Big East: Cody Catalina
- Brian Kelly's last recruiting class at Cincinnati is in tatters, and it's up to Butch Jones to deal with it.
- Should the Big East get serious and add UCF instead of Villanova? The league is experiencing growing pains.
- After a career-ending injury, Syracuse tight end Cody Catalina is looking at other options.
- Todd Graham is pleased by Pitt's progress as the Panthers' spring game approaches.
- They may play different positions, but West Virginia twins Vance and Vernard Roberts are on the same wavelength. After missing his team's bowl game because of academics, center Joey Madsen is motivated -- and bearded. Noel Devine and Robert Sands might have made mistakes on their draft decisions.
- Tight end Ryan Griffin could play a bigger role in UConn's offense.
- Ka'Lial Glaud is trying to bring leadership to the Rutgers defense. Kenny Britt got in some trouble with the law.
Hop in the DeLorean and rev it up to 88 mph. It's time to look back at Week 10 in the Big East:
Team of the week: Cincinnati. There was plenty not to like defensively, but the Bearcats put up a convenience store (711) in total yards and survived against UConn in a weekend when other Top 10 teams fell by the wayside.
Best game: Going to go out on a limb here and say the little ol', run-of-the-mill, 47-45 game at Nippert Stadium on Saturday.
Biggest play: Isaiah Pead's 14-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 with 1:52 left gave Cincinnati a 47-38 lead. Brian Kelly never hesitated about going for it, knowing the way UConn was shredding his defense. And the Huskies very nearly made the stop, as safety Robert Vaughn had Pead in his sights. But the sophomore running back juked past Vaughn and kept on running into the end zone. Funny enough, Kelly said the goal was for Pead to get the first down and fall down so Cincinnati could kneel out the clock. But the Bearcats happily settled for the touchdown.
Best call: I'm actually giving this to a player. At the end of the first half, Cincinnati was trying for a field goal when Zach Collaros bobbled the snap. The quarterback, who turned a similar play into a touchdown pass a week earlier at Syracuse, rose up and threw the ball away, taking an intentional grounding penalty. That actually turned out to be a terrific decision, because Cincinnati got another chance at the kick, and Jake Rogers nailed it. Those three points wound up making a huge difference.
Big Man on Campus (Offense): I never thought Tony Pike could get Wally Pipp-ed. Now I'm wondering how Kelly takes Collaros out of the lineup. The sophomore set a new Big East record with 555 yards of total offense against UConn, including 480 passing yards and three total touchdowns. And this was his third collegiate start.
Big Man on Campus (Defense): West Virginia's Julian Miller had six tackles, three sacks and a pass break-up to help the Mountaineers hold off Louisville 17-9. Miller had two straight sacks of Will Stein when the Cardinals were threatening to tie the game.
Big Man on Campus (Special teams): UConn's Robert McClain helped the Huskies get back in the game with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Worst hangover: Syracuse. There's no shame in losing at Pitt, which is as hot as any team in the country right now. But the Orange have problems. They took just 55 scholarship players to Heinz Field, and left with safety Max Suter and tight end Cody Catalina suffering season-ending injuries. The passing game is a mess without Mike Williams. Syracuse was 3-4 after seven games and still in the hunt for postseason. If the Orange don't win at Louisville this week, they may not win another game this year..
Strangest moment: I know this actually happened because I witnessed it first hand, but I still have a hard time believing it.
On the first series of the fourth quarter, Cincinnati faced a third-and-8. Collaros tried to run for the first down on what appeared to be a quarterback draw. The play got blown up early, and he only gained three yards. Then came the absurdity: a large smattering of boos actually emanated from the home crowd. Yes, that's right. Bearcats fans were booing an offense that had generated 657 total yards at that point. Just goes to show how quickly a fan base can get spoiled. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody started a FireBrianKelly.com site after that play.
