All Access: Louisville Pro Day Notes

QB Hunter Cantwell (6-4 3/8, 236 pounds) did position drills but otherwise stood on his numbers from the Combine. RB/FB Brock Bolen (5-11 1/2, 233 pounds) ran the 40 in times of 4.77 and 4.80 with a 31 1/2-inch vertical leap and a 9-foot, 2-inch broad jump. He did the short-shuttle drill in 4.35 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.95 seconds, and did 24 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. DT Adrian Grady (6-1 1/4, 303 pounds) ran the 40 in 5.20 and 5.18 seconds with a 33-inch vertical and an 8-foot, 10-inch broad jump. He put up times of 4.63 in the short shuttle and 7.52 in the three-cone drill, and he didn’t participate in the bench press.

Mandel's Take: I'm not a Cant(play)well believer. He was flat out terrible in his senior season, one which he'd been waiting for seemingly forever behind Brian Brohm. Some may blame his miserable senior season on a lack of weaponry, but it's his lack of accuracy/awareness and awkward mechanics that have me saying "nay". He just doesn't show good judgment out there. His arm strength warrants a late-round pick, but no more than that to me considering his many shortcomings. Bolen suffered through the team's poor offensive season, but he can grind out a tough yard and block effectively. He is on the cusp of the top 10, as far as fullbacks go. Grady is quick but lacks size and his durability is a question mark. Some team will take a chance on him, bulk him up, and see if his quickness can be maintained. He's a big effort player who could end up being a productive player in the right system.

Mancini's Take: Cantwell is your prototypical drop-back passer with a plus arm and ability to make all the throws. Where Brohm's former understudy falls short is in his mechanics and decision making. He takes too many chances by too often forcing the big play. The guy has a little Brett Favre in him---and that's not a good thing. Right now, Cantwell is a developmental passer, who has the tools to become a productive pro if he refines his technique and becomes a more cerebral player. Bolen's 40 times screams fullback to me. He'll be nothing more than a special teams/role player at the next level. Ross said all you need to know about Grady. He's limited, but he's strong and quick off the snap. The former Cardinal can gain penetration into the backfield from time to time, but isn't a massive run stuffer.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Louisville)

On Location: QB Notes From Indy - II

QB Drew Willy, Buffalo:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Teams Met With: Bengals, Steelers, Bears, Bucs, Bills, Lions

QB Mike Reilly, Central Washington:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.

QB Brian Hoyer, Michigan State
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Teams Met With: About 20-25 teams

QB Stepen McGee, Texas A & M:
Workout: Working out at School

QB Pat White, West Virginia:
Workout: Will be doing all drills at the combine.
Miscellaneous: Willing to play quarterback and wide receiver

QB Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State:
Workout: Will work out.
Training: CES
Pro Day: March 24.

QB Cullen Harper, Clemson:
Workout: Will work out
Training: Athletes Performance
Teams Met With: Texans, Niners, Redskins.

QB Jason Boltus, Hartwick:
Workout: Will work out
Teams Met With: Vikings, Browns, Jags, Lions and Rams

QB Hunter Caldwell, Louisville
Workout: Will work out

QB Chase Daniels, Missouri
Workout: Will work out.

As reported by Justin VanFulpen

Q&A: Hunter Cantwell, QB, Louisville

What is your height, weight and what do you expect to run in the 40?

Cantwell: My height is 6’4” probably 235lb and I am looking to run a 4.9 in the 40

What do you want to showcase at the combine, what is first and foremost in your mind that you want to showcase to the NFL scouts?

Cantwell: I think definitely my throwing ability, the accuracy, the arm strength. I am a good athlete, not a great athlete. I am not going to wow anyone with my vertical jump or my three-cone or L drill. What I excel at is throwing the football and hopefully that will come through in the throwing drills at Indianapolis.

Your position gets critiqued and picked apart more than any other. Of the criticism that you hear, do you think any of it is at all accurate and illustrates some things you have to work on? And which criticisms do you disagree with...

Cantwell: I think after the season a lot of NFL teams/scouts said that my release was too long; it was giving the DBs and safeties a chance to break on the ball. It was giving a “tell”, so to speak, when I was getting ready to throw. I think that’s something I've worked very hard on in this combine preparation, shortening that release. I have a QB coach out (Bob Johnson) here in southern California and we’ve been working really hard on that. I think another criticism that you laugh at is people saying, 'he’s a big guy and he doesn’t move that well'. Like I said before, I am not going to wow anyone with my agility or speed, but I think I’m a better athlete than people give me credit for.

