NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Big East Picks: An Irish Shufflehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-east-picks-an-irish-shuffle/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-east-picks-an-irish-shuffle/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-east-picks-an-irish-shuffle/#commentsFiled under:

Technically Notre Dame is a bowl partner with the Big East Conference and the Fighting Irish is a full-member of the Big East, except for football.

Yet, even with the Irish's ties to the Big East, when they play host to UConn Saturday there won't be one person affiliated with the league that will be rooting for the Irish -- well, except for, the entire city of Cincinnati.

Bearcats Nation will be pulling for Notre Dame to win so that ND coach Charlie Weis will not become former ND coach Charlie Weis. And, in turn, current Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly won't become future Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly.

Other than Cincinnati, the rest of the league will be pulling for the Huskies. The reason is if Notre Dame (6-4) wins at least seven games, by either defeating UConn Saturday or Stanford next week, the Irish is a virtual lock to take the Big East's spot in the Gator Bowl. That would shuffle the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh loser down to the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

So to improve the overall Big East bowl situation, the majority of the league will be rooting for the Huskies. In fact, the entire nation is probably pulling for the Huskies, who have suffered three excruciatingly close losses since the death of Jasper Howard.

In consecutive weeks, UConn lost to West Virginia 28-24, Rutgers 28-24 and Cincinnati 47-45 -- all games decided in the final minutes. The Huskies (4-5), who were off last week, are still in bowl contention, but must win at least two of their final three games vs. Notre Dame, Syracuse and USF.

The Huskies also hope to stretch the Big East's winning streak against Notre Dame to four consecutive wins.

While UConn has suffered three consecutive heartbreaking losses, the Irish also are familiar with close calls. Eight of Notre Dame's last nine games have been decided by seven points or less. This one will be another tight battle -- but this time the 6-point underdog Huskies pull off the upset sending mixed emotions throughout the league.

There's only two other games involving Big East teams this week.

Louisville at USF: On Thursday, Louisville restricted smoking to only designated outside areas on campus. Next year, the school will completely ban smoking on campus. This may appear insignificant news, but it is important for any individuals with a nicotine addiction who will be applying for the head coaching position. Steve Kragthorpe, of course, remains the Cards' coach as the 'Ville is coming off last week's 10-9 victory against Syracuse. It was the worst offensive game/best defensive game in Big East play in at least the past five years. USF is coming off only its second shutout loss in school history -- a 31-0 blanking at Rutgers. The Bulls have never lost to Louisville in Tampa and no matter how bad they looked against Rutgers, they're not going to start now. USF covers the 11½.

Rutgers at Syracuse: Will the last Syracuse player standing turn off the lights in the Carrier Dome? LB Derrell Smith, the Orange's leading tackler, suffered a knee injury at Louisville and the school announced he won't play in SU's final two games. Earlier this week, the Orange also announced that KR Mike Jones and LS/TE Dalton Jones suffered season-ending injuries as well at Louisville. In its last two losses against Pitt and Louisville, Syracuse has scored only 19 points. Ironically, 19 also is probably the number of remaining healthy Syracuse players. Meanwhile, Rutgers is on another patented late-season run under Coach Greg Schiano. There's no reason to think it won't continue Saturday. Rutgers covers the 9.

Last Week: 4-0 (straight up); 1-3 (against the spread)

Season: 48-9 (84.2 percent) (straight up); 21-25-1 (45.7 percent) (against the spread)

Contact FanHouse reporter Brett McMurphy at brettmcmurphy@gmail.com.

Big East Picks: An Irish Shuffle originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian kellycharlie weisgreg schianojasper howardBrett McMurphyFri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:00 EST Big East Rewind: Ready for the Big Finishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Pittsburgh fanAfter further review: Cincinnati and Pittsburgh remain on a collision course to determine the Big East championship and BCS bowl berth.

The Bearcats and Panthers experienced some anxious moments down the stretch, but both survived to move a step closer to delivering the Big East its first matchup of Top-10 ranked teams since 2006.

Cincinnati held off West Virginia, 24-21, and Pittsburgh outlasted Notre Dame 27-22 over the weekend. Did we mention both UC and Pitt were playing at home and benefited from two game-changing replay reversals?

And who says the SEC has the monopoly on all the controversial replay calls?

The No. 5 ranked Bearcats (10-0, 6-0 Big East) and No. 8 Panthers (9-1, 5-0) get a chance to catch their breath this weekend. West Virginia also is off this weekend, giving the Mountaineers time to reflect on their first two-game Big East losing streak since 2004 and watch Rich Rod against Ohio State.

Some things we may have figured out in the past week:

1. Chris Fowler isn't half as embarrassed as Jim Leavitt should be

During Rutgers' 31-0 seal-clubbing of South Florida on Thursday night, ESPN's Chris Fowler remarked he was embarrassed that he had voted for USF on his AP Top 25 ballot last week. (Hey Chris, I feel your pain: I had USF at No. 25 and I should really know better). When the Bulls joined the Big East in 2005, they were expected to compete for a league title: yet they've never finished higher than third (Syracuse is the only other league team without a top two finish). USF is 2-3 in league play and regressing. The Bulls' three Big East losses this year are by a combined 75 points and they're 4-8 in their last 12 Big East games. For a second consecutive year, the Bulls could be headed for a sixth-place finish. Perhaps, Fowler and I should have listened to SI.com's Stewart Mandel, when he wrote about USF's struggles last year: "I fell for the myth that Jim Leavitt's built-from-scratch program had established itself as a nationally relevant program."

2. Is the gig up for Cincinnati?

Another team has discovered Cincinnati's kryptonite that might eventually cost the Bearcats an undefeated season. West Virginia became the third team this season to crack the 200-yard rushing mark against the Bearcats and, not so coincidentally, the third team to hang within a touchdown of Cincinnati. The Bearcats allowed more than 200 yards rushing in close wins against Fresno State (28-20), UConn (47-45) and West Virginia (24-21). In their other seven victories, they allowed an average of 91 yards rushing and had an average winning margin of 28.9 points.

3. The 'R' on the helmet stands for red-hot

Whatever Greg Schiano is doing with his Rutgers teams in the second half of the past four seasons, he should bottle it and sell it -- or try doing the same thing in the first half of the season. Once again, the Scarlet Knights are heating up in the second half of the year. Since 2006, Rutgers' combined record - not including games against FCS opponents -- in the first six games of the year is 10-9. In the same span in the second half of the year, the Scarlet Knights are 19-5. Last year, Rutgers ended the year on a 7-0 run and after Thursday's dismantling of USF, the Scarlet Knights have won their last three games.

Re-Tweeting Week 11

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Bad news is the close wins don't impress pollsters. Good news is the 'Cats are now experts at recovering onside kicks
2. Pitt: Nation's only team with a RB (Dion Lewis) and QB (Bill Stull) ranked among the nation's top six in rushing and pass efficiency
3. Rutgers: QB Tom Savage gets all the credit, but the Big East's top-rated defense has been the key to Rutgers' recent resurgence
4. West Virginia: Unless the Mountaineers defeat both Pitt and Rutgers, WVU will finish with its most Big East losses since 2001 team went 1-6
5. UConn: Huskies hoping to extend the Big East's winning streak against Notre Dame to four games
6. South Florida: In five seasons in Big East play, the Bulls are 16-17 and have never finished better than 4-3
7. Louisville: The Cards like 'em close. UL's three wins against FBS teams this season are by a combined 11 points
8. Syracuse: Just like Greg Robinson, Doug Marrone appears headed toward a 0-7 Big East record in his debut season

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Big East Rewind: Ready for the Big Finish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 16 Nov 2009 17:19:00 EST Cincinnati Is First to 10 Winshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/cincinnati-is-the-first-team-to-10-0/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/cincinnati-is-the-first-team-to-10-0/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/cincinnati-is-the-first-team-to-10-0/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tony PikeCINCINNATI -- The talk all week in Cincinnati -- no make that for the past few weeks -- was when would Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike return? And, if so, would he start?

Friday against West Virginia, Pike finally saw his first action in 29 days and even threw two touchdowns, but he was merely a footnote. The real story for the Bearcats was running back Isaiah Pead, who rushed for a career-high 175 yards as the fifth-ranked Bearcats did just enough to get past the Mountaineers 24-21.

With the victory, Cincinnati became the nation's first team to get to 10-0 this season, but it was anything but a perfect 10. Playing on Friday the 13th, there were a lot of strange occurrences for the Bearcats, including trailing in a game for the first time in 24 quarters and losing a fumble for the first time this season.

The Bearcats also dropped a sure touchdown pass and missed a chip shot field goal.

"All we need to know is that we came out with a win and at the end of the day that's all that matters," Cincinnati senior linebacker Andre Revels said.

After scoring on its first possession, Cincinnati's Adrien Robinson lost a fumble on UC's next possession. It was the first lost fumble this season -- ending a streak of 597 consecutive offensive plays this year without a fumble.

"We definitely shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times in the first half," said Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros, who threw his second interception of the season. "We would come back to the sideline and say they aren't stopping us. ... We were really clicking and just shot ourselves in the foot."

"If we do what we're supposed to do, we will have beaten five Top 25 teams. If (we're not ranked higher), I think the BCS will have to reexamine the way this is set up.''
- Cincinnati coach
Brian Kelly Midway through the second quarter, West Virginia fullback Ryan Clarke rumbled 37 yards for a touchdown, giving WVU a 14-7 lead with 8:05 remaining before halftime. It marked the first time since the first quarter at Oregon State on Sept. 19 the Bearcats had trailed.

However, they didn't trail for long -- two minutes and 31 seconds to be exact.

The Bearcats answered with a tying score on Pead's 2-yard touchdown run at 5:26 before the half. The officials initially ruled Pead fumbled when he was stretching the football across the goal line, but after an instant replay review, the officials changed the call to a touchdown.

Needless to say the reversal was a relief for Pead.

"I went from zero to hero," Pead said.

In the second half, the Bearcats turned to their defense and the running of Pead to defeat the Mountaineers for the first time in eight games at Nippert Stadium.

With UC leading 21-14, Pead raced for 43 yards to set up a Jake Rogers' field goal with 2:08 remaining that sealed the victory.

"(Starting running back) Jake (Jacob Ramsey) went down (with a sprained foot)," Pead said. "Next man in as the slogan goes.

"I haven't seen (a career-high 18 carries) since my last game in high school. With Jake and I splitting time, they said I would get a majority of the series. I wasn't expecting to get the ball that many times. That's pretty nice (10 yards a carry)."

Pike, who injured his left forearm on Oct. 15 at South Florida and had surgery on it a couple weeks ago, made his first appearance with 10:08 remaining in the opening quarter after Collaros had driven the Bearcats to the 10.

