By
Pete Fiutak
Cincinnati Spring
practice starts March 28, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Will the lumps taken last year
thanks to all the youth pay off this year? Outside of the offensive
line, this was a very young and very inexperienced team in 2005, and it
showed with an inconsistent 4-7 season. Head coach Mark Dantonio has to
use all the returning experience and mold it into a team that can be
more competitive in the Big East race.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. The
offensive line needs the most help in the way of new starters, but the
quarterback situation is most vital after Dustin Grutza struggled last
year with 11 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He was more accurate
as the season went on, but he wasn't able to lead the attack on many
scoring drives with only 23 points scored in the final three games. His
improvement this off-season is the key to the season.
Spring attitude... Time to take a big step forward. As bad as
last year was, the team wasn't embarrassing and did show occasional
signs on defense of becoming better. The Bearcats aren't good enough to
challenge West Virginia or Louisville, so it's not a bad thing to get
those two games on the road. Outside of the road trips to Ohio State and
Virginia Tech, there isn't another game the Bearcats won't have a chance
in. Just a few more wins than last year means a bowl game.
Connecticut Spring
practice starts March 18, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Is UConn really ready to
become a player in the Big East title hunt? This was a very young team
last year that struggled through off-the-field defensive issues early
along with inconsistent quarterback play. The return of RB Terry Caulley,
along with almost all the main starters on both sides of the ball,
should mean a bounce-back year after going 5-6 in 2005.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Matt
Bonislawski is the team's safest quarterback option, but he couldn't
stay healthy last year and struggled mightily with his accuracy barely
completing 50% of his throws with six touchdown passes and seven
interceptions. D.J. Hernandez has the best all-around skills, and he had
a great season finale against Louisville throwing for 255 yards and
three touchdowns in the loss, but will his rushing ability be enough to
overcome his still developing passing arm? Billy Cundiff and Dennis
Brown will also get chances at playing time.
Spring attitude... Start fast. This is an experienced team
with a favorable early schedule playing Rhode Island, Wake Forest, at
Indiana and Navy. If UConn wants to go bowling and wants to be good
enough to challenge for the Big East title, it needs the confidence of a
big start going 3-1, at worst, before facing South Florida. If the
offense can get more out of the passing game this spring, there's no
reason to think the Huskies can't be a big surprise.
Louisville Spring
practice starts March 28, Spring Game April 21
The big spring question is ... What does the team need to do
to play as well on the road as it does at home? In Papa John's last
year, the Cardinals went 6-0 beating teams like Oregon State, North
Carolina, Pitt and Rutgers (along with Florida Atlantic and Syracuse) by
an average score of 55-15.5. On the road, they struggled against
Kentucky, got walloped by South Florida, lost to West Virginia and beat
Cincinnati and UConn. The focus and at-home mindset has to be there all
off-season so it carries over to the start of the year.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive tackle.
Everything is in place to have another juggernaut offense, but QB Brian
Brohm, when he returns from injury, has to be kept clean. The machine
won't fall apart without star tackles Travis Leffew and Jeremy Darveau,
but there will be a lot of pressure on George Bussey, Marcel Benson, and
6-7, 317-pound Renardo Foster to play well.
Spring attitude... 12-0 or bust. The team has been very, very
good for a while, it's playing in a BCS conference, and it has some big
showcase games to get the necessary street cred from the pollsters.
There's no reason whatsoever this team can't get through cleanly with
the toughest games (Miami, West Virginia, South Florida) at home. A team
as good as Louisville has to beat Kansas State and Pitt on the road.
Pitt
Spring practice starts March 19, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... How much improvement will
there be from year one to year two under Dave Wannstedt? 2005 wasn't a
total flop, but 5-6 isn't exactly what Panther fans had in mind. Will
the offense produce more after only averaging 336 yards and 24 points
per game last year? Is the defense going to be any faster? This is a big
spring for a lot of players before all the top new recruits come in this
summer.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive tackle.
The run defense might have been lousy last year, but it's still not a
plus to lose two veteran 300-pounders on the inside. Thomas Smith and
Phil Tillman not only provided the beef at tackle, they provided some
needed experience for the defense. The Panther linebackers need all the
help they can get meaning Rashaad Duncan, Corey Davis, Nick Williams and
Ron Idoko have to play well this spring.
Spring attitude... Don't just assume that a Big East title is
out of reach. With West Virginia and Louisville each coming to Heinz
Field to close out the regular season, and the conference road games
against Cincinnati and Syracuse, there's no reason the Panthers can't
progress enough as the season goes on to be in a position to win the
championship. However, every practice is important to tighten things up
and become more explosive on offense and tighter on defense.
