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East Carolina
(1-2) at West Virginia (3-0)
12:00
PM ESPN
Why to watch:
Now that Louisville has suffered its
first loss, West Virginia is left to
carry the Big East banner in terms of a
national championship run. Sure,
Rutgers and South Florida are ranked and
unbeaten, but the Mountaineers are now
the only team in the league with a
realistic shot at making it to New
Orleans if they can keep dominating like
they have over the first few games. In
last Thursday’s win at Maryland, Rich
Rodriguez learned a couple of important
things about his program: True freshman
RB Noel Devine has the jets to
contribute to the offense right now.
And the defense, a question mark
throughout the off-season, is showing
signs of making progress, particularly
on third down. East Carolina is coming
down from a damaging 28-21 loss to
Southern Miss that already has it in a
hole in the Eastern Division of
Conference USA. Still searching for
that breakthrough win under Skip Holtz,
this week’s trip to Morgantown presents
an opportunity to make a bold statement
while averting a 1-3 start with a tough
trip to Houston in the on-deck circle.
Why East Carolina might win: If
you’re going to have a prayer of
upsetting West Virginia in Morgantown,
you’d better be good at stopping the
run, something the Pirates are excelling
at this season. Behind a sturdy
defensive line, and despite opening
without any cupcakes on the schedule,
East Carolina leads Conference USA in
rush defense, allowing just 86 yards a
game. While it won’t stop the West
Virginia attack, it’ll slow it down
enough to keep the game competitive and
get the ball back over to Patrick
Pinkney, ECU’s rapidly improving
quarterback.
Why West Virginia might win: One
way to keep the ball out of the hands of
West Virginia’s myriad of offensive
playmakers is to establish a
time-consuming ground game, but that’s
just not going to happen with East
Carolina. The Pirates are 96th
nationally on the ground, averaging less
than three yards a carry, and things
aren’t going to get any easier against a
Mountaineer front that’s really
attacking the ball this month. Short
ECU drives mean more touches for Patrick
White, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, and
Devine.
Who to watch: West Virginia’s
Mortty Ivy and Marc Magro weren’t even
guaranteed starting jobs when camp
started in August, but the two outside
linebackers have been instrumental in
the recent success of the Mountaineer
defense. Through three games, the pair
has combined for seven tackles for loss
and six sacks, creating pocket pressure
that hasn’t always been there from the
defensive line.
What will happen: With so much
attention being given to the Mountaineer
running attack, this is one of those
games that White will show off his
underrated arm, flipping a couple of
touchdown passes against a porous pass
defense. Unlike last year’s game, West
Virginia will jump out early and never
be challenged by East Carolina.
CFN Prediction:
West Virginia
44 ... East Carolina 16 ... Line:
West Virginia -24
Must See Rating: (5 Curb Your
Enthusiasm - 1 Kid Nation)
...
2.5
North Carolina
(1-2) at South Florida (2-0)
12:00
PM ESPN2
Why to watch:
Okay, South Florida, now that the rest
of the nation knows who you are, can you
keep the momentum going and win with a
big, fat target on your chest? When we
last saw the Bulls two weeks ago, they
were shocking Auburn at Jordan-Hare
Stadium in a landmark win that propelled
the program into the Top 25. With the
Tigers now in the rear view mirror and a
visit from West Virginia just six days
away, the young team needs to avoid a
letdown in a dangerous sandwich game
with North Carolina. The Tar Heels are
learning their way under Butch Davis,
losing the last two to East Carolina and
Virginia by a combined five points and
showing more competitiveness than in
recent years. With a new direction and
a ton of fresh faces, such as rookie QB
T.J. Yates getting reps, North Carolina
is headed, well, north, even if it’s not
evident in the standings.
Why North Carolina might win: In
what should be a low-scoring game, Yates
is quickly developing into the type of
quarterback that can keep his team in
the hunt, especially against a South
Florida offense that lacks a knockout
punch. The freshman has thrown three
touchdown passes in each of the Heels’
three games, and is flanked by a
terrific set of receivers. Even against
Elon, the Bulls failed to reach the 30s,
leaving them vulnerable to an improving
North Carolina offense.
Why South Florida might win: If
DE George Selvie and the sack-happy Bull
defense don’t do in the Tar Heels on
Saturday, turnovers will. Consistent
with its youth, North Carolina is losing
the always critical turnover battle this
season, a big reason the team hasn’t
been able to pull out the last two close
games. South Florida, on the other
hand, is loaded with ball hawks, and is
currently No. 4 in the country in
turnover margin. After watching
Virginia RB Cedric Peerman rip Carolina
for 186 yards last Saturday, the Bulls
are going to administer a heavy dose of
freshman RB Mike Ford.
Who to watch: The chess match
between the Tar Heel receivers and the
veteran Bull secondary ought to be
fantastic, and go a long way to
determining the outcome of the game.
While Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate, and
Brooks Foster form Carolina’s best
pass-catching trio in years, they’re
going to hit a brick wall that features
top-flight corners Trae Williams and
Mike Jenkins, and Nate Allen, a budding
star at free safety.
What will happen: As hard as Jim
Leavitt tries to keep USF focused on the
task at hand, don’t discount the danger
of a look-ahead game. The Bulls will
start slow before QB Matt Grothe lights
their fuse, and Carolina’s youth and
inconsistency once again prevents an
upset.
CFN Prediction:
South Florida
28 ...