Now let's g0 back to the future and preview a very appetizing Week 11 (Games listed in descending order of importance and interest):
No. 25 West Virginia (7-2, 3-1 Big East) at No. 5 Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0): Is this the Mountaineers' last stand? Without a win at Nippert Stadium, West Virginia will be officially eliminated from the Big East race. (8 p.m. Friday, ESPN2)
Notre Dame (6-3) at No. 12 Pittsburgh (8-1, 5-0): If Notre Dame hadn't spit the bit against Navy, this would have been a heavily-hyped game that maybe would have brought the "GameDay" gang to Heinz Field. Instead, Pitt is the big dog here and must dispatch a desperate Irish team. (8 p.m., TV TBA)
No. 24 South Florida (6-2, 2-2) at Rutgers (6-2, 1-2): The Bulls want to show that they are back on track. Rutgers wants to show that it has turned the corner this season. They'll have a Thursday night crowd watching. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN)
Syracuse (3-6, 0-4) at Louisville (3-6, 0-4): The Big East's Basement Bowl. Feel the excitement?
Bye: Connecticut
Syracuse running low on tight ends
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Syracuse is getting awfully thin at the tight end spot.
The school announced Tuesday night that Nick Provo is done for the year after suffering a left knee injury. Another tight end, Cody Catalina, will not be available for Saturday's game against West Virginia with an unspecified injury.
Additionally, Donnie Webb reports in the Syracuse Post-Standard that converted quarterback Andrew Robinson had a cast on his left hand during Tuesday's practice. That would leave Mike Owen as the only healthy tight end on the two deep.
It's safe to say the Orange probably won't be playing a lot of two-tight end packages against the Mountaineers.
Injuries are something to watch closely with this team. Doug Marrone has a very thin roster because of several player defections after the coaching change, and a significant amount of injuries would make things very difficult for Syracuse in the second half of the season.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
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Six things I thought I'd see this spring ...
I'll have a team-by-team spring recap in the coming days. In the meantime, here's a look at five things I expected to see this spring and how that eventually played out:
1. Tony Pike and Matt Grothe to look like superstars: As the only proven, no-doubt returning starting quarterbacks in the Big East, these two seniors should have had outstanding springs. And by all accounts, they did. Grothe seemed to master new South Florida offensive coordinator Mike Canales' system, cutting way down on his turnovers. And Pike picked up where he left off last season in what could be a more explosive Cincinnati offense.
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| AP Photo/J.D. Pooley | |
| Zach Frazer emerged as the Huskies' No. 1 quarterback this spring. |
2. Zach Frazer winning the UConn job: With all due respect to Cody Endres, Frazer had a little stronger pedigree in high school and looked to me to have a little more talent. He also talked very confidently this winter about winning the job. Randy Edsall confirmed on Tuesday that Frazer had earned the No. 1 spot after spring drills, but Frazer had better keep playing well this summer if he wants to hold onto to the job.
3. West Virginia's defense dominating: With one of the stronger returning defensive corps in the Big East, the Mountaineers figured to overpower its offense at times this spring, especially against a young offensive line. Although the secondary sprung the occasional leak, the defensive front and linebackers were terrific most of the spring.
4. Some player attrition and movement at Syracuse: It happens all the time when a new coaching staff comes in, and it was no different for Doug Marrone and the Orange. Eight scholarship players have left the program this spring, though none figured to have a major impact. There also were some position changes, most notably with quarterbacks Andrew Robinson and Cody Catalina moving to tight end and former running back Doug Hogue switching to defense.
5. Line problems at Louisville: The Cardinals' O-line was shaky last year outside of Eric Wood and George Bussey, who both got drafted last weekend. The D-line lost most of its best players. So it was little surprise that each side had its share of troubles during the spring. The defensive line was so thin that a 248-pound tight end (Rock Keys) was switched to tackle late in the practice period and played with the second team there in the spring game. Yet both defensive line units beat the more veteran O-line groups in that game. Louisville badly needs some incoming junior college players to be ready right away this summer.
6. Young receivers to emerge at Rutgers: I figured that at least one of the young Scarlet Knights wideouts, whether it was Eddie Poole, Keith Stroud, Marcus Cooper or someone else, would seize the opportunity for playing time with Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood departed. Instead, outside of veteran Tim Brown, injuries and poor performances left the receiver position as a major disappointment this spring for Greg Schiano.