How about Brian Brohm? You had to play behind him for a couple of years, can you tell us if you still talk to him and what do you hear from him about going into the NFL? Was it difficult sitting behind him and not to try to do too much this year because you only had one year to show what you can do?

Cantwell: Playing with Brian, backing him up for those four years was a great experience for me. Obviously he was a heckuva college football player and being able to learn from him and just watching him play...the best thing you can do as quarterback trying to learn is to watch a great guy like Brian play. Being around for his process as he went through the combine, pro day and got his feedback kind of helps me understand the whole situation and what the scouts are looking for. It was tough at times playing behind Brian because going into my senior year, I did want to show that I had the ability to play at a high level and live up to Brian’s expectations. I don’t think that made me press at all during the season, but that is always in the back of your mind.

What do you think your best feature is, your arm strength, your accuracy or your ability to read defenses?

Cantwell: I take pride in all three of those things. The scouts would tell you, from what I have been hearing from them, is my arm strength. It is just something I have been able to do since I was little, throw the ball far with velocity, so I think that is what they would tell you - arm strength.

I am sure in the coming weeks and the coming months you are going to have a lot of questions thrown at you by NFL personnel. What do you tell teams that may be skeptical about picking you because you only had one year of starting experience at quarterback?

Cantwell: That is definitely something NFL teams will look at, and I do have only one year of starting experience, but throughout my time as a backup I was able to play more games. I was able to start four games going into my starting season, so there is a lot more film on me out there, a lot more games started than just one season. I think there have been a lot of guys who have either played only one senior season or played a lower level of competition for one year and still had success, so I think there is precedent for guys who have only played one year.

A guy like Kurt Warner...

Cantwell: Yeah.

Looking back at your career at Louisville, what particular moment really stands out for you?

Cantwell: I can remember when Miami came in, I guess it was two years ago. I think they were sixteenth in the nation and we were twelfth and even though we were ranked higher, Miami was still getting considerable love. This was the University of Miami of Florida and I remember they came into Papa John Colonel Stadium and we were getting real excited and they came in and jumped on our bird before the game! It almost started a fight on the fifty-yard line. That game was very high energy, high octane from the get go and in the third quarter the game was still in the balance. It was back and forth and Brian was injured, he had a thumb injury and had to come out of the game. I remember going in and on the first play, Coach Petrino had the confidence in me and called a deep post pattern and I was able to hit Harry Douglass, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons. I hit him on the post route and he was tackled at the one and the crowd just went insane. I knew from that point on we were going to score, and we were going to beat Miami. A lot of people weren’t expecting us to win that one, so I think that memory will probably stand out.

We've been talking a lot about getting ready for the combine and a lot of the focus is on the physical, but you are also going to have to take the Wonderlic test and interview with a lot of teams. What have you done to prepare for those things, to take that test, which I hear is kind of strange, as well as speaking to these NFL executives?

Cantwell: The Wonderlic is pretty different. I’ve taken it numerous times actually. When the scouts came in for senior pro day, they would make the juniors take it, so I’ve already taken it once with the NFL. I’ll take it again at the combine and one thing you just got to learn is not to try to answer them all. Answer the ones you know and move on as the time passes. You don’t want to take too much time. It is not something like the SAT or the ACT, something that you can prepare for...it is something you don’t really worry about too much. As far as meeting with NFL GMs and executives, that’s huge, because as a quarterback they are basically giving you the keys to their organization. You want to come across as intelligent and confident, you don’t want to be over-cocky. From what I've heard, a lot of teams will bring in psychologists and analysts, people who study body language. They really do look for everything. I have had some interview preps, but a lot of things my agents have heard is that a lot of guys over-prepare and go in sounding like robots. Everyone has his own set of answers that they give to tough questions, so the good part is about it is going into those interviews you don’t want to sound like a robot, you want to be confident, you want to say the right thing, but you also want your own personality to shine through, so that will be big for all of the quarterbacks at the combine.

What team you would like to land with? (Chat room/Rams fan)

Cantwell: I would love to stay as close to home as possible, but obviously I would be delighted whichever team took a chance on me. Not to pander to the crowd, but St. Louis and the Titans would probably be the two closest to my hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, so I would be excited if the Rams or Titans picked me up.

What was your favorite team growing up?

Cantwell: Kansas City Chiefs

Favorite movie of all time?

Cantwell: Dumb and Dumber or Sandlot

What is your favorite hobby outside of football?

