Big East: Elijah Fields
- Elijah Fields, a talented player whose Pitt career was derailed by marijuana, showed up at the Panthers' pro day and is looking for another chance.
- Syracuse assistant Tim Daoust emphasizes speed with the Orange defensive ends.
- Paul Pasqualoni is giving every Huskies player a fresh look.
- This is an Insider story, but Steve Muench looks at some NCAA tournament players who would look good on the gridiron, including a couple of Big East guards.
- Marcus Barnett is back at wide receiver and hoping for a fresh start under Butch Jones, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- The Pitt quarterback race officially started Thursday, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- It's time for Zach Frazer to lead at UConn, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
- Could Elijah Fields end up at Division II California University?
- Randy Edsall had to deal with the death of his father in early 2009, which may have prepared him to handle the Jasper Howard tragedy, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
- The South Florida coaching staff is complete, Greg Auman reports in the St. Petersburg Times.
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's looks at Pitt's all-decade "Could Have Been Something Special" defense, which Elijah Fields just joined.
Pitt's Fields a case of wasted talent
The Pitt safety/linebacker was always one of the more impressive physical specimens on the practice field -- a 6-foot-2, 225-pound athlete who could run and hit with the best of them. But he couldn't stay out of his own way.
Fields, who was a highly regarded recruit, kept getting in trouble on and off the field, leading to a suspension for the entire 2007 season. He should have been starting this season, especially after a season-ending knee injury to Andrew Taglianetti. But his various transgressions prevented him from stepping into an immediate starting role.
Once Fields got back in good graces, he had a pretty good year, which included three interceptions. Dave Wannstedt used more nickel defenses this year than in the past against the many spread offenses his team faced, and Fields became the go-to guy in those packages, often moving down to play linebacker in that alignment. Wannstedt liked what he saw from those formations and planned to use it more often this season.
But Fields apparently blew it again. The school offered no official reason for his dismissal Wednesday, other than to say that it was for disciplinary reasons. In recent weeks, Fields' Twitter page contained references and images of him and friends partying and drinking alcohol. That page has since been taken down. Surely not everything on Twitter is to be taken at face value, and it's unclear what, if any, factor that played in Fields' dismissal. Regardless, here was a guy obviously on a short leash who again was exhibiting some questionable choices.
Fields' loss hurts the Panthers' depth. But Pitt still has promising sophomore Jarred Holley at safety, as well as second-team All-Big East performer Dom DeCicco. Getting Taglianetti back and fully healthy would be a big help. Dan Mason, Max Gruder and Greg Williams will get the majority of the playing time at outside linebacker.
Fields can transfer and play right away at an FCS school if he chooses. Perhaps this dismissal will be a wake-up call and send him on the right track, because he has the tools to get a look from the NFL. It's a shame he never was able to stay on that track at Pitt.
Just when Cincinnati's season looked its bleakest, Mardy Gilyard came to the rescue.
The Bearcats star returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown after Pitt had taken a 31-10 lead with a little more than a minute remaining in the half.
It's the second straight week for a kickoff return score for Gilyard, who's also run a punt back for a touchdown this year. He now has four career kickoff returns for touchdowns, a school record.
And then Cincinnati got a stop, a punt and a personal foul penalty to take over at the Pitt 35 with more than 40 seconds left. But Tony Pike threw his second interception of the half, this time to Elijah Fields. Pitt's Bill Stull gave it right back by tossing a pick on the very next play.
The Bearcats tried a 55-yard field goal at the end of the half, but Jake Rogers' attempt came up way short.
All in all, Cincinnati is lucky to be down only 14 points, given how many mistakes it has made. An extra score there at the end of the half would have been very helpful, though.
Cincinnati-Pitt pre-game ponderables
Pitt corner Aaron Berry looks fine in warm-ups. He missed the West Virginia game with a shoulder injury and is vitally important to the Panthers' chances of slowing down the Cincinnati passing attack. Expect to see a lot of Elijah Fields in the nickel package as well.
