote a piece on Connecticut left tackle Jimmy Bennett, who’s sat out the last two seasons and is competing with Adam Masters for the starting nod. Bennett, from Alexandria, VA, was one of the Huskies’ best recruits two seasons ago and after redshirting injured his knee last season. But his return from injury hasn’t tempered the expectations of the coaching staff, which thinks Bennett has the ability to be the best offensive lineman UConn has produced during the Randy Edsall era.

As for West Virginia, who has found itself in the news more for issues involving the NCAA rules manual recently, the focus is on starting quarterback Geno Smith and his ability to lead the offense and distribute the football. Smith is just one of two new starters on the Mountaineer offense, and while he’s got a number of capable skill players at his disposal they’ll only be as good as he allows them to be. Also, Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail focused on the journey to health of left guard Chad Snodgrass, who is currently second on the depth chart behind Josh Jenkins. At the least Snodgrass remaining healthy gives West Virginia more line depth, a luxury that any team would desire.

And while it’s never a bad thing to have a visitor who possesses the resume of a Lou Holtz (who spoke to the team on Wednesday), USF didn’t go through the best of days on the injury front in Vero Beach. With RT Jake Sims out due to concussion-like symptoms, the Bulls saw another tackle go down late in practice in the form of Mark Popek (right knee). Popek, who started five games last season as a true freshman, was second on the depth chart at left tackle going into fall camp. With the number of injuries/departures at wide receiver the last thing head coach Skip Holtz needs is to have another position get hit hard by injuries. But the good news is that WR Sterling Griffin was at practice (still not participating) without the protective boot he’d been sporting due to injury.

Other Links:

Cincinnati is expecting big things from Isaiah Pead this season, and head coach Butch Jones won’t be standing in the way of the sophomore’s progress.

Louisville: A number of newcomers will provide the Cardinals with much-needed depth- and playmaking ability- at wide receiver this season.

Pittsburgh: While they do have big holes to fill in the middle of the defensive line with Mick Williams and Guz Mustakas having graduated, the Panthers aren’t without options. And it’s also helped the defense that sophomore middle linebacker Dan Mason is ready to take on a leading role.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART NEWS

Orange receive important boost in backfield

By Raphielle Johnson

With Averin Collier’s status still up in the air for academic reasons (it does not look good in terms of him playing this season), Doug Marrone was looking at going into a season with just one experienced running back at his disposal (Antwon Bailey). But Syracuse received quite the depth chart boost on Monday with the clearance of 1,000-yard rusher Delone Carter. Carter, kicked out of school in April for punching another student (February 27^th snowball incident), was cleared by the school’s judicial review board on Monday to re-enroll. While not in Syracuse for practice and the team’s media day at the Carrier Dome, Collier is expected back sometime this week.

There’s no overstating the importance of this news; behind Bailey there was a surplus of inexperienced backs, and the addition of Carter will allow Coach Marrone and running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley some time in developing those youngsters. Also, junior college transfer Lou Alexander (offensive tackle) looks to be on his way towards being cleared to join the team, and his presence will provide the offensive line with more depth and added competition. Lastly, in their quest for a downfield playmaker at wide receiver the Orange will look to Dorian Graham. Graham, who missed all of last season due to a shoulder injury, moves from cornerback to wide receiver and possesses some freakish athletic measurements.

Wide receiver talk segues into the injury woes that have hit USF at the position in their first full week of practice. Senior wideout Colby Erskin, who’d been granted a sixth year of eligibility for medical reasons (three prior ACL tears), tore the ACL in his left knee on Saturday, ending his season before it even began. Add this to the departure of Carlton Mitchell (NFL), four players deciding not to return and projected starters Sterling Griffin and A.J. Love both missing the first month of the season (at least) due to their own injuries. This is not a good start for Skip Holtz and company, who will likely lean heavily on Lindsey Lamar to make things happen from that position.

