PapaJohns.com Bowl Notes

For the second consecutive year in a row, Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks saved their worst for the bowl season, as South Carolina couldn’t muster any rhythm on offense in the team’s 20-7 loss to Connecticut.

* Mamma Mia…Stephen Garcia! The Gamecock signal caller’s stat line (16/38 129 yards, 0 Td/1 Int.) did him too much justice in that he actually played worse than his numbers indicate.

While the 6’2” signal caller was affected by the wind early on, he soon began throwing balls up for grabs in the face of pressure.

Garcia unsuccessfully lofted some high throws to 6’4” freshman Alshon Jeffery.

On one particular pass to Jeffery in the first quarter, 5’9 “ corner Robert McClain had him covered like a glove and almost came down with a pick.

Things went from bad to worse for the South Carolina passing attack, as Garcia wasn’t able to put any touch on his throws, which often floated high and wide.

The sophomore triggerman finally gets things turned around at the end of the second quarter when he puts a well thrown ball in front of Jason Barnes, which enables the tall wide out to make move on his defender.

The play advances SC’s offense for the first time in Connecticut’s territory.

But good times were short lived when Garcia failed to see McClain lurking behind Jeffrey, as the active cover man stepped in front of the intended target and almost scooped up an interception.

The wild passing continued in the second half, but the quarterback–to his credit–puts his head down and gained tough yardage inside on designed runs. Garcia actually wound up leading the Gamecocks in rushing with 56 yards on 15 carries.

Spurrier’s entire squad seemingly threw up the white flag during the final 15 minutes of the contest, as Jeffrey, tight end Weslye Saunders and wide receiver Moe Brown (pictured) all take turns in dropping easy passes. Garcia is fairly athletic and has a good arm, but his decision making leaves much to be desired.

* Steady Rocking All Night Long: Quarterback Zach Frazer made a number of accurate throws to help put the Huskies ahead, and then just simply let the running game do most of the heavy lifting.

The junior from Mechanicsburg, Pa. had the offense humming like a well-oiled machine in the first quarter when he put a well-placed ball in front of wide receiver Marcus Easley, who made a tough grab in tight coverage.

On the same drive, wide out Kashif Moore snatches a 37-yard strike out of mid-air with one hand in stride and breaks to the outside, leaving cornerback Stephon Gilmore in the dust.

The one flaw in Frazer’s performance was the way he sometimes panicked in the face of pressure and instinctively threw the ball away a little too soon, not giving himself a chance to scramble out of the pocket.

This is especially true in the second and third quarters when SC’s Eric Norwood breaks through the offensive line on a couple of occasions.

In other instances, however, Frazer did hang tough and find his hot reads when the pressure was on.

Overall, the quarterback played it safe for the most part, but showed good timing on his passes.

He seemed to have a lot of confidence in Easley who was on the receiving end of a low, hard throw with defenders surrounding him in the early going.

Frazer finished the game completing 9 of 21 pass attempts for 107 yards and the aforementioned score. The poor completion percentage was mostly the product of numerous throws that were made just to avoid sacks.

* Double Trouble at Running Back: The dynamic duo of Andre Dixon and the speedy Jordan Todman ran roughshod over SC’s vaunted defense with Dixon playing the role of the inside thumper. The 6’1” Dixon is a shifty runner with a surprising second gear in the open field.

He diligently followed his blocks and grinded out the necessary yardage. Like a well-trained boxer, Dixon leveled a steady dosage of body blows by gaining a number of first downs to keep the offense drives going.

In the second half, Dixon started picking up steam by running around his blockers and stampeding a tiring defense along the way. He showed good vision on his 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter by hitting his cut-back lane created by left tackle Mike Ryan.

In addition, the senior back also showcased his blocking skills in the game when he picks up oncoming defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye, enabling Frazer to complete his pass.

Dixon led his team with 126 yards on 33 carries.

