Big East Report Card Week Eleven: How 'Bout Those Panthers?

Tell us you didn't love Pitt holding off that last quarter rally by good ole Notre Dame? Tell us you don't love it when the Irish lose to a Big East team! For those critics who constantly abuse the Big East Conference, please notice that Cincinnati is No. 5 in the BCS, and Pitt is No. 9. Only the SEC has more teams in the top 10 (3). So get off the Big East's back, and let's pass out some grades for Week Eleven:

Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0) 27, Notre Dame (6-4) 22:

Hey Charlie, ask your guys how the back end of Dion Lewis looked? Dion put up 152 against the Irish, and Ray Graham added three huge carries for another 57 yards.

Hey Notre Dame, how's that run defense? In the air, the Irish had no answer for Jonathan Baldwin, who made incredible catches and no doubt has NFL scouts drooling. He hauled in five key passes from Bill Stull for 142 yards. 

Despite 19 points in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame came up short, and Pitt showed that it is a quality team as it gets closer to the season finale against Cincinnati.

Give the Pitt defense kudos for getting after Jimmy Clausen. Clausen and Golden Tate are the two bright lights in an otherwise iffy Notre Dame season.

This prime-time game was a great one to watch and Pitt did its share to carry the standard for the Big East.

Great win, Wanny!

Grades:

Pittsburgh:       A

Notre Dame:    D  (you can't spell Notre Dame without a "D")

Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0) 24, West Virginia (7-3, 3-2) 21:

Notice that the closer it gets to a perfect season, the harder it's becoming for the Bearcats? That defense for Cincinnati continues to let the opposition stay in the ball game and that was the case Friday night.

Good thing Isaiah Pead showed up with a career game on the ground for the Bearcats. He rushed for 175 yards and scored a touchdown. This was also the return, albeit limited, for Tony Pike. Pike came in on two red-zone situations and hit two touchdown passes. He only threw four times.

Have to give some love to the Cincy "D" as they kept Noel Devine under 100 (88) and showed up enough to get that 10th victory.

This is all so very huge in Cincinnati. The Bearcats have a bye week to get themselves healthier and to get more work for Tony Pike, who could start against Illinois on the 27th.

In the meantime, the Brian Kelly-to-Notre Dame rumors can heat up while Cincinnati tries to figure out a way to keep him at home.

Grades:

Cincinnati:      A-

West Virginia: B

Rutgers (7-2, 2-2) 31, South Florida (6-3, 2-3) 0:

Wow, talk about a beatdown and embarrassment on national television?

The Scarlet Knights kicked the living daylights, or nightlights, out of USF in front of a national ESPN audience. The ESPN crew was abusing USF and rightfully so.

This was a simply awful performance by South Florida, a new low for Jim Leavitt, who has had his share of lows. It was a great performance by Rutgers. Greg Schiano had his team ready to play and this team looks nothing like the Rutgers squad that started the season.

Freshman Tom Savage is settling nicely into the QB position. Joe Martinek, everyone's blue-collar running back, slugged out 128 yards against the Bulls.

Give a LOT of credit to the Rutgers defense. Cornerback Devin McCourty was the sparkplug for this squashing of the USF offense. The Bulls only managed to rush for 30 yards and had a paltry 159 yards total offense.

Great home win for the Scarlet Knights.

More Bull-spit from Jim Leavitt.

Grades:

Rutgers:       A+

USF:            F--- (didn't know there was a grade that low).

Louisville (4-6, 1-4) 10, Syracuse (3-7, 0-5) 9:

What was this, a baseball game?

Believe it or not, Professor Tom actually SAW a lot of this game in between household chores. It was 0-0 at the half, only the second D-1 game that was scoreless at the midpoint this season. SAW the reception by Josh Chichester, that 6' 8" receiver, that proved to be the game winner for Louisville with just 1:24 left in the game.

Syracuse dominated this game on the stat-board, outgaining Louisville 266-151, but you know what they say about statistics.

It spoiled a 129-yard afternoon by Delone Carter for Syracuse but the Orange had no answer for Louisville return man Trent Guy. He had a 95-yarder for a touchdown nullified by a penalty but still managed four returns for 137 yards.

First Big East win for the Cards. For Syracuse, the Orange need a GREAT recruiting effort to turn this program around. It just isn't there for them right now.

Grades:

Louisville:         B+

Syracuse:         C

There you have it. Three straight nights of prime-time action for the Big East and two  great games. See you next week for week 12 grades.