Pike and Collaros both said they had no idea Pike would go into the game in that situation.

"When we got to the red zone, (Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly) said, 'Pike'," Pike said. "I thought he was going to talk to me about a play, but he wanted me to go in. Going into the game, he said he wanted me to get in. I didn't know if it would be a series or a special play."

Pike's first pass was a 10-yard touchdown to Armon Bines. Pike didn't return to the game until UC's opening possession of the third quarter. Again, after Collaros drove the Bearcats down to WVU's 6, Pike entered the contest.

After two incompletions, Pike hit DJ Woods for a 6-yard touchdown on third-and-goal, giving the Bearcats a 21-14 lead.

"We felt like we wanted to minimize his risk," Kelly said. "We knew we would get a lot more bracket coverage. Tony can fit it in. He can see it a little bit better than Zach. It just worked out really well.

"It really was what we worked on all week. We scripted it out all week and he delivered for us."

Pike said he was excited to get back in a game. He is expected to see much more substantial playing time in two weeks against Illinois.

"You couldn't ask for anything better," Pike said. "The great ovation the crowd gave me and you couldn't write a better script. It just tells you the confidence Coach Kelly has in us. With Zach rolling and leading the team, there is no pressure. To get back out there to help the team means a lot.

"It has definitely been fun watching how Zach plays. He has been pretty amazing. The other part is it is your senior year and you want to play. It is good to stand around our guys and help them on the field."

The Bearcats have a week off before closing the season at home against Illinois on Nov. 27 and at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5 in a game that will determine the Big East championship.

Kelly said he's not worried where the Bearcats are slotted in the national polls, but admitted he does keep an eye on where Cincinnati is ranked compared to non-BCS schools TCU and Boise State.

"I really don't care about those other (undefeated) teams," he said. "Look, we know about Florida, we know about Alabama, we know about Texas. If I'm ever sitting down and reading the paper or trying to get some information, I want to know about TCU and Boise."

Earlier this week, Kelly was asked what his thoughts were if an unbeaten TCU or Boise State finished ranked above an unbeaten Cincinnati.

"If we do what we're supposed to do, we will have beaten five Top 25 teams," Kelly said. "If (we're not ranked higher), I think the BCS will have to reexamine the way this is set up. As part of a BCS conference, you'll then have to put more of the strength of schedule as part of the criteria.

"Clearly, Boise State has played one football team all year that has that type of recognition and TCU has some good wins, but they don't play in the Big East and play the caliber of opponents we play. That's just my take on it."
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Cincinnati Is First to 10 Wins originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian kellytony pikezach collarosBrett McMurphySat, 14 Nov 2009 01:03:00 EST Cincinnati Will Scale Mountaineershttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/cincinnati-will-scale-mountaineers/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/cincinnati-will-scale-mountaineers/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/cincinnati-will-scale-mountaineers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zach CollarosCINCINNATI -- Since the Big East Conference was reconfigured in 2005, West Virginia has been the league's bell cow. The Mountaineers have won or shared two of the four league titles.

Entering this season, West Virginia's 22-6 record in Big East play was a whopping five games better than the next best league team. Nobody had done it better -- or even came close.

But times, they are a changin'.

It started last season with Cincinnati winning its first league title and the Bearcats are on pace for a second consecutive title this season.

Friday, West Virginia visits Cincinnati and the national television audience can watch how these programs are heading in different directions.

In their last five games, the Mountaineers' once-vaunted running game is averaging 160 yards rushing. By comparison, Cincinnati is averaging 179 yards rushing in the same span.

And there isn't a hotter quarterback in the country than Cincinnati's Zach Collaros. Also, Tony Pike should play against a West Virginia pass defense that is the league's third-worst.

Yet there are subtle concerns for the Bearcats. Last week, Cincinnati's defense was shredded for 45 points by UConn. Now, the Bearcats face a team that has dominated them; West Virginia owns a 14-2-1 advantage against the Bearcats and has never lost in Cincinnati. Yet the Mountaineers are still nine-point underdogs?

It seems the folks in Vegas are begging you to take WVU and the points. No thanks, I'll take the much better Bearcats, who romp over the Mountaineers and cover.

With Thursday night's Rutgers rout of South Florida, I've now hit nine of my last 13 against the spread, including last week's perfect 3-0 record, as I threaten to -- gasp -- climb above .500.

On to the remaining games:

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh: Cincinnati fans will be rooting for Notre Dame. It's not that they want a fellow Big East member to lose, it's just they're scared to death of the Brian Kelly to Notre Dame rumors. And another loss by Charlie Weis certainly won't quiet the speculation. Sorry Cincinnati fans -- and sorry, Charlie -- the Panthers remain on a roll offensively and defensively and cover the 6 1/2 points.

Syracuse at Louisville: The Basement Bowl. The Big East's version of the Repus Bowl (that's Super Bowl backwards). Call it whatever you wish, but it's Syracuse and Louisville: a tremendous matchup in basketball, but a loser-is-in-last-place matchup in football. This week, Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe admitted that UL fans don't like him, but asked the fans to still come out and support the players. If Kragthorpe can stop a two-game slide against the depleted Orange, they might like him a little bit more. Nah, you're right, they probably won't, but UL wins and covers the 7 1/2.

About Last Night: Another easy Thursday night winner. On my Twitter page Thursday I posted: "Tonight, Rutgers' home field & Tim Brown too much for USF, playing w/out WR Carlton Mitchell."

Last Week: 3-0 (straight up); 3-0 (against the spread)

Season: 44-9 (83 percent) (straight up); 20-22-1 (47.6 percent) (against the spread)

Cincinnati Will Scale Mountaineers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyFri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Panthers Roaring in Old-School Offensehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Dave WannstedtFanHouse Big East writer Brett McMurphy empties his reporter's pad every week with the latest news from the league in the Big East Notebook.

While the majority of college football programs are utilizing the spread offense, Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt proudly admits his club's offensive philosophy has gone the way of the dinosaur.

So far, so good for Tyrannosaurus Dave and his Panthers. Forget extinction, the Panthers are thriving in their prehistoric offense.

The Panthers are 8-1, lead the Big East in rushing (187 yards per game) and second in the Big East and 16th nationally in scoring offense (34.56 points per game).

"I think there are a lot of different ways to win," Wannstedt said. "Right now everybody's in the spread offense. We're probably one of the dinosaurs left that are lining up with a fullback and a tailback and trying to pound people and play-action pass.

"But that's what I believe in. And the Super Bowls and national championships I've been associated with, that's what we did. You have to go with what you know and what you believe."

Believe this: much maligned quarterback Bill Stull is having a tremendous senior season (he ranks fifth nationally in passing efficiency with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions) and Dion Lewis is the nation's top true freshman running back.

Lewis leads the Big East and is seventh nationally, averaging 126.6 yards rushing per game. His 12 rushing touchdowns also are a Big East best.

Steve Kragthorpe: The Anti-Sally Field

"You don't like me, you really don't like me." Those weren't Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe's exact words earlier this week, but he basically admitted as much on Monday morning during the Big East's conference call and later that day during his weekly Louisville press conference.

"I know there are people that don't like me and they don't like the way I do things," Kragthorpe said. "That's fine. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. If they don't want to come and support me, that's fine. But they need to come support these players."

The Cardinals (3-6, 0-4 Big East) play host to Syracuse (3-6, 0-4) in a battle of the Big East basement Saturday. The loser likely locks up last place, while the winner can still get bowl eligible by winning out.

The Cardinals have lost nine consecutive Big East games with a pair of eight-point losses the only defeats by less than 10 points. The Cardinals' nine-game Big East losing streak matches the number of losses in four years under former coach Bobby Petrino (41-9). That and apathy toward Kragthorpe likely will attract more empty seats than fans at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

In Louisville's last home game on Halloween against Arkansas State, the Cardinals drew a stadium record low 21,497.
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Syracuse Struggling to the Finish

There has been only two types of news coming out of Syracuse's program the past two weeks: bad and worse.

On Monday, it was more of the same as the school announced that senior nose tackle Arthur Jones and junior offensive tackle Jonathan Meldrum suffered season-ending knee injuries Saturday against Pittsburgh.

In the 37-13 loss at Pittsburgh, the Orange only traveled 55 scholarship players, due to injuries, suspensions, illness, defections, plague, locusts ... you get the idea. Despite the tough times for first-year coach Doug Marrone, he said there's no other place he'd rather be than coaching his alma mater.

Just last season, Marrone was offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and if he stayed, he would be in the midst of an undefeated season and possible Super Bowl run. Instead, he's 3-6 and winless in Big East play.

"I'm so thrilled for them [the Saints]," Marrone said. "But if I was [still] at the Saints, I would have wished I was here [at Syracuse]."

Big East Title Game Look Ahead

Cincinnati doesn't visit Pittsburgh for another 23 days - in case anyone is counting - but if you can't wait to start breaking down the defacto Big East title game, here's one way: the ever-popular score comparison.

Both the Bearcats and Panthers have defeated the same five Big East opponents - UConn, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida and Syracuse.

Cincinnati's average score was 39.4-18.8, while Pittsburgh's was 32.2-14.4. The Bearcats have a slightly better margin of victory: 20.6 compared to Pitt's 17.8

Around he League

Concerned that South Florida freshman QB B.J. Daniels might get banged up running the football, he worked with the school's softball coach, Ken Eriksen, on getting tips on how to slide. "I didn't want this to get out but [offensive coordinator Mike] Canales has actually talked to [Eriksen] and he's trying to help me out with my sliding," said Daniels, who hasn't played baseball since his sophomore year of high school. ... Rutgers recently announced it would play Army next season at the new Meadowlands Stadium. The Scarlet Knights will earn a hefty $2.5-$2.7 million payday. ... With Notre Dame all but locked into the Gator Bowl and taking one of the Big East's bowl games, UConn (4-5) likely must win its final three games to receive a bowl bid. A 6-6 record likely wouldn't earn the Huskies a Big East bowl this season. A shame, considering everything the Huskies have gone through this season.

Panthers Roaring in Old-School Offense originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyThu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Big East Rewind: Favorites Fading?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and West Virginia won as expected last week, but it wasn't quite as easy as the experts predicted.

All three clubs were heavy favorites between 17 and 21 points, yet only Pittsburgh won easily. PItt was the only one of the trio that didn't almost lose. The Panthers disposed of depleted Syracuse 37-10, but Cincinnati and West Virginia had a lot more difficulty.

The Bearcats outlasted a resilient UConn club 47-45, while the Mountaineers held off Louisville 17-9.