Rutgers
Spring practice starts March 25, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... After a strong 2005, can the
program keep getting better? 7-5 is just cause for celebration around
Piscataway, but the best win was over Navy. There's still a lot of work
to be done before Greg Schiano's team can think about competing for the
Big East title, but this has to be another solid season considering all
the great offensive players returning.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive end.
Ryan Neill and his ten sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback
hurries will be sorely missed, as will ten sacks and 13 tackles for loss
from Val Barnaby. Ramel Meekins is an aggressive, pass rushing tackle,
but the Scarlet Knights need to keep generating pressure on the
quarterback from the outside.
Spring attitude... Last year was just the beginning. It took
five years, but Rutgers has to hope it finally turned the corner under
Schiano. An opening day win at North Carolina could set the tone for a
huge start with Illinois, Buffalo and Liberty before kicking off the Big
East slate. Improvement on defense should mean another bowl bid as long
as the team starts well, and that means this spring is important to get
even more experience in the back seven.
South Florida
Spring practice starts March 21, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Is Pat Julmiste ready to be a
major positive? The starting quarterback over the last two years has a
48% career completion percentage with 16 touchdown passes and 22
interceptions. With a few exceptions, the team was at its best when it
was all about the running game with Julmiste throwing for fewer than 100
yards, but to win the Big East title, the Bulls need better quarterback
play.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive
lineman. Running back will also be worth watching after losing
heart-and-soul Andre Hall, but three of the four starters are gone from
the defensive line meaning last year's depth has to form this year's
rock upfront after finishing 17th in the nation in total defense and
14th in scoring D.
Spring attitude... Winning the Big East title is possible.
With seven returning starters on defense led by one of the nation's best
linebacking corps, and with six starters back on offense, the nucleus
is there for another solid team. If the Bulls can hold serve at home and
come away from Kansas with a win, a 6-0 start is very possible with
Cincinnati and Syracuse still to play. Of course, road games at
Louisville and West Virginia to close out the regular season could ruin
title dreams, but a hot start could, at least, put USF in a great
position. To start well, the holes have to be filled this spring.
Syracuse Spring
practice starts March 20, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Was last year simply a case of
needing to take a big step back to take a bigger leap forward, or is
there really no hope for the offense? After finishing with one of the
nation's worst offenses averaging 13.8 points and 257 yards per game,
this spring had better unearth some skill players who can actually
perform, or 2006 might not be a whole bunch better.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. The
Orange quarterbacks didn't have anyone to throw to, but they didn't do
much to help the situation. Perry Patterson is big, strong and mobile,
but his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. Joe Fields did next to
nothing when he got his change to show what he could do. New offensive
coordinator Brian White and quarterback coach Phil Earley will spend all
spring breaking down Patterson's mechanics and starting from scratch.
Spring attitude... Don't panic ... yet. To fail to score more
than 17 points after mid-September showed how horrible things were, and
now there has to be a sense of urgency to change things around right
away. However, SU has to do the basics first like figure out how to
convert on third downs. The Orange was dead last in America in third
down conversion percentage at 20.5% (No. 118 was NC State at 25.5%), so
getting the quarterbacks to learn how to complete short to midrange
passes would be a nice start.
West
Virginia
Spring practice starts March 20, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Can Pat White progress as a
more consistent passer? Obviously the running will be there after
ripping off 952 yards and seven touchdowns last year, but White has to
make more plays through the air. He was unbelievable in the Sugar Bowl
completing 11 of 14 passes against Georgia. West Virginia will be
unstoppable if White can continue to be that sharp,
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive tackle.
The interior of the line should be fantastic led by the return of center
Dan Mozes, but tackles Travis Garrett and 6-8, 300-pound Garin Justice
are gone. The backups for the Sugar Bowl, Damien Crissey and Jake Figner
aren't as big, and they'll be pushed all off-season to earn the starting
spots.
Spring attitude... Act like everyone thinks you'll finish
fifth in the Big East. It'll be way too easy for the Mountaineers to
believe all the hype and all the praise everyone will be heaping on them
over the next few months, but they have to be hungry. If they focus on
winning the national title and happen to lose early to a team like
Maryland, the team might be rattled and blow an early conference road
game to UConn. Winning the Big East title and getting back to the BCS
has to be the goal, and then hope everything else falls into place.