Big East Week 9 Report Card: It's All About UConn and Syracuse

It's all so very easy this week. Three games and two major upsets. Let's get right to it, Big East fans:

UConn 16, West Virginia 13

Remember we said not to sell Randy Edsall short? This one had Edsall's signature all over it. Just when there were rumblings about UConn, the Huskies show up and show up big time and take down West Virginia!

Huge, very huge.

And they did it with the deposed Zach Frazer as the starting quarterback. Face it, UConn had very little going for it as this game approached. But right there in front of a national television audience, once again Edsall made us all believers.

You must give huge credit to the Huskies defense. Noel Devine was limited to 67 yards, and Geno Smith to 64.

Jordan Todman was a total workhorse with 33 carries for 113 and a TD.

This was Florida State-like déjà vu for the Mountaineers with the near-goal-line fumble in overtime that paved the way for this stunning upset.

Grades

UConn: A+     

West Virginia: F

Syracuse 31, Cincinnati 7

Things are no doubt quite upbeat on campus today for the Orange. Huge, big, convincing win. Now Cincinnati fans will moan about the absence of starting quarterback Zach Collaros but you'd think there were enough weapons remaining to have made a better game of it.

Delone Carter put up his 109 yards. Isaiah Pead was held to a piddly 23 yards on 11 carries. Great job by the Syracuse defense.

One note to this and it sure falls into the old "statistics are for losers" category—Cincinnati out-gained Syracuse in total yards 277-262.

How about that, Syracuse defense?

Grades

Syracuse: A+   

Cincinnati: F

Pittsburgh 20, Louisville 3

This was a "discovery" game for Louisville. The Cards are new and improved but not yet ready for a team like Pitt. Take Bilal Powell out of the mix and you get what you get.

The Pittsburgh ground game still isn't up to speed as Dion Lewis and Ray Graham only combined for 105 yards.

Both these teams still have questions to answer.

Grades

Pittsburgh: B     

Louisville: D

There you have it. Huge performances by Syracuse and UConn. Nothing like a little shakeup in the Big East, is there? See you on Wednesday this week with an early game and an early preview with entrees and appetizers to get you going for the weekend.