2011 Big East Week 4
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Cincinnati
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Connecticut
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Louisville
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Pittsburgh
- Rutgers
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South
Florida |
Syracuse
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West
Virginia
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Week 4 Roundup
Player of the Week
Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu caught 16 passes for 176 yards and two scores in the win over Ohio.
Three Best Games of the Week
1. at Syracuse 33 … Toledo 30 OT
2. Notre Dame 15 … at Pitt 12
3. LSU 47 … at West Virginia 21
Cincinnati ... at Cincinnati 44 … NC State 14 … Zach Collaros was terrific as now the Cincinnati offense really is rolling like the Cincinnati offense was supposed to last year under Butch Jones. Yes, the NC State defense is depleted, and yes, the Wolfpack offense kept screwing up, but 503 yards, 163 rushing yards from Isaiah Pead, and a brilliant performance by Collaros, with 263 yards and two touchdown passes and nine runs for 52 yards and two scores, showed in front of a national audience that the Bearcats are going to be a force in Big East play. If the run defense and the pass rush can continue to do what it did against the Wolfpack, watch out
Connecticut ... Connecticut 17 ... at Buffalo 3 … Is this finally the moment when Connecticut found its quarterback? Johnny McEntee only completed 12-of-21 passes, but he connected on a few big passes rolling for 213 yards and two scores. The running game still isn’t anywhere near as good as it needs to be, and it took way too long and too much of an effort to put away a bad Buffalo team, but the team needed a win after two straight close losses. To beat Western Michigan, the offense will have to keep up the pace against a high-powered attack. The UConn pass defense has been terrific and the pass rush has been tremendous. Against WMU, both have to be even better.
Louisville ... Didn’t Play This Week
Pitt ... Notre Dame 15 … at Pitt 12 … Pitt played its heart out over the last two weeks and didn’t have a win to show for it. The collapse against Iowa last week was bad, but not being able to hold up after playing so well defensively will really hurt. Pitt outplayed the Irish in several ways with Tino Sunseri sharp and the defense stuffing the Notre Dame passing game for three quarters. Allowing the 79-yard Jonas Gray touchdown run hurt, but that was about it for giving up big plays. The team is playing well enough to be 4-0, but all of a sudden the game against South Florida next week is for more than just getting off to a good start in the Big East. 2-3, no matter how it happens, won’t look good.
Rutgers ... at Rutgers 38 … Ohio 26 … Get the ball to Mohamed Sanu over and over and over again is a good gameplan. The playmaking receiver caught 16 passes for 176 yards and two scores in a scintillating, unstoppable performance. He not only made big plays, but he kept the offense and the chains moving as a safety blanket. The Scarlet Knights weren’t too bad running the ball when they had to, and the defense held up in the second half once Ohio started to press. The four takeaways helped, but it was the play of Sanu that was the difference, helping Rutgers hang on to the ball for almost 40 minutes
South Florida ... at South Florida 52 … UTEP 24 … The offense picked up where it left off against Florida A&M, and it’s hitting its stride at just the right time with Big Eat play and a trip to Pitt coming up on Thursday. B.J. Daniels is having a special year and was nearly perfect with 130 rushing yards and a score, highlighted by his 71-yard dash, and he threw for 202 yards and two scores. The pass rush continues to be great and the takeaways continue to come with three picks helping make this a blowout. The team couldn’t be playing any better.
Syracuse ... at Syracuse 33 … Toledo 30 OT … Syracuse might have gotten a mega-break on the missed call on an extra point that shouldn’t have counted in the final minutes, but even with all the defensive issues, and even with all the problems for an offense that saw too many drives end in a field goal instead of a touchdown, it was still an overtime win over a dangerous team. Toledo has firepower, and going forward, the defense has to do more to come up with stops on third downs and has to get more production out of a secondary that’s struggling to come up with stops. There might have been two overtimes so far, but 3-1 is a nice start going into a final season in the Big East.
West Virginia... LSU 47 … at West Virginia 21 … West Virginia’s passing game worked, but there were too many mistakes and too many miscues to beat a team as good as LSU. While outgaining the Tigers 533 to 366 will look nice on the stat sheet, the ten penalties, four turnovers, and key breakdowns on special teams and in the secondary will be what haunts the team going forward. On the plus side, the passing game worked against a defense playing at the highest of levels, and it nothing else, this game should be confidence-builder for the rest of the season. There’s no one else on the schedule that can handle this offense.
Thursday, Sept. 22
at Cincinnati 44 ... NC State 14
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: Cincinnati
34-24
Line: Cincinnati -7.5 O/U: 60.5
Saturday, Sept. 24
at Syracuse 33 ... Toledo 30 OT
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: Syracuse
28-23
Line: Syracuse -2.5 O/U: 54.5
Notre Dame 15 ... at Pitt
12
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: Notre Dame 31-17
Line: Notre Dame -6.5 O/U: 54
at Rutgers 38 ... Ohio 26
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: Rutgers
23-16
Line: Rutgers -4.5 O/U: 50.5
Connecticut 17 ... at Buffalo
3
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: Connecticut
26-14
Line: Connecticut -8,5 O/U: 46.5
at South Florida 52 ... UTEP
24
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: USF
45-13
Line: South Florida -29 O/U: 47.5
LSU 47 ... at West Virginia
21
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Game Story, CFN Analysis, & Recap
CFN Prediction: LSU 27-13
Line: LSU -6 O/U: 50.5