In other wide receiver news, Cincinnati learned that they will not have the services of junior college transfer Kenbrell Thompkins per NCAA transfer rules. Thompkins, who signed an LOI to play for Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, was not released from the letter by the new coaching staff and as a result will have to sit out the season. However, Thompkins will have two years of eligibility beginning with the 2011 season. Cincinnati will be fine at wide receiver without him, and he should at the very least help out the secondary as they get their reps in against the offensive scout team. Tight end Travis Kelce will not play this season due to a violation of team rules.

Connecticut kicked things off on Monday, and the big move for Randy Edsall’s team actually came in the form of a coaching move. Coach Edsall will handle the safeties this season, allowing first-year secondary coach Darnell Perkins to work solely with the cornerbacks. The Huskies have to replace Robert McClain at free safety and the overall youth is such that it could help them to hear a more familiar voice for the time being. UConn ranked 88^th in pass defense in 2009, and that area could be the difference between contending for the Big East title and simply going to another bowl game.

As for Rutgers, the absence of backup quarterback Steve Shimko (shoulder injury) could open the door for true freshman Chas Dodd to earn the #2 nod in his stead. Tom Luicci of the Newark Star-Ledger writes that the coaches have been impressed with Dodd’s demeanor and ability. But regardless of who wins the backup job the hopes of the Scarlet Knights will rest on the health of Tom Savage; they cannot afford for him to go down due to injury. Pittsburgh is looking for a big season from redshirt junior linebacker Tristan Roberts, who moved ahead of Greg Williams at WILL linebacker due to his play in the spring. Roberts getting the job done will provide even more depth to a unit that’s expected by many to be the best in the conference this season.

Louisville DE Malcolm Tatum is hoping to hold onto his starting job for the entire season, as he lost that spot after just two games in 2009. C.L. Brown of the Louisville Courier-Journal also wrote on Monday that linebacker Deon Rogers, who switched from Georgia to Louisville once the Cardinals hired Charlie Strong, was cleared to join the team. Scout.com ranked Rogers 53^rd in the nation among linebackers and gave him a three-star rating.

West Virginia, which met the deadline to respond to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations, will be looking for significant production from spur Terrence Garvin given the many responsibilities for his position within their 3-3-5 scheme. Given the overall strength of the Mountaineer defense, Garvin (one of two new starters on defense) should have plenty of opportunities to make things happen. At the very least he’ll have experienced voices on the field letting him know where he needs to be.

2010 ULTIMATE BIG EAST FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

A week-by-week look at the biggest games in 2010 within the Big East

By Raphielle Johnson

With camps getting underway (USF and Louisville kick things off on Thursday), now seems to be as good a time as any to take a look at the Big East football schedule for the upcoming season. Twelve games: seven conference and five non-conference, with the goal of those non-conference matchups to spread the wealth a bit. No teams will be seen twice on this portion of the slate, and seven of the eight Big East members will be on the schedule at some point. Feel free to add in your own thoughts below.

Week 1: Connecticut at Michigan (September 4th)

Michigan debuts their newly-renovated stadium amidst the cloud of NCAA inquiry in regards to practice time and other issues, not to mention two straight losing seasons under Rich Rodriguez. The Huskies, who won their last four games to close out 2009, never beat Rodriguez when he was the head coach at West Virginia (which received a letter from the NCAA today in regards to Rodriguez’s tenure in Morgantown) but this is likely their best chance. If the Huskies can shore up their secondary and tackling in space issues look out; it shouldn’t be a surprise if Zach Frazer, Jordan Todman and company leave Ann Arbor 1-0.

Best game: Pittsburgh at Utah (September 2nd)

Danger game: Cincinnati at Fresno State (September 4th)
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BIG EAST FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL & AWARDS WATCHLIST

Pitt receives all but two first-place votes in pre-season media poll

By Raphielle Johnson

Tuesday morning marked the official release of the Big East preseason media poll, with Pittsburgh being the pick to win the conference. Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers, who lost their final two conference games a season ago to miss out on a BCS bid, picked up the first place vote on 22 of 24 ballots to separate themselves from two-time defending champ Cincinnati and West Virginia by 48 points. The Bearcats and Mountaineers both finished with 142 points, although Bill Stewart’s squad picked up one of the other two first place votes. Connecticut, who won their last four games to end 2009, picked up the other first place vote and finished fourth in the poll. Rutgers, who has won their last four bowl games, finished fifth by twenty points over USF and Syracuse finished one point ahead of Louisville for seventh.

