ESPN College Football

• Syracuse will play 10 "home" games at the New Meadowlands Stadium -- one every other year, beginning in 2019.
• Joe Lefeged is optimistic about his draft hopes after a solid NFL combine showing. Brandon Bing put up some dazzling 40 times at Rutgers pro day, but will that be enough? Eric LeGrand was in the house for pro day, and the fact that it wasn't a big deal was good news.
• Pat White has given up baseball.
• A quick look at the UConn quarterback depth chart.

• Chris Neild is the straw that stirs the West Virginia defense's drink. Jock Sanders is about to break a record.
• Pitt is looking to get more out of its screen plays.
• Connecticut's offensive line has gotten back to overpowering people.
• There's a lot still on the table for Syracuse.
• South Florida's defense has been finishing off games in the clutch.
• Cincinnati really misses the return game heroics of Mardy Gilyard.
• Rutgers corner Brandon Bing is trying to forget about his disastrous game against the Bearcats last year.

It's no surprise that Pitt and Rutgers are playing a close, hard-hitting game. The two teams are tied at 14 at halftime.

How have the Scarlet Knights responded to the Eric LeGrand injury? They're playing hard, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the game.

Typically, Rutgers isn't doing a whole lot on offense (less than 100 yards in the half) but is getting it done on defense and special teams. A great play by Charlie Noonan to pick off a shuffle pass and return it deep into Pitt territory led to the first touchdown. In the second quarter, Wayne Warren blocked a punt that Brandon Bing recovered in the end zone to tie the score. Rutgers continues to find ways to score in non-traditional ways.

Pitt has had some big plays, including a 46-yard pass from Tino Sunseri to Jon Baldwin to set up a score. It was good to finally see those to hook up for a big gainer. Ray Graham and Dion Lewis have combined for 95 yards. But the turnovers have hurt, and Rutgers' defensive pressure has come up big in key spots to stop Panthers' drives.

Pittsburgh has played better overall, but Rutgers likes to hang around with its defense and try to win the game in the fourth quarter. Knowing these two teams, the game will likely come down to that.

The season's first chapter is complete. Here's the book report.

Team of the week: Syracuse. Bet you didn't think you'd see those words together after Week 1. But the Orange were the only Big East team to beat an FBS opponent in the first week, handily dispatching Akron 29-3. Yes, the Zips are bad. But the game was on the road, and Syracuse won its opener for the first time since 2003.

Best game: It was sloppy on both sides, with botched coverages and too many yellow flags. But Utah's 27-24 overtime win over Pitt was never short on drama, especially at the end when the Panthers mounted a comeback to tie the game.

Biggest play: Tino Sunseri's interception on the first play of that overtime game for Pitt. Mike Shanahan was open, but Sunseri waited a beat too long to deliver the ball and then put it in the wrong place. That sealed the Panthers' fate, and started the downward Week 1 spiral for the Big East.

Best call: Rich Rodriguez's decision to go with Denard Robinson as his starting quarterback. Rodriguez had declined to officially name a starter before Saturday. Then he unleashed Robinson, who brought back Pat White nightmares for Connecticut's torched defense.

Big Man on Campus (Offense): Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville. I don't like to give this award to players whose teams lost. I really don't like giving it to players whose teams played FCS opponents. So, um, yeah. I had to break Rule No. 1 and go with Powell, who's now leading the Big East in rushing after 153 yards -- and an 80-yard touchdown -- in the 23-16 loss to Kentucky.

Big Man on Campus (Defense): Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia. And I had to break rule No. 2 for this award. Hogan's interception near the end of the first half helped keep Coastal Carolina at bay, and the entire Mountaineers defense was dominant in a 31-0 win.

Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Brandon Bing, Rutgers. Bing blocked two punts, including one that teammate Joe Lefeged recovered for a touchdown, in the 31-0 win over Norfolk State.

Worst hangover: The Big East office in Providence, R.I. Half the league is already 0-1, including three of the teams considered among the top contenders. National championship hopes for the conference are already dim after one weekend. Maybe someone should send John Marinatto flowers this time.

Strangest moment: This one's a tie, and both involve field goal attempts at the end of halves on Thursday night.

At Rutgers, Mohamed Sanu caught a pass near the goal line with one second left in the first half, and the Scarlet Knights were out of timeouts. They tried to hurry to the line to get one more play off, but officials ruled the half was over. Or not. The officials then decided to review whether San went out of bounds. He was not. So the half was over. Or not.

