Games Notes: St. Petersburg Bowl

Rutgers closed out the 2009 campaign with their ninth win of the season. It was their fifth straight bowl appearance and fourth consecutive bowl win under Head Coach Greg Schiano—the best five-year run in the school’s history. If this performance is any indication, with standout freshmen like quarterback Tom Savage and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, the best may be yet to come for the New Jersey state school.

* Best Pro Prospect: OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers

Anthony Davis was arguably Coach Greg Schiano’s biggest recruiting coup. When a jersey kid decides to stay home rather than go to sunny Southern California to play for Pete Carroll, it’s big news in the college football world. The junior has prototypical size (6’ 6”, 325 pounds) and is more athletic than your typical tackle…which is why he projects as a left tackle at the next level and is a likely first-round pick.

Davis used his size and lateral quickness to protect quarterback Tom Savage and displayed his athleticism with the ability to pull, even on plays designed to go right. He has not quite dominated or played with the consistency that some would like, but his talent is unquestioned. It appears the St. Petersburg Bowl was his final game as a Scarlet Knight, as Davis will hold a press conference on Tuesday, were it is expected he will announce his intention to declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.

* Youth Is Served – Offense: Freshman quarterback Tom Savage from Rutgers (294 yards, 2 TDs) was inconsistent and barely completed half of his passes (14-27). But when he was good, he was really good (21 yards per completion). The 6’ 5”, 230 pound Savage owns a major league fastball—his 65-yard touchdown pass to senior wide out Tim Brown was a frozen rope and hit Brown in stride. To open the second half, the Scarlet Knights came out throwing and Savage connected with fellow freshman Mohamed Sanu on 61-yard pass over the top of the UCF defense. The pass was a little underthrown—if Savage hit Sanu in stride it probably would have been six—but it was a safe pass that ensured a completion. They connected again later in the drive from 11 yards out for the score—Savage did a good job moving in the pocket.

Savage needs to work on his accuracy as too often his balls sail over the heads of his intended targets. One pass to an open Brown at the first down marker (on a third down) would have been uncatchable even if the wide receiver was a foot taller. On another attempt he simply overthrew Sanu, who was streaking open down the field for a would-be touchdown. On his interception, Savage’s effort was high again and landed in the hands of a Central Florida defender. We need to remember—Savage is a true freshman that wasn’t even an early enrollee. With more experience and some polishing of technique, the Pennsylvania native could be a first-round pick in two or three years. You can’t teach 6’ 5” or the type of arm strength Savage brings to the table.

Savage did a nice job getting away from the pass rush, for a pure pocket passer—not to run or to complete a pass, but just to throw it away—which is important.

Another offensive player oozing with potential is the aforementioned Sanu. The freshman is a wide receiver that is built like a running back, particularly from the waist down. That’s why the Scarlet Knights use him in their Wildcat formation; his lower body strength allows him to be effective running between the tackles, and his five-yard run from the formation gave Rutgers an early 7-0 lead. Sanu doesn’t mess around; he looks to his the hole hard and fast.

Even though he is still raw as a wide out, Sanu uses his hands well to catch the football and he had a heck of day as a receiver, snagging four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown—numbers which could have been better had Savage not left some big plays on the field. At 6’2”, 215 pounds the first year wide out is tough for one defensive back to bring down.

When the Rutgers coaches finally allowed him to throw out of the Wildcat, Sanu didn’t get much help from his receiver, or should we say tight end—freshman tight end D. C. Jefferson dropped the pass, running before he really had control of the ball. Jefferson checks in at 6’6”, 245 pounds and could be a big time player down the road.

Sanu’s biggest mistake of the night was a muffed punt inside the 10-yard line, which set UCF up for a game-tying touchdown in the first quarter. Some may blame it on the dome, but Sanu would have been better off letting the ball go.

* Youth Is Served – Defense: Freshman linebacker Steve Beauharnais may not be listed as as a first teamer on the Scarlet Knights’ depth chart, but he was all over the field making plays—seven tackles and two sacks to lead the team. He has good size (6’ 2”, 230 pounds), runs well and displayed impressive athleticism. Beauharnais can bring it, and delivered several hard hits throughout the contest. The outside linebacker can play the run and get after the quarterback. He was occasionally fooled on a play-action passes, but most freshman linebackers aren’t polished in coverage. That will come in time.