Last week's results shows that the league remains divided into three tiers: the best (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh), the worst (Louisville, Syracuse) and everyone else (South Florida, West Virginia, UConn and Rutgers).

While the top and the bottom of the league is pretty well set, it should be interesting to see how the middle four teams shake out in the next few weeks. It will start Thursday when USF visits Rutgers.

Unfortunately, we have to wait another four weeks for the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh contest.

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. What do you know, the Big East ain't so bad after all

After starting the season with no teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Big East has half of its league in the BCS Top 25 rankings. That's even one more than the mighty SEC. Cincinnati is No. 5, but needs some help to get a shot at the BCS title game, while Pittsburgh is No. 12, South Florida No. 24 and West Virginia No. 25.

2. Syracuse will be the Big East's most improved team - in 2010

They have to be, right? There will be nowhere to go but up for the Orange. The latest debacle was Saturday's 37-10 loss at Pittsburgh. In the Orange's four Big East losses, they have not come closer than two touchdowns. Last week, they had three players suspended and a fourth - star WR Mike Williams - quit the team. Saturday, they lost starting SS Max Suter and TE Cody Catalina to season-ending injuries and they only took 55 scholarship players to Pitt.

3. Where did the O go for the "Muntaineers"?

In West Virginia's last two games, the Mountaineers have been held to 19 points in a loss at South Florida and 17 points in a win against Louisville. The significance is it marked the third time in 22 games under Coach Bill Stewart the Mountaineers had scored 20 or fewer points in consecutive games. By comparison, WVU only had back-to-back games with 20 points or less three times in the last 76 games of former Coach Rich Rodriguez's tenure at West Virginia.
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4. Are there chinks showing in Cincinnati's armor?

In Cincinnati's 9-0 start, the Bearcats' offense - whether Tony Pike or Zach Collaros played quarterback - has been absolutely dynamite. However, it does appear the blueprint for at least keeping it close against UC is out there. Fresno State, in a 28-20 loss to UC, rushed for 290 yards. UConn rushed for 201 in Saturday's two-point loss. Those are the only two games this season the Bearcats have allowed more than 200 yards rushing - and not coincidentally the only two games they have not won by double figures.

Re-Tweeting Week 10

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: The Zach Pack is growing. UConn the latest to believe that Cincinnati is better off with Collaros at QB
2. Pittsburgh: Since ending West Virginia's 2007 national title hopes, the Panthers have won 18 of their past 23 contests
3. South Florida: The not-ready-for-prime-time Bulls visit Rutgers hoping to end an 0-5 streak in ESPN Thursday night games
4. West Virginia: The Mountaineers have been outgained in their past three games, but still managed to win two of them
5. Rutgers: Freshman Tom Savage makes his first start vs. USF, looking to extend Scarlet Knights' three-game winning streak vs. the Bulls
6. UConn: The Huskies' perseverance is amazing, but they have lost their last three games by a total of 10 points
7. Louisville: Coming close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and my Big East rankings. UL moves up one spot after hanging at WVU
8. Syracuse: The Orange and Cardinals will settle this once and for all Saturday: who is the league's worst team?

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Big East Rewind: Favorites Fading? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Zach Collaros Is Right Choice for Cincyhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/collaros-is-the-right-choice-right-now-for-cincy/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/collaros-is-the-right-choice-right-now-for-cincy/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/collaros-is-the-right-choice-right-now-for-cincy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zach CollarosCINCINNATI -- Cincinnati senior Tony Pike is rated as the third-best NFL quarterback prospect by NFLDraftScout.com. He likely will make a fine NFL quarterback one day.

Yet, the No. 4-ranked Bearcats are better off without him.

Last season, Pike led the Bearcats to their first Big East title. This year, he led Cincinnati to a 5-0 start before he re-injured his left (non-throwing) arm - the arm he broke last season.

Pike, who had missed the past 2½ games, was cleared to play Saturday against UConn, but he never left the bench. He should stay there the rest of the season.

That's because sophomore Zach Collaros is smokin' hot.

In Saturday's 47-45 victory against UConn, Collaros threw for 480 yards, completing 29-of-37 with one touchdown. He also rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns. His 555 yards of total offense - in only his third collegiate start - broke Cincinnati's 41-year old school record and also was the most in Big East history.

In Collaros' three starts, he has completed a ridiculous 80.5 percent (66-of-82) for 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns.

"I don't think I should start," a humble Collaros told FanHouse. "Tony's my guy. We've played really well as of late, but there's no reason to think we couldn't have done the same thing with Tony.

"Tony's our guy. Tony's the starter. He's a great quarterback and he's our leader. Whenever he's ready to go he should start."

That's admirable of Collaros to say, but he's nuts.

Pike supposedly was ready to play Saturday. Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said Pike had been cleared to play, but Collaros got the start. He never gave Kelly the opportunity to take him out of the game.

The Bearcats (9-0, 5-0 Big East) rung up 711 yards of total offense, the second-most in Big East history. Collaros' 480 yards passing were the fourth most in Big East history.
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Last week, Kelly said when Pike was healthy he would return as Cincinnati's starter. He said before Saturday's game he had intended to get Pike in the game against UConn. But faster than you can say Wally Pipp, Kelly is now having second thoughts. And he should.

Kelly said Pike will not automatically start Friday against West Virginia, but instead Kelly will evaluate both quarterbacks this week in practice to determine the starter.

"He's made it hard," Kelly said of Collaros.

"I've changed my mind, based on the way he's played the last three games. I think I have to reconsider my decision [to automatically start Pike]."

UConn (4-5, 1-4) came into the game allowing only 323 total yards a game. By halftime, Collaros had already thrown for 333 yards.

A couple of weeks ago, Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard remarked that Collaros added "spice" to the Bearcats' offense. Saturday's display was extra spicy.

"Zach went for, who knows, five million yards or something like that, whatever it was," Gilyard said. "Zach had an excellent day. We have a quarterback that can throw or run. We have so many weapons. It makes it hard for a defense to defend."

Collaros said Saturday's game was "an amazing feeling."

"It's an amazing feeling to be out there when our offense is clicking like that," Collaros said. "It's really a lot of fun. We have a very good offensive scheme.

"You've got to take something away. If you take away the run, it's just pitch and catch out there. One on one matchups, we execute that pretty well."

Two weeks ago after Collaros carved up Louisville for 305 yards of offense, completing 15 for 17, Cardinals coach Steve Kragthorpe said he actually would have preferred to have faced Pike.

"To be honest with you, I was hoping Tony would play today because I knew they would be one-dimensional and I knew they would throw it," said Kragthorpe after UL's 41-10 loss on Oct. 24. "I really felt that if Tony played, even if he hadn't been hurt, it would've been a lot better matchup for us. They're a little more one-dimensional with Tony in there."

The initial reaction to Kragthorpe's quote was "huh?" However, it turns out Kragthorpe knew exactly what he was talking about.

UConn coach Randy Edsall was asked if Cincinnati is better with Collaros instead of Pike.

"I really couldn't make that determination because Tony didn't play," Edsall said. "I just know Zach made a lot of good plays. His athleticism is something that helps their offense out quite a bit.



"I think Brian is going to have a very difficult decision to make as to who he's going to play at quarterback when Tony comes back. That's his worry, not mine."

With Pike in there, defenses have to worry about his big-time arm, but don't have to worry about Pike running. Pike can make any throw on the field and that's why he's coveted by the NFL folks.

But with Collaros in there, defenses have to worry about Collaros' running, elusiveness, and, yes, his pinpoint accuracy. They have to worry about his running and passing ability. Collaros is averaging 6.5 yards per carry, while Pike has maybe three runs longer than six yards all season.

Collaros or Pike? Pike or Collaros? Even die-hard Pike fans aren't sure what to think anymore.

One such fan was visiting the Nippert Stadium press box at halftime. The fan was wearing Pike's black No. 15 jersey under a flamboyant red jacket with stars on both sleeves. I asked him if Pike should regain his starting position.

Peering through his sun glasses, Cincinnati's best known funkster Bootsy Collins said he's not sure and admitted Kelly has "a dilemma."

"It's like they say," Collins said. "If it ain't broke, don't break it."

I couldn't have said it better.

Zach Collaros Is Right Choice for Cincy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian kellytony pikezach collarosBrett McMurphySun, 08 Nov 2009 01:33:00 EST Big East Picks: Tough Week for Orangehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/big-east-picks-tough-week-for-orange/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/big-east-picks-tough-week-for-orange/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/06/big-east-picks-tough-week-for-orange/#commentsFiled under:

Each Friday, FanHouse's Brett McMurphy will preview the Big East and make his weekly predictions.

So how was your week? Much better than Syracuse's, I hope.

Let's quickly recap the past few days for Syracuse.

Saturday afternoon, the Orange lost to Cincinnati 28-7 as the home crowd booed quarterback Greg Paulus.

Sunday morning at 5:30, four players, including star wide receiver Mike Williams, were involved in a car accident.

Monday, Williams quit the team and the other three players were suspended. That day in an emotional press conference, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, fighting back tears, defends Paulus. The school announces that defensive end Jarred Kimmel will undergo season-ending knee surgery.

Also, the Syracuse Post-Standard reports that cornerback JohnMark Henderson left the team. Henderson was the 21st player to leave the team since Marrone was hired in December.

And then things really got interesting.

Larry Elin, an associate professor at Syracuse, E-mailed the Post-Standard calling Syracuse fans "boorish" and "boobs."

Here's part of Elin's e-mail:

"Can I say something that's obvious to me, and anybody who has ever been a fan elsewhere for another team?

"Orange fans -- not all of them, but the loud ones -- are boorish. I've lived in NYC, LA, San Diego, Denver, Ann Arbor, and now here. I was a fan of USC, UCLA, San Diego Padres, Chargers, Denver Broncos and Nuggets, Colorado Buffalo, and the Big Blue at Michigan. The only place I've ever heard the home crowd boo an opposing team when it entered the stadium is here.

"At other stadiums, they actually politely applaud the opponent, and then watch as their team dismantles them on the field. Here, it's the opposite. After our boobs boo, they pound down beers during the National Anthem, boo the home team if it's losing, stock up on beer at halftime, and leave with four minutes left in the third quarter. I can't stand going to the games because of the fans, not because the team is on a losing streak. I don't want to live next to people like that, why would I want to sit right next to them for three hours?"

Syracuse might be headed for another losing season, but according to Elin, at last beer sales are steady.

Poor Marrone. If he had stayed with the New Orleans Saints, where he was offensive coordinator last season, his biggest worry right now would be if his Saints were ever going to lose a game. Instead, he's now wondering if he'll ever win another game this season - yes, I know Louisville is up next week.