The flashy Todman also played a key role in the victory by running inside, outside, lining up in the Wildcat and even throwing a pass on a halfback option play. His most impressive run was a spectacular 17-yard ramble, where he makes a host of defenders miss tackles in very tight quarters. The highly-skilled perimeter runner was very effective on sweeps and even made Norwood look foolish by going wide and eluding him.

* Easley Does It: The 6’2” Easley kept SC’s secondary on its heels in the first half due to his game-braking speed. The former walk-on also displayed remarkable run-after-catch skills with his desire to fight through tackles.

* Big Uglies Grind It Out: The physical Zach Hurd made his presence felt early in the running game, as he cleared the way for Dixon from his left guard position. Hurd also demonstrated good footwork through his blitz pickup of the much quicker Gilmore.

Ryan, the bulky left tackle, had an up-and-down showing in that he let the likes of Norwood and Ajiboye get around him a few times in pass rush situations, but he did most of his damage in the running game. The big man is at his best when he locks on to his opponent and steers him, as opposed to making blocks in space. His lack of agility makes him better suited to play guard.

* UCONN D Lays Down the Law: Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando drew up a solid game plan by throwing SC a changeup by blitzing his men more than usual.

On the Gamecocks’ first drive, strong safety Jerome Junior sqeezes through the center-guard gap and sacks Garcia.

Connecticut’s linemen also scrapped and battled throughout, such as sophomore tackle Kendall Reyes. Number 99 dug in low and used every once of his 286-pound frame to prevent a 4th-down and one conversion.

Reyes was a big reason why the Blue and White controlled the line of scrimmage, as seen on his first sack in which he beats guard T.J. Johnson to the inside with his raw brute strength. There’s was nothing fancy about it. He later collapsed the pocket in the fourth quarter for his second sack of the day.

Undersized end Jesse Joseph also chipped in by using good technique in standing up guard Garrett Chisolm, and stopping running back South Carolina's Brian Maddox dead in his tracks.

End Lindsey Witten was active, but didn’t have much success on stunt plays where he was pushed away more often than not. He did occasionally break free and penetrate thanks to his quickness and was even held on one of his moves to the outside that wasn’t called.

Witten started getting around his blocker to the outside with greater frequency in the second half. The senior has great energy, and can even drop back in coverage, but a dropped interception late in the game is probably something he’d like to forget.

Versatile linebacker Scott Lutrus was an absolute hammer. The omnipresent textbook tackler totaled eight tackles, one fumble recovery and one sack. Lutrus did an excellent job of separating helpless receivers from the football with his devastating hits. Jefferey must have been hearing footsteps when he dropped the ball even before the junior linebacker arrived to apply the hit.

On his fourth quarter sack, Lutrus runs by Maddox and closes in on Garcia without giving the quarterback any opportunity of sidestepping him.

McClain proved to be a heady cornerback that anticipates plays with the strength to lay out receivers. Free safety Robert Vaughn did a fine job of patrolling the deep middle and even steps in front of wide receiver Tori Gurley for a fourth quarter interception.

* USC O-Line Pummeled: It was disastrous afternoon for left tackle Hutch Eckerson, who Connecticut defenders had no trouble beating to the edge. Eckerson was forced into committing a costly penalty in the third quarter, which led Spurrier to take him out of misery and bench him.

Guards T.J. Johnson and Chisolm were regularly overpowered by the opposing defensive tackles, although Johnson did bounce back in the second half by turning his man on a couple of plays in the running game.

Center Lemuel Jeanpierre was the best of the bunch with the way he consistently took good angles in his effort to create running lanes.

* Is There a Doctor in the House? Gamecock receivers all suffered from a terrible case of the dropsies with the highly-touted Jefferey coming up very small in the humiliating loss. Not only did the freshman hear footsteps on a slant away and dropped the ball even before contact, but he also fumbled the ball on a big hit by McClain late in the game, which Witten almost recovers for the opposition.

King-sized tight end Saunders (6’5”, 280) showed good agility for a big man by reaching outside his frame to haul in a low throw, but also dropped the easiest of passes. Running back Maddox scores a two-yard garbage-time by stumbling into the end zone after a half-hearted attempt on the part of Junior to stop him.