1) Pittsburgh -190 points (22 first-place votes)
2) Cincinnati – 142 points
(tie) West Virginia – 142 points (one first-place vote)
4) Connecticut – 131 points (one first-place vote)
5) Rutgers – 99 points
6) South Florida – 79 points
7) Syracuse – 41 points
8] Louisville – 40 points

Can’t say that this is much of a surprise; on paper well before Tuesday’s release the Big East looked to be a league of three “tiers”: the top four with Pittsburgh leading the way, followed by a pair of teams in Rutgers and USF who have the ability to be positive surprises and the rebuilding projects at Syracuse and Louisville bringing up the rear. Personal pick for surprise team is USF; the Bulls have a lot more talent at the disposal of new head coach Skip Holtz and his staff than meets the eye. The biggest question in regards to personnel has to be Syracuse. What happens if they don’t have the services of either Delone Carter (led the team in rushing last season) or Averin Collier (slated to be the starter once Carter was dismissed from school)? You’d have to drop them behind Louisville, who has RB Victor Anderson back for his junior campaign (look for him to rebound from last season should he remain relatively healthy).

My picks:

Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Connecticut
USF
Rutgers
Louisville
Syracuse

Preseason Award Watch Lists

July marks the time of the year when the individual awards release their initial watch lists for the upcoming season, and a number of Big East players found themselves honored. Below are the players from member schools who are on these lists.

Nagurski Award: DE Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh), S Robert Sands (West Virginia), LB J.K. Schaeffer (Cincinnati), LB J.T. Thomas (West Virginia), LB Lawrence Wilson (Connecticut)

O’Brien Award: QB Zach Collaros (Cincinnati), Tom Savage (Rutgers)

Outland Trophy: G Art Forst (Rutgers), G Zach Hurd (Connecticut), T Jason Pinkston (Rutgers)

Thorpe Award: S Dom DeCicco (Pittsburgh), CB Brandon Hogan (West Virginia), CB Johnny Patrick (Louisville), S Robert Sands (West Virginia)

More awards watch lists will be released next week.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL SUMMER SCHOOL: SYRACUSE

Orange look to improve in Marrone’s 2nd year with nowhere to go but up

By Raphielle Johnson

The Greg Robinson era was defined by an offense that could get little done and a defense that by the end of the season was worn down from being on the field too much. The move from Robinson to SU alum and former New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone was met with enthusiasm, as many fans saw what he was able to do with the Saints attack as a sign of things to come in the Carrier Dome. However, there was no Drew Brees, Reggie Bush or Marques Colston in navy blue and orange as Syracuse struggled in picking up a new system, enjoying the occasional success in between bouts with inconsistency.

With eight starters gone from last year’s offense it may be back to the basics in a sense, although such a “fresh start” with guys who have a year under Marrone under their belts could end up being a good thing in the end. Ryan Nassib left spring drills as tops on the depth chart at quarterback, and playing in nine games last season should help the junior. No more Greg Paulus but Nassib will be challenged for reps by sophomore Charlie Loeb, who didn’t see the field in 2009. The Orange ranked fifth in the conference in both pass and pass efficiency offense last season, but the touchdown to interception ratio (16 TDs, 15 INT) needs to improve if the offense is to improve as a whole. A large part of that will be an experienced group of running backs who have yet to reach their full potential.

Antwon Bailey and Averin Collier ranked second and third on the team in rushing yards last season behind Delone Carter, who was dismissed from school following an off-field incident. Bailey and Collier are both talented enough to make things happen on the ground, and they could even receive help from Carter this season. There could be parameters in place in regards to what Carter will have to do in order to gain readmission into school, and should he meet said parameters he’ll be a welcome addition to the team. Carter rushed for 1,021 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2009, with his average of just over 85 yards/game ranking fourth in the Big East. Adam Harris and Shane Kimmel are experienced fullbacks who should be able to open up holes in the running game; neither touched the ball via carry or reception last year (starter Carl Cutler, who was injured in the spring, also returns).