There's a palpable buzz in the stadium, which isn't always the case here, especially for noon games. Should be a great atmosphere appropriate for this game.
Some other notes to consider, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information:
- Since Brian Kelly became head coach, Cincinnati is 32-0 when leading going into the fourth quarter.
- Seemingly no third down is too long for Cincinnati to convert. The Bearcats lead the nation by averaging 8.25 yards per play on third downs this season.
- Pitt has been one of the most productive teams on first downs this season, averaging over seven yards per play.
- In Pitt's last two games, over 80 percent of Bill Stull's downfield throws were thrown in Jonathan Baldwin's direction.
- Pitt used safety Elijah Fields as a nickelback against South Florida on Saturday and could employ that look a lot in the season's final four games, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- West Virginia has shown the ability to change up on offense, which might be necessary this week given the curveballs South Florida's defense has thrown at the Mountaineers over the years, Dave Hickman says in the Charleston Gazette.
- Derrell Smith, who is leading the nation in forced fumbles and was my Big East defensive player of the week this week, may not be healthy for the Cincinnati game, Donnie Webb writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
- The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner reports from Jasper Howard's funeral service.
- George Selvie's numbers are down, and so is South Florida, Joey Johnston writes in the Tampa Tribune.
- Injuries are piling up for Louisville, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.
- Steve Beauharnais whipped himself into shape and has become a playmaker for Rutgers, Tom Luicci says in The Star-Ledger.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
PITTSBURGH -- Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer has been moving around and throwing without any limitations. Frazer, who was injured in the North Carolina game, is wearing a large brace on his right knee.
Frazer was working with the second-team center, so it doesn't look like Randy Edsall will pull any surprises and start him over Cody Endres. And he shouldn't since Endres has been better than Frazer this season.
Another guy who is back for UConn is freshman tight end Ryan Griffin. He could prove to be an effective weapon in the passing game today.
For Pitt, Elijah Fields has not been out there working with the other defensive backs, making me wonder how much, if at all, the safety will play today.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
PITTSBURGH -- Greetings from Heinz Field, where it's a lovely fall day. About 55 degrees and sunny, perfect for football.
We should have a good one here between Connecticut and Pittsburgh, the Big East's two biggest smashmouth teams. Expect lots of running and good, hard-hitting defense.
The key might be who can make the most plays in the passing game, and Pitt seems to have a big edge with its superior talent at wide receiver. On the other hand, UConn has an excellent secondary. The Huskies don't have a great passing game, but the Panthers' pass defense has been leaky. So it's a great matchup all around.
Two players to watch are Pitt's Greg Romeus and UConn's Lindsey Witten. They are two of the best defensive ends in the Big East, and both could be high NFL draft picks next spring.
One of the Huskies' advantages is that they had a bye week after playing an FCS team, so they should be well-rested and healed. Pitt is a little banged up after games at NC State and Louisville; starting safety Elijah Fields (ankle) won't start and will be replaced by Jarred Holley, while receiver/kick returner Cam Saddler is out with an ankle injury of his own.
Much more to come as the afternoon moves along.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
- Rutgers' Dom Natale has to bounce back from losing his starting quarterback job -- because he might be needed on Saturday at Maryland, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.
- Pitt's Elijah Fields is beginning to realize his vast potential, Ray Fittipaldo writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Cincinnati is making a push to raise money for better facilities, Bill Koch reports in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Syracuse's improvement in run defense from a year ago is startling, Dave Rahme writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
- South Florida's offensive line will get its first real test at FSU, Kerry Klecic says in the St. Petersburg Times.
- Louisville is counting on a pair of seniors to replace starting safety Terrence Simien, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.
Fields, Pitt defense face challenges this week and beyond
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
When Pittsburgh's scout team simulates Navy's offense for the Panthers defense, it does so without a ball.
That reinforces to each Pitt defender that he must tackle his man and not try to anticipate where the ball will be pitched. That's a key in trying to slow down the Midshipmen's confusion-causing triple-option attack.