* One Norwood Not Enough: Norwood was the one SC player to show heart and desire from start to finish.

The sparkling senior barreled down on Frazer all game long. On one play in the second quarter, Norwood employs his lightning-quick first step to gain inside position on the left tackle and forces a jumpy Frazer to immediately throw the ball away. He later makes a full-extension dive to hold Dixon to a short gain.

Norwood showed the motor and stamina to bring it all game long and keep Frazer on alert of his presence. The 6’1” outside linebacker should be an immediate impact player at the next level.

* Other SC Defenders: Ajiboye was extremely busy in the early stages of the game by beating his man off the ball versus the pass and finding the ball carrier against the run. He shows his strength in the second quarter by swooping into the offensive backfield and corralling Dixon to the ground.

Junior defensive end Cliff Matthews was also flying around early by beating the rest of his teammates to the quarterback on a sell-out blitz. The 6’5” junior flashed his superior hand skills in the third quarter to get off his block and crash in on a Dixon running play that went nowhere.

The freakish 6’8”, 281-pound Cliff Geathers puts his brute strength on display in the second quarter by pushing his man into Frazer’s passing lane and knocking down his throw. No one on Connecticut’s line had the power to neutralize the “Too Tall” Jones clone one-on-one, but Gearthers does make a bad decision in the third quarter by being charged with a late hit after beating his man off the edge. Geathers also needs to refine his footwork, as he tripped over himself untouched at one point.

Safety Antonio Allen is a good hitter with some range. He showed his toughness when he swoops in on a sweep play and holds Todman to no gain.

Photo Courtesy of SEC Sports Media

CFI Preview: Connecticut @ Notre Dame

By Mark J. Zavodnyik

An era will likely end when Notre Dame hosts Connecticut on Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium.

It is senior day for Notre Dame and Irish fans will cheer on its fourth and fifth year players for the final time in their home stadium. It is also likely the final home game for quarterback Jimmy Clausen. The junior from Westlake Village, CA is one of the nation’s top signal-callers and a likely first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Not only that, embattled Irish head coach Charlie Weis could be coaching his last game on the sidelines at Notre Dame Stadium. After suffering the season’s fourth defeat last week against Pittsburgh, the cat calls screaming for Weis’ departure have reached a fever pitch.

On the other side of the field, Connecticut continues to press on through a season that was altered when junior cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death on October 18.

The Huskies have been heroic in their ability to continue to play games while such intense pain and sadness surrounds the program. UConn has played well since Howard’s death, but has just one victory to show for their efforts.

In fact, it has been a season of close calls for head coach Randy Edsall and the Huskies. All five of Connecticut’s losses have come by a combined 15 points.

Keys for a Connecticut Victory

1) Establish the Husky running duo: Edsall’s vision for UConn to be a physical, power running attack came to fruition last year in Donald Brown, who led the nation with more than 2000 rushing yards. Brown went on to be selected in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2009 NFL draft.

This season UConn has two highly effective running backs in sophomore Jordan Todman and redshirt senior Andre Dixon. The Husky rushing duo has been the driving force behind the UConn offense this year. Together they have combined for 1,556 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.

Todman had his best game of the season two weeks ago against Cincinnati. The sophomore from North Dartmouth, MA rushed for 162 yards on 26 carries and four touchdowns.

UConn will look to utilize Todman and Dixon early in this game in an effort to establish momentum and take pressure off quarterback Zach Frazer. It is important for the Huskies to establish a solid running attack because…

2) Edsall does not want to rely on Frazer: The passing game is merely a secondary option in the Husky offensive attack. UConn does not have the firepower to score a lot of points through the air, so it is important for them to establish a ground game. In their recent offensive shootout against Cincinnati, four of the Huskies’ five touchdowns came via the run game.