Junior defensive end Jonathan Freeny can really fly coming off the edge and has the speed to be an effective pass rusher. Sophomore defensive end Justin Francis displayed impressive athleticism, while fellow sophomore defensive tackle Eric LeGrand came off the bench to make a tackle for a loss. The undersized, but quick LeGrand is cut from the Eric Foster cloth. Don’t be surprised to see this quartet form the nucleus of the Scarlet Knights’ front seven in 2010, along with freshman defensive tackle Scott Vallone (two tackles for a loss) and sophomore linebacker Manny Abreu.

* Senior Watch: Rutgers had to play almost the entire game without their top defensive player, cornerback Devin McCourty. The standout suffered an eye injury, which was not deemed to be serious after he was taken to a Tampa hospital. In addition to his cover skills, McCourty is an absolute special teams dynamo who did not get the opportunity to display his skills in St. Pete.

Other Rutgers defenders who were looking to impress the NFL scouts were MIKE Ryan D’Imperio and defensive end George Johnson. The closer he is to the line of scrimmage, the better D’Imperio is. He made several plays along or near the line of scrimmage, including a tackle for a loss. He is great at attacking against the run and could be a late round steal in the upcoming draft. The New Jersey native lacks ideal size but has good bulk at 245 pounds and could be a fit as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Johnson brings a different skill set—he is fast and athletic coming off the edge, but a bit undersized for a down lineman. For that reason, he may shift to outside linebacker to play on Sundays, also in a 3-4 alignment. Johnson’s top skill is rushing the passer and while he did not record a sack, he didn’t go unnoticed.

Wide receiver Tim Brown’s touchdown catch and run was aided by the UCF safety, who took a poor angle. However, scouts couldn’t help but notice Brown’s breakaway speed. The Florida native was questionable at best heading into the contest with a hamstring injury, but is explosive in the open field—like he’s shot out of a cannon. The diminutive pass catcher caught four balls in all, for 99 yards. His 5’ 8”, 165-pound frame will work against him come draft weekend, but don’t be surprised if Brown works his way onto an NFL roster.

Right tackle Kevin Haslam doesn’t have the upside of Anthony Davis, but he more than held his own against the UCF pass rush. He has good length and frame, with the ability to bulk up a bit.

Central Florida: The UCF Knights came in with a big three on defense—junior end Bruce Miller, senior defensive tackle Torrell Troup and senior end Jarvis Geathers—and for the most part, they failed to impress. Miller recorded eight tackles, but other than his one sack, the majority of his tackles were down the field. On most passing plays Miller was handled by the Rutgers offensive tackles. He is undersized and should return for his senior campaign, but regardless of when he leaves school, Miller will likely have to play outside linebacker at the next level.

Troup made only three tackles, but probably had more impact than Miller. Interior linemen—other than Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh—don’t always get to stuff the stat sheet. Troup flashed some ability to get into the backfield and hold off blockers, but more was expected of the senior in this game if Central Florida was going to pull off the upset. Geathers was a non-factor in the game. He is even more undersized than Miller and will have to learn to play standing up if he wants a chance to stick with an NFL team.

Junior wide receiver Kamar Aiken had a solid game, including a pair of touchdown grabs among his four receptions (65 yards). His 35-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter to close the gap to 21-17 was UCF’s most impressive offensive play of the evening. Aiken has both length and size, making him a tough one-on-one cover. Freshman receiver Quincy McDuffie made only one reception, but that was enough to show his speed as he exploded after the catch for 22 yards. He is a speedster, an all-purpose type guy, who is dangerous when he gets his hands on the football. As a kick returner he totaled 171 yards on six returns for an average of 28.5 yards per return, bolstered by his game-opening 65-yard return.