Greg Schiano argued that the clock should have stopped on the first down pickup, and Rutgers was allowed another play, in which it kicked a field goal. Norfolk State coaches, whose team was sent off the field and recalled twice, protested -- and rightly so. Hey, it was opening night for the refs, too.

In the Pitt game, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham tried the old "icing-the-kicker" with a last-second timeout routine not once but twice as Dan Hutchins attempted the field goal that would send the game to overtime. Hutchins made the first and missed the second, and there was confusion on the field and in the stands both times.

He finally hit the third one -- best two out of three, anyone? I don't know about you, but that last-second timeout garbage may be my least favorite ploy in football.

Now here's a sneak peek at the second week (Games listed in descending order of importance/interest):

South Florida (1-0) at Florida (1-0) (ESPN3.com, Noon ET): The Gators' offensive struggles and USF's 59-point outburst against Stony Brook have this game looking a bit more interesting than it did a few days ago. The Bulls still have a mighty difficult assignment in going to The Swamp with so many young players.

Syracuse (1-0) at Washington (0-1) (7 p.m. ET): The Fightin' Jake Lockers fell on the road to BYU in their opener. The Orange could gain a breakthrough with a win here, but they must travel across the country to do so.

West Virginia (1-0) at Marshall (0-1) (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Friday): The in-state rivalry that isn't. Marshall was handcuffed by Ohio State's defense on Saturday, and the Mountaineers will look to give them some more of that medicine. Former West Virginia assistant Doc Holliday will at least have some trade secrets on his former team.

Rutgers (1-0) at Florida International (0-0) (ESPN3.com, 8 p.m. ET): The pickin's get real slim in a hurry in Week 2. This is the only other game featuring an FBS opponent. Rutgers has to go on the road and will need to play better at the start of the game than it did versus Norfolk State.

New Hampshire (1-0) at Pitt (0-1) (ESPN3.com, 1 p.m. ET): This will be notable to see what adjustments the Panthers made after the opening loss, with Miami looming in the third game. And New Hampshire has been a solid FCS program.

Eastern Kentucky (0-1) at Louisville (0-1) (ESPN3.com, 3:30 ET): Home fans will see Charlie Strong's first victory as Louisville head coach.

Texas Southern (0-1) at Connecticut (0-1) (ESPN3.com, Noon ET): This game will be .... sorry, I dozed off there for a minute.

Indiana State (1-0) at Cincinnati (0-1) (ESPN3.com, Noon ET): Zzzzzzzzz.

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: The player who Charlie Strong called the face of the program ran 16 times for 153 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, in a 23-16 loss to Kentucky.

Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse: In his starting debut, Nassib completed 17 of 27 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, as the Orange beat Akron 29-3. Nassib also rushed for 58 yards.

Brandon Bing, CB, Rutgers: Bing blocked two punts, including one that was recovered for a touchdown, in the Scarlet Knights' 31-0 win over Norfolk State on Thursday.

B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida: The sophomore completed 15 of 22 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 23 yards and a score in the Bulls' 59-14 win over Stony Brook.

• Pitt found out it has a lot of work left to do. Utah proved its worthiness as a Pac-12 team.
• Rutgers' win was nothing to get excited about. It wasn't the kind of opener they expected. Brandon Bing had a huge night on special teams.
• West Virginia linebacker J.T. Thomas says his neck is fine.
• UConn's offense continues to grow.
• Ryne Giddins is out with a blister, and Victor Marc is suspended for USF.
• Bilal Powell may be "The Face" of the Louisville program, but he's sure not the voice.
• Cincinnati's senior-free defense will get a test.
• Doug Hogue talks about the upcoming Syracuse season.

Defense is supposed to be the strength of Rutgers this year, and that proved to be the case in the opener.

The Scarlet Knights pitched a 31-0 shutout of Norfolk State on Thursday. They allowed only 156 total yards and were dominant in the second half.

Of course, the defense did that all of last year, manhandling outmatched opponents. This defense is going to be good, but wake me when Rutgers plays a good team.

Offensively, there wasn't much to love about this game. Rutgers scored just two offensive touchdowns (one score came on a blocked punt). Things looked better in the second half, and Joe Martinek ran for over 100 yards, but every BCS team should be able to wear down an FCS defense in the second half. The Norfolk State defenders were cramping and collapsing left and right in the final two quarters.

Rutgers still has a long way to go to build a strong offense, but luckily it has another tune-up type game next against Florida International.

Also notable in the second half, true freshman Chas Dodd came in to play quarterback. Looks like he'll be the No. 2 behind Tom Savage this year instead of Steve Shimko, who's been injured.