Frazer began the season as the starting quarterback but injured his knee against North Carolina. Redshirt sophomore Cody Endres was playing very well in relief of Frazer until he was injured in UConn’s loss to Rutgers on October 31. After the Rutgers game, Endres underwent season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

The Huskies do not want to put the game into the hands of Frazer. The redshirt junior from Mechanicsburg, PA has struggled with his accuracy this season, throwing four touchdown passes against seven interceptions in just four games.

Ideally, UConn will establish Todman and Dixon and then allow Frazer to make simple reads on short to intermediate throws.

If Frazer can find some rhythm in the passing game, he will look to the Huskies’ leading receiver Marcus Easley. The senior from Stratford, Conn. has 26 catches for 559 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

Keys for a Notre Dame Victory

1) Remember how to tackle: Notre Dame’s once reliable run defense has vanished.

During the first part of the season, the Irish rush defense did well, holding a number of effective running teams to well below their season average. Nevada is the best rushing team in college football at 353.1 yards per game. Notre Dame held them to just 153 yards on the ground.

A week after Montel Harris of Boston College torched NC State for 264 yards and five touchdowns, the Irish defense held him to just 38 yards.

However, all that has changed in recent weeks. In their last two games to Navy and Pittsburgh, Notre Dame has allowed a combined 584 rushing yards.

The Irish defense has become a cautionary tale of poor tackling. The erratic unit is now allowing its opponents a generous average of 153.2 yards per game on the ground.

It is very difficult to win or even get a lead in a game when the opponent can so easily dictate the tempo on the ground.

If the Notre Dame defense plays like it did against Boston College, they will come close to making UConn one dimensional. Notre Dame has a great chance to win the game if UConn is forced to heavily rely on Frazer.

2) Expose Connecticut’s cornerbacks: The Husky defense is led by a trio of seasoned linebackers: captain Scott Lutrus, Greg Lloyd, and Lawrence Wilson. Wilson and Lloyd are the UConn’s leading tacklers.

However, after the men in the middle, UConn is highly inexperienced defensively. This lack of experience is particularly evident in the secondary.

The Huskies frequently employ a nickel defensive package, utilizing three cornerbacks.
Since the devastating loss of Howard, UConn has been forced to start two freshmen at cornerback.

With such inexperience in the secondary, Notre Dame will look to exploit the mismatch and get the ball as much as possible into the hands of its top-flight receivers Golden Tate & Michael Floyd.

The duo is arguably the best receiving combination in all of college football. Floyd is second on the team in receiving yards despite missing five games with a broken collarbone. Tate has been all-world this season, leading Notre Dame in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. The junior from Hendersonville, TN is averaging 117.2 receiving yards per game, the fourth best average in the nation.

Prediction

Connecticut is arguably the best 4-5 team in the country. The Huskies play physical football and they get solid production from their two running backs. When facing a talented opponent on the road, a power running game is a great weapon to have in one’s arsenal. (See: UConn @ Cincinnati two weeks ago) The Huskies will rush for more than 150 yards as a team.

However, Notre Dame’s skill players on offense will provide match-up problems that the Huskies will be unable to overcome.

The Irish will build a lead in the third quarter and Frazer’s inconsistency will not allow UConn to mount a comeback. The fact that Frazer returns to the school from which he transferred means he will likely be throwing from a mental state that is never good for a quarterback: He will try to do too much.

Score: Notre Dame 30, Connecticut, 23

Photos Courtesy of UConn Athletic Communications, Notre Dame Sports Information

Big East Power Rankings & Preview Week 10

1. Cincinnati Bearcats 8-0, (4-0): Last week: Win at Syracuse 28-7- The offense did have some trouble running the ball and capitalizing on good field position at first, but eventually passing efficiency prevailed. Backup quarterback Zach Collaros made it look easy completing 22-of-28 passes and throwing for 295 yards, four touchdowns.

Up next: vs. Connecticut - The passing leader in the Big East is back, Tony Pike makes his return after missing the last two and half games. With a game against West Virginia just under a week away the Bearcats focus will be tested.

Prediction: Cincinnati 31, Connecticut 20

2. Pittsburgh 7-1, (4-0): Last Week: Idle - The Panthers are moving up in all the polls and currently stand ranked number 13th overall in the BCS Standings.

