Bleacher Report - Big East Football

Big East Report Card, Week 14: Bearcat Perfection

Tom Edrington — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:23:38 -0500

It is the reason we love college football, the kind of game we won't soon forget. No matter which side you were on, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh was one incredible college football game, certainly worthy of being called the Big East title game. Here are the grades from this final weekend of the regular season:

Cincinnati (12-0, 7-0) 45, Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2) 44

Let's hear it for both teams! What a game, what an effort by both teams. Huge plays by incredible playmakers. Mardy Gilyard's NFL stock went soaring. Dion Lewis is our 2010 preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

No losers in this game. Perfect setting at Heinz Field, home of two storied teams, Pitt and the Steelers. Big East title and a perfect season on the line for Cincinnati. Damaging body blows by Pitt early, huge plays by Cincinnati late.

Gilyard was spectacular with 263 return yards and 118 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tony Pike shook off the constant pressure from Pitt's defensive line and came through when it was time.

What can you say about Lewis? FORTY-SEVEN carries for a freshman? Rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns! Holy Barry Sanders! Can't wait to see what he'll do as a sophomore.

The sad part of this one was it came down to a botched hold on a PAT for the Panthers. Otherwise, they might still be playing in overtime.

Plenty of accolades to go around in this one.

Yes, Cincinnati got its perfect season but there were only winners on that snowy field on Saturday.

Grades

Cincinnati: A+ and a date with Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

Pittsburgh: A- and a spot in the Meineke with North Carolina .

Connecticut (7-5, 3-4) 27, South Florida (7-5, 3-4) 26

Another last minute thriller. Who says the Big East doesn't play good football? This was a very good football game as well.

You have to give major credit and kudos to Randy Edsall and his team. This was really a pretty good season when you consider the NFL stars they lost from last year's team and the Jasper Howard tragedy.

This was not South Floorida's kind of game. There are probably players on the team who have never seen snow before.

It was a decent rebound for the Bulls after the beating they took from "The U" last week. When B.J. Daniels dove into the end zone with 40 seconds left, it was looking pretty good for the Bulls.

Heck of a drive by the Huskies and what a great kick by Dave Teggart with time gone om the clock. That ball hit the first "T" on the Allstate end zone net. Dead center.

Until that point, it was an even battle and a great effort from Daniels and the USF offense.

Still, USF when into its normal season stall, losing five of its last seven games. Nothing new there.

Grades

Connecticut: A and an invite to the PapaJohn's Bowl to play South Carolina.

South Florida: B and sentenced to travel to Toronto for the International Bowl.

West Virginia (9-3, 5-2) 24, Rutgers (8-4, 3-4) 21

This was another really good game but went up against the Cincinnati-Pitt contest.

West Virginia dominated early and led 14-3 at the half, not much happening for Rutgers. But the Scarlet Knights rallied and looked like they had a chance until a late interception by J.T. Thomas sealed it for the Mountaineers.

Great job by the Rutgers defense, held Noel Devine to 65 yards. Both team struggled on third down in this game, COMBINED they were 3 of 29.

Good season for both teams with Rutgers getting eight wins with a freshman quarterback, Tom Savage. Mohamed Sanu will be a huge star in the Big East.

Grades

West Virginia: A and a berth in the Gator Bowl for Bobby Bowden's final game .

Rutgers: B and an invite from the St. Petersburg Bowl to face UCF .

There you have it. Great weekend and six of the eight teams in the conference will play in bowl games. We'll be previewing those shortly. Professor Tom will also grade each team's overall regular season performance shortly, so stay tuned.

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NCAA Football Championship Weekend Thoughts and Opinions

David Hedlind — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:41:26 -0500

Championship Weekend

It was everything and more in my opinion.

Starting with the Thursday night shootout between Oregon and Oregon State for the Pac 10 title, and finishing with the controversial ending of the Big XII Championship game, there was excitement throughout.

The Civil War for the roses was, as advertised, an exciting back and forth struggle that saw the Oregon Ducks come out on top.

The MAC championship was a little less exciting as Central Michigan won their third title in four years.

Conference USA has their first back to back champions since the inception of the conference championship game. East Carolina intercepted a late pass in the end zone to hold off a late push by Houston to take the title.

Undefeated Cincinnati rallied to win the Big East after being down 31-10 in the second quarter. The Bearcats comeback started just before the half as they got a touchdown to make it 31-17. Cincinnati put up the only points in the third quarter to bring the score to 31-24. Cincinnati outscored Pitt three touchdowns to two in the fourth quarter to win 45-44.