Brandon Bing blocked two punts, including the one that was recovered for a touchdown.

Just about wherever Devin McCourty went last year, David Rowe made sure to follow.

Rowe wanted to soak up all the knowledge he could from Rutgers' star cornerback and future first-round NFL draft pick.

"He taught me all the little things," Rowe said. "Not big things like scheme, but just how to win those one-on-one battles and how receivers want to leverage you. It was all about the mentality of football."

Rowe also was McCourty's roommate the night before games and would lean on the veteran to help calm his nerves, especially before Rowe made his first career start against Florida International.

"He said all the right things to calm me down," Rowe said. "He'd say, 'Just go out there and have fun. Love what you're doing.'"

Flash forward to this season, and now it is Rowe who's the experienced Scarlet Knights cornerback. He's the one ready to give advice to younger players -- and Rutgers hopes, to play as well as McCourty did.

The junior recently was named as the team's best draft-eligible pro prospect by Mel Kiper. At 6-foot and 196 pounds, he's got excellent size for a corner and showed good coverage skills last season after moving into that starting role early. He had been a nickelback before that.

"That was a big step for me going, from nickel to outside, basically on an island," he said. "Each game throughout the year, I got better and more comfortable."

Rowe said he felt like he belonged when he grabbed his first career interception against Texas Southern and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown. He also had a pick against UConn.

The Rutgers secondary is young but talented, with redshirt freshman Logan Ryan battling Brandon Bing for the starting job at the other corner spot. Promising youngsters such as Darrell Givens, Brandon Jones and Lorenzo Waters make sure the defensive backfield is in good hands for the future.

"I think the secondary can expect a lot of big things this year," Rowe said. "We know the defense and what the offense wants to do to us. I think we can play with a lot of teams in the country."

And if any of the younger players need advice or a word of reassurance, Rowe is happy to pay back the favor.

Rutgers

Schedule: Practice starts Friday at 2:40 p.m. First day in full pads is Aug. 11.

What’s new: Just about the entire offensive line. Three starters are gone, and others have shuffled positions. How fast that line comes together is the key concern for Rutgers right now. Also new is receivers coach P.J. Fleck, who will try to invigorate the passing attack.

Key battle: Cornerback. Brandon Bing emerged as the starter out of the spring, but redshirt freshman Logan Ryan is making a hard charge for the job.

New on the scene: Incoming freshmen Casey Turner and Jawan Jamison could pry some carries away from veteran tailback Joe Martinek. Brandon Coleman and Jeremy Deering are playmakers who could find their way onto the field.

Breaking out: Receiver Mark Harrison has all the physical tools to be the next Kenny Britt and showed his potential in flashes last season. He just needs to stay healthy.

Don’t forget about: Tight end D.C. Jefferson. He moved to the position last fall after losing out on the quarterback battle. Now a sophomore who's had time to learn the tight end spot, the 6-foot-6 Jefferson could emerge as a force.

All eyes on: That offensive line. Tom Savage must stay healthy this year, and the running game must improve for Rutgers to contend in the Big East.

Quoting: "We need to be more physical. It still comes down to blocking people." -- Rutgers coach Greg Schiano

Let's continue looking at three players from each team who will burst onto the scene in the Big East. It could be an incoming or redshirt freshman, a transfer or just someone stepping into a new role.

Rutgers, come on down:

Casey Turner and Jawan Jamison, RB: Coach Greg Schiano is hoping to inject some explosiveness into the running game, and incoming freshmen backs Turner and Jamison promise just that. They'll both be given a long look this fall camp, and if one or both of them proves ready to play early, don't be surprised if they're given some significant handoffs even with veteran tailback Joe Martinek returning.

Logan Ryan, CB: The redshirt freshman ended the spring listed as a backup at corner, but he showed enough promise that he could eventually overtake Brandon Bing as the starter. Along with fellow redshirt freshman Darrell Givens, Ryan could be a star cornerback for a long time in this league.

Tim Wright, WR: Wright didn't catch a single ball last year as a sophomore but was one of the biggest standouts of the spring. At 6-foot-4, he's a big target with plenty of speed, and he appears to have figured things out now. Pairing him with Mohamed Sanu and Mark Harrison could give Rutgers one of the best receiving groups in the league.

More fresh faces.