Photo Courtesy of Tom Ciszak Rutgers Athletics

Big East Week 7 Preview

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON

Pittsburgh 33, Rutgers 16

This one doesn't match-up for Rutgers. Sure, they’re on a four-game winning streak, they have found their running game and their defense has been a turnover machine. That doesn’t mean Rutgers matches up against Pittsburgh. The Panthers have too much up front to be stopped from getting to the quarterback and too many skill players to be contained on offense. Greg Romeus is the name on the Pittsburgh defensive line that everyone knows about, which is well deserved as Romeus comes in second in conference with seven sacks. But it’s not just him. Jabaal Sheard has been developing into a fine pass rusher himself. Defensive Tackle Mick Williams is a beast on the inside leading the conference with 10.5 tackles for a loss. Doubts on how well the Rutgers' offensive line will protect freshman Tom Savage are legitimate. The freshman tandem Pittsburgh has at running backs won’t be the only thing giving the Scarlet Knights' defense fits, as sophomore Jonathon Baldwin has been on a roll recording back-to-back 100-yard games. Along with tight ends Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham will just be too much fire power for the Knights to handle through the air.

Connecticut 13, Louisville 6

This a bounce back game for Connecticut. Last week was an extremely tough loss, there goal line efforts and another big game for senior Andre Dixon went to waste. The defense will certainly have a much better game then they did versus Pittsburgh and could shut out the Cardinals.

West Virginia 38, Marshall 21

Over the past three years this instate rivalry game hasn’t been close, in fact the combined score is 117-36 in favor of West Virginia. Last year when they faced off, Noel Devine rushed for 125 yards, expect him to go over 100 yet again.

Last week: 3-1, Season: 32-5

Photos Courtesy of University of Pittsburgh

Big East Power Rankings Week 7

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON

1. Cincinnati Bearcats 5-0, (1-0): Last week: Bye - They’ve been the most impressive team in the Big East so far. They haven’t just padded their record either, wins over Rutgers, at Oregon State and versus Fresno State are all looking more and more like quality wins. The offense has been by far the most consistent in the conference averaging 42 points a game. The quality of the passing game led by quarterback Tony Pike and wide receiver Marshwan Gilyard can be thanked for that. Up Next: @ South Florida


2. South Florida Bulls 5-0, (1-0): Last week: Bye - Talk about no respect. It wasn’t until last week that they cracked the coaches and AP poll. Sure, they’re schedule has had a lot of soft spots and every time Florida State loses it makes their victory in Tallahassee look less appealing, but this team is the real deal. I know...doesn't someone say that every year just around this time? But so far their defense has been utterly dominate, allowing an average of 9.4 points a game, and they have completely shutdown the opponent's passing game. What has stood out has been the pass rush and how well the team has responded when quarterback Matt Grothe went down with a season-ending injury. Watch out...here comes South Florida, again. Up Next: Cincinnati

3. West Virginia 4-1, (1-0): Last week: Win at Syracuse 34-13 - If it wasn’t for an awful fourth quarter by Jarrett Brown at Auburn, the Mountaineers could easily be undefeated. The bright side is since then, the senior has been much better throwing three touchdowns with no interceptions. The offense has looked real sharp. They dominated every aspect of the game at the Carrier Dome last week and show no signs of slowing down. Up Next: Marshall

4. Pittsburgh 4-1, (1-0): Last week: Win vs. Connecticut 24-21 - Inconsistency is the issue in Western PA. There’s no question they’re a talented bunch but too many times this season their offense stalls or the defense gives up to many big plays. It happened again in their last game versus the Huskies, forcing Pitt to overcome a 21-6 lead due sloppy red zone execution and giving up big pass plays. Quarterback Bill Stull turned it around and their pass rush came alive in the fourth quarter leading them to a big come from behind victory. Even though they didn’t play perfect football, it was an impressive win. They kept fighting and won the type of game they have lost all too often. Don’t forget about Pittsburgh in this conference race, they have the most underrated receiving core in the Big East. Up Next: @ Rutgers

5.Connecticut 3-2, (0-1): Last week: Loss at Pittsburgh 21-24 - The main reason why Connecticut lost last week, as well their first loss against North Carolina is their one-dimensional offense. When the game was close, Pittsburgh was able to just gear up to stop the run and force the Huskies to beat them in the passing game. The defense may have given up a key touchdown and the drive that led to the game-winning field goal, but it’s tough to blame them considering how much time they spent the field in the second half. This is a bowl quality team but unless the defense completely dominates, they won’t beat too many of the top tier teams. Up Next: Louisville