The SEC Championship game was not very exciting, but did help to determine one of the participants in the National Title game.

By scoring with less than a minute and a half left in the game, Georgia Tech won the ACC. CJ Spiller scored four touchdowns and ran for over 200 yards, but this is a team game and Clemson as a whole came up short.

The Big XII game was a defensive battle that ended in controversy. With only a few seconds left, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy rolled out and threw the ball out of bounds as the clock hit 00:00. Upon further review it was found the ball landed out of bounds with one second left. I have heard there is a rule that states that the clock isn’t reviewable unless there is a reversal of a play such as complete or incomplete pass or if a player stepped out of bounds. I haven’t found it yet, so if anyone knows where it is let me know.

Other Games

There were other games that weren’t for conference titles.

West Virginia held onto a three point lead for more than eight minutes to beat Rutgers.

Connecticut and South Florida played a 29-27 thriller in the snow.

Florida Atlantic scored the game winning touchdown with less than a minute left.

Arizona beat USC by four to take second place in the Pac 10 and a trip to the Holiday Bowl.

A Big Man Score

Fresno State and Illinois played a thriller of a shootout that had the score at 45-52 with just a few minutes left. Fresno State drove nearly 70 yards for a touchdown that brought the score within one, Fresno State decided to go for the win and go for two.

As Fresno State quarterback Colburn is being tackled, he throws the ball falling backwards toward the end zone and receiver. The ball is deflected and is caught by offensive tackle Devan Cunningham. Cunningham pushes forward for the winning two points.

Blount Return

It has been months in the works. Then weeks of waiting. On the final night of the regular season it happened.

There were steps to be taken. There was a depth chart to climb. There was an injury.

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, now infamous for throwing a punch in game one, returned to play in game 12. In the third quarter he got the call as now starting running back LaMichael James tapped his helmet signaling he needed to come off.

Blount’s first few touches were for two yards each. He then went for five yards for a first down. He capped the drive with a 12 yard run for a touchdown. He finished with 51 yards and the one touchdown.

Some will say, and have said, this was a win at all costs tactic or that Blount shouldn’t have been let back on the field. I don’t agree with that and have no problem with his reinstatement.

Notre Dame Says No Thanks

Notre Dame has decided that they do not want to continue this season and would not accept a bowl invite if one were issued.

I think this is ridiculous.

To me, it feels like Notre Dame feels they are too good to play in a lower tier bowl. That because they are Notre Dame they should only be playing in big time bowls and not bowls against teams from the MAC.

News flash, Notre Dame you really are a 6-6 team. This wasn’t a fluke season. This is where you are. Right now. I am not saying Notre Dame will always be here or anything like that but this is how it is right now. Accept it.

A bowl means more practices. It means another game for the seniors who have worked hard. It means getting more experience for the younger players.

Stop thinking you are elite and better than everyone else because right now, you are not.

BCS

My projections are

Championship Game—Alabama vs. Texas

Rose Bowl—Oregon vs. Ohio State

Orange Bowl—TCU vs. Georgia Tech

Fiesta Bowl—Boise State vs. Iowa

Sugar Bowl—Cincinnati vs. Florida

Heisman

I don’t know who will win and I don’t know who I think should win. Here is who I think should be in New York though.

Mark Ingram RB Alabama

Toby Gerhart RB Stanford

Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

CJ Spiller RB Clemson

Golden Tate WR Notre Dame

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ESPN/USA TODAY Top 25: Texas Better Than Florida, TCU or Cincinnati?

James Crytzer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:03:14 -0500

Congratulations Texas, you guys are going to play Alabama in the BCS title game. You beat Nebraska after a Cornhusker kicked off out of bounds and you were given an extra 15 yards on a horse-collar tackle.

Oh, and let's not forget the booth time review that gave you your one second back.

How can anybody rationalize that this Texas team is better now than they were last week.

Last week, Texas won 49-39 against Texas A&M. They showed that their defense can't stop anybody, but their offense can score against a poor defensive team.

This week, Texas won 13-12 with the aforementioned help. They showed that they can't score on a strong defense.

So why does the ESPN/USA Today Poll, made up of coaches, give Texas MORE FIRST-PLACE VOTES?

That's right, Texas actually gained one first-place vote after surviving against Nebraska.

Let's not forget that Alabama had just destroyed Florida, or that Cincinnati came back from 21 down to beat Pitt on the road.

No, Texas got the votes for neutral-site victory against the No. 22 team in the nation. A team with no chance of scoring a touchdown, unless they're on defense.