Player defections, his star WR quits, car accidents, his own fans booing the team, a school professor blasting the fans in the local newspaper: Can it get any worse for Marrone?

Actually, yes. The Orange visits smokin' hot Pittsburgh Saturday. Pitt's offense and defense is on a major roll. The Panthers lead the nation in sacks, which doesn't bode well for Paulus. Hopefully SU's offensive line can defend Paulus as well as Marrone.

The chances that Team Turmoil beats Pitt are about as likely as Syracuse's nationally-ranked men's basketball team losing to a Division II team. Oops, bad analogy. Still, Pitt covers the three TDs.
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UConn at Cincinnati: The Huskies have experienced more adversity on and off the field than any team in the country this season. After the tragic death of Jasper Howard, UConn has lost in the past two weeks in the final minutes (against West Virginia) and seconds (against Rutgers). Now, they venture to Cincinnati, where starting QB Tony Pike is expected to return for the first time since injuring his left arm on Oct. 15. Cincinnati also is seeking revenge from last year's 40-16 loss to the Huskies. It would be understandable if the Huskies were emotionally zapped after the past few weeks, but don't underestimate the Huskies. Cincinnati remains undefeated, but UConn keeps it within 17.

Louisville at West Virginia: These days, Cardinals fans are reduced to reminiscing about the good old days when playing West Virginia actually meant something. Like in 2006 when No. 5 Louisville beat No. 3 West Virginia on its way to the Big East title. Back to the reality: UL has lost eight consecutive Big East games and visits the Mountaineers, who have had eight days to stew over another loss to South Florida. Earlier this week, Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe was in a jovial mood, joking about Jon Gruden, rumored to be the No. 1 candidate to replace Kragthorpe. I don't recall Sean Penn cracking jokes with Susan Sarandon "In Dead Man Walking," but maybe Kragthorpe believes laughter really is the best medicine. Don't laugh: the Cards hang within the 19½ as the Mountaineers peek ahead to next week's game with Cincinnati.

Last Week: 2-2 (straight up); 2-2 (against the spread)
Season: 41-9 (82 percent) (straight up); 17-22-1 (43.6 percent) (against the spread)

Big East Picks: Tough Week for Orange originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>greg paulusGregPaulusjasper howardJasperHowardBrett McMurphyFri, 06 Nov 2009 21:30:00 EST Big East Commish: Old Bowl System Preferable to Playoffhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

John MarrinattoTAMPA, Fla. -- The demand for a college football playoff could break up the BCS after the 2013 season, but instead of adding a playoff, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) would likely just revert back to the old bowl system, Big East commissioner John Marinatto told FanHouse.

"It [the BCS] is such an entity where there's so many diverse things that come together that make it work," Marinatto said. "I don't know if all that will continue to go on the way it is. If they're pressured to create a playoff, they would simply go back to what the system used to be like and have it as an at-large, free-for-all where people can go [to whichever bowl] they want.

"I don't think the pressure would cause people to create a playoff. I think it would cause them to go back to where we used to be [before the BCS]."

Marinatto also told FanHouse that the Big East has "no intention" of adding a ninth-football member. However, if the Big East was approached by another school that would "add value," the conference would be receptive to adding another member even it grew the basketball league to 17 teams. Marinatto stressed it would not "raid" another league to add a ninth-football member.

Also in Marinatto's interview with FanHouse, he said the BCS wants the coaches to make their ballots public after next season. He said he's optimistic they will and the coaches' poll will remain a part of the BCS formula. Marinatto also said it's possible a one-loss team could get selected over undefeated Cincinnati for a spot in the BCS title game and why the Big East's Yankee Bowl will be a success -- no matter how cold the weather might be in New York in late December/early January.

When will you add a ninth football member?
There is no intention of adding a ninth member at this point. There hasn't even been a discussion.

Do you want a ninth football member?
I understand the reasons why people feel like we could or should have a ninth member and it's primarily for scheduling. Again, we've had this discussion in the room the last five years since we expanded to 16 [schools]. It always comes down to: we'll take a ninth member if that member brings value to the membership.

Even if that means increasing the basketball membership to 17 schools?
Even if that means going to 17. We're structured in such a way that we've provided for that in our bylaws. If a ninth member of value became available tomorrow, we'd expand and go to 17.
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Would you pursue a ninth football member?
Will we raid someone to do it? No. It's not our intention to raid someone to accomplish what we want to accomplish. If under the right set of circumstances ... where someone might be disenfranchised and look for a new home. And if that school brought value, then we would be amenable. The world could change. The costs of travel could become such that an Eastern school that's now in a non-Eastern quote-unquote conference might want to look [and think] 'it makes more sense to be in the Big East.' There could be a shifting around. In that scenario, we would go to 17.

But we're not going to go out there and try and raid someone. That's not our intention.

Do you believe the BCS will continue to exist after the 2013 season?
The contract with ESPN is through [the end of the 2013 season]. There's so much resistance, or seemingly vocal resistance [to the BCS]. It's such an entity where there's so many diverse things that come together that make it work. I don't know if all that will continue to go on the way it is.

If they're pressured to create a playoff, they would simply go back to what the system used to be like and have it as an at-large, free-for-all where people can go to [to whichever bowl] they want. I don't think the pressure would cause people to create a playoff. I think it would cause them to go back to where we used to be.

We like the current system for a lot of reasons. It brings (the) regular season value because of the number of bowls that are available that provide so many students with the experience of being to a bowl game and that's a valuable thing.

The theory is if a playoff is created, the most you could do would be an eight-team playoff and those eight teams are going to be the ones that get to experience a post-season bowl. Whereas today you have probably 68 schools that get that experience, half of them walking away feeling good and winning. From a student-athlete's standpoint, we think the current structure allows for a better overall experience for more student-athletes. And that's really what, in the world of football, it's about: going to a bowl and experiencing that post-season experience.

In the Bowl Subdivision, people really cherish the post-season experiences. Whether it's the Rose Bowl or one of the lower level bowls, to get to a bowl is considered a positive experience. People around our table don't want to lose that.

Is there any scenario in which a one-loss team could be selected over a 12-0 Cincinnati team to play in the BCS title game?
I don't know until it unfolds. There are inherent flaws in the BCS system, it's not perfect. Injustice is possible. It's an attempt simply to get the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country identified to play each other. Over the years there have been injustices and we know it's not a perfect system. To answer your question, it could happen. It would be hard to see how it could happen, but again, the system is not perfect.

Should the coaches' ballots remain public and if they are not public, would the coaches' poll no longer be a part of the BCS formula?
Yes, transparency is important in a lot of things, but particularly in this at this point. We've talked about this around the room. We think chances are better that it [the coaches' poll] becomes transparent [than dropping the coaches poll from the BCS formula]. I think they understand at some level that it's important. Transparency is important for credibility. Hopefully that will happen; we'll see.

There clearly is a desire on the part of the commissioners around the country to have it transparent. We all feel that's important for a number of reasons, including credibility. I understand the logic of not publishing [the ballots] because of the pressure within certain conferences to help their own schools and a lot of other reasons, friendships and what not. But the reasons for making it transparent are more compelling than the reasons for keeping it secret.

The final [ballot] is the most important one. I would prefer that [all ballots through the season were public] but I don't know if that's a deal-breaker. The most important one is the final one.

Temple was kicked out of the Big East after the 2001-02 school year ...
My understanding, the group [Big East] created standards that they wanted everyone to adhere to and Temple wasn't able to meet the standards. [Marinatto was not with the Big East when the decision was made]

Could the same thing happen to another Big East school for not being competitive enough?
We have standards. In 2000, we created a strategic plan. Within our strategic plan were three elements.

One of the elements is referred to as the program standards for all of our team sports, a minimum number of scholarships you must commit; you also have to meet a certain percentage of the commitment for coaches and a facilities requirement.

When we expanded in 2003, we re-wrote the constitution and bylaws and created the contracts with the five new schools [Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida]; an exhibit to the agreement was the strategic plan. We told everyone these are the standards we created, you have to adhere to these if you want to join and make the commitment that you're going to commit to the standards, so it's built into the contracts. It's an overall commitment to excellence. They are not competitive standards.

How close was the league to restructuring the men's basketball tournament and eliminating byes for the top eight seeds?
The way it happened, at our summer meetings, several of our coaches raised the concept of changing the format of the tournament. What I said to them was we've really not talked about this. When we expanded the tournament to 16 [teams], the current structure was the only one they could accept and go to 16 because it protected the best teams.

At the meeting this year, there was a reversal of opinion [because] on the women's side, three of the top four seeds lost, and on the men's side, two of the top four lost [their opening game]. I said to them this is all new.

I had [men's basketball associate commissioner] Danny Gavitt do an analysis. Does it require more class days, etc. Basically it was a neutral effect on all of those things. We could have changed the format. Several of the coaches in the room who were advocating for it, upon reflection, weren't as excited about doing it any longer. I've said we've only done it [this way] for one year, let's just table the idea for a year and if we feel that way next year we can revisit it. For the time being let's keep it the way it is.

I decided to keep it the way it was for another year at which point and time, we'll reevaluate to whether we want to make a change.

Are you in favor of all 16 teams playing in the Big East Tournament or would you rather it be limited to only the top 12 teams?
A year ago, I would have said no [to all 16]. But it seemed to work from a crowd standpoint. We had such good crowds last year. Now ESPN is televising the first day [the first-round wasn't televised last year]. We've got ESPN2 for the first session, ESPNU for the second session. We were afraid we would devalue our tournament by going to 16 and diluting it. That didn't happen last year, so let's see again what happens this year.

The BCS is considering hiring a full-time BCS coordinator. Is former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese the obvious choice?
We've been talking about [having a coordinator] for a while. People [BCS league commissioners] who are sitting in the chair as the [BCS] coordinator often times feel conflicted wearing two hats because they have a built-in conflict of interest.

We've been talking about how we could potentially eliminate that perception because that person acts as the coordinator and also acts as the spokesperson. Within their own conference when you're the [BCS] coordinator, your own people [from your conference], you're not representing because you're representing the whole group.

We haven't resolved the fact we want to hire an executive director. We're talking about the idea. We haven't identified names. We haven't determined titles. We're not sure what the best scenario is to follow primarily to avoid that perceived conflict of interest.

You took over for Tranghese on July 1 as Big East commissioner. How have your first 100 days gone so far?
In so many ways I feel like we've accomplished so much. We got the Champs Bowl deal done. We got the Yankee [Bowl] deal done. We extended the [Madison Square] Garden contract [to host the Big East Tournament through 2016]. We hired a woman [associate commissioner Danielle Donehew] to take over for [associate commissioner] Donna DeMarco.