Up Next: vs. Syracuse: The key to this game is focus. Before Pitt takes on Notre Dame and Cincinnati they have to play against staggering Syracuse. The Panthers might have some trouble running the ball, so they should take advantage of their big wide outs versus the inexperience and vulnerable Orange secondary. This game shouldn’t be close.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 28, Syracuse 14

3. South Florida Bulls 6-2, (2-2): Last week: Win vs. West Virginia 30-19 - Nothing gets a team over a two-game losing streak faster then a big win at home. B.J Daniels continued his development into stardom and the defensive line led by George Selvie was stellar again. During the bye week the Bulls have a lot to work on, specifically where some more yards are going to come from other than the arm and legs of their freshman quarterback.

Up Next: Idle

4. West Virginia 6-2, (2-1): Last week: Lost at South Florida 30-19 - It seems like West Virginia never matches up well against South Florida. The Mountaineers shouldn’t panic just yet, it was only their first conference loss of the season and they still control their destiny for a title.

Up next: vs. Louisville: Earlier this season when West Virginia came off a loss they bounced back with a home victory over Colorado in which Noel Devine rushed for 220 yards on 15 carries. Expect something similar to that this week in the box score and on the scoreboard.

Prediction: West Virginia 29, Louisville 13

5. Rutgers 6-2, (1-2): Last week: Win at Connecticut 28-24 - Tim Brown is making a case for himself as the top wide receiver in the Big East. He leads the league in yards with 811 and is averaging 21.9 yards a catch, which was boosted by his 81-yard game-winning touchdown grab to beat the Huskies.

Up Next: Idle

6.Connecticut 4-4, (1-3): Last week: Lost vs. Rutgers 28-24 - Just another heartbreaking loss for the Huskies. A tremendous job by their offense to putting together a 87-yard drive that was capped off with what should have been the game winning score by Jordan Todman.

Up Next: At Cincinnati: At quarterback will be Zach Frazer. He was 21-of-46 last week throwing for a career 333-yards, if he can put up those same type of numbers and Todman or Andre Dixon can burst out for a couple of long runs this game might be closer than the experts thing.

Prediction: Cincinnati 31, Connecticut 20

7. Louisville 3-5, (0-3): Last week: Win vs. Arkansas State 21-13 - It was the newcomers leading the way. Redshirt freshman quarterback Will Stein threw for 232 yards and junior tailback Bilal Powell rushed for a season high 93 yards on 17 carries.

Up Next: at West Virginia: The Cardinals rank at the bottom the Big East in stopping the run and they have given up a total of 14 touchdowns already this season on the ground…so facing off against Devine this week spells trouble.

Prediction: West Virginia 29, Louisville 13

8. Syracuse 3-5, (0-3): Last week: Lost vs. Cincinnati 28-7 - Another game, another loss and another disgraceful performance by the Orange offense.

Up Next: at Pittsburgh - It has been a very odd week for the Syracuse football team: several players are suspended for the game due to an incident involving a car accident late last Saturday night and star wide receiver Mike Williams quite the football team without dismissal. Now with the media swirling around head coach Doug Marrone for answers, this could be an emotional contest for the Orange. Do they band together or give up?

Prediction: Pittsburgh 28, Syracuse 14

Photos Courtesy of University of Pittsburgh, Tom Ciszak Rutgers Athletics

Big East Power Rankings Week 8

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON

1. Cincinnati Bearcats 6-0, (2-0): Last week: WOn at South Florida 34-17 - Talk about an impressive victory. With their starting quarterback Tony Pike out for the entire second half with a shoulder injury, the offense managed to put up 17 points in the second half and secured a victory on the road. Back-up quarterback Zach Collaros only completed four-of-seven passes, but on a key third and long it was his 75-yard designed run for a touchdown that was the back breaker in the game—an outstanding call to take advantage of the over pursuit of the South Florida blitz. Coaching, advantage Brian Kelly. But what was most impressive about the win was the play of the defense. The big play: on the first play of the second quarter safety Aaron Webster turned the game around with an interception in the red zone that was returned 83 yards to set up a touchdown, at least a ten point swing. Closing Out: In the second half they held the Bulls to three total first downs and forced five three-and-outs. This team seems to have that special element that equates to victories. Some how, some way they get it done. Up Next: vs. Louisville