The fact of the matter is that Texas getting ANY first place votes is a joke, and a SLAP in the face to all football teams in Division I-A. The only reason Texas is in position to be in a BCS title game is because of ridiculous preseason polls!

That's right, Texas started off as No. 2, so all they had to do was win out and they'd get their shot at a title.

I'll say what everybody should already know: Alabama deserves EVERY possible first-place vote available in all polls. They won, and won convincingly against a team far superior than Nebraska.

Enjoy your system lords of college football, you've given us a "title game" where one team is vastly superior to another...ONCE AGAIN!

Enjoy your future title Alabama and the SEC, sure you guys earned a shot at it, but a win by you doesn't make you the best. It makes you the best in a three-team race between Florida, Texas and yourselves.

I'm sorry fans of TCU, Cincinnati or Boise State, you guys never got your shot because you weren't ranked high enough at the start of the season. As it always goes, you'll get some respect the year after you've done so well, but your team won't be the same.

To the four coaches who voted Texas as No. 1, you all deserve to have your voting ballots revealed to the public and criticized for your blatant abuse of power.

If anybody truly thinks Texas is a better team this week than Alabama, I can truly say you've got too much team or conference pride running through your veins.

Let's get serious Division I College Football: Get your fans a playoff system so all teams can have their chance to show their ability on the field.

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South Florida Bulls Fall in UConn's Winter Wonderland

Tom Edrington — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 11:05:26 -0500

You have to give the South Florida Bulls plenty of credit. On a snowy winter's night in Connecticut, in chilly temperates, and with a motivated Connecticut football team chipping away at them, they did not roll over and die.

They did not roll over Saturday night and give it up easily like they did the previous week at home against Miami.

They didn't pack it in, although this was not their kind of weather. They didn't complain although their coach, Jim Leavitt, did all that earlier in the week.

Nope, these Bulls fought hard and with just 40 seconds left on the clock, their leader, B.J. Daniels dove into the end zone for a touchdown, his third of the night that gave his Bulls a 27-26 lead over UConn.

Surely USF might hold on and steal a Big East victory in December on the road.

Surely they would and they would avoid another losing record in the conference.

Surely they didn't.

With so little time and a do-or-die circumstance staring at them, the Huskies took the kickoff to their own 44 where Zach Frazer managed three passes that would take his team to the USF 26.

It was there that Dave Teggart lined up a 42-yard field goal attempt and knocked it in the dead-middle of the goal posts as time ran out.

Connecticut Huskies 29, South Florida 27.

Sorry 'bout that Bulls fans.

But this is the UConn team that beat mighty Notre Dame in South Bend. This is the UConn team that overcame the murder of one of its key players. This is the UConn team that has perhaps shown as much heart this season as any team in the country.

And perhaps it was that heart and the spirit of slain Jasper Howard that got them home on that snowy night.

The Bulls, who live or die on the field by what Daniels can do, saw him do plenty. He ran for 88 yards to lead all rushers, both teams. He passed for another 160 and took snaps from under center, rather than from the shotgun and effectively managed a running game that featured big Mike Ford plowing for 74 yards and a touchdown.

But it simply wasn't enough.

UConn was more up to the task of winning. Frazer performed well, Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon ran well enough.

And Randy Edsall coached them well enough.

And he's coached well enough to draw the wandering eyes from vacant coaching positions, including Notre Dame.

USF likes to talk about starting its program from nothing, how great Leavitt has done.

Well, Edsall has done the same if not more and has won a Big East title in the process.

USF heads home with a 7-5 record and a 3-4 Big East mark, same as UConn. But UConn finished strong and overcame so much.

USF finished with a whimper and couldn't overcome itself.

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Cincinnati Bearcats Win Most Exciting Game of NCAA Season

John P. Wise — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:46:31 -0500

I lost a job in July and had no idea what I was going to do next. Then I revived a project I'd thought about 15 years ago, hit the road in late August, and 14 Saturdays later, spent a snowy afternoon in Pittsburgh watching through a camera's viewfinder on the sideline as my alma mater finished off its most successful season in school history.

And the Cincinnati Bearcats did it by beating Big East-rival Pittsburgh in the most exciting college football game of the season at frigid Heinz Field.

The Panthers couldn't hold on to a 31-10 second-quarter lead, and allowed three touchdowns in the final 11 minutes as the Bearcats claimed a thrilling 45-44 victory.

Mardy Gilyard wasn't the X factor for the visitors. He was the A-Z factor, repeatedly breathing life into an unusually tame Cincinnati attack. After Pittsburgh built that 21-point cushion late in the first half, Gilyard returned a kickoff down the left sideline and into the end zone right in front of 1,000 or so screaming red sweaters who made the drive from Cincinnati.