6. Rutgers 4-1, (0-1): Last week: Win vs. Texas Southern 42-0 - Despite having a better record the Scarlet Knights sit below Connecticut. Since they were blown out by the Bearcats on college football's opening weekend, they’ve rolled off four straight wins including a road victory at Maryland. But two of those wins have come against FCS schools and another against a Sun Belt foe. Fans have to be excited with the play of their freshman quarterback Tom Savage, but the real test will come Friday night at home against Pittsburgh. They’re offensive line has been a bit shaky and are likely to have trouble protecting the quarterback against Pitt's pass-rushing book ends. Their defense has been a force creating turnovers, already 12 on the young season. Up Next: Pittsburgh

7. Louisville 2-3, (0-1): Last week: Win vs. Southern Miss 25-23 - Things are far from being righted at Louisville, but any win is a good win for this program. Even though it was against a Conference USA team that was without their starting quarterback, it was still a nice victory over a solid football team. Heroics by quarterback Adam Froman and wide receiver Scott Long led to a game-winning field in the final seconds. Up Next: @ Connecticut

8. Syracuse 2-4, (0-2): Last week: Loss vs. West Virginia 13-34 - Both the ‘Cuse and Louisville will probably be flip-flopping the bottom two spots in the conference all year, but for now it’s the Orange who belong at the bottom. After a two-game winning streak they have responded with two home loses where they turned the ball over too often, among a bevy of mistakes. Their starting quarterback Greg Paulus is tied for interception lead in the nation. The offensive line the line needs to regroup and get healthier before they send the team into a tailspin. Up Next: Bye

Photos Courtesy of Tom Ciszak Rutgers Athletics, USF Athletics Communications

Big East - Week Two Preview

By CHRSTOPHER MOGOLLON - BIG EAST INSIDER

This week’s theme for the Big East is re-matches–four teams are playing out of conference opponents that they played a year ago. For Connecticut, Syracuse and West Virginia it’s an opportunity to avenge losses. Still, with conference play weeks away, the majority of this Saturday’s games will be tune-ups.

West Virginia 32, East Carolina 21: There’s no doubt the Mountaineers will be looking for revenge this week at home after last year‘s beat down at East Carolina. Motivation and Morgantown aside, Noel Devine will be too much for the Pirates defense in the end. East Carolina’s offense, led by senior quarterback Patrick Pinkney, will put up some points…but not another upset.

North Carolina 23, Connecticut 14: It’s no secret that Connecticut has an aggressive rushing attack led by sophomore Jordan Todman. But the Tar Heels will be gearing up to stop the run and force Huskies quarterback Zach Frazer to beat them, and he won’t. North Carolina has some quarterback questions themselves, but their talented defenders will secure victory in East Hartford.

Penn State 36, Syracuse 20: It’s nice to see this rivalry renewed—it’s just too bad it comes during the dark days of Syracuse football. Sure, there were some positives from last week’s loss to Minnesota but the same problems on the offensive line and a lack of offensive skill players leaves them with little chance of seeing the light in Happy Valley. Watch how Syracuse’s defensive line plays against the fifth-ranked team in the country, especially pro prospect Arthur Jones and the new kid on the block, true freshman Brandon Sharpe. If they are able to hang around in this one, it will be the Orange’s defense that allows them to do so.

Pittsburgh 32, Buffalo 14: The match-up between Buffalo wide-out Naaman Roosevelt and Pittsburgh’s Aaron Berry will be more compelling then the actual game. Last season Roosevelt finished with more receptions than Michael Crabtree, more yards than Jeremy Maclin, and more touchdowns than Marshawn Gilyard. This will be a great battle between two pro prospects. Player Spotlight: With Jonathan Baldwin’s size, how can he not have a big game in Buffalo?