Cantwell: Snow skiing, but I haven’t skied in a couple of years due to the injury factor, so I will go with fresh water fishing.

RADIO: Football Friday Show! LIVE 8:00 PM EST

ALL ACCESS FOOTBALL FRIDAY SHOW! FEBRUARY 13th, 2008 * 8:00-10:00 PM EST

Every Friday Night on the All Access Football Radio Channel, in affiliation with Blog Talk Radio.

The Two Hour show will be hosted by Rodney Towe with analysts Daniel Mogollon (College Football Insiders Founder/NFL Draft Bible President) and Ralph Mancini (NFL Draft Bible/College Football Insiders Senior Writer)

WHAT'S ON TAP:

• WR DERRICK WILLIAMS (Senior Bowl/Combine Invite) of Penn St.
• QB HUNTER CANTWELL (East-West Shrine Game/Combine Invite) of Louisville
• OT GERALD CADOGAN (Texas vs. The Nation Game/Combine Invite) of Penn St.
• RB DEVIN MOORE (Texas vs. The Nation Game) of Wyoming
• Fantasy Spotlight – Which Pro Bowlers could end up being fool’s gold in your next fantasy draft? Who’s on the way down? Who are the one year wonders? Which players are primed for breakout seasons and could be headed to the Pro Bowl in 2010?
• Steroids…with all the focus on baseball, football continues to get a free pass.
• Are NFL teams breaking the law when they put their players in pads for contact drills in mini-camp? Scott Daniels of the legal line joins us to discuss that topic. The Houston Texans could be in hot water…
• The Coaching Carousel has come to an end…and there will be nine rookie head coaches while six Super Bowl winning coaches remain on the market. What message are NFL franchises sending?

*** LISTEN HERE ***

*Join our chat or call-in with your questions: 347.945.6275

*Missed It Live? Shows are archived 15 minutes upon conclusion of each episode here

On Location: Syracuse 28, Louisville 21

SYRACUSE, NY – On Legends Day at the Carrier Dome, it was Orange running back Curtis Brinkley who stole the show, rushing for 166 yards and a touchdown in Syracuse’s surprising 28-21 victory over Louisville. Brinkley set the Syracuse single-season record by rushing for over 100-yards in five consecutive games. The senior averaged 5.0 yards per carry and was exuberant after his team’s win. Brinkley rushed for 166 yards, giving him 899 yards on the season, fourth in the conference. He has become tremendous in short yardage situations, and his leap over the pile knotted the score at seven in the first quarter. Brinkley took to the air twice in critical spots for the Orange—once for a touchdown and another for a key first down as they were in unfamiliar territory, milking the clock late in the game.

“One thing I really like about Brinkley is how he responds to first contact,” said Don McPherson, who was honored at the Carrier Dome for being a member of the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. “He really does explode through tackles. You can’t arm-tackle him to bring him down and he changes directions off of tackles as well.”

The Syracuse offensive line had arguably their best game of the season. Led by guard Ryan Durand, the unit was strong throughout the game as the offense was able to run the ball at will, posting a total of 207 rushing yards. Freshman Antwan Bailey rushed for his first career touchdown on a 39-yard scoring scamper in the second quarter.

Syracuse quarterback Cameron Dantley was effective enough, throwing for two touchdowns, both off of play action. On his first touchdown pass, Dantley was able to show off his arm strength, hitting wide out Da’Mon Merkerson for a 38-yard touchdown. Senior fullback Tony Fiammetta caught his first touchdown pass of his career late in the fourth quarter to give the Orange a two-touchdown cushion. Fiametta also delivered a key block on a screen pass to Doug Hogue that went for 39 yards.

“Fiametta has proven with his play (he is one of the top fullbacks). If you want to know how good a fullback is, you really have to watch him, because they’ll make blocks on plays where you don’t really know how important he was,” McPherson said of the Syracuse fullback. “He’s almost like the sixth or seventh lineman when you count the tight end.”

The Louisville offense was less than impressive. Although he was the victim of several dropped passes, Hunter Cantwell was shaky all night. He finished with 214 yards but struggled on third downs. The Cardinals missed a big opportunity when wide receiver Troy Pascley dropped a pass that would have easily led to a score. Instead, Louisville had to punt the ball.

It looked like the Cardinals had caught a break when Syracuse return man Bruce Williams muffed a punt that was recovered by Louisville. However, the Cardinals gave the ball right back when Syracuse defensive end Jared Kimmel forced a fumble. Louisville finished the game with two turnovers and eight penalties that resulted in a loss of 81 yards.