The play pulled the Bearcats to 31-17 just before the break.

The second half featured several momentum swings, big plays, a few key mistakes and even a couple of questionable calls by officials.

Senior quarterback Tony Pike connected with Gilyard on a 68-yard touchdown for the only points of the third quarter.

Pitt's talented freshman Dion Lewis scored the first of his two fourth-quarter touchdowns—he also had one in the opening period—to give the home team a 38-24 advantage, but Pike and D.J. Woods teamed up on an 8-yard scoring strike just 77 seconds later. Jake Rogers's point-after attempt hit the upright, leaving Cincinnati with an eight-point deficit.

More than five minutes passed before Isaiah Pead bulled his way to a 1-yard touchdown, and Gilyard's leaping grab of a Pike pass for the two-point conversion made the score 38-38.

Then the fun started.

Pitt took more than four minutes on a drive that ended with Lewis' 5-yard touchdown run at the 1:36 mark. Panthers holder Andrew Janocko couldn't corral the snap, however, so Pitt's lead was 44-38.

You had the feeling that it wasn't just those in the red sweaters behind the far end zone who knew that PAT failure was going to be relevant a short time later.

Pike, who completed his final 11 passes, got UC into what anyone else would call its two-minute offense. For the Bearcats, it's called Saturday.

UC marched easily down the field, and tied the game when Pike found a diving Armon Binns a half step beyond his man. The 29-yard touchdown pass tied the game at 44 with 33 seconds left. Rogers's PAT was good this time, and the celebration was on.

Cincinnati players stormed the field, donning brand new red, white, and blue caps, the first symbols of a second straight Big East championship.

Pike, Gilyard and all their sweaty, grass-stained friends exchanged hugs, high-fives and hell-yeahs; a few even ran around with tears streaming down their faces.

The two stars were among the last Bearcats to leave the field and join the locker-room party. Pike signed autographs, shook hands with fans and even took some weak trash talk from bitter Pitt students who hung around near the UC tunnel, at least 20 minutes after the game had ended.

Meanwhile, Gilyard enjoyed a few minutes in front of the cameras, covering such topics as his support for Nebraska, Cincinnati-style chili and the future of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly. You can watch that below, and come on back for more celebration video Sunday morning.

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Cincinnati Bearcats Survive Pitt and The Perfect Storm

Tom Edrington — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:22:12 -0500

Oh so fortunate are these Cincinnati Bearcats.

Twelve and oh-so-fortunate.

Champions of the Big East, winners of a BCS bowl berth, and survivors of a 45-44 nail-biter at Heinz Field that was one heck of a college football shootout.

It was a game full of heroes and their heroics, but when all was said and done it was backup quarterback Andrew Janocko’s bobbled hold of an extra point that put Cincinnati in position to weather the perfect storm in Pittsburgh.

The perfect storm was the snow and cold conditions that grounded the Bearcats' high-power passing game, The perfect storm was the super-human effort of freshman sensation Dion Lewis, the future of the Heisman Trophy, and the perfect storm was a less than perfect first half by Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike.

But it was that imperfect extra point snap that perhaps kept this contest from overtime.

After a furious comeback by the Bearcats in the fourth quarter, Lewis scored his third touchdown of the day on his 47th carry and his 191st rushing yard. It was 44-38 when Janocko took a good snap, prepared to place the ball down then suddenly lost control.

It was a costly mistake for Pitt.

Mardy Gilyard, who was such a huge factor for the Bearcats all afternoon, put his team in business with a 26-yard kick return that set up the final drive.

From his own 39, it was vintage Pike. Seven yards to Gilyard, 10 to D.J. Woods, another 15 to Gilyard, and then a perfect strike for 29 and a touchdown to the rangy Armon Binns.

Cincy managed its point after and the 45-44 lead with 1:36 to play.

The Bearcats defense, punished all day by Lewis and his prolific running ability, finally put together a stand at the end to win this game.

Before then, it was a defense that had little or no answer for Lewis.

"We are what we are," winning coach Brian Kelly said at halftime. It was an incredible 99-yard kickoff return by Gilyard that kept it from looking like a blowout at the half. Instead of 31-10, that return gem made it 31-17 with Pitt still looking so very much in control.

"At the half, I told them 'Look, just stay together and keep fighting," Kelly recalled after the final seconds ticked away. "I'm proud of the way our team persevered."

Pike, who got off to a slow start, found his form down the stretch and finished 22 for 44 for 302 yards and three touchdowns. But it was the 381 yards of offense that Gilyard provided that brought Cincinnati into the land of the regular-season unbeatens.