On the women's basketball side, we created the SWA [senior woman administrator] initiative for sportsmanship and ethical conduct. There are so many things we've gotten done in a short time, but there are so many things we need to start to deal with. The biggest of the logistical things is simply trying to relocate our office [Brown University bought the building the league's office is located in]. It sounds like a simple thing, but it's so all-consuming. Our intention is to stay in Providence.

The Big East added a bowl game to be played in Yankee Stadium starting next season. How can a bowl game played potentially in sub-freezing weather be a success?
We have three objectives [for our bowl games]: opponent, destination and geography.

Geography we address by being in New York because it's the center of where we are. Destination? New York City, Christmas, holidays. Opponent? Big 12. We have our three criteria met. If [Yankee Stadium] had a cover on the stadium it would be perfect, but it didn't. We had talked about doing this eight years ago. We had announced if the [New York] Jets built a new stadium with a roof we would create the Big Apple Bowl and we would host it. That would be perfect for us. The idea of being able to play this game in New York City on New Year's Day is what where shooting for.

When you go to Times Square and see the ball come down, it was just so appealing. I think that people would want to experience that. When you've watch it on TV since you were a kid, when Guy Lombardo would welcome in the New Year, then Dick Clark and so you grew up watching it. If your team is in New York City playing in Yankee Stadium on New Year's Day, wouldn't you want to go see New York lit up for the holidays and the ball coming down in Times Square?

I think we offset the weather with all those other things. And then as Randy Levine, president of the Yankees, keeps telling me: We're the New York Yankees, don't worry about the weather. The proposed dates are Dec. 29, 30, 31 or Jan. 1, but we're shooting for Jan. 1. That's ideal, you get there for the 31st to watch the ball and next day have the game. A day start would be ideal. The Yankees are in conversations with different networks to televise it, but haven't finalized what they want to do with it.

Big East Commish: Old Bowl System Preferable to Playoff originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John MarinattoBrett McMurphyWed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST Rewind: Big East Primed for Big Finishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

And then there were two.

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are now the lone undefeated teams in Big East play after last weekend's action.

The No. 4 ranked Bearcats and No. 14 Panthers continue on a collision course for the de facto Big East championship game on Dec. 5 in Pittsburgh. By the way, whatever Nick Carparelli, the Big East's senior associate commissioner for football, is making, he deserves a raise.

Carparelli is in charge of the league's schedule and his philosophy is having the league's top games played later in the year. That's easier said than done, but the Big East could have a pair of Top 10 teams playing for the league title if the Bearcats and Panthers don't stumble.

Stumble is exactly what West Virginia did -- again -- at South Florida. Playing in Tampa, Fla., on a Friday night for the second time in three years, the Mountaineers' league title hopes took a big hit with the 30-19 loss to the Bulls, who had lost their previous two games to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh by a combined margin of 75-31.

At just past the halfway mark in league play, five of the league's eight teams already have two league losses.

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. They are so ready for basketball to start in Louisville and Syracuse.

Last week's home football games at Louisville and Syracuse drew ridiculously small crowds. Louisville's game against Arkansas State drew a Papa John's Cardinal Stadium crowd of 21,497, the smallest in the stadium's 11-year history. The low attendance was probably a combination of UL fans being fed up with Steve Kragthorpe and the caliber of opponent. However, a top-flight opponent didn't help Syracuse. Only 33,082 showed at the Carrier Dome to see the Orange battle No. 5 Cincinnati. Even with free tickets provided to SU students and $10 tickets available in the upper level, it was smaller than any home crowd during Greg Robinson's past four seasons. Apparently the honeymoon is already over for first-year SU coach Doug Marrone, whose job didn't get any easier when WR Mike Williams quit on Monday.

2. Tim Brown never felt better - or worse - about a victory.

Tim Brown, Rutgers wide receiver, grew up in Miami two houses from UConn's Jasper Howard. Saturday was UConn's first home game since Howard was murdered. Brown had considered flying to Miami for the funeral last Monday, but ended up watching it on the internet. Before the game, he walked onto the field, knelt on one knee, said a short prayer and raised six fingers to the heavens -- for Howard, who wore No. 6. More than three hours later, Brown was racing into the end zone with the winning 81-yard TD catch with 22 seconds remaining. After crossing the goal line, Brown held up six fingers. "I played for him," said Brown, who cried after the game. "I dedicate this win to him and my teammates, for helping me keep my head up and keep me strong."

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3. South Florida has gotten into West Virginia's head.

USF's victory last week against West Virginia was only the third in five all-time meetings between the schools. But has a 3-2 advantage ever appeared so dominating? West Virginia has been favored in all five meetings, but has only won one comfortably. Since winning the first meeting, 28-13 in 2005, West Virginia has been lucky it hasn't lost four in a row to the Bulls. In 2006 USF won at WVU 24-19 as a 21-point underdog; in 2007 USF won 21-13 as a 7-point underdog when WVU was ranked No. 5 and last year USF nearly won again (and probably should have if not for some critical turnovers) in Morgantown in Pat White's final home game, losing 13-7. In last week's 30-19 victory by USF, the Bulls put the clamps on RB Noel Devine the same way they've shut down RB Steve Slaton and White in past seasons.

Re-Tweeting Week 9

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Bearcats are nation's only team that has not lost a fumble this season. Did I just jinx a no-hitter?
2. Pitt: After Syracuse this week, Pitt hits a tough closing stretch vs. Notre Dame, West Virginia & Cincinnati, who are combined 20-4
3. USF: Bulls among eight teams with two victories this year against ranked opponents. They'll get a shot for a third vs. Miami on Nov. 28
4. West Virginia: Only Syracuse has allowed more yards passing than Mountaineers. Any chance Noel Devine can also play cornerback?
5. Rutgers: Scarlet Knights rank fourth nationally having forced 25 turnovers in eight games
6. UConn: Déjà vu again. Huskies suffer 28-24 loss for second consecutive week when defense gives up a late big play in crushing loss to RU
7. Syracuse: Will the Orange be looking past Pittsburgh this week to their Nov. 14 Battle of the Basement at Louisville?
8. Louisville: Cards' 21-13 win vs. Arkansas State was UL's first in 13 games under Steve Kragthorpe when scoring less than 24 points

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Rewind: Big East Primed for Big Finish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Incredible Finish for UConn, Rutgershttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/rutgers-player-dedicates-dramatic-victory-to-slain-uconn-player/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/rutgers-player-dedicates-dramatic-victory-to-slain-uconn-player/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/rutgers-player-dedicates-dramatic-victory-to-slain-uconn-player/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tim BrownEAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- On a day Connecticut honored slain teammate Jasper Howard, one of his best friends won the game for Rutgers.

Tim Brown, who grew up with Howard in Miami, scored on an 81-yard touchdown pass from Tom Savage with 22 seconds left to give the Scarlet Knights a 28-24 victory over the Huskies in UConn's first home game since Howard was stabbed to death.

"I just went out there and played that game for my friend," Brown said. "He was a special guy to me and I just went out there and dedicated that game to him."

Connecticut (4-4, 2-2 Big East) scored to take a 24-21 lead with under a minute left, and the crowd was roaring, when Brown got behind cornerback Robert McClain, and outraced the entire UConn secondary to the end zone.

Howard, Brown said, might have had the speed to catch him.

"We was ready to play [each other]," he said "It would have been a great game for me if I'd had my other friend on the other side."

Howard was killed outside a school dance on Oct. 18. Since the Huskies have played twice and taken two tough losses.


There were numerous tributes to Howard before the game and fans lined up three-deep to greet the Huskies as they made their way into the stadium wearing T-shirts with his number "6" on it.

Last week, UConn lost 28-24 at West Virginia when Noel Devine broke a 56-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left in the game. The Huskies' four losses are by a total of 13 points.

"Could we be [undefeated]? Yeah, but the reality of it is that we're 4-4," coach Randy Edsall said. "And the reality of it is, we've got to understand how to finish these games off and make the plays at the end in order to win."

Savage, the freshman quarterback, threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns for Rutgers (6-2, 1-2) in his first Big East road game. But he gave all the credit to Brown, who finished with 162 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

"He made one of the best plays you could probably make in college football," Savage said. "I know he was down all week, and he was down during the game, but he just made the play and I'm sure Jazz is proud of him."

Backup quarterback Zach Frazer, who entered the game in the first quarter after Cody Endres went down with an injury to his left shoulder, threw for 333 yards and a touchdown for UConn. He led the Huskies on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives after they trailed 21-10.

UConn's Marcus Easley cut the lead to 21-17 when he caught a pass over the middle, bounced off linebacker Ryan D'Imperio and went in for a 32-yard touchdown with just over 10 minutes left.

The Huskies tried an unorthodox 2-point conversion, hitting tackle Mike Ryan on what was supposed to be a lateral screen. The 320-pound lineman dove into the end zone, stretching the ball over the left pylon. But Ryan was ruled an ineligible receiver, and UConn had to settle for a kick after the penalty.

Connecticut got the ball back for a final time with about 3 1/2 minutes left. A 31-yard diving catch by Michael Smith got the ball into Rutgers' territory, and a 32-yard catch by Kashif Moore on fourth down got the Huskies into the red zone. When Jordan Todman ran it in from 2 yards out on another fourth down with 38 seconds to go, the home crowd erupted, thinking the Huskies had completed the comeback.

Edsall said Endres is likely done for the season. He is scheduled to have surgery on Sunday.


Frazer, who lost the starting job after he suffered a knee injury in the second game of the season, completed 21 of 46 passes, but also threw three interceptions.

The game started with the stadium buzzing and the UConn crowd energetic on an emotional day for the school.

A lot of that energy seemed to drain from the building after Delvin McCourty took the opening kickoff back 98 yards for a touchdown for Rutgers.

A week ago, West Virginia's Tavon Austin went 98 yards for a score with the opening kick.

Joe Lefeged's interception set up a seven-play, 81-yard Rutgers drive that ended with Brown's first touchdown catch, a 37-yarder.

Robby Frey brought the crowd back into the game by taking the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, cutting across the field behind the blocking of Todman and diving into the end zone.

But UConn senior cornerback Robert McClain limped off the field late in the second quarter, leaving the Huskies with three redshirt freshmen in the secondary.

Savage took advantage, finding Mark Harrison over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown that made it 21-10 at the half. McClain returned in the second half.

UConn gamely came back, but for the second consecutive week a victory the Huskies wanted so badly wasn't to be.