It's time to get back to our post-spring rankings of each Big East position group. A lot of teams have question marks in their secondaries heading into this summer; let's look at how they stand in comparison to one another:

1. West Virginia: The Mountaineers play five defensive backs in their 3-3-5 alignment and should be well stocked for 2010. Safety Robert Sands should compete for league defensive player of the year honors if he continues his rapid development, while senior Sidney Glover is an experienced playmaker at one of the other safety spots. West Virginia needs Brandon Hogan to rediscover his form and for Keith Tandy to keep improving, and this could be one of the team's strongest units.

2. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights lost the best cornerback in the Big East when Devin McCourty took his skills to the NFL, but I still like the group that's returning. Joe Lefeged should step up and assume McCourty's leadership role as a senior safety, while Khaseem Greene looks ready to become a front-line safety. David Rowe is a solid corner, and either Brandon Bing or Logan Ryan should fill the other spot. The Scarlet Knights have a lot of talented young players here to provide quality depth, as well.

3. Syracuse: The Orange officially have five returning starters in the secondary because of injuries last year, and several players gained valuable experience during 2009. There's a good mixture of veteran leadership with guys like seniors Mike Holmes, Da'Mon Merkerson and Max Suter as well as rising stars like Shamarko Thomas and Phillip Thomas.

4. Pittsburgh: Antwuan Reed helped answer a big question with a strong spring at cornerback. The other corner spot will likely be filled by either junior college transfer Saheed Imoru or Buddy Jackson, with Ricky Gary around to add depth. The safety position should be in good shape when Dom DeCicco and Andrew Taglianetti return from their injuries, while Jarred Holley established himself as a dependable safety last year.

5. South Florida: The Bulls lost a pair of draft picks in Nate Allen and Jerome Murphy and have some young players moving into key roles this season. The good news is those youngsters have talent. The key will be whether Quenton Washington and Kayvon Webster can hold down the cornerback spots.

6. Cincinnati: There's healthy competition in the secondary for the Bearcats, who increasingly gave up big plays in the passing game as the 2009 season wore on. Dominique Battle, Camerron Cheatham, Chris Williams and Reuben Johnson all vied for playing time at corner this spring. Drew Frey is a steady safety. The group needs to make more plays than it did a year ago but should embrace a more aggressive scheme this year.

7. Connecticut: The Huskies ranked last in pass defense last season and lost two senior stalwarts from the secondary. The defensive backfield was in disarray at times this spring. The return of Blidi Wreh-Wilson from his shoulder injury this summer should help out the cornerback spot with Dwayne Gratz. Jerome Junior should be solid at one safety spot, while Kijuan Dabney is trying to win the other job after moving from linebacker. The Huskies are counting on a lot of young players to improve quickly before the season begins.

8. Louisville: The Cardinals had so much trouble finding playmakers in the secondary this spring that running back Darius Ashley moved to corner to help out. Johnny Patrick is one of the league's better cornerbacks but needs help in the defensive backfield. The healthy return of safety Terence Simien would provide a boost, but this remains a trouble spot heading into the fall.

Rutgers released a post-spring, two-deep Tuesday, and while there aren't a ton of surprises, there is some shuffling along the offensive line.

The depth chart, which shouldn't be viewed as written in stone at this early date, has junior Art Forst moving from guard to tackle. Forst has the size to play tackle at 6-foot-8, 310 pounds but all of his career starts have come on the interior. Moving to his old guard spot is Desmond Wynn, who was expected to challenge for one of the starting tackle spots but missed spring practice because of a shoulder injury.

Desmond Stapleton, who had a surprisingly good spring, is starting at the other tackle spot, with Caleb Ruch at the other guard and Howard Barbieri -- who had knee surgery late in spring -- at center. Redshirt freshman Antwan Lowery, who was moved to the offensive line this spring, is listed as a backup behind Ruch at guard.

At running back, Joe Martinek is obviously the starter, but oft-injured Kordell Young is listed behind him, not De'Antwan Williams.

On defense, the biggest competition was at cornerback, and for now David Rowe and Brandon Bing are starters, with Bing holding off hard-charging Logan Ryan for that job.

This Part II of my interview with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. You can read Part I here.

On the defensive line, you lost a couple of guys but it seems like one of your most experienced units overall. How do you feel about that group?


GS: I like the group of guys we have there. I think there is experience and there's a lot of young guys we've redshirted, which is something we've never been able to do with our defensive line position, and that's going to be critical for depth. We have Scott Vallone and Charlie Noonan and Eric LeGrand, and those three guys as a group are probably the best we've had on the inside since we've been here.