He had 118 receiving yards to go with 263 return yards. Binns, who caught the final touchdown pass, had five catches and 104 yards.

But it was Lewis who was the most incredible man on the field all day. He toted the ball 47 times, more than any Pitt player, ever. And he's only a freshman.

It was all Lewis early and often for Pitt and he passed 100 yards by the half.

But it was Pike and Binns and Gilyard late, when the game was on the line.

"I like Mack Brown at Texas," Kelly said afterwards. "But go Nebraska, go Cornhuskers!"

The Bearcats are firmly in the BCS picture but as Kelly indicated, they've done all they can do. They will watch and see what happens to teams ahead of them in the BCS.

And Cincinnati nation will wait and see what will happen with Kelly and the fact that Notre Dame may come calling.

Kelly has said, that if Notre Dame wants to talk, he will listen.

But for now, until the Irish knock, for Cincinnati and its fans, everything is oh so perfect.

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Wow! Cincinnati Wins a Track Meet at Pittsburgh

Alex Ferguson — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:09:00 -0500

It's frankly not unusual that games involving a team from Pittsburgh should end up with a botched special teams play to decide the game.

The hometown Pittsburgh Steelers have managed to lose not one but two games this season in overtime, and it was hardly surprising when at snowy Heinz Field, a botched extra point became the telling point in an enthralling de facto Big East championship game between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

When Pittsburgh backup quarterback Andrew Janocko dropped the extra point snap after the Panthers momentum-shifting late touchdown, it meant that Cincinnati only had to dance down the field for the game-winning score—and with that offense, who was going to bet against that?

With 33 seconds on the clock of a breathtaking encounter, DJ Woods took in a bomb from Tony Pike with a diving catch in the end zone to tie the game. So after coming back from a 21-point deficit earlier in the game, Jake Rogers booted one of the nerviest college football kicks you’ll ever see.

And with that, it was 45-44.

Pittsburgh fans can't be disheartened. They have a running back who we think will rival Tony Dorsett as a future College Football Hall of Famer and Panther shirt retiree in Dion Lewis, who ravaged Cincy all day and will do the same to Big East defenses next season.

The Panthers came from nowhere to 'something' this year, and Bill Wannstedt has put his team on the map in terms of a national reckoning—so much so that we think that Penn State would have struggled to contain them had the two met up this year.

But the day belonged to Cincinnati and the brilliant Mardy Gilyard, who racked up 118 yard receiving and 256 kickoff return yards. We think that guy Gilyard will see some Pro time.

Let's hope he doesn't 'pull a Michael Crabtree', eh?

Here's the winning moment:

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Ohio Prep Stars Look To Build Rivalry In Big East

John P. Wise — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:43:26 -0500

CLEVELAND—If Brian Kelly takes the job at Notre Dame, that could bring a double-dose of bad news to Cincinnati football fans.

First of all, the Bearcats would obviously be losing one of the nation's finest coaches, but if they don't tread carefully, they could also lose local quarterback prospect Luke Massa.

Massa said in a telephone interview with OGS Thursday that he doesn't know what he'll do if Kelly bolts, and the tall teen sounded fairly convincing as he said it.

"Right now I'm hoping he stays," said Massa, who this fall helped the Bombers to their eighth Greater Catholic League crown in the last 10 years, and the second round of the state playoffs. "When the time comes and he makes a decision, I'll have a decision to make, too."

Massa gave the Bearcats a verbal commitment in July, but is well within his right to sign on someone else's dotted line when national letter-of-intent day hogs the headlines in February. Charlie Weis's regime at Notre Dame expressed interest, so perhaps there still might be room for him in South Bend if Kelly takes the job there after all?

Wisconsin and Cincinnati were the only schools to make offers, but Massa also "talked to Boston College, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Michigan State." Not a bad list of options.

With Kelly entrenched in the gossip section of the sports world, you'd think a few of the aforementioned schools would re-open those conversations. Yet Massa said that hasn't been the case, adding that in a perfect world he'll play for Kelly at Nippert Stadium.

"It would be pretty cool to play in your hometown," he said. "Brian Kelly has been so successful here the last few years, and I'd love to be a part of it. The program is still on the rise."

And of course Massa is keenly aware how well the UC offense would showcase his talents for NFL scouts a few years down the line.

"I think UC would give me a great opportunity," he said. "They have such a good system and their offense is explosive."

St. Xavier's Jesuit rival in Cleveland, St. Ignatius, boasts first-team all-Ohio quarterback Mark Myers. The Wildcats beat Massa's Bombers in the regular season, and Myers' football future seems a little more stable than Massa's.