The Orange must have headman Steve Kragthorpe’s number—this is the second straight year that Syracuse has defeated Louisville.

The performance on Saturday may not have been a flashback to the 1987 season when McPherson led the then Orangemen to an 11-0-1 season. McPherson, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy, won both the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award that season. The win did mark Syracuse’s first conference home win since 2006 against Connecticut.

Photo Credit: Syracuse University Athletics

Louisville 24, South Florida 20

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON - BIG EAST INSIDER

The Louisville Cardinals extended their winning streak to three, defeating No. 14 South Florida 24-20. Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns, with his 24-yard touchdown pass to Scott Long the game-winning score late in the fourth quarter, capping off a 63-yard drive. Long recorded a season-high five catches for 134 yards. Cantwell and Long hooked up for a 69-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe completed 75 percent of his passes, throwing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Grothe spread the ball around well, connecting with eleven different receivers. Wide receiver Jessie Hester led all Bulls with eight catches and is emerging into a reliable possession receiver.

Grothe was unable to make much happen with his legs and was sacked a season-high five times. Cardinals’ defensive tackles Earl Heyman and Adrian Grady each recorded two big sacks.

Photo Credit: USF Athletics Communications

O'Brien Quarterback Award Marquee Match-up for Week Nine

FORT WORTH, Texas (October 22, 2008) - The 2008 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O'Brien) Match-ups for week nine feature eight O'Brien Watch List candidates. The O'Brien continues to highlight weekly match-ups featuring O'Brien candidates as they compete for the prestigious award honoring the nation's best quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Fans can show their support by visiting www.VoteOBrien.org and casting their vote. The top three candidates in the Fan Vote will automatically be added to the Semifinalist List announced Monday, October 27.

Marquee Match-up: Texas Tech at Kansas
Saturday, October 25 at 11 a.m. (CST) on ESPN
The Quarterback rivalry in the Big 12 continues this weekend as Graham Harrell and the undefeated Red Raiders battle Todd Reesing and the Kansas Jayhawks. The No. 8 Raiders hope to continue their winning streak after defeating Texas A&M 43-25 last week. Tech currently boasts the longest winning streak in the country along with Penn State and Utah with nine straight wins. Harrell completed 44-of-56 passes last Saturday for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Previously honored as The O'Brien Quarterback of the Week, Harrell leads the nation in passing yards with 2,761.

The Jayhawks return to Lawrence after losing on the road to the Oklahoma Sooners. Reesing and his team will have tremendous support at their home field as this game marks Kansas' 95th homecoming. Reesing, a junior, passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns in last week's game. He ranks fourth nationally in pass completions (195) and seventh in passing yards (2,322).

The rivalry between these two Texas natives (Harrell from Ennis and Reesing from Austin) is nothing new as both are returning starters who were honored last year as 2007 O'Brien Semifinalists. Both quarterbacks are currently ranked in the top 10 of The O'Brien Fan Vote.

Head-to-Head O'Brien Match-ups (based on start times)
These O'Brien Watch List quarterbacks will clash in this week's games.

· South Florida (Matt Grothe) at Louisville (Hunter Cantwell)
Saturday, October 25 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on ESPN360.com

· Notre Dame (Jimmy Clausen) at Washington (Jake Locker*)
Saturday, October 25 at 7 p.m. (CST) on ESPN2

· USC (Mark Sanchez) at Arizona (Willie Tuitama)
Saturday, October 25 at 9:15 p.m. (CST) on FSN

*Injured

About The O'Brien Fan Vote
Fans can now register and vote for The O'Brien Fan Vote online at www.VoteOBrien.org to show their support for their favorite college quarterback. Fans will be able to choose from any of the 119 FBS quarterbacks beginning on Tuesday, September 2, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. The top three quarterbacks who garner the most votes will be added to The O'Brien Semifinalist List, and the Fan Vote will then count as 5% in determining the Finalists and Winner. The 2008 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 11 on ESPN. The recipient will be honored February 16, 2009, at the 32nd Annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fans can also download an interactive "widget" at www.DaveyOBrien.org/FAN/fan_widgets.asp featuring a voting link and the ability to post and share on Web sites, social networks and blogs.

Fans can show their support by adding The O'Brien Facebook application to their Facebook Profile. The new application can be found by searching O'Brien Fan Vote and clicking the applications tab or at http://apps.new.facebook.com/daveyobrien/.

