Cincinnati (5-0) at Rutgers (3-1)
7:00 EST, ESPN2
Why to watch:
Two ranked Big East teams, and neither
one is West Virginia or Louisville.
Talk about an unlikely turn of events.
Cincinnati has been one of this year’s
huge surprises, destroying all comers in
Brian Kelly’s debut season, and making
back-to-back appearances in the AP poll
for the first time in more than half a
century. Are the Bearcats for real, or
are they about to be exposed in their
toughest game of the season? It’ll be
worth tuning in Saturday night to find
out. After climbing into the top 10
last week, Rutgers will be trying to
climb out of a funk after getting
shocked at home by Maryland last
weekend. Opening with three consecutive
cream puffs did no favors for the
Scarlet Knights, who weren’t ready for
the north-south power of the Terrapins.
Another loss this early in the year will
push the program to the middle of the
Big East pack, while erasing whatever
bloom remains on its rose. Why Cincinnati might win: Through
the first four games of the year, the
Bearcats were winning with an
opportunistic defense and crisp special
teams play. In last week’s 52-23 rout
of San Diego State, the offense made big
plays and had 547 balanced yards of
offense. All of a sudden, Cincinnati is
looking like a complete football team
that’s ready to challenge for more than
a second-rate bowl invite. Maryland
exposed weaknesses in the Scarlet Knight
run defense and along both lines. The
Bearcats can pound away with a running
attack that’s gone for more than 200
yards in each of the last two games, and
boasts the Big East’s best run defense
to keep Ray Rice from taking over the
game. Why Rutgers might win: Rice will
get his yards on Saturday night, but if
Cincinnati commits too many resources to
the Scarlet Knight back, QB Mike Teel
will make the visitors pay. The junior
has proven that he’s matured
dramatically since last year, ranking
No. 2 nationally in passing efficiency
after beating a good Terp pass defense
for 310 yards and two touchdowns last
weekend. The Bearcats have allowed an
average of 275 yards through the air
over the last four games, and have yet
to face an offense that can match
Rutgers’ balance. Who to watch: Kelly wondered
throughout the off-season if he’d have
enough quality receivers to run his
version of the spread offense. He’s
found a very pleasant surprise in
redshirt freshman Marcus Barnett, who’s
emerging as Ben Mauk’s favorite target,
and could give the Rutgers corners fits
this weekend. Through five games, he’s
caught a team-high 22 passes for 278
yards and five touchdowns. What will happen: Is Cincinnati
the real deal? You bet. It’s no
accident that the Bearcats have torched
five opponents in-a-row, getting
contributions from every spot on the
roster. They’ll add to the misery of
Rutgers for a second straight year
behind a fundamentally sound defense and
a rising offense. CFN Prediction: Cincinnati 30 …
Rutgers 23 ...
Line: Rutgers -3.5 Must See Rating: (5 Paris on
Letterman - 1 Singing Bee) ...
4
Big East Friday, Oct. 5
Utah (2-3) at Louisville (3-2)
8:00 EST, ESPN
Why to watch:
Now that Louisville has snapped its
two-game losing streak with a
stop-the-bleeding victory over NC State,
can it get back to being a factor in the
competitive Big East? To do so, the
Cardinals will need to prove that
holding the Pack to 10 points and
creating five turnovers last Saturday
wasn’t only a result of facing one of
the ACC’s most impotent offenses.
They’ll get a much better test this
Friday from Utah and QB Brian Johnson,
who returned to action last week in a
34-18 win over Utah State after
suffering a shoulder separation in the
opener with Oregon State. Best of luck
getting a good read on this year’s Utes,
which have been good enough to crush No.
25 UCLA 44-6, yet disturbingly bad
enough to get shut out by UNLV a week
later. Why Utah might win: Although a
few tinkers with the Louisville front
seemed to make a difference last
weekend, no one should be convinced that
the Cardinal defense has suddenly turned
the corner. This is still the same
undisciplined unit that’s last in the
Big East in pass defense, and allowed an
average of 40 points in a three-game
stretch with Middle Tennessee, Kentucky,
and Syracuse. If last week shook off
the remaining rust due to inactivity,
Johnson is a difference-maker behind
center that’s dynamic enough to carry
Utah to the upset. Plus, he’s going to
enjoy support from the running game and
Darrell Mack, a physical runner who’s
rushed for 328 yards since becoming a
regular three games ago. The Ute’s
ninth-ranked pass defense will keep
Brian Brohm from going wild through the
air, especially if top receiver Harry
Douglas is a scratch for a second
straight week. Why Louisville might win: Brohm
may not have a career day against an
underrated Ute secondary, but he’s still
one of the nation’s premier
quarterbacks, so it’s not like he’ll be
shut down. The big offensive stars on
this night, however, will be the backs,
Anthony Allen, George Stripling, and
Brock Bolen. Aside from UCLA, which had
to abandon the run early, everyone has
run the ball on Utah’s soft interior
this season. The Utes are 96th
nationally in run defense, a ranking
that won’t improve against a Louisville
offense that grinded out at least 250
yards on the ground three separate times
in September. Who to watch: The move of
Louisville’s Earl Heyman from tackle to
end last week sparked a pass rush that
had been virtually non-existent through
the first four games of the 2007
season. Blessed with good quickness and
a hot motor, he must continue applying
pressure against a Utah line that’s
struggling with pass protection and is
weak at the tackle spot. What will happen: Utah will get
enough from Johnson and an improved
defense to make Louisville work hard for
all four quarters. The Cards, however,
will eventually wear out the Utes with a
steady diet of Allen and Bolen between
the tackles, and a couple of scoring
strikes from Brohm. CFN Prediction: Louisville 34 …
Utah 24
... Line:
Louisville -14.5 Must See Rating: (5 Paris on
Letterman - 1 Singing Bee) ...