And then you look at the outside, and there's [Alex] Silvestro and [Jonathan] Freeny and [Justin] Francis. We're going to be able to roll some guys and we've got good young guys that we redshirted. And when you start with defense, it starts with your front. So if these guys can perform the way that I believe they will, it's going to give us a chance.

So you think defensive line is where we might see some young guys make an impact this spring and fall?


GS: We roll eight guys and sometimes 10 guys through the front. So a lot of different guys will be out there in any given game. So hopefully some of those guys I talked about that we redshirted, you look for those guys and say can they come in and give you 15, 18, 20 plays a game? What a big help that is, when you get to the fourth quarter and you have to rush the passer. If your best and most experienced guys are 18-to-20 plays fresher, that's going to lead to some good things.

At linebacker, Ryan D'Imperio and Damao Munoz are gone, but you still have some experience and Steve Beauharnais, who really came on late as a true freshman. How good can he be?


GS: I think it's a good mix because we have experience with [Antonio] Lowery and Manny [Abreu] and then we have Steven, who the last half of the year got more action. And Steven is really a talented football player. And I think Ka'Lial Glaud is a guy you're really going to see figure into the mix. He played on all our special teams last year, he was a highly-recruited kid and he has the leadership, toughness and all those things a linebacker needs. So I think it's going to be a good mix there, and again, it's easier to play when you're playing behind a good front.

You lost Devin McCourty at cornerback. How do you replace a guy that valuable, and do you need some younger guys to step up at that position?


GS: We have some experienced guys in David Rowe and Brandon Bing who played a lot of football for us. David started from Week 3 on. He had played a lot for us as a nickelback his freshman year and then started nine games his sophomore year, so he brings a lot of experience. Brandon played a lot, mostly in third-down situations in sub packages. And then we have a bunch of young kids that we redshirted -- [Darrell] Givens, [Brandon] Jones, [Logan] Ryan, [Abdul] Smith -- those guys were all very good prospects coming out of high school, and now is their chance.

The thing I like is, we have two experienced guys in front of them. So if they don't come on quickly enough, hopefully the experienced guys give you a little buffer. Brandon Jones played the latter part of the year and played well -- he had an interception in the South Florida game -- and did some good things at the nickelback spot. So I think we've done a good job recruiting that position and we've been able to create some depth. It's always nice when you can roll guys in there gradually rather than be forced to play them.

But you're right. You don't replace Devin. He did so many things. There was one game where I think he played 110 plays, special teams and defense. That's two players.

Joe Lefeged is one of your few seniors back there at safety. Is he a guy you're counting on for leadership?


GS: Without a doubt. Joe has been a playmaker since the day he walked on campus. He's an impact guy and he's incredibly talented. He's grown up as a leader, and he's a guy we look to lead that secondary. And I really like the young guys. Khaseem Greene and Deron Harmon, those guys all played last year, and Pat Kivlehan.

So I think defensively, we've got a chance. We were a top 20 defense in most categories a year ago, and we've got a lot of the same guys back. We've been running this defense now for five years, which is a long time. So these guys have heard it over and over again, and I think we're starting to get to where systematically and programmatically, the defense is beginning to create some tradition. That's important when you try to build something.

How about the coaching staff? You replaced three guys, though a couple of them have been with you before. How is the chemistry there so far?


GS: I think this is the best coaching staff I've had here in the nine years I've been at Rutgers. Randy Melvin and Phil Galiano were here before as coaches, so they know exactly what we do here. As always, things evolve so they've got to get caught up on some things. But more importantly, I know them as people and as coaches, so that helps. P.J. Fleck, who's going to coach the wide receivers, I've been very pleased with him in the short time he's been here. I think he's an excellent football coach and a neat guy to be around because he has a lot of energy. Robb Smith did a very good job last year running the special teams for the first time, and we showed marked improvement. I like the staff. In Year 10, it's nice when you like the staff and feel comfortable with it.

With such a young team, do you change the way you run spring practice? Or do you run it the same way you would with a more veteran team?


GS: We're going to do a couple different things, not because they're young but because when you've been some place 10 years -- this is our 10th spring -- you've got to shake some things up a little bit just to keep it fresh. And I think this team needs some different things. The neat thing about college football is every team has its own identity each year, and we're still trying to figure out ours. I think one thing is, we've got to do some hard-nosed, tough things this spring and get tougher. We've worked on it all offseason in our winter program, and I think we need to continue it in the spring. We're going to do a lot of different things, but one thing we're never going to get away from is being a hard-nosed Northeast football team.