About The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award®
The O'Brien honors the nation's best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O'Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O'Brien is overseen by the Davey O'Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $750,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

Inside the Big East - Week Eight

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON -
BIG EAST INSIDER

Both Louisville and South Florida took care of business as home this week.

No. 19 South Florida defeated Syracuse 45-13 despite a rough first half. South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe was able to orchestrate drives all game with his arm and legs, finishing with 248 yards passing and three total touchdowns. His two touchdown passes to sophomore wide receiver A.J. Love and senior Taurus Johnson in the third quarter put the game away. Two more Bulls, Carlton Mitchell and Benjamin Williams, were standouts—each caught three balls for over 60 yards.

Grothe rushed for a season high 72 yards and added his third rushing touchdown of the year. The Bulls’ offense was highly efficient in the second half and their offensive line was dominant, allowing very little pressure from the Syracuse D-Line.

With this loss, the Syracuse Orange have clinched their fourth straight non-winning season. The SU offense was able to run the ball very well in the first half, as running back Curtis Brinkley finished with 112 yards and two touchdowns. This was the fourth straight 100-yard game for Brinkley. But in the second half, the Syracuse offense was inept, unable to convert a single first down in the fourth quarter and finishing with seven total yards in the second half. Quarterback Cameron Dantley was less than impressive, finishing the game with only 129 yards passing, but with limited protection it was difficult for the junior to establish any rhythm.

Now that Syracuse is 1-6 the only news that awaits Orange fans is when Coach Greg Robinson will be fired. With this loss, Robinson falls to 2-22 in Big East games.

Louisville’s running game dominated in their 42-23 victory over Middle Tennessee State. After a lackluster first half, the Cardinals broke out in the second on the shoulders of running backs Victor Anderson and Brock Bolen. The freshman Anderson rushed for 161 yards including a career high 88-yard touchdown run. This was the freshman’s third 100-yard game of the year. Bolen was even stronger around the goal line, as the short-yardage back rushed for three touchdowns. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell came out throwing but was not very successful--his two interceptions kept MTSU around until the third quarter.

The Cardinals defense took over after halftime. They allowed a total of -11 yards on Middle Tennessee State’s first five possessions of the second half. Linebacker Chris Campa led all Cardinals with seven tackles.

No. 23 Pittsburgh crushed Navy, 42-21, and extended their winning steak to five. The Panthers’ offense was rolling from the first snap, scoring 35 points in the first half. Running back LeSean McCoy continued to run the ball well, racking up a season high 156 yards and three touchdowns. The sophomore star averaged 8.7 yards a carry and caught two balls for 46 yards. Quarterback Bill Stull did throw two interceptions but for the most part, he was efficient and his 255 yards passing were nearly a season high. Wide receiver Jonathon Baldwin has become a playmaker for the Panthers. The freshman caught three balls including a 60-yard bomb late in the game, and his 101 yards receiving yards were a career high. But it was the defense that was most impressive--the Navy offense finished with 194 rushing yards, 119 yards less than their season average.

Big East Recap: Friday Night Lights

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON

Despite being out-gained and allowing 351 yards through the air, Louisville was able to pull out a 35-28 victory at Memphis. With a combination of great play calling and a strong-arm quarterback Arkelon Hall the Tigers were able to throw for 350 yards and two touchdowns. Hall led his offense to six drives of over 50 yards but failed to score on three of those possessions. Special teams and key turnovers were the difference in this game.

Louisville wide receiver Trent Guy responded after a Memphis score with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Guy, who is three months removed from recovering from a gunshot wound, also caught a 43-yard touchdown pass. Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw for only 133 yards, but did connect on two critical touchdowns.

Cardinals’ cornerback Johnny Patrick was the difference maker on the defensive side of the ball coming up with two huge plays. Right as the half was about to end, the sophomore blocked a field goal, which Brandon Heath picked up for 60-yard touchdown. Then with the score knotted up at 28 early in the forth quarter Louisville defensive end Rodney Gnat knocked the ball loose after a big hit on a sack and Patrick was able to pick up the fumble and take it 21 yards the other way for the game-winning touchdown. After a devastating loss to Connecticut, Louisville bounced back.

The Cardinals will play their final non-conference game against Middle Tennessee State next Saturday.

Big East: Hunter Cantwell Injury Update

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe says quarterback Hunter Cantwell's injured left ankle won't stop him from starting on Friday at Memphis.