South Florida 28, Western Kentucky 7: The Hilltoppers are currently on a nine-game losing streak and haven’t defeated a FBS school since 2007. The Bulls could drop the ball, look ahead, or not show up and still win this week. Freshman Watch: Lindsey Lamar is a speedy all-purpose back who sees action both as a running back and receiver. A breakout game versus Western Kentucky is not out of the question.

Cincinnati 64, SE Missouri State 14: And you thought Cincinnati looked good last week? Yikes, this one will get ugly.

Rutgers 38, Howard 7: This is a good chance for Rutgers to get last week’s loss out of their heads and out of the minds of the Scarlet Knights faithful. A blowout win is always the best way to turn the page. True freshman quarterback Tom Savage makes his debut as a starter.

Last Week’s Record: 7-0 (kind of, I had Cincinnati only winning by three)

Photos Courtesy of WVU Sports Communication

Big East Week One Review

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON - BIG EAST INSIDER

Best game: This one wins by default–considering the week consisted of mostly blowouts, Minnesota’s overtime victory over Syracuse was by far the most competitive contest. Greg Paulus played a sound game under center in his collegiate football debut, going 19-for-31 with a touchdown, a strike which found a wide-open Mike Williams late in the first quarter. More impressive was how he and the Syracuse team responded after the first snap of the game sailed over Paulus’ head and was recovered by Minnesota deep in Orange territory. Despite renewed spirit and improved play, the story didn’t have a happy ending: it was Paulus’ interception, thrown in the team’s first series in overtime, which led to the Gophers’ 23-20 victory. The turning point of the game was Syracuse’s inability to move the ball on offense after halftime. They did not score any points and only managed a total of 38 yards in their six second-half possessions.

Team of the week: It was about midway through the first quarter when Cincinnati emerged as the conference favorite once again. Getting ahead of ourselves? Perhaps, but the Bearcats looked that good in their manhandling of Rutgers in a 47-15 romp. Quarterback Tony Pike was perfect on the team’s first drive, leading them 81 yards down the field for a touchdown. He and the Cats never looked back. Pike finished the game with 362 yards passing and three touchdowns. The offense was running on all cylinders, from the line to the wide-outs. Most impressive were Marshwan Gilyard, who pulled down eight receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, and sophomore D.J Woods, who posted a career-high 71 receiving yards and made an outstanding reaching grab to set up the team’s first touchdown. For a defense that had a ton of question marks, Cincinnati made a lot big plays against the run and picked off three Rutgers passes. Senior Aaron Webster had one of those interceptions and laid the hit of the week on Rutgers receiver Tim Brown. It’s way too early to crown anyone just yet, but Cincinnati couldn’t have started their quest in more impressive fashion.

Laying an egg: For Rutgers, the season opener was a chance to start off a promising season with a conference victory while they unveiled their newly-renovated stadium…but they were flat-out humiliated. The team looked unprepared and out-coached—on the opening drive the Scarlet Knights’ defense played like they had never seen a no-huddle offense before. The quarterback play was just awful and the offensive line, the unit that was supposed to be the most stable on the team, didn’t provide space for the running backs to shine. It was an all-around disaster.

Freshman Watch: Pittsburgh isn’t ready to anoint Dion Lewis the next LeSean McCoy just yet, although the 5’ 8” tailback surely looked like an all-conference player in week one, propelling the Panthers to a 38-3 victory over Youngstown State. On 20 carriers he rushed for 129 yards and his two touchdowns in the first half put the Penguins away early.

The one bright spot for Rutgers in week one was the play of freshman Mohamed Sano. The 6’ 2” receiver showed good hands and size and caught a couple of tough throws in traffic. The freshman from New Jersey finished with ten total catches for 101 yards. Sano also caught a two-point conversion thrown from fellow freshman, quarterback Tom Savage. This glimpse into the future of Rutgers’ offense was the lone positive in the game for the Knights.

Best player you never heard of: Last year, Connecticut defensive end Lindsey Witten was limited because the Huskies rotated their defensive ends. Now the team is relying on the senior to step up, and he didn’t disappoint in the team’s opener—he was a playmaker, recording two sacks and a safety in Connecticut’s 23-16 win. Expect him to be among the conference’s sack leaders by year’s end.

Photo Courtesy of the University of Cincinnati