Myers is headed to Pittsburgh, where he hopes after a year or two of growing and learning that he can contend for a starting position and lead his Panthers to a couple of victories over Massa's conference-rival Bearcats.

"It will definitely be fun to play against him in the Big East," Myers said.

Added Massa: "I think both of our first starts were against each other as sophomores in 2007. The quarterback ahead of him got hurt, and the quarterback ahead of me got hurt too. It would be cool to compete against him again at the next level."

Myers said he visited Pittsburgh, just two hours away from Cleveland, three times over the summer. He said he likes that the school is in the city, adding he was also impressed by the facilities and the school's academic offerings.

Myers said he grew up watching Ohio State on autumn Saturdays, but despite a few conversations with Buckeyes brass, he "didn't think (he) would fit in with their offense."

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound lefty has drawn comparisons to Dave Ragone, among other strong-armed southpaws.

"I'll have to be very dedicated to football because it's your job in college for four years," Myers said.

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2009 NCAA Bowl Projections, Part Five: The Big East

Lou DiPietro — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:50:24 -0500

We reach the halfway point of the BCS side in the 2009 Bowl Projection Series with the only remaining conference featuring an undefeated team: The Big East. They are the “Big Least” no more, as although it is the smallest of the BCS conferences, the Big East has three to five very good teams almost every year. At the top of the pack right now is Cincinnati, who needs only to defeat Pitt on Saturday to finish an unbeaten regular season and head to the BCS. Of course, the Panthers, who are coming off a heartbreaking loss to West Virginia last week, would love nothing more than to steal that spot. I f that happens, 11-1 Cincy would be a candidate for a BCS at-large berth, but they were a ratings disaster for the Orange Bowl last year and won’t even be as attractive as a two-loss Big Ten team. The Big East has seven tie-ins, six of which are exercised in any given year. This year, they have six eligible teams; Notre Dame can be taken by the Gator or Sun Bowl if they win seven or more games, but at 6-6 they have to wait on contingencies. Thus, all eligible spots will be taken.

Begin Slideshow

Rutgers Looks To End 14-Year Drought Against West Virginia

Andrew Weaver — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:06:07 -0500

Nineteen-Ninety Four.

It was the year when Nancy Kerrigan’s legs were taken out by one of Tonya Harding’s thugs. Bill Clinton was President of the United States. Kurt Cobain died. O.J. Simpson was “in the news.” And there was no World Series because of a strike.

Certainly, a lot happened in the U.S. in 1994, and most Americans can recall each of these culturally significant events.

But something else happened in 1994 that was significant to a smaller group of people—something that hasn’t happened since.

It was the last time Rutgers beat West Virginia on the college football field.

Remember that one? You might not, and that’s okay—you’re probably are not familiar with what a “fat sandwich” is, either.

But think about that!

Fourteen years!

Since then, the Rutgers football program has gone through three coaches, including Greg Schiano, but has failed at defeating the Mountaineers year-after-year-after-year-after-year-after-you-get-the-point.

Coach Schiano has gone “oh-fer” in his eight years coaching the Scarlet Knights, and it’s no surprise West Virginia is the only Big East team he hasn’t taken down.

So, to say Rutgers is due for a victory against the Mountaineers is like saying Bill Clinton “likes-him-the-ladies.”

And although West Virginia has had Rutgers’ number for (virtually) ever, the past few matchups have given each team a run for their money.

In 2008, Rutgers left Morgantown with a 24-17 loss after failing to convert a fourth down late in the final quarter.

But last year’s defeat was nothing compared to the historic matchup on the last week of the 2006 season which pitted a 15th-ranked West Virginia versus a 13th-ranked Rutgers.

If you are unfamiliar with the result of the game, this picture about sums it up.

For those who are familiar, please accept my apologies for reminding you (I’m still getting over that one).

So, while recent years have carried modest optimism going into this game, West Virginia week always comes with a grain of salt.

We Rutgers people like to think of WVU as rivals, but Merriam-Webster may disagree.

According to M-W, “rival” is defined three ways: (1) one striving to obtain something that only one can possess; (2) a companion, associate; and (3) an equal, peer.

Okay, let’s see how that works.

Definition 1: Sure, Rutgers is always striving to possess a “win,” I suppose, they have just done an awful job in the last decade plus.

Definition 2: Ehh, not so much. I’m not sure companions would constantly refer to each other as “hillbillies” or “guidos.”

Definition 3: Here’s the big red flag. When you haven’t beaten a team in this many years, it’s pretty aggressive to consider them “equals.”

