Spring
Preview
2008
Big East Spring Game Reviews
Spring Game Reviews
- ACC |
Big East |
Big Ten |
Big 12 |
C-USA |
Ind.
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SEC |
Sun Belt |
WAC
By
John
Harris
Cincinnati
The Black team rallied
from behind to beat the Red 23-14 in Bearcat Bowl II. Notre Dame
transfer Demetrius Jones threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Marshawn
Gilyard with just over a minute left as the Red took a late 17-14 lead.
Then, as the Red team got into its two minute drill late in the game,
Brandon Underwood ended all hope with a 67-yard pick six that sealed the
deal for the Black.
Connecticut
The annual Blue-White
contest was a nailbiter as the White’s Darius Butler caught a 27 yard
game winning touchdown late in the game for a 21-20 White victory. Yes,
potential All-Big East cornerback Darius Butler. Although Butler’s
two-way exploits made for an exciting day for the White team, he wasn’t
alone. Running back Robbie Frey ran for 92 yards on 14 carries,
including one touchdown. The Blue got a magnificent defensive
performance from Kendall Reyes who had 3.5 tackles for a loss (three
sacks)
Louisville
The Hunter Cantwell era
commenced in Louisville, well, what’s left of it anyway, and if the
spring game is any indication, the offense should have a strong year.
The offense beat the defense 38-17 as Cantwell directed the offensive
attack to 401 total offensive yards. Cantwell completed eleven of 18
for 103 yards and one touchdown, while running back Brock Bolen ran for
76 yards on 13 carries.
Pitt
As a national
television audience watched on the NFL Network (with Coach Wannstedt as
the color analyst), the Pitt offense piled up big numbers in a 60-25 win
over the defense. Quarterbacks Bill Stull and Pat Bostick were solid,
completing 18 of 25 passes for 161 yards. While star running back
LeSean McCoy saw limited action, Shariff Harris picked up the slack,
rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown.
Rutgers
With over 14,000 people
on hand, the Scarlet defeated the White 28-14 in the annual spring game
at Rutgers Stadium. Rising senior quarterback Mike Teel threw the ball
all over the yard, torching the White defense on 16 of 25 passing for
235 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scoring tosses went to
potential All Big East receiver Tiquan Underwood. Running back Joe
Martinek was the top player on the white squad, rushing for 70 yards on
13 carries and a touchdown in a losing effort.
South Florida
Sacks and defense were
the name of the game for the Bulls during the squad’s annual spring
game, a 6-3 physical affair. The two teams accounted for nine sacks,
led by Jarrett Buie’s four for the White team. All-American defensive
end George Selvie dominated the first half with three sacks for the
Green team and sat for the entire second half. His offensive star
counterpart Matt Grothe did complete all five of his throws, but, as
expected during spring practice, he did very little outside the pocket.
Syracuse
The Blue, scoring on
the final play of the game, defeated the White 20-13 in the team’s
annual spring game. Nick Provo caught a four yard touchdown from David
Legree to lead the Blue to the win over the White. Quarterback Andrew
Robinson, one year removed from taking over as the starter, saw limited
action, while Legree had a strong day under center, including his toss
for the game winning touchdown.
West Virginia
When the proverbial
lights went on in Morgantown, the star-studded offense turned it up a
couple of notches, piling up 336 yards of total offense in the team’s
annual Blue-Gold spring game. Heisman candidate Pat White completed 12
of 16 passes for 133 yards, while quicksilver running back Noel Devine
averaged nearly seven yards per carry on his six carries. The defensive
star of the day was Najee Goode who led the defense with ten tackles.