North Carolina
16 ... Line: South Florida -13.5
Must See Rating: (5 Curb Your
Enthusiasm - 1 Kid Nation)
... 2.5
Syracuse (0-3) at Louisville (2-1)
12:00
PM GamePlan
Why to watch:
One blown pass coverage in Lexington has
entirely changed the focus of
Louisville’s season. Woodny Turenne and
Richard Raglin inexplicably allowed
Kentucky’s Steve Johnson to get behind
the secondary Saturday night for a
game-winning, 57-yard touchdown with 28
seconds left on the clock. And just
like that, the Cardinals were out of the
national championship discussion, yet
still very much a factor in the Big East
race. They’ll begin defense of their
crown with a visit from Syracuse, but
will be vulnerable every week unless a
very shaky defense can be fixed. The
Orange, on the other hand, is beyond
repair, having lost each of its three
games by at least three touchdowns,
including last weekend’s to Illinois
41-20. With a third straight losing
season looming, expect to see more of
Greg Robinson’s recruits in the coming
weeks, as the lame duck head coach tries
to stave off the axe.
Why Syracuse might win:
Louisville might be just the defense
Syracuse needs to see to help spring an
offense that has good individual talent,
yet has been unable to consistently
mount drives. Although many of the
problems can be traced to a very shaky
offensive line, the Cardinals only have
three sacks, and have been unable to
generate consistent pressure. With a
little more time than he’s accustomed
to, QB Andrew Robinson will add to the
misery of a pass defense that’s been
bombarded the last two weeks.
Why Louisville might win: The
Syracuse defense, which cannot stop
anyone these days, will have absolutely
no answers for an angry Louisville team
with as many weapons as a militia. The
problem for the Cards this season has
not been the offense, which leads the
country in total offense and has been
forced to punt just three times all
year. QB Brian Brohm will pad his
numbers without much resistance, and RB
Anthony Allen will gash an Orange
defense that’s allowing 266 yards a game
on the ground.
Who to watch: Others may wind up
with better numbers, but Louisville WR
Harry Douglas is making a strong push
for the Biletnikoff Award. A silky
smooth route runner with great hands and
speed, he’ll school the Syracuse
secondary in another audition for NFL
scouts. Someone has to catch all of
Brohm’s passes, and so far, Douglas,
coming off a 13-catch, 223-yard, one
touchdown day, has been the main man.
What will happen: No, Syracuse
fans, your Orange may not have reached
rock bottom this season. That could
come this week against a Louisville team
looking to vent some frustration after
losing a tight one to rival Kentucky
last weekend.
CFN Prediction: Louisville 52 ...
Syracuse 20
... Line: Louisville -37
Must See Rating: (5 Curb Your
Enthusiasm - 1 Kid Nation)
... 2
Marshall (0-3) at Cincinnati (3-0)
7:30
PM GamePlan
Why to watch:
After three lopsided wins, including
last weekend’s over Miami (OH), just how
good is this Cincinnati team? The
Bearcats have taken six consecutive
games dating back to last season, their
longest streak since 1954, winning with
defense, offense, special teams, and
with or without their starting
quarterback. Even without Ben Mauk on
Saturday, Cincy slammed the RedHawks
47-10 to inch a little closer to the Top
25. So just how good is Brian Kelly’s
squad? With upcoming games versus
Marshall and San Diego State, we may not
really know until Oct. 6 when Kelly’s
‘Cats travel to Rutgers. The Herd was
supposed to lose to Miami and West
Virginia in the first two weeks, and
even earned praise for staying with the
Mountaineers for three quarters. Losing
last week by 13 to I-AA New Hampshire,
however, was a sign that the bottom
could be about to fall out in
Huntington. Although injuries have
certainly been a factor, Marshall needs
to start overcoming as it begins a
three-game road trip.
Why Marshall might win: Even with
a badly injured turf toe, Herd
quarterback Bernard Morris showed last
week that Marshall is never out of game
as long as he has time to throw. In
just over two quarters of work against
New Hampshire, the senior went 31-of-42
for 417 yards and three touchdown
passes, nearly rallying his team back
from a huge deficit. Without help from
the defense, Cincinnati’s offense hasn’t
been so otherworldly that it isn’t
susceptible to another big game from
Morris.
Why Cincinnati might win: The
Bearcat defense has been sensational so
far in 2007, allowing just 13 points the
last two weeks to Oregon State and Miami
University, and leading the nation in
turnover margin. The Mike Mickens-led
pass defense has picked off 11 passes
while surrendering just a single
touchdown pass all year. If Marshall’s
102nd-ranked running game
can’t keep Cincy honest, the pressure
for Morris to make things happen against
this unit will be insurmountable. The
Herd defense has allowed 48 points in
each of the last two games, which Kelly
will target whether Mauk or Dustin
Grutza is taking snaps.
Who to watch: Marshall would be
well-advised to know where No. 1,
Marshwan Gilyard, is at all times on
Saturday night. The sophomore wide
receiver/special teams ace has 11
catches for a team-high 158 yards and
two touchdowns, and has blocked a punt
in each of the last two games.
What will happen: Physically and
emotionally, Marshall is really hurting
these days after losing to New Hampshire
and losing a bunch of starters to
injury. Cincinnati will take advantage
with a balanced offense and a stifling
defense to pick up win No. 4 in a walk.
CFN Prediction:
Cincinnati
38 ... Marshall
16 ... Line:
Cincinnati -23
Must See Rating: (5 Curb Your
Enthusiasm - 1 Kid Nation)
... 2
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