Rutgers has arguably beaten better teams than West Virginia in the past 14 seasons, so why can’t Rutgers figure them out?

Are they simply in Schiano’s head?

It would be foolish to disregard the idea that Schiano is unaware of his coaching record against the Mountaineers, so that could have something to do with his game-planning.

Is it some sort of curse?

Does the aroma of fried raccoon fur somehow scramble the brainwaves of players and coaches wearing scarlet?

(I kid, 'Eers fans. We all drink Jager-bombs in place of water and use pounds of hair gel, I know, I know.)

Whatever it may be, I have a feeling this could be the year the tables turn in favor of the Scarlet Knights, and here are three reasons why.

1) Turnovers

West Virginia turns the ball over. A lot.

They have 22 giveaways this year, and Rutgers leads the nation in turnover margin.

Tasty matchup, right?

Greg Schiano should be licking his chops.

2) A Let Down Game

Last week, the Mountaineers exercised some 2007 demons by defeating the ninth ranked Pitt Panthers at home on a field goal as time expired.

Pair the win with the fact that it was Senior Day for the Mountaineers and they are set to face a Rutgers team who hasn’t won in a decade and a half, and you end up with a classic let down scenario.

Not to mention, it has been rumored that the 'Eers will be invited to the Gator Bowl, regardless of the outcome of the game.

3) The Protection of 'R' Turf

The Mountaineers boast a respectable 8-3 record, but all three of their losses have come away from Morgantown.

Rutgers, on the other hand, has played extremely well at home over their last five games.

West Virginia’s worst loss of the season was a 30-19 defeat at South Florida on Oct. 30.

Rutgers’ best win of the season was a 31-0 spanking of South Florida in Piscataway on November 11th.

It was also the last time Rutgers played at home.

Just saying.

In addition, it’s Senior Day for Rutgers, which means the seniors will be playing their last home game “On The Banks.”

Oh, and there will be over 10,000 more fans packing Rutgers Stadium than the last time WVU came to town.

You can bet that Rutgers Stadium will be overflowing with energy given the magnitude of this showdown with West Virginia.

And to top it off, a win will likely secure a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against an ACC opponent, possibly against the Miami Hurricanes.

It’s been a long 14 years, but a win this Saturday will wipe the slate clean and turn a new page for Rutgers Football.

Last home game of the season, against a division “rival,” on Senior Day, at noon on a Saturday, televised on ESPN, and with a chance to go to the best bowl game the program has ever been to?

Sounds like a storybook ending, 14 years in the making.

R!!!

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Big East Bowl Predictions: Six Bowls, Two Wins—How Good Is the Big East?

Caleb M. — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:57:57 -0500

Yesterday Sportscaster007 and I made the ACC and Big Ten bowl predictions. We continue going conference by conference today with the Big East and Big 12 predictions.

Tomorrow the SEC and Pac-10 previews will be here, followed lastly by the Mountain West and WAC conferences on Thursday. Enjoy, and comment as you like.

Find the Big 12 link at the bottom, as well as a link to SC's profile.

Sugar Bowl (SEC Champ vs. BCS at-large)—Jan. 1, New Orleans, Louisiana

The SEC championship is highly anticipated. I mean, wow, what a game. Florida and Alabama, two huge teams, the best two in the country.

The loser moves here to play Cincinnati. Cincinnati gets the at-large pick as long as they beat Pittsburgh. Otherwise all heck breaks loose, and things could get very messy. So let's assume Tony Pike can round up one more victory.

Florida will lose. Mark my words. I'm assuming by a touchdown to 10 points, but we'll see. Tim Tebow is an outstanding quarterback. His stats don't show it, which is why he shouldn't even be considered for the Heisman. But he gets the job done behind an amazing coach and with the assistance of a great defense.

Cincinnati has a stellar offense as well. I don't care if you put 50 points on the Bearcats, I guarantee you they'll put up 60. That's how good they are. Pike is extraordinary and should've won the Heisman if not for his injury.

That said, their defense isn't all that great. Tebow will seek revenge after losing his final regular season game. He'll go out with a bang, putting Pike to shame.

Florida 38, Cincinnati 21

Gator Bowl (Big East two vs. ACC three)—Jan. 1, Jacksonville, Florida

As stated in the ACC predictions, Virginia Tech makes the No. 3 spot behind Georgia Tech and Clemson.

They've been on a great win streak, making a good name for themselves again after such high preseason ratings. It looks as if they'll finish in the top 15, if not 10, with a win in the Gator Bowl.

