Big East Roundup - Week 3 Standings & More

CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Sep 12, 2008


Big East conference roundup, standings, player and game of the week

Click on each team for game recaps, thoughts, schedules and more and scroll down for the games, results, players of the week and the conference roundup.
 
Cincinnati | Connecticut | Louisville | Pittsburgh | Rutgers
South Florida | Syracuse | West Virginia 
- Week 1  | Week 2


Big East Game of the Week

South Florida 37 ... Kansas 34
South Florida's Nate Allen picked off a Todd Reesing pass to set 43-yard Maikon Bonani field goal as time expired to give the Bulls the thrilling win. Kansas dominated for most of the first half with Reesing running for a four-yard score and connecting with Jonathan Wilson for a 36-yard touchdown on the way to a 20-3 lead. And then USF got hot reeling off 31-straight points highlighted by a 21-yard Taurus Johnson juggling scoring catch, but KU rallied. Reesing marched the Jayhawks to a 78-yard drive finishing with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Wilson, and tied the game on a 14-yard pass to Angus Quigley. Reesing appeared to be on his way to a game-winning score before throwing the pick to Allen. The loss overshadowed a great game from KU's James Holt, who made 12.5 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and forced two fumbles.

Big East Player of the Week
South Florida QB Matt Grothe completed 32-of-45 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 11 times for 30 yards and a score in the win over Kansas

  Overall
  W-L PF PA STK
Connecticut 3-0 92 22 W3
South Florida 3-0 124 65 W3
Louisville 1-1 53 37 W1
Pittsburgh 1-1 44 43 W1
West Virginia 1-1 51 45 L1
Cincinnati 1-1 66 59 L1
Rutgers 0-2 19 68 L2
Syracuse 0-3 51 127 L3
Thursday, September 11
7:30  North Carolina 44 ... at Rutgers 12
CFN Prediction: Rutgers 28-20  RU -4.5
Friday, September 12
8:00  at South Florida 37 .... Kansas 34
CFN Prediction: KU 27-24   USF -3.5
Saturday, September 13
3:30  Penn State 55 ... at Syracuse 13
CFN Prediction: PSU 41-14  PSU -27.5
7:30  at Connecticut 45 ... Virginia 10
CFN Prediction: Conn 23-16  Conn -11
Games of the Week
Aug. 30 - BGSU 27 - Pitt 17
Sep. 6 - USF 34 ... UCF 24 OT
Sep 13 - USF 37 - Kansas 34
Players of the Week
Aug. 30 - Pat White, WVU
Sep. 6 - Matt Grothe, USF
Sep 13 - Matt Grothe, USF

Conference
Roundup

Cincinnati … Didn’t Play This Week
Connecticut The horrendous performance against Connecticut can’t be blamed on QB Peter Lalich not being able to make the trip. The Huskies thoroughly and completely dominated the Cavaliers in every way, with the biggest problem coming on the defensive line. UConn ran for 382 yards and had all day to throw. Now Virginia has to find something to hang its hat on. It has to get something going offensively, while the defense, after being shell-shocked by USC and Connecticut, needs a confidence booster.
Louisville … Didn’t Play This Week
Pitt … Didn’t Play This Week.
Rutgers … Blown coverages, turnovers, no running game ... Rutgers is a disaster. The defense couldn't handle the speed and athleticism of North Carolina, while QB Mike Teel struggled when he had to carry the offense. Teel threw four picks and the offense didn't come up with a third down conversion, and the defense didn't carry it weight, either. The Tar Heels moved the ball way too easily though the air. With Navy coming up next there's no reason to worry about the pass defense, but the offense has to figure out something that works in a big hurry.
South Florida … South Florida might have been picked apart by KU's Todd Reesing, but it stopped the Jayhawk attack for stretches by generating consistent pressure and turning up the defensive heat. While the game will be remembered for the tremendous game-winning kick from Maikon Bonani, but it was a defensive play, Nate Allen's interception, that was the difference. The running game got a nice day out of Jamar Taylor, who ran for 72 yards and a touchdown in place of Mike Ford, but the speed of the receiving corps, and the great play of the offensive line, made the offense go.
Syracuse … Penn State might be playing really well, but Syracuse, especially on an emotional homecoming day with several great players from the past being welcomed back, needed to do something on either side of the ball. There wasn’t any running game with just 49 yards, the offensive line got beaten up by the Nittany Lion defensive front, and the passing game did nothing to keep the chains moving. SU converted just 2-of-17 third down chances and held on to the ball for fewer than 25 minutes.
West Virginia… Didn’t Play This Week

 


 



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