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PHIL STEELE’S PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAMS

Phil Steele Releases All-Big East Teams

Daniels, Lewis lead the way for Big East talent in 2010

By Raphielle Johnson

CLEVELAND, OH – May 19, 2010 – Phil Steele sent his Phil Steele’s 2010 College Football Preview to the press. Enclosed is Phil’s preseason All-Big East Team as well as his All-American Team as it will appear in the Magazine, hitting newsstands June 8th.

Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is the nation’s most informative preseason football magazine and has always provided a preseason All-American team as well as preseason All-Conference teams. For more information or to obtain a copy of each of the All-Conference teams, please visit PhilSteele.com

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL APPROACHING CROSSROADS?

Expansion possibilities threaten league’s viability

By Raphielle Johnson

The company line following the BCS meetings in Phoenix last month was that the Big Ten Conference would wait until December to issue invites to possible expansion targets, staying on course instead of accelerating the process as rumored. That may have been thrown for a loop if the report put out by 810 WHB in Kansas City on Monday has any truth to it. According to the Kansas City-based ESPN affiliate the Big Ten will invite four institutions to join the league: Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers. Is there truth to the report or is it merely speculation from “sources” that could be wrong? That’s the question and the report was followed by denials from those intimately involved with the process.

All four schools issued denials on Monday and with an issue such as this it’s difficult to find the truth in the midst of so many rumors. But well before this day the Big East had a simple decision to make. Is the league proactive, making a move with the idea of beating the Big Ten to the punch and gaining a little leverage for itself? Or does the Big East go the reactive route, acting only after it knows what the Big Ten’s course of action will be? You can’t blame Big East loyalists who’ve had flashbacks to the ACC’s calling of three schools back in 2003-04 when it comes to the latter course of action.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL 2009 SEASON AWARDS

Big East Honors Announced with Panthers and Bearcats splitting major awards

By Raphielle Johnson

The Big East Conference announced its 2009 football awards on Wednesday afternoon and there were few surprises with the results. Brian Kelly, who in some circles is rumored to be headed to Notre Dame, was named the Big East Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. Kelly’s Cincinnati Bearcats finished the regular season 12-0 and will once again represent the league in the Bowl Championship Series, playing Florida in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Bearcats also saw Mardy Gilyard win the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year, the second consecutive award for the senior and third straight for the UC program (Kevin Huber in 2007).

As for the offensive and defensive honors those went to Pittsburgh, with freshman Dion Lewis winning both Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year. Lewis led the Big East in rushing and ranked in the top five nationally in rushing yards per game. Defensively Greg Romeus and Mick Williams shared the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award and as a team Pitt had ten players named to the league’s First Team All-Big East squad. Lastly the conference made late Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard the honorary captain. Howard was tragically lost in the early morning hours of October 18th after playing one of the best games of his career in a win over Louisville.

“As a family, we wanted to respectfully remember Jasper Howard and honor his memory,” said Big East commissioner John Marinatto in the conference’s release. “In naming him the Honorary Captain of the 2009 All-BIG EAST Team, we have memorialized his name in BIG EAST Conference history.”

2009 Big East Football Awards

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BIG EAST MONDAY MORNING QB: LOOKING BACK AT WEEK #13

by MICHAEL PINA

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

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

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

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CONNECTICUT – SYRACUSE FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Orange boast solid defense to challenge Huskies

By Raphielle Johnson

While the football series between Connecticut and Syracuse isn’t on the level of the basketball version in terms of vitriol there are still things to be gained in Saturday’s meeting (Noon on the Big East Network). The Huskies are looking for one more win to become bowl eligible (two wins would essentially guarantee them a bid) while the Orange will be staying home for the holidays.

Look for head coach Doug Marrone to sell his players on their season finale being their bowl game with Syracuse aiming to finish the season on a positive note. With both teams rejuvenated by recent victories this should be a game that doesn’t lack energy. Below is a quick scouting report on the Syracuse two-deep.

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