Does that mean more hitting in practice, or just other kinds of drills?

GS: Maybe a little more hitting. We scrimmage a lot already, and when we scrimmage they bring you lunch so it's a pretty good day. Maybe little more individual stuff, knocking each other around a little bit. We'll be putting them in positions that really challenge them a little more than maybe when you have an experienced team.

You found some success last year using the Wildcat with Mohamed Sanu. Is that something we can expect to see a lot of again this year?


GS: It will definitely be a component of the offense, no doubt about it. You have to make sure you don't overdo anything. I think it's been a big weapon of a lot of people in college and pro football and I don't see that changing. The thing about the Wildcat is it changes the numbers offensively. You only have 11 guys and all of a sudden you have a guy who takes the snap and is an eligible runner. It's the reason people ran option football and do the zone read stuff, and the Wildcat is no different. It's an opportunity to tilt the numbers in the offense's favor.

It will be a part of our offense; it'll never be 50 percent or more, that kind of a deal. But I think we're blessed with a guy who can do it and do it very well in Mohamed, and the thing that makes him a little different is, he legitimately can throw the ball. He did that a few times but I think we'll do that a lot more. When you can throw the ball, that changes the dynamic of it in a big way.

Spring practice is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start looking at two-deeps and position battles. While some players know what their roles will be in the fall, others will begin heated competitions for playing time during spring drills in hopes of impressing their coaches. Here are a few position battles worth watching this spring in the Big East:

• Pittsburgh quarterback: Pitt may well be the preseason Big East favorite, but the Panthers have to figure out their quarterback situation first. Sophomore Tino Sunseri came close to winning the job in a heated three-way battle last year and settled in as Bill Stull's backup. Pat Bostick, however, has improved his mechanics and has won big games in the past. This should be a good competition that might not be settled until the fall.

• Louisville quarterback: Three players -- Justin Burke, Adam Froman and Will Stein -- all started games under center for the Cardinals, and none of the trio distinguished himself as heads and shoulders above the rest. Whoever wins the job in the spring might not necessarily be the guy in the fall, as new coach Charlie Strong is bringing in some promising freshmen quarterbacks as well.

• South Florida running back: Skip Holtz has suggested he'd like to have a real No. 1 tailback, something the Bulls haven't had in a long time. Mike Ford had a huge game against Northern Illinois in the International Bowl and may finally be ready to assume that go-to-guy role as a senior. Last year's starter, Mo Plancher, is trying to get a sixth year of eligibility. Sophomore Lindsey Lamar will push for the job, as well as possibly Jamar Taylor and several newcomers.

• Rutgers receiver and cornerback: Like last year, the Scarlet Knights go into the spring with one proven wideout (this time, Mohamed Sanu) and a bunch of question marks. It's time that someone from the group including Julian Hayes, Tim Wright, Keith Stroud and Marcus Cooper separate himself. At corner, Rutgers needs a replacement for Devin McCourty. Will a guy like Brandon Bing step forward, or will one of two redshirt freshmen -- Darrell Givens and Logan Ryan -- make a move in the spring?

• Cincinnati's defensive front seven: With a new coaching staff and probably a change back to a 4-3 scheme, the Cincinnati players have basically been told they're back to square one this spring. Add to that fact that both defensive ends and two starting linebackers were seniors this past season, and there are a lot of jobs up for grabs. The constants appear to be defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, linebacker JK Schaffer and Walter Stewart, who could either play linebacker or on the line. After that, it's one big competition.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Rutgers may be without some depth on its offensive line for Saturday's game against Florida International. Caleb Ruch, who moved into a starting job last year, has an unspecified leg injury and is not on the two-deep this week.

Coach Greg Schiano said Ruch may be able to go later this week, but he's preparing otherwise. Howard Barbieri has started the past two games ahead of Ruch.

Schiano also has moved redshirt freshman D.C. Jefferson ahead of Shamar Graves at tight end. Jefferson was competing for the starting quarterback job until late in fall camp when he made the position change. David Rowe is also now listed ahead of Brandon Bing at corner.

“Some of those spots are that close that I have informed the guys, ‘Look, whoever plays the best during the week and whoever we feel gets us the best chance to win at the end of the week is going to start,’” Schiano said. “I kind of like it.”

Schiano also said there's a chance that running back Kordell Young, who led the team in rushing a year ago but has been out so far this season with continuing knee problems, could play Saturday.

"I am hoping that if things go right that he will have a role in this game on Saturday," Schiano said. "It helps us because he is a mature guy and a leader on this football team."