"I don't know," he said. "We'll just keep fighting. That's all I know to do."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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Incredible Finish for UConn, Rutgers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jasper howardFanHouse NewswireSat, 31 Oct 2009 19:19:00 EST UConn Seeks to Win One for Lost Teammate Jasper Howardhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/uconn-seeks-to-win-one-for-lost-teammate/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/uconn-seeks-to-win-one-for-lost-teammate/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/uconn-seeks-to-win-one-for-lost-teammate/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Randy EdsallSTORRS, Conn. -- Connecticut coach Randy Edsall is good at many things -- such as refining football skills, leading a group of young men and supporting them through the tragedy of Jasper Howard's murder.

He has had little time to make sure his pop culture references were up to date.

"I am Sergeant Schultz, I know nothing," Edsall said earlier this week, when pressed about details surrounding the murder investigation. Just minutes later, in a separate media conference, the arrests of three men were announced.

Ironically, Edsall, especially in recent days, is very little like Schultz, whose character on "Hogan's Heroes" -- a TV show that ran from 1965-71 -- was a bumbling, borderline incompetent mess (Trust me, I looked it up).

Edsall recited Schultz's famous slogan, but that's where the similarities end.

Competence, in fact, is what Edsall demands -- even in the face of the abnormal circumstances provided by Howard's tragic slaying on Oct. 18, when he was stabbed outside a school-sanctioned dance on campus.

"You never grade on a curve," Edsall said in reference to giving his team any slack on the field during the grieving process. "In our business, you either do it right or you do it wrong. To me, it is either if they do what they are asked to do, they get a plus; if not, it's a minus. People used to have plus, minus and zero.

"Either you did it the right way or you did it the wrong way. If you say, 'Well, it was OK but ... ' they never get better. You never grade on a circumstance or a curve because you are going out there to play to the best of your ability and get a win."

That's exactly what the Huskies will try to do Saturday, when they play Rutgers in their first home game since the murder. Those circumstances, however, are not lost on Edsall or the UConn program.

The school plans to honor Howard, who was a star cornerback and punt returner.

All fans who attend the game will receive a "6" card in memory of Howard's jersey number. The first 15,000 fans who enter the gates will receive "Jazz Live 365" wristbands, while UConn students in attendance will be handed the same "eye-black" that the team will wear -- one with a "6" and the other with a "JH."

Students will also receive a "6" button and are encouraged to arrive at their seats early in anticipation of a performance by the UConn marching band, which will display the formation of a "6" during its pregame program.

A moment of silence will also take place at Rentschler Field, where a no-sign policy will be relaxed.

"This is one more way that our fans can make a personal tribute to Jasper Howard," UConn Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway said.

While it promises to be a fitting tribute, Edsall no doubt is worried about closure for his players, who traveled to Miami earlier this week for Howard's funeral.

In respect to the arrests, which saw John Lomax of Bloomfield, Conn. accused of murder and two others hit with lesser chargers, the coach was pleased with the progress made but was most concerned with returning to normalcy.

"I think it is important for everyone to see justice be brought to the case but at the same time it doesn't bring Jasper back," he said. "It has been a long week but I think everyone is ready to get back on the field and play like we know we can.

"We need to get some more wins especially in the Big East, and we are going to get back out there and do that."

UConn (4-3, 1-2 Big East) will have to focus quickly. After this game against the Scarlet Knights, the Huskies will face eighth-ranked Cincinnati before traveling to take on No. 23 Notre Dame.

All three of the Huskies' losses have come in excruciating fashion, including a late safety against North Carolina, a fourth-quarter implosion at Pittsburgh and a four-point loss at West Virginia.

Linebacker Greg Lloyd admitted that, inspired by the loss of a teammate, UConn will be pushing even harder for a win this week.

"The outlook for this week is to refuse to lose," he said. "In the last couple of games, it has been close and come down to the fourth quarter so coming into this week the main focus is to keep the team going, keep moving forward, keep making progress. we are that close but you have to finish, you have to be able to finish."

According to Edsall, each player has dealt with the tragedy on his own terms. It would be unfair to think that the grief will dissipate so quickly, though it may be beneficial for the players to immerse themselves in the game.

The coach, speaking with obvious compassion and strength, said that there is a support system for those that need someone to talk to about the loss of their teammate.

Jordan Todman, a running back for the Huskies, will always carry the memory of Howard with him.

"I definitely feel like we have grown closer and I live my days a lot more different now," he said. "You never know what can happen or when it can happen. I keep my friends a lot closer, I make sure my family and friends know that I love them because you never know when it is your time or their time."

Coincidentally, if you drive through UConn's rural campus, a message from Howard unknowingly echoes Todman's sentiments.

An impromptu memorial for Howard, spray-painted on a rock, reads, "Play every play like it's the last play you'll ever play." - JH

UConn Seeks to Win One for Lost Teammate Jasper Howard originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jasper howardJasperHowardRandy EdsallRandyEdsallAnthony OlivieriFri, 30 Oct 2009 15:50:00 EST Big East Picks: South Florida Falls in Autumn ... Againhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/big-east-picks-south-florida-falls-in-autumn-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/big-east-picks-south-florida-falls-in-autumn-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/30/big-east-picks-south-florida-falls-in-autumn-again/#commentsFiled under:

Each Friday, FanHouse's Brett McMurphy will preview the Big East and make his weekly predictions.

Before the season began, South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said he was making several changes within the Bulls' program in hopes of avoiding another mid-season free fall that has plagued them the past two seasons.

"I've tried to look at our practice schedules, tried to look at how we're doing things," Leavitt said on Sept. 1. "We've changed quite a bit. Has it worked? I don't know. If we win, we'll feel good about it. If we lose, we'll feel we're not real smart."

USF is not real smart right now.

After a 5-0 start, the Bulls have lost two in a row entering Friday night's contest with No. 20 West Virginia.

Me? I've gotten a little smarter the past two weeks, hitting at a 63 percent clip against the line in my Big East picks. For the season I'm hitting, yawn, nearly 85 percent straight up.

The Bulls host the Mountaineers, who are favored by three. The last time the Mountaineers visited Tampa was also a Friday night in 2007 when WVU was a 7-point favorite.

That year when the Mountaineers stepped off the team bus, a number of players were wearing New York Yankees hats because former coach Rich Rodriguez had compared his team to the Yankees for their ability to pack opposing stadiums.

Final score: USF 21, Damn Yankees 13.

The Mountaineers return to Tampa and no one has given WVU's offense fits like USF's defense. However, former defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, the architect of those defenses, has taken his secret formula on how to stop the spread offense with him to Iowa State.

Also there's the fact (warning, actual research ahead) that the Bulls have been outgained in each of their three Big East games this season against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and, gulp, Syracuse. I've been perfect on my Thursday/Friday night Big East games this year and look to keep the streak going. Take West Virginia minus 3.

Cincinnati at Syracuse: Starting QB Tony Pike is expected to miss his second consecutive game with a left arm injury, giving redshirt sophomore back-up Zach Collaros his second collegiate start. Collaros, who won two state titles in high school, hasn't lost a game as a starting quarterback since his freshman year in high school seven years ago. So unless Zach Collaros starts throwing interceptions like Nebraska's Zac Lee, the Bearcats and their underrated defense should crush the Orange and cover the 14½.

Rutgers at UConn: Five of the last seven meetings have been decided by seven points or less, while Rutgers has won three of the last four meetings. Yet UConn is favored by 8? That seems a little rich for me. Rutgers wins outright against an emotionally drained Huskies club.

Arkansas State at Louisville: The No. 1 Halloween costume worn at Saturday's game between the Red Wolves and Cardinals? An empty seat. Louisville has lost eight consecutive Big East games. Fortunately for the Cards, this isn't a league game. Maybe that's why they're favored by 3. Remember when Arkansas State's mascot used to be the Indians? Remember when Louisville used to be good? The Red Wolves pull off the minor upset.

Last Week: 5-0 (straight up); 3-2 (against the spread)

Season: 39-7 (84.8 percent) (straight up); 15-20-1 (42.9 percent) (against the spread)

Big East Picks: South Florida Falls in Autumn ... Again originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyFri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST Man Charged With Murder of UConn's Jasper Howardhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/arrest-made-in-uconn-player-murder/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/arrest-made-in-uconn-player-murder/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/arrest-made-in-uconn-player-murder/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. John William Lomax, 21, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault.

His attorney insists Lomax was attempting to break up the fight. His bond was set at $2 million.

Police charged Hakim Muhammad, 20, with conspiracy to commit assault, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd with pulling the fire alarm, which reportedly began the fight.

None of the three men are listed as students or employees at the university, according to the school's Web site.

Howard, 20, was stabbed just after 12:30AM, Oct. 18, following a school-sanctioned dance on the Connecticut campus. He was airlifted to a Hartford hospital where he died later that morning.

Police arrested Johnny Hood on Oct. 21, but the 21-year-old was charged only with interfering with an officer and breach of the peace. Hood was not a part of Tuesday's indictments.

However, according to a Connecticut television station, Hood and Lomax are friends on Facebook.

The Huskies host Rutgers in their first home game since Howard's death Saturday at noon.

Man Charged With Murder of UConn's Jasper Howard originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jasper howardChas RichTue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:00 EST Big East Rewind: No Longer the Pittshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pitt PanthersJust three weeks ago, we called Pittsburgh the Pitts-ophrenic Panthers after their up-and-down performances earlier this season against Buffalo, N.C. State, Louisville and UConn.

Uh, is it too late to take that all back?

As impressive as Cincinnati has been all season, Pittsburgh might be playing the best overall of any Big East team. The offense is balanced and the defense gets more dominating each week. Saturday, the Panthers (7-1, 4-0 Big East) scorched South Florida 41-14.

Since allowing 505 yards at N.C. State, the Panthers have improved their defensive numbers in each of the past four games. Pitt allowed 305 yards to Louisville on Oct. 2, 303 to UConn on Oct. 10, 286 to Rutgers on Oct. 16 and 212 to USF on Saturday.

Led by DE Greg Romeus, the defense just continues to get stronger and stronger. The offense also is doing its part. QB Bill Stull ranks third nationally in passing efficiency and RB Dion Lewis is the nation's fourth-leading rusher. Against USF, Pitt never had to punt.

The Panthers are off this week before closing the season against Syracuse (Nov. 7), Notre Dame (Nov. 140, at West Virginia (Nov. 27) and Cincinnati (Dec. 5).

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. Sorry Brian Kelly, Randy Edsall is the Big East coach of the year

Yes, we already anointed Cincinnati's Brian Kelly as the league's coach of the year in this column a couple of weeks ago, but Randy Edsall deserves the honor as much, if not more. What Edsall did the past week in an incredibly difficult situation was inspiring to say the least. The class, dignity and professionalism that Edsall displayed in dealing with the tragic death of Jasper Howard situation was extraordinary. Perhaps other coaches would have done as admirably, but I doubt it. Then Edsall somehow managed to take the Huskies into Morgantown and nearly pulled off the upset. UConn outgained WVU 501-387 -- the first team to gain 500 yards on WVU this season -- but couldn't overcome four turnovers and a late Noel Devine TD in the 28-24 loss.