Spring Q&A: Syracuse tight end Andrew Robinson
Andrew Robinson was Syracuse's starting quarterback in 2007 and compiled the fifth-highest single-season passing total in school history. A year later, he lost his starting job in the opening game against Northwestern and never gained it back. Now, as a senior, he has moved to tight end under new coach Doug Marrone.
I caught up with Robinson to ask him about all the changes for this week's installment of our weekly spring Q&A series:
You're almost finished with spring practices. How has the team adjusted to the new coaching staff?
Andrew Robinson: We kind of know what their expectations are and we're trying to go out there every day and meet those expectations. There have definitely been tough practices. A whole lot of hits and tackling. We try to bring our 'A' game every day.
How far along are you on the new terminology and schemes?
AR: That's something we're still getting down. It's going real well. It's the third week into spring practice, so pretty much the terminology and all that has become second nature to us. We've run a couple of offenses here in the past couple of years, so it's nothing really new. It's just another offense to learn, another one to try and get down
How is your move to tight end going?
AR: I'm having a lot of fun. As I said on a couple of occasions, it's kind of rejuvenated me and it's a refreshing experience. Going out there, it's a whole new set of challenges, a new set of things I have to do as part of being a football player. The transition is going well, though. Catching the ball is kind of second nature after playing throw and catch with the quarterbacks for the past seven years. Blocking and tackling is kind of new, but I'm trying to get the technique down. I'm really trying to give it my all and learn as much as I can.
Had you ever played any position other than quarterback?
AR: No. I started playing football in high school and it was quarterback from pretty much day one. So obviously it's a new position and a new challenge, but I'm trying to put my best effort into it.
How difficult was it for you last year to lose your starting job after the first game?
AR: It was definitely a tough experience. I think anybody who goes through that kind of thing knows what it's like to feel some real disappointment, as far as having all the expectations put on you and not having a chance to live up to them. It's something in my past now, and it's something I'll definitely learn from. It will probably make me stronger, whether it's this year or in my professional career, having to deal with disappointments and setbacks and make the best of them. What I'm trying to do right now is get back on boat and play football.
Did you come into spring thinking you had a chance to win the starting job back under the new coaching staff?
AR: I went through the whole offseason expecting to play quarterback in the spring and hopefully having a shot of being the team's starting quarterback. But when the dust settled, it didn't work out that way. After the first week, they named Ryan Nassib the starter, and I think he's an extremely talented quarterback who will do big things for us. Sometimes things don't go the way you want to, and you've got to try to learn and adjust on the fly, and that's what I'm trying to do right now. I'm trying to help my team and contribute as much as I can my senior year and hopefully get us to a bowl game this year.
Is it your understanding that this is a permanent move, or will you still be taking some snaps as an emergency backup quarterback?
AR: From my understanding, it's a permanent move, and I'm completely fine with that. I'm on a whole bunch of special teams, pretty much every one, and I'm trying to find ways to contribute to the team.
Another former quarterback, Cody Catalina, has also moved to tight end this spring.
AR: Yeah, it's the quarterback/tight end position, I guess. We're both pretty good athletes and smart football players, so the transition will be a little bit easier for us. We can take our knowledge of every game playing quarterback and the kind of vision we have back there. We're both trying to make the most of it.
Does your experience as a quarterback help you understand routes and the passing game?
AR: Absolutely. The receiving and pass caching part of it are probably the easy part of it. The blocking is kind of the issue right now. Being a quarterback and knowing how to read defenses and what the defense is trying to do on different plays is definitely helpful as far as running routes go. I can walk up to the line of scrimmage and see the safeties and linebackers and know what they're trying to do. I definitely have an advantage over other receivers who don't necessarily have the understanding I have of defenses and what they're trying to accomplish. That's definitely been the easier part of the transition so far.
You've got good size and athleticism. Have you thought about this being a way to get to the NFL if you have a good senior year at tight end?