3
Big East Saturday, Oct. 6
West Virginia (4-1) at Syracuse
(1-4) 12:00, GamePlan
Why to watch:
No longer a top 5 team on the
brink of national championship
contention, West Virginia will
be looking to rebound after
losing at South Florida last
Friday night. There’s no doubt
the Mountaineers are still
talented enough to run the table
and win the Big East, but with
one loss in league play already,
there’s absolutely no margin for
error the rest of the way. West
Virginia could be playing this
week without star QB Patrick
White, who sat out the second
half of last week’s game with a
deep thigh bruise. If he can’t
go, the ‘eers will still be in
pretty good hands with sophomore
Jarrett Brown, who helped beat
Rutgers last December and nearly
engineered a late rally last
week. So what does Syracuse do
for an encore to its monumental
upset of Louisville? It barely
gets off the bus in an
uninspired 17-14 loss to Miami
University last Saturday. Such
is life these days with a poorly
prepared Orange program that
takes two steps back after each
time it goes one step forward. Why West Virginia might win:
Regardless of who’s taking snaps
on Saturday, Syracuse will not
be able to stop a Mountaineer
offense that features burners,
such as RBs Steve Slaton and
Noel Devine, and WR Darius
Reynaud. The Orange is last in
the Big East in total defense
and scoring defense, while West
Virginia will play with
something to prove after scoring
just 13 points last week. The
11th-ranked
Mountaineer defense will
continue to be quietly
outstanding against a feeble
Syracuse offense that lacks even
a hint of a running game. Why Syracuse might win:
While Brown is a capable
reliever, he’s not White,
meaning he can’t completely
demoralize a defense with his
foot speed and crisp passes.
Even if White gets the green
light, he’s not going to be as
effective outside the pocket
with that badly bruised thigh.
Either way, the Orange defense
should catch a mild break this
weekend. Syracuse QB Andrew
Robinson has made nice strides
the last three weeks, throwing
six touchdown passes and, more
important, no interceptions.
He’ll continue to have success
through the air, finding
big-play receivers Mike Williams
and Taj Smith, who’ve each
caught three of his scoring
strikes this year. Who to watch: Lost in the
glare of West Virginia’s
offensive stars has been the
play of DE Johnny Dingle, who’s
given the Mountaineers a
consistent pass rush that it
lacked throughout 2006. Matched
up with a Syracuse line that’s
already permitted 22 sacks,
he’ll run his streak of games
with at least one sack to five
on Saturday. What will happen: After
losing to South Florida, the
Mountaineers will take out their
frustration on a defenseless
Syracuse team that lacks the
team speed to keep this game
close for more than a quarter. CFN Prediction:
West
Virginia 42 … Syracuse 16
...
Line: West Virginia -25 Must See Rating: (5 Paris
on Letterman - 1 Singing Bee)
... 2
South Florida (4-0) at Florida
Atlantic (3-2)
4:00 EST, ESPNU
Why to watch:
After taking small, methodical
steps for years under Jim
Leavitt, South Florida made a
quantum leap last Friday night
when it upset West Virginia in a
program-defining win. And all
of a sudden, the little engine
that could has been transformed
into a locomotive, speeding to
the favorite role in the Big
East and a No. 6 ranking in the
latest AP poll. USF is sizzling
these days, so it’ll be up to
Leavitt to keep his kids focused
on this week’s game with Florida
Atlantic, a program that would
like to use the Bulls as a
blueprint for its own success
story. The Owls have an early
lead in the Sun Belt Conference,
courtesy of wins over Middle
Tennessee State and North Texas,
along with the confidence that
comes with beating a Big Ten
team, Minnesota, last month.
Knocking South Florida off its
pedestal is just what Howard
Schnellenberger needs to bring
national exposure to his
burgeoning program. Why South Florida might win:
The Bulls are built on a
ferocious, speedy defense, but
on this Saturday, the game will
be on the offense. In Florida
Atlantic’s three games with BCS
opponents, it’s surrendered an
average of 42 points and almost
500 yards a game. QB Matt
Grothe will move the chains with
his usual versatility, and RB
Mike Ford will continue his push
to become the Big East Offensive
Freshman of the Year. The Owls
lack balance on offense,
averaging just 113 yards a game
on the ground, which is a recipe
for problems against that
swarming South Florida D. Why Florida Atlantic might
win: When facing a superior
opponent, the one way to close
the gap is by creating
turnovers, something the Owls
are doing better than all but
one team in the country. Led by
freshman CB Tavious Polo’s seven
interceptions, Florida Atlantic
has 18 takeaways through five
games, a testament to the
aggressive style of play
preached by defensive
coordinator Kirk Hoza.
Sophomore QB Rusty Smith is an X
factor, who carried the Owls to
the upset of Minnesota with five
touchdown passes and 463 yards
on 27-of-44 passing. Who to watch: If Florida
Atlantic gets down early, the
ball will be in the air plenty,
meaning lots of opportunities
for top-flight CBs Mike Jenkins
and Trae Williams to break up
passes and create turnovers.
The Bulls have allowed just one
touchdown pass in the first
three quarters of games this
year, largely because of the
air-tight coverage provided by
their two senior corners. What will happen: The
last time South Florida was
prone to being unfocused, it
steamrolled North Carolina
37-10. While a sluggish start
isn’t out of the question,
Leavitt won’t allow a letdown
from a group kids that believe
it’s a part of something
special. CFN Prediction: South
Florida 30 …
Florida
Atlantic 16
...
Line: South Florida -15.5 Must See Rating: (5 Paris
on Letterman - 1 Singing Bee)
... 2