"Everyone has a responsibility," defensive lineman Gus Mustakas said. "When you get in trouble is when somebody tries to be a hero."
Pittsburgh's veterans should be familiarized with the Navy offense by now as the two teams will meet for the third straight year Saturday at Heinz Field. Navy won at Pitt 48-45 two years ago, but the Panthers rolled to a 42-21 victory in Annapolis last season.
Pitt did a good job of stuffing the run last year and should be in good shape this week with a stout but fast defensive line. It may actually be the Navy passing game that Dave Wannstedt's team has to worry about.
Midshipmen quarterback Ricky Dobbs completed 9 of 13 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns while nearly leading his team to an upset at Ohio State in Week 1.
"Just when you think you've found a comfort zone and you really get up there and stop the run is when they throw it," Wannstedt said. "They truly put a lot of pressure on you and in particular on your defensive backs. They've got to play the pass, but you need them up there to stop the run."
The Panthers' defensive backs have been drawing lots of attention, and the wrong kind, in the past few days. They gave up 433 passing yards to Buffalo in Saturday's 54-27 win. Included in those numbers were a 54-yard touchdown and a 67-yard score.
Wannstedt said he's "not in a panic state" over his secondary problems, and that last week's breakdowns came as a result of some missed tackles and overrunning of plays. Still, the defensive backfield took a hit when starting safety Andrew Taglianetti suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
That means Elijah Fields will have to step forward at safety. Fields, a junior, has long been considered one of Pitt's most naturally talented players, but he has also been in and out of Wannstedt's doghouse for much of his career. He was widely assumed to be the starter this year but got beaten out by Taglianetti.
Pitt didn't make Fields available to the media this week, as Wannstedt said he wanted him to focus on his upcoming assignment. Fields got off to a good start last week with seven tackles and an interception against Buffalo.
"Elijah has gone through a lot here at Pitt," Wannstedt said. "Now he's got another opportunity, and I do believe he will take advantage of it. He understands that this is an important time of season for us, and a lot of people are depending on him."
In the first two weeks, opposing offenses have tried to neutralize Pitt's outstanding defensive line with quarterback rollouts and quick three step-drops. It's clear that the book on how to beat the Panthers is get into that secondary before the pressure comes.
"We're going to get a lot of that this year," Mustakas said. "We can't let that frustrate us and start trying to do too much. We have to stay calm, and the five-step drop stuff will come."
The pass coverage concerns need to be addressed, because good passing teams like Cincinnati, Notre Dame and West Virginia still loom on the schedule. And even Rutgers might be more proficient in that area as Tom Savage continues to develop.
That's for down the road, though. Pitt's focus this week has to be on stopping the often tricky Navy offense, both on the ground and through the air.
Safeties strong in numbers in the Big East
My colleagues Chris Low and Ted Miller have an interesting debate today over who's the best safety in college football: Tennessee's Eric Berry or USC's Taylor Mays.
Berry and Mays are getting a lot of attention this preseason, and rightfully so. But the debate made me think that the Big East has some pretty good safeties this year, too. In fact, it may be one of the deeper positions in the league.
Here are my top five Big East safeties for 2009, in no particular order:
• Nate Allen, South Florida: Incredibly athletic guy, with a prototypical NFL body. Needs to bounce back from a slightly disappointing junior season.
• Aaron Webster, Cincinnati: Brought a real toughness to the Bearcats' defense when he moved into the starting lineup after a few games last season. A big hitter who will be called upon to lead an inexperienced defense.
• Robert Vaughn, Connecticut: Flies a little under the radar, like most Huskies. All he does is produce, with nine interceptions the past two years and 27 straight starts.
• Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh: Really came on at the end of last year, including a big Sun Bowl performance. Has a nose for the ball.
• Robert Sands, West Virginia: Unusually tall (6-foot-5) for a safety, he started nine games as a true freshman and looks like a future star.
That's a pretty good list, and I didn't even include Rutgers' Joe Lefeged, West Virginia's Sidney Glover or Pitt's Elijah Fields. There may not be a Taylor Mays or Eric Berry in this league, but the Big East has some awfully good safeties, too.