AR: It definitely has crossed my mind at times, but the thing I'm really focused on right now is I'm pretty much taking baby steps. I'm learning the position and am still in the baby stages of it. I'm trying to take as much coaching as I can right now on a day-to-day basis and learn as much as I can. If an opportunity presents itself after the season, I'll definitely take advantage of it, but right now what I'm focusing on is getting better and making the team better.
You mentioned that you've gone through a number of different offensive philosophies in your career. What's this one like? It's been described as more open and more multiple. Is that what you're seeing?
AR: This offense can do a number of different things. Last year's offense was a little more limited in scope in terms of formations that we have. We can really pretty much do anything with this offense. We can go no-huddle at times or we can huddle up at times and there's a whole lot of different wrinkles and different things that hopefully will make us more successful as far as throwing the ball and scoring points. It's definitely a multiple offense. I think that's a pretty good way to describe it.
And this offense might have the best throwing tight ends in America, right?
AR: I'm waiting for the tight end reverse pass. That hasn't showed up yet, but I might have to plant that idea.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
The on-again, off-again career of David Legree at Syracuse is off. Again.
Two days after Ryan Nassib was named the starting quarterback and Legree was slotted as the No. 3 signalcaller, Legree didn't show up for practice Wednesday night, Donnie Webb reports for the Syracuse Post-Standard. Head coach Doug Marrone said Legree, a sophomore who briefly left the team last year, is no longer part of the program.
Because backup quarterbacks Andrew Robinson and Cody Catalina have been moved to tight end, Syracuse now has just two quarterbacks in Nassib and backup Cam Dantley. Marrone told Webb he has no plans to switch either Robinson or Catalina back to quarterback.
The Orange do have a quarterback coming in this summer, when freshman Charley Loeb arrivs on campus. But right now, they're awfully thin under center should any more attrition strike.
Spring Q&A: Syracuse coach Doug Marrone
Doug Marrone spent much of his adult life dreaming of becoming the Syracuse head coach. He finally got to hit the practice field with the big whistle around his neck on Monday when the Orange started spring drills.
I caught up with Marrone late last week as he was preparing for his first spring practice as a head coach. He's this week's featured guest for our spring Q&A series:
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| AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli | |
| Syracuse coach Doug Marrone is looking forward to his first game as Orange coach. |
Doug Marrone: Obviously, this job was a dream for me, and I've gone through this in my mind quite a bit. So basically, I've just gone ahead with the plan I had in my mind. It's been tremendous. Not a day goes by where I'm not saying to myself, "I didn't think of that." So I feel fortunate right now. I have a very good staff in place with a lot of experience, and we're excited about spring practice.
How have you gone about trying to learn a team of players that is entirely new to you?
DM: You know, when you have testing that goes on, you can see where people test for strength, for speed. You go out there and have agility drills that you work on during the strength and conditioning period. But the one thing that's hard to tell when you go back to the tape is, you don't know what the players were told, what their reads were, what their responsibilities were within that scheme. So it's much harder to judge from a football standpoint.
You can see when a guy misses a tackle or man-to-man coverage or a receiver who can't win. But I've always been a big believer in what you see. So I'm excited about getting on the field and seeing what they can do in our system in our scheme and how they process the information on what we're trying to do and see how they execute it.
This is your first time running the show anywhere as a head coach. Is that prospect exciting for you?
DM: It is. I'm going to go out there and coach, and I'm looking forward to that. I'll be helping with different aspects of the drills. Obviously, my background is being more with the offensive side of the ball and specifically with the offensive line. So I see myself being down there quite a bit. As far as the schedule, it will be high-tempo, fast practices, getting a lot of reps. So I'm excited about that. Practice tempo is up to the head coach, but then it's up to the assistant coaches to make sure practice runs smoothly.
How much of this spring will just be a learning process as opposed to installation?