That will come against rival West Virginia. While they aren't rivals per se, they do share a border and as intense a rivalry as I've seen.

West Virginia will represent the Big East. They look good, especially with that win over Pittsburgh to give them a chance at the Gator Bowl rather than the Car Care bowl.

West Virginia is good but got in due to an upset. Virginia Tech has a better conference and a stronger team, and it should be a bowl to remember, possibly being one of the best of the bowl season. Look for a great game and possibly a needed overtime.

Virginia Tech 28, West Virginia 26 (OT?)

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Big East three vs. ACC five)—Dec. 26, Charlotte, North Carolina

Again, this is a matchup stated in the ACC predictions. The score and such stay the same.

North Carolina's conspiracy to get home field advantage in a bowl game worked after faking the loss last week. Don't believe they're that bad. Don't.

Pittsburgh lost out on their chances of a better bowl with a loss to West Virginia. It would take a miracle to beat the 11-0 Bearcats, so it's the Car Care bowl for the Panthers.

Pittsburgh will take it to the Tar Heels, making up for their two-loss streak that ended the regular season. It's sweet revenge for the Panthers, and you better believe they'll get it.

Pittsburgh 31, North Carolina 21

Papajohns.com Bowl (Big East four vs. SEC nine)—Jan. 2, Birmingham, Alabama

Rutgers finishes fourth for the Big East, behind Pittsburgh. The Scarlet Knights have had a rough year but finish in a bowl game behind the arm of the amazing freshman Tom Savage.

He's one of the best freshmen in the nation, I feel, and you better remember his name for the Heisman watch in years to come.

Rutgers will have to take on the ninth-place finisher for the SEC.

In years past, this was pretty even. But this year, it looks to be heavily in Rutgers' favor.

They take on a weak Auburn team. Now they have had their moments. But despite almost beating Alabama in an amazing comeback game, they aren't as good as some may think.

True, the SEC is no picnic. But they have only seven wins, and only three in conference. They did beat West Virginia pretty badly but then went on a three-game losing streak to Arkansas, Kentucky, and LSU.

They scheduled three crap games against Louisiana Tech, Furman (I finally figured out where this is at...), and Ball State. Exactly—three pathetic no-brainer wins for the Tigers.

Excluding those three games, they're 4-3. Not that great. I see Rutgers taking down the Tigers, gaining back some respect for the Knights.

Rutgers 34, Auburn 27

International Bowl (Big East five vs. MAC three)—Jan. 2, Toronto, Canada

Coming in at fifth place are the underachieving South Florida Bulls. What in the world should we expect from these guys?

I mean honestly, this is one of the hardest games to predict. The Bulls are led by a pretty decent freshman quarterback in B.J. Daniels. However, they've had quite a shaky year.

First they played three ridiculous games against two FCS teams—Wofford and Charleston Southern—and Sun Belt bottom-feeder Western Kentucky.

After that they won a couple games against average teams and got blown out by Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Yet they beat West Virginia next week. And the week after that? They were shut out by Rutgers.

The season so far has been finished off by a close victory over Louisville (I don't care what the score says, they almost lost that game) and a humiliating loss to the Hurricanes.

Against them will be an underrated Temple. Temple is led by freshman running back Bernard Pierce, one of the best freshman in the country.

Now, no undue credit here—Temple is a good team. They had a shaky start and ended with a tough loss to conference opponent Ohio. This puts them in third place for the MAC, behind Ohio and Central Michigan, who will play for the MAC title.

Temple knows how to win games, even if it is usually against minor league teams. I think they can pull off the "upset" over South Florida, chalking up another loss for the Big East.

Temple 35, South Florida 31

St. Petersburg Bowl (Big East six/Notre Dame vs. C-USA five/Sun Belt two)—Dec. 19, St. Petersburg, Florida

Coming in sixth place in the Big East is Connecticut, win or lose this weekend. However, Notre Dame can come in at 6-6 as a replacement. But everyone else is predicting them to accept a GMAC replacement bid, so we'll go with Connecticut.

Against them is the fifth place C-USA team, or the second place Sun Belt team if the C-USA can't fill that selection. But they can, and that selection is Southern Mississippi.

The Golden Eagles lost to Kansas, UAB, and Louisville. But then they contended with Houston, taking that game right down to the wire. The year finished with a loss to East Carolina.

All in all, this looks to be a pretty sad bowl game that could go either way. But So Miss' high scoring ways will continue into the bowl season, and they'll come out on top.

Southern Miss 52, Connecticut 42

Again, I want to thank Sportscaster007 for his input, and it's been great working with him. Look for the SEC and Pac-10 picks later today!

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