Looking back at the '06 Big East recruiting classes
My colleague Ted Miller out in the wild, wild west of the Pac-10 had a really fun post earlier this week. He looked back on that conference's 2006 recruiting class. Players who signed that year should be seniors or redshirt juniors now, so it's a perfect time to judge the class on actual results, not promise.
And so, I figure that's a good idea to steal and apply to the Big East. Pittsburgh had the 16th-best recruiting class in the nation that season, according to our Scouts Inc. experts, while Louisville ranked 21st. No other Big East team cracked the top 25.
Let's take a look back and see how things have turned out, shall we?
Cincinnati
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- LB John Goebel, LB Robby Armstrong, CB Marcus Barnett, TE Ben Guidugli, DL Ricardo Matthews, RB Jacob Ramsey, S Aaron Webster
Misses: DT Oren Wilson
Verdict: Mark Dantonio's final full class contained some players who have already contributed, like Ramsey, Guidugli, Barnett and Webster, and some who should assume bigger roles this year, like Armstrong and Matthews. But overall, this lacked the quality of the deep '05 bunch that formed the core of last year's Orange Bowl squad. Receiver Jamar Howard, who was part of the '06 class but didn't qualify in 2006, is back this year after a stint in junior college.
Connecticut
Class: 24
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Brad Kanuch, S Robert Vaughn, K Desi Cullen, OL Zach Hurd, LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, LB Lawrence Wilson, DE Lindsey Witten, OL Mathieu Olivier, DT Alex Polito, DE Mike Cox
Misses: CB Jamie Nixon
Verdict: As usual, Randy Edsall's '06 class didn't draw much attention nationally. But he found a whole bunch of players who exceeded their star rankings and became key pieces for the Huskies. Lutrus is one of the best linebackers in the Big East, while Vaughn is a top safety and Witten has NFL potential. UConn could use a breakthrough from the oft-injured Kanuch.
Louisville
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- DE Rodney Gnat, DT L.T. Walker, LB Brandon Heath, WR Josh Chichester, CB Johnny Patrick, WR Troy Pascley, OT Jeff Adams
Misses: DT Aundre Henderson, DT Kareem Crowell, QB Emmanuel Francis
Verdict: Bobby Petrino's final class at Louisville looked great on paper but was hit hard by attrition and misevaluations, which is part of the reason why the Cardinals have been so thin the past two years. Some problems were unforeseen; promising defensive end Peanut Whitehead had his career ended after just a season by a back injury. Henderson decided he didn't like football and quit. Running back Anthony Allen transferred. Several others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons or never panned out.
Pittsburgh
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Nate Byham, OT Jason Pinkston, CB Aaron Berry, OL John Malecki, CB Jovani Chappel, OL Joe Thomas, S Elijah Fields, DE Greg Romeus, CB Ricky Gary
Misses: QB Kevan Smith, CB Aaron Smith, DT Scott Corson
Verdict: Overall, this was a deep, solid class that will form the backbone of this year's team. Add in the fact that star left tackle Jeff Otah was part of this group as a junior college transfer, and it becomes all the more impressive. Byham, Pinkston, Berry and Romeus are All-Big East-caliber players with pro futures. Pitt hasn't seemed able to figure out what to do yet with once highly-rated prospect Dorin Dickerson. Running back Kevin Collier could contribute this year.
Rutgers
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- RB Kordell Young, WR Tim Brown, LB Antonio Lowery, DT Blair Bines, LB Ryan D'Imperio, DB Zaire Kitchen, TE Shamar Graves, FB Jack Corcoran, DT Charlie Noonan
Misses: TE Jeff Minemeyer, LB Sorie Bayoh
Verdict: The best player from this class, Kenny Britt, was a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Combine that with a high number of contributors, and Greg Schiano had a pretty good batting average with this class.
South Florida
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Zach Hermann, S Nate Allen, DB Jerrell Young, OL Jeremiah Warren, LB Sabbath Joseph, DL