DM: It will be an evaluation process. I think what you'll see is that anywhere between 20 and 25 percent of the offense will be installed. Same with the defense, and we'll be really basic on special teams just so that we can evaluate the players. We want to come out of this spring knowing who are the players that we can win with. And that's our goal coming out of the spring. So from the standpoint of giving them a lot of installation, I've decided I do not want to do that. I want to see them go out and play football, knowing that I can always add to the scheme. I just want to get a true evaluation of them as players.
Have there been any position changes since you and your staff took over?
DM: That's something that goes on during spring practice sessions. You really don't know what you're getting until you go out and see them play football. We've only had one player move a position, and that was a quarterback, Cody Catalina, who felt he could help this team at another position (tight end). We granted that move. There haven't been any other moves on our roster. During the spring, if we feel that a player can help us at a different position, obviously we will do that. We'll have a post-spring depth chart.
How badly did you feel for Arthur Jones when you heard he had torn his pectoral muscle last month?
DM: My first reaction always is for the student-athlete. Obviously they work and they train and they're always looking to get better. But from my standpoint, being an ex-player myself, I understand that injury is a part of the game. You do the best job you can stay on top of it and try to come out of this on a positive note. Look at it as, now this gives someone else an opportunity to step up and show us what they can do. That's just the way I react to it. It's an unfortunate part of the game.
You've given no timetable on his recovery. Do you expect him to be back for the beginning of the season?
DM: To be honest with you, I told everyone if something happens to a player from an injury standpoint, (information) will come through our medical department, because if I comment on an injury, any question, I really don't know. I would just be repeating what's told to me. I'm not a doctor, I'm not a trainer, so I try to stay away from those type of comments.
Mike Williams is back on the team this year at wide receiver. How is he doing and how excited are you to have him playing?
DM: He's doing well. I'm excited about seeing him going out on the field and competing, as I am for a lot of players. I have a sense of excitement for competition, which is what I believe in. Seeing who's going to go out there and really earn one of these starting positions.
What are your thoughts on the quarterback situation? Obviously Cam Dantley started most of last season, but Andrew Robinson has started there as well. Is it an open competition?
DM: Really, all the positions are in competition. I've always believed, and this was taught to me by Coach (Dick) MacPherson, that every year you have to earn the right for a starting position at Syracuse University. Coach Mac used to always ask me, 'Is Doug Marrone the starting right tackle at Syracuse University?" And I'd go, "Yes, I am." And he'd say, "No, the Syracuse University starting right tackle is Doug Marrone." The point he was trying to make was that it was something I needed to earn every year, and that's no different than any position on the team. As far as the quarterback position, it's not any different. The person we can win with will play, whether it's a fifth-year senior, a freshman or a sophomore or a junior. We're going to play the players we can with.
I know it's probably hard to say this early, but do you anticipate any of the freshmen you signed being able to play right away?
DM: The interesting thing is, this football team will have been practicing only 15 days in our system, which is only going to be 20-to-25 percent of our installation. So the freshmen that come in will probably be at a better advantage here than anywhere else, depending on how well they're able to pick things up. Obviously, the m
ore mature they are, the better chance they have to play, and I mean mature from a physical standpoint, a mental standpoint and just the way they carry themselves socially. I would not know that until after I see them come in and compete.
Are there any particular positions that concern you more than others this spring?
DM: I think as it goes in the spring, we might see a position performing well, and we may have two or three excellent players at that position who are better than the players on the other side of the ball. And what we may have to do if a position is lacking is move someone to fill that spot or go out next year and recruit. I think that's a process for everything that you have.
Spring is usually a time for learning. It sounds like both the coaches and the players will be learning a lot this spring at Syracuse.
DM: I think so. You know, you watch people work out, you watch people train and go about their daily business, from academics to just the way they handle themselves. But when you go on the football field, an element comes into play that's really hard to judge. And that's heart. What's inside a person. Competitiveness. Weights don't hit you back. Running doesn't hit you back. Then, all of a sudden, you're on a football field and you get hit. How you get up and how you go after the next play, those are the things I'm looking to see once we start competing with each other.
You've been out talking to a lot of different groups. Do you sense a renewing enthusiasm for Orange football?