2. West Virginia 5-1, (1-0): Last week: Win vs. Marshall 24-7 - It took a second half surge to put away their in-state rival, but don’t get down on the Mountaineers. An early injury to quarterback Jarrett Brown caused the offense to get out rhythm. His replacement, freshman Geno Smith was four-of-eight in the first half but didn’t complete a pass over ten yards until midway through the third quarter. His longest pass was a 33-yard touchdown connection with Alric Arnett late in the third. It was Noel Devine leading the way as usual. Up Next: vs. Connecticut

3. Pittsburgh 6-1, (3-0): Last week: Win at Rutgers 24-17 - Another week, another close call. They handed Rutgers several chances to take this game-fumbles on special teams, missed field goals and costly penalties. But the end result was a win. Most of the credit goes to the front seven on the defense and freshman phenom Dion Lewis. The linebacking play was tremendous, Max Gruder is is a star of tomorrow in the Big East. The defensive line was spectacular again, not giving any room for Rutgers' ball carriers to do a thing (38 yards total rushing). However there is a vulnerable spot on this defense. With cornerback Aaron Berry out for the game with a shoulder injury the secondary was ineffective. Lewis is third in the nation in rushing and was clutch last Friday, which included a 58-yard touchdown run was the biggest play of the game. On the Panther’s final drive that melted the clock it was Lewis gaining chunks of yards on all seven touches he had. There’s a lot of promise for this team, they possess enough talent to take the conference but one has to wonder not if, but when will this sloppy play catches up to them. Up Next: vs. South Florida

4. South Florida Bulls 5-1, (1-1): Last week: Lost vs. Cincinnati 17-34 - This defense can put the heat on the quarterback but when it counts, they struggle to stop the run. Cornerback Jerome Murphy had a disappointing game committing two personal foul penalties and was beat more than once on key plays. However, the panic button shouldn’t be pressed just yet, but the way this team has collapsed in seasons past, a win at Pittsburgh is badly needed. The key for the next game and for how successful this team can be this season is the play of freshman quarterback B.J Daniels. Up Next: @ Pittsburgh

5.Connecticut 4-2, (1-1): Last week: Win vs. Louisville 38-25 - It was all about airing it out, well at least for UConn's standards. Quarterback Cody Endres threw for a career-high 273 yards and a touchdown. Not to say the reliable running game wasn't there, Andre Dixon rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns. He’s quietly having a fantastic senior campaign. The story was the defense, perhaps one of the most underrated units in the league. They are an aggressive bunch-forcing four turnovers and some big stops when it mattered most. Up Next: @ West Virginia

6. Rutgers 4-2, (0-2): Last week: Lost vs. Pittsburgh 17-24 - Bad. That’s basically how Rutgers has played in their two Big East games this year, and if wasn’t for Syracuse and Louisville, the Knights wouldn’t be this high. Luckily a gift turnover that led to a touchdown avoided a near touchdown-less game. Not much positives to take from this game. Up Next: @ Army

7. Louisville 2-4, (0-2): Last week: Lost at Connecticut 25-38 - They have one of the worst defenses of any team in the BCS conferences and have already allowed over 30-plus points four times this season. The Cardinals are likely to be visiting the bottom sometime very soon. Up Next: @ Cincinnati

8. Syracuse 2-4, (0-2): Last week: Bye - Can’t move a team up after a bye, but a win against the Akron Zips could get them out of the basement for a week. Two weeks ago Greg Paulus was benched for the second half in the team’s loss to West Virginia. It will be interesting to see how he responds and how the fans react; they will get on the former Duke point gaurd if the Orange fall behind early. Up Next: vs. Akron

Photos Courtesy of University of Pittsburgh, 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