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2. Rece Davis is a genius

While showing highlights of Pittsburgh's 41-14 rout of South Florida, ESPN's Rece Davis remarked the following about the Bulls: "Once again just as the leaves drop, South Florida falls off the face of the Earth." Yes, as the calendar nears Halloween, USF's season turns into all tricks -- no treats. In 2007, USF started 6-0, only to finish 3-4. Last year, USF started 5-0, only to finish 3-5. After this year's 5-0 start, the Bulls are 0-2 and could very well be sitting at 5-4 after hosting West Virginia Friday and traveling to Rutgers Nov. 12. After that 5-0 start, the Bulls have been outgained in each of their Big East games against Syracuse, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

3. The end is near for Steve Kragthorpe at UL

When Steve Kragthorpe was hired at Louisville in 2007, it was generally regarded as a solid hire. Kragthorpe came to UL from Tulsa where he led the Golden Hurricane, 2-21 the two seasons before he took over, to bowl trips in three of his four seasons. At Louisville, though, it just hasn't worked out. In 2007, gut-wrenching, close losses to Kentucky, Syracuse and UConn kept the Cards from a bowl berth. Last year, the Cards looked to have turned the corner after upsetting No. 14 USF to get to 5-2. However, they promptly ended the year on a five-game losing streak. This year has been more of the same: a 2-5 start with their only wins against Indiana State and Southern Miss (on a last-second field goal). UL will not play in a bowl game for a third consecutive season for the first time since Ron Cooper was coach from 1995-97. That will leave AD Tom Jurich with no other choice than to replace Kragthorpe.

Re-Tweeting Week 8

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Off to their best start since 1954, the Bearcats have committed a national-low four turnovers
2. Pittsburgh: In only loss at NC State, Panthers allowed 505 yards. In last two wins vs. Rutgers and USF, allowed only 498 combined
3. West Virginia: Last time WVU visited USF was also a Friday night in 2007 and No. 5 Mountaineers were upset. Does history repeat?
4. UConn: Huskies' three on-the-field losses have been by two, three and four points. RIP Jasper Howard
5. Rutgers: Since allowing 47 points in opener to Cincinnati, Rutgers is allowing only 10.5 points per game in past six games
6. South Florida: TGFS -- Thank God For Syracuse. Since joining Big East in 2005, USF is 5-0 vs. the 'Cuse, 10-16 against rest of Big East
7. Syracuse: After defeating Akron, Syracuse returns to Big East play vs. Cincinnati. Since 2005, SU is 3-27 against the Big East
8. Louisville: When scoring less than 24 points under Steve Kragthorpe, the Cardinals are 0-12

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Big East Rewind: No Longer the Pitts originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian kellyjasper howardnoel devinerandy edsallsteve kragthorpeBrett McMurphyMon, 26 Oct 2009 15:33:00 EST Big East Notebook: Votes of Confidencehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/big-east-notebook-votes-of-confidence/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/big-east-notebook-votes-of-confidence/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/big-east-notebook-votes-of-confidence/#commentsFiled under: ,

Cincinnati BearcatsWhen the Associated Press preseason poll was released, the Big East was blanked. The Big East had as many teams in the preseason Top 25 poll as the Sun Belt: zero, zip, nada.

Since the league began in 1991, it was only the third weekly poll that the Big East did not have a team in the AP rankings and, on cue, prompted the annual "does the Big East deserve an automatic BCS bowl bid argument?" from out West.

Seven weeks later, however, the Big East is back in the rankings in a big way. The Big East has three teams ranked among the nation's top 22 schools -- no conference has more in the top 22 -- and a legitimate national title contender in Cincinnati.



"I'm not surprised," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "I'm just disappointed we're not one of [the ranked teams]."

Cincinnati is ranked fifth, while Pittsburgh is at No. 20 and West Virginia No. 22. The last time the league finished the season with three teams ranked in the AP Poll was 2006 with No. 6 Louisville, No. 10 West Virginia and No. 12 Rutgers.

If Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia remain in the Top 25 by season's end and South Florida, currently 28th in the AP rankings, climbs back into the Top 25, the Big East would have four ranked teams in the final AP Poll for only the fourth time and first since 2002.

"[Having three ranked teams] is great exposure for the conference," Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said. "That's what we're looking for. When it's all said and done, you'd like three to four teams and the rankings and see someone playing for the national championship.

"That strengthens [the league's] reputation."

With the automatic BCS bowl berth argument tabled for at least another season, the league's critics are now questioning whether a 12-0 Cincinnati would deserve playing in the BCS national title game instead of a one-loss team from another BCS league, such as Florida, Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma State, USC, Oregon, Iowa or Penn State.

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"I think that's ridiculous," Wannstedt said. "If Cincinnati goes undefeated, they'll be playing for the national title and deservedly so."

ESPN analyst Craig James agrees. Last week he told FanHouse he believes an undefeated Cincinnati team would play for the national title over a one-loss team. And that was before the Bearcats debuted at No. 5 in Sunday's BCS rankings.

"If they run it, they have a real good chance," James said. "The Pac-10 [USC or Oregon] is not going to leap frog them. I don't see that. If Cincinnati goes undefeated, they'll play for the national title [over a one-loss team from another conference]."

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said his club continues to build its resume.

"A win on the road against Rutgers, a win on the road against an Oregon State team and we've got a win on the road against a very good South Florida team," Kelly said. "We're starting to build a little bit of a resume."

Frustrating U.

The Ls continue to pile up at LLLLouisville after Saturday's loss at UConn. The Cardinals (2-4, 0-2 Big East) have lost seven consecutive Big East contests with their next two upcoming league games at Cincinnati Saturday and West Virginia on Nov. 7.

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe said the Cardinals have not given up on the season.

"The kids have been great," Kragthorpe said. "There isn't anyone in our building that isn't frustrated. If anyone is not frustrated, they shouldn't be in our building. The key is to take that frustration and try to get a win under you belt.

"There's a never say die, never give up attitude."

Pulling Double Duty

With Cincinnati QB Tony Pike questionable for Saturday, Zach Colloras could get the start against Louisville. If so, the league would have four starting quarterbacks that played two sports in college.

Colloras also is an outfielder for the Bearcats. Last season he played in 36 games with 11 starts. He hit .205 with five RBIs.

The league's other three dual-sport QBs all played basketball: West Virginia's Jarrett Brown, Syracuse's Greg Paulus and USF's B.J. Daniels.

They're Gaining On You

The only league team to outgain every opponent this season? Nope, it's not Cincinnati. It's West Virginia. The Mountaineers have outgained five of their six opponents by at least 100 yards.

The closest to come to WVU in total yards was Colorado, which was only outgained by WVU 405-392. For the season, WVU is outgaining its opponents by a league-best average of 124 yards per game.

Behind RB Noel Devine, the Mountaineers also are one of only two league teams that has rushed for more than 125 yards in each game. USF is the other.

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Latest College Football Photos
Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

Latest College Football Images

    Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

    Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller dives for extra yardage during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Baylor, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 24-10.

    Charlie Neibergall, AP

    Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, top, dives into the end zone for a touchdown over Middle Tennessee State defenders, from left, Antwan Davis, Danny Carmichael and Cam Robinson, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Mississippi State won 27-6.

    Daily News Journal / AP

    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP

    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP

    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP

    Camouflage design football cleats are displayed during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier, center, flanked by Sgt. Jeremy Hale, left, and Master Sgt. Pete Lara, both from Fort Jackson, as he holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    A UConn Huskies player pats a teammate on the shoulder as the team is called to "play hard in honor of Jasper" by another team member, at the start of practice on the UConn Storrs, Conn., campus on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the slaying of Jasper Howard ( 6) over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP



Around the League

If Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has a say in the matter, expect the Scarlet Knights to develop an annual series with Army. "I think that should be an every year game," Schiano said. The teams play Friday night. ... USF's loss to Cincinnati Thursday marked the Bulls' fourth consecutive loss to the Bearcats, the longest losing streak in the program's 13-year history to one school. The Bulls also dropped to 15-15 in Big East play - 5-0 against Syracuse and 10-15 against the remaining six league members. ... A Syracuse victory Saturday against Akron would match last season's win total (three) for the Orange under first-year coach Doug Marrone with five games remaining.

Big East Notebook: Votes of Confidence originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>greg schianoBrett McMurphyWed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST UConn Copes With Senseless Murderhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/uconn-copes-with-senseless-murder/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/uconn-copes-with-senseless-murder/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/uconn-copes-with-senseless-murder/#commentsFiled under: ,

University of Connecticut coach Randy Edsall said there really wasn't much consideration given to postponing Saturday's game at West Virginia following the murder of defensive back Jasper Howard.

"I know Jasper wouldn't want us to do that," Edsall said on Monday's Big East conference call. "That's the real reason [we're playing]."

Howard, 20, who had led the Huskies to a 38-25 victory against Louisville on Saturday, died early Sunday after an on-campus stabbing. Howard, who was soon to become a father, was stabbed near the school's Student Union.

Edsall said his team and coaching staff are attempting to deal with the loss of Howard, particularly two players who were with Howard when he died.

"One had Jasper in his arms, the other was pressuring where the wound went in and had blood on his hands," Edsall said. "Those two men are pretty deeply affected. I've talked to both each day. We'll see where they are.

"If they are mentally not ready to play, I'll honor whatever decision they make. I know that would be respected by the team."

Edsall declined to identify the two players.

Edsall said the team's captains have decided to honor Howard by displaying "JH" decals on the back of UConn's helmets. Also, the team will take either his jersey or helmet to all of the Huskies' games the rest of the year.

Edsall, who said he has heard from every coach in the league, said he would pick up Howard's family at the airport Monday afternoon "doing some things with the family that's not a very easy moment for any of us."

USF coach Jim Leavitt experienced a similar tragedy in 2007 when freshman running back Keeley Dorsey collapsed and died while lifting weights. The Bulls also recently had former player Will Bleakley die in a fishing accident in the Gulf of Mexico and, in 2001, freshman Patrick Payton died in a motorcycle accident.

"When I heard about it on Sunday, I broke," Leavitt said. "It brought back all the memories of what I had to go through with our football team. There's no way you can describe the pain that you go through.

"We just reached out -- our team, our staff to Randy. The only thing you can do is rely on the Lord and each other. I haven't had to go through it in the season. We had a couple of weeks [in the offseason after Dorsey's death].