DM: I do. We've been received quite favorably everywhere we've been. We've been out quite a bit. I tried to get our coaches to stay more in-house, to get our systems in place and to get the playbooks done. And I tried to do as much as I could to get around the state and outside the state, to New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania. We're basically trying to rejuvenate the foundation of what made this program successful in the past. We had good relationships in a lot of those states before. It's been important to go out and reestablish our foundation, starting with New York first. We have to do the best job we can in New York before we go anywhere else.
And you want to get people filling up the Carrier Dome for those eight home games, right?
DM: You know, people ask about my vision of the program. Well, there's a picture in my office that I'm looking at right now, and it's a sold-out Carrier Dome. That's my vision. In order to obtain that vision, a lot of things have to happen. It's up to the product we put out on field, the type of football we play and winning. A lot of things go into that. But that's our goal.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have had four different tailbacks take starring roles this season. Last 
week, redshirt freshman Joe Martinek ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns at South Florida. The week before, Kordell Young had 143 yards against Syracuse. Earlier this season, Jourdan Brooks and Mason Robinson each had big games, but their roles have diminished of late. Coach Greg Schiano said he determines who will be the featured back each week based on the opponent. "We have to look and see what do we think we're going to try to do most in the run game, and then who fits that description best and try to rep it that way during the week," he said. "It's hard to get more than two backs ready for a game. There's always a third guy that is ready and a fourth guy that's ready, but they don't get many repetitions. I can't tell you right now who that guy will be."
Cincinnati: Should the Bearcats be concerned about kicker Jake Rogers? He lost his job early in the season after missing a few extra points, and coach Brian Kelly wondered about his confidence. But then 
Rogers came back and tied a school record with 13 straight converted field-goal attempts. Since then, however, Rogers has missed four straight kicks, including all three tries at Louisville. The conditions were poor at wet and windy Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, and Kelly said that had more to do with Rogers' problems than anything. "It's the development of a kicker," Kelly said. "Earlier in the year, he struggled mentally. This time, it was technique. He has a natural draw on his kicks, but they didn't draw because of the wet balls. He hit all of them well, but he missed all of them to right. Then he overcompensated. I'm sure he'll be able to correct it for this weekend."
West Virginia: The Mountaineers could be without starting center Mike Dent for a second straight game 
this week at Louisville. A mainstay in the lineup the past two seasons, Dent missed the Cincinnati game with a neck injury. Now he has swelling in the neck, and team officials aren't sure what the problem is. Dent could play this weekend, but coach Bill Stewart is fearful of further damage to his neck. Sophomore Eric Jobe got the start versus Cincinnati and likely will be the snapper on Saturday. "Eric Jobe is good.," Stewart said. "He's just not Mike Dent. Mike Dent isn't good, he's great. We had two pro scouts watching tape on him. He's got a chance to play at the next level.''
Pittsburgh: Fourth down doesn't necessarily mean it's time to punt for Pittsburgh. The Panthers have 
shown an inclination to go for it on fourth down this year, and usually with success. They have converted 13 of their 17 fourth-down attempts, a 76.5 percent rate that ranks sixth-best in the nation. An outstanding running game and a strong offensive line gives coach Dave Wannstedt confidence in going for the gamble. "I think that every time we get in a fourth-down situation our players want to go for it," he said. "That's a normal reaction. They're like the fans and the media. I think you have to look at the defense and what we feel we can execute and then try and make up a sound decision as to what your chances are of making it. You don't want to do something just to do it. We have been outstanding though."
Syracuse: Quarterback Cam Dantley has struggled in his past few games and was pulled for Andrew 
Robinson in the Connecticut loss. Dantley was just 3-of-12 for 19 yards against Rutgers and 4-of-16 for 38 yards with an interception against UConn. Robinson hasn't been much better in relief, going a combined 4-of-14 for 29 yards and throwing two picks in those same two games. Cody Catalina even got a couple of looks under center versus the Huskies. Coach Greg Robinson isn't saying yet who will be the starter this week at Notre Dame.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