Cantwell injured the ankle while scrambling late in the third quarter of a 26-21 loss to Connecticut on Sept. 26. Kragthorpe said Monday that Cantwell's recovery has gone smoothly and that Cantwell could have played last weekend if the Cardinals (2-2) had a game.

Kragthorpe said the bye week means the Cardinals should be over the loss to the Huskies and ready for the Tigers (3-3). Memphis has won three straight games, including a 33-30 win over UAB last weekend.

Big East - Week One

By CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON - BIG EAST INSIDER

Week One Standouts

Donald Brown, Connecticut: With junior Andre Dixon sidelined with an ankle injury, Donald Brown took the bulk of the carries in the Huskies 35-3 win over Hofstra. Dixon finished the game with 146 yards and four first half touchdowns. It was the seventh 100-yard game in Brown's career and his 23 carries were the fourth most he has ever registered in a game.

Dustin Grutza, Cincinnati: Grutza took his first snap in almost a year on Thursday night after losing his job to Ben Mauk. Grutza was efficient and made Bearcat fans forget about his past misfortunes with a four touchdown game. Grutza threw for 296 yards and completed 75% of his passes including a 47-yard completion to Marshwan Gilyard. Grutza also rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown in the 40-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

Alric Arnett, West Virginia: Pat White started where he left off, throwing five touchdowns and rushing for 63 yards in the 48-21 win over Villanova. Two of those touchdown passes were caught by junior receiver Alric Arnett. West Virginia has lacked a big play receiver and with four catches for 70 yards, the speedster might be just what the Mountaineers are looking for. Arnett's two touchdown catches included one in traffic and a 34 yard over the shoulder grab.

South Florida Defense: The Bulls held Tennessee-Martin to a total of 97 yards in their 56-7 victory. South Florida's defense did not allow a single point (The Skyhawks scored their only touchdown on a fumble recovery) and recorded a total of eight tackles for a loss. Tennessee-Martin could not run or pass the ball, converting just one of fourteen third down conversions. Senior linebacker Tyrone Mckenzie led the team with five tackles and a sack. Sophomore linebacker Sabbath Joseph also recorded five tackles. George Selvie did not have a sack but was putting on pressure all day long.

Laying an egg

During the off season, Pittsburgh was the sexy selection of the conference. They were all over people's sleeper boards and even broke into the Coaches Poll at number 25. Their opener versus Bowling Green was going according to plan as Dave Wannstedt and his Panthers held a two touchdown lead midway through the second quarter. However, the story of the game quickly became Pittsburgh's turnovers and inability to rush the football--they were held to just 46 yards on the ground over the final three quarters. Star running back LeSean McCoy finished the game with 71 yards and a touchdown but was not able to break any big runs later in the game. Pittsburgh’s final five offensive possessions resulted in two fumbles, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs and an interception thrown by quarterback Billy Stull. The Panthers out-gained Bowling Green and Stull was moderately efficient, but Pittsburgh was just unable to recover from their three fumbles and Falcons quarterback Tyler Sheehan's rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. This is the first time Pittsburgh has ever lost an opener against a MAC school; not a great start to what was supposed to be a promising season.

The expectations for Syracuse this season were beyond low. Not only did everyone in college football have them slated to finish last in the conference, but the Orange were ranked in several magazines as the worst BCS school in the country. Syracuse's performance in the second half at Northwestern proved many of these projections correct. The first half between the two communications schools looked like an opener between two conference cellar-dwellers. But in the second half, the Wildcats took control of the ground and the game. Running Back Tyrell Sutton was able to run all over Syracuse finishing with 144 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. On defense the Orange looked lost and many times out of position. Senior strong safety A.J Brown finished the game with 11 tackles. Linebacker Derrell Smith played his first game at the position and finished with an interception and seven tackles. Syracuse's passing game was inept--no big plays or consistent completions while Andrew Robinson was held to only 103 yards through the air. With few playmakers and nearly no depth the Orange’s 30-10 loss is just the beginning of a long season in upstate New York.

Hunter Cantwell and Louisville didn't get the start they wanted, getting blown out 27-2 blowout against in-state rival Kentucky. Cantwell, ranked the 5th best senior quarterback prospect by the NFL Draft Bible, threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter and was held to only 152 yards in the game. To be fair, Cantwell was pressured for most of the game and didn't have much time to complete many big passes. Sophomore wideout Doug Beaumont showed some nice hands in the game, catching nine balls for 77 yards. Louisville had only one impressive drive which ended in a blocked field goal.

Photo Credit: University of South Florida