"That will be an incredible challenge. There's nothing worse."

Edsall said Leavitt told him, "You have to be yourself. As the focal point and the leader, I have to be strong and be the pillar of strength for coaches, players and even for player's families and that's what I'm trying to do," Edsall said.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said he would announce Tuesday how Howard will be honored at Saturday's game.

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In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**
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    In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

    AP

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall speaks during a news conference about the stabbing death of playerJasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, speaks at a news conference about the stabbing death of player Jasper Howard as university president Michael J. Hogan, second from left, Major Ron Blichter of UConn Police, center, UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, second from right, and player Desi Cullen, right, listen in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    A student walks by yellow tape marking the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Police vehicles are parked at the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5) is tackled by Texas Tech's Bront Bird, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

    AP



"The way Jasper Howard played is the way he lived his life: full speed with a lot of energy," Stewart said. "Every time we punted the ball [to Howard], I had my fingers crossed. He led the Big East [in punt returns] because he was good, not because he was lucky."

Stewart addressed his team about Howard's death in a team meeting Sunday. Several of West Virginia's players were from Miami, Howard's hometown.

"Our kids from Miami took it very, very hard," Stewart said. "Our guys were shaken and they really like that young man immensely."

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano opened the conference call by extending his sympathy to Howard's family and UConn.

"We express our deepest sympathy to Jasper Howard's family and the UConn family," Schiano said. "It's a terrible tragedy. At times like these, a close conference like the Big East needs to come together."

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe also offered his condolences.

"He played a great football game against us," Kragthorpe said. "I had a lot of respect for him before the game and even more after it."

Known as "Jazz" to his teammates, Howard often talked about the difficulties of growing up in Miami. His mother, Joangila, worked many jobs to support him and his sisters, Keyondra and Jasmine, who is afflicted with meningitis, the Hartford Courant reported

Howard was the first in his family to go to college. He also spoke often about his dream of making it professionally so he could support his family, his former high school coaches said.

Corey Bell, the University of Miami's director of football operations, coached Howard at Miami Edison High School. He learned of the news Sunday at 6 AM when he awoke to an avalanche of phone calls and text messages from Edison alumni.

"I'm real close to all my guys, but Jazz and I were real close," Bell told the Miami Herald. "We spoke at least once every week. He's a great kid, coachable, dependable, real tough mentally and talented. He's like most of the kids from that area in Little Haiti. He had dreams of getting to the next level and making it and taking care of his mom and his sister."

Daryle Heidelburg, who was Howard's coach his senior year at Edison, was stunned by the news.

"Jasper was never a kid in any kind of trouble," Heidelburg told the Herald. "Whenever there were any problems on the team, he was the peacemaker. He would try to squash things before they got worse. He was never confrontational."

In his final game Saturday against Louisville, Howard had 11 tackles and forced and recovered a fumble in UConn's victory. He also led the Big East in punt returns last season, averaging 11.8 yards a return.

"I remember the last day I was at Edison before I came to UM," Bell told the Herald. "All the kids were sad and upset with me. Jazz stood up and said, 'We should be happy for coach. He always pushes for us to get the next level. We should be happy for him, too.'

"I'll never forget that. That's the type of kid Jazz was."

Police said a second stabbing victim, an unidentified male who was with Howard, was treated and released from the hospital. Howard died of a stab wound to the abdomen, according to the medical examiner's office, the Courant reported.

"There's nothing written in the manual in how to deal with these situations," Edsall said Sunday. "But I know this -- this is a strong team, with strong leadership, and we'll get through it."

The state police major crimes unit and UConn police said the stabbing happened just after 12:30 AM on Hillside Road near the center of campus. It occurred after a party in the Student Union that was attended by more than 300 people, said Maj. Ron Blicher of the UConn Police Department.

Police are searching for a killer they believe is not a UConn student, but he has not been identified, according to Blicher.

Howard's pregnant girlfriend, who lives in Miami and does not attend UConn, was on campus over the weekend. It is believed she was not at the party, the Courant reported.

"Many of you know Jasper -- a devoted son, friend, and promising student-athlete," UConn President Michael Hogan wrote in a statement Sunday. "I know that our community is grieving this loss and are distressed by the violence that it involved. We extend our deepest condolences to Jasper's family, friends, and teammates at this time of incredible sorrow."

UConn Copes With Senseless Murder originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Jasper HowardBrett McMurphyMon, 19 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST UConn CB Jasper Howard Killed in On-Campus Stabbinghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/connecticut-cornerback-jasper-howard-killed-in-on-campus-stabbin/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/connecticut-cornerback-jasper-howard-killed-in-on-campus-stabbin/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/connecticut-cornerback-jasper-howard-killed-in-on-campus-stabbin/#commentsFiled under: ,


The University of Connecticut is mourning the loss of a football player. Cornerback Jasper Howard (shown above making a tackle in a 2008 game), a starter for the Huskies, was killed Sunday morning in a stabbing that took place on campus.

According to the Hartford Courant, Howard, 20, was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Huskies coach Randy Edsall was at the hospital overnight.

The newspaper says the assailant is still at large, and UConn students have been made aware of the incident.

Howard hailed from Miami. He started all 13 games for Connecticut last year, and developed into a top punt returner. Howard led the Big East with an average of 11.8 yards per punt return while leading the Huskies with four interceptions. He was also credited with 60 tackles, three tackles for loss, and nine pass break-ups.

In Saturday's 38-25 homecoming win over Louisville, Howard started, had a hand in 11 tackles and forced a fumble.

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In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**
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University of Connecticut

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    In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

    AP

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall speaks during a news conference about the stabbing death of playerJasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, speaks at a news conference about the stabbing death of player Jasper Howard as university president Michael J. Hogan, second from left, Major Ron Blichter of UConn Police, center, UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, second from right, and player Desi Cullen, right, listen in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    A student walks by yellow tape marking the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Police vehicles are parked at the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5) is tackled by Texas Tech's Bront Bird, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

    AP

    Texas Tech's Brandon Sharpe (92) swats down a throw by Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5), as Nebraska's Ricky Henry (74) and Marcel Jones (78) block Texas Tech's Colby Whitlock (93), in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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UConn CB Jasper Howard Killed in On-Campus Stabbing originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jasper howardBruce CiskieSun, 18 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST Big East Picks: Pittsburgh's Scarlet Letterhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each Friday, FanHouse's Brett McMurphy will preview the Big East and make his weekly predictions.

Oh and three. That was my record picking Big East games last week against the spread -- losing two games on last-second field goals if you care (and, no, you don't). No wins, three losses.

But hey, it could be worse. I could have South Florida coach Jim Leavitt's record in Thursday night nationally televised games (0-4) or I could have Dave Wannstedt's record against Rutgers.

The Pittsburgh coach has gone oh-fer against the Scarlet Knights. Four games, four losses.

Tonight, the Panthers visit Rutgers with Pittsburgh a 5-1/2 point favorite.

All week long at Pitt's practice center, TV monitors have been running continuous highlights (lowlights?) of the Panthers' past four losses to the Scarlet Knights. And you thought watching Jay Leno's new show was painful?

In its season-opening 47-15 seal-clubbing to Cincinnati, Rutgers looked Lost. Since then the Biggest Loser has fattened up on a variety of cupcakes by the names of Howard, Florida International, Maryland and Texas Southern. Freshman QB Tom Savage makes his first Big East start tonight.

Wannstedt admitted that Rutgers has "had our number the last four years."

Steely Dan couldn't have said it better. "Rutgers, Don't Lose That Number." Scarlet Knights in an upset.

Marshall at West Virginia: This is "The Friends of Coal Bowl." And who says there are too many bowl games in college football? These teams may like their coal -- I like mine black, no sugar -- but they really don't care much about each other. The schools are located a little more than 200 miles apart and they first played in 1911. I would call this a rivalry except when one team dominates, I'm not sure how much of a rivalry you can have. WVU has won the last eight meetings, including the past three years by 32, 25 and 24 points. WVU is among only three schools this season that has scored at least 30 points in every game. Against Marshall's porous defense, WVU may reach 30 by halftime. Still, I'm a sucker for an underdog in a so-called rivalry game. WVU wins, but the Herd somehow, someway keeps it within three TDs.

Louisville at UConn: Last week, an internet site reported Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe would be fired after last week's game against Southern Miss. A few days later, another report said Jon Gruden was the No. 1 candidate to replace Kragthorpe at season's end. At this rate, the next report will indicate Kragthorpe is resigning during Saturday's game with UConn. Oh wait, that's already happened at Louisville with John L. Smith during the 2002 GMAC Bowl? Why is everyone so down on Krags, anyway? Can't we just all get along, like The Friends of Coal Bowl? The Huskies are still thinking about blowing last week's game at Pitt. UConn wins, but UL covers the 13.

About Last Night: On my Twitter page Thursday, I correctly predicted Cincinnati would defeat USF (no oh-fer for me this week!).

Last Week: 3-1 (straight up); 0-3 (against the spread)

Season: 31-6 (83.8 percent) (straight up); 10-17 (37.0 percent) (against the spread)

Big East Picks: Pittsburgh's Scarlet Letter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyFri, 16 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST Gruden Quiet on Louisville Speculationhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/gruden-quiet-on-louisville-speculation/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/gruden-quiet-on-louisville-speculation/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/gruden-quiet-on-louisville-speculation/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jon GrudenTAMPA, Fla. -- ESPN announcer and former Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who was attending Thursday night's Cincinnati-South Florida game, declined comment about media reports linking him to college and NFL coaching positions.

"I'm just here to support the Bulls," Gruden told FanHouse.

Gruden has been identified as the top choice at Louisville if current coach Steve Kragthorpe is fired after the season, the NFL Network reported.

Gruden's brother, Jay, played quarterback for the Cardinals from 1985 to 1988.

Last week, Louisville Sports Buzz also reported Kragthorpe would be fired or notified he wasn't returning after UL's game with Southern Miss on Oct. 10. However, UL senior associate athletic director Kenny Klein told FanHouse that report was "absolutely not true."

Monday, Kragthorpe was asked about his job status and the various reports speculating about his future.

"You're talking to me, so I'm still employed," Kragthorpe said. "I don't put thought into that. That's the way things [in the media] are today."

Gruden also has been speculated as a candidate as the next coach with the Washington Redskins. The Washington Examiner reported Gruden "might be the best fit" for the Redskins.

Gruden was 100-85 in 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay. He led the Buccaneers to the Super Bowl XXXVII title, defeating the Raiders. He was fired in January. He is currently an analyst on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

Gruden Quiet on Louisville Speculation originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jon grudenBrett McMurphyThu, 15 Oct 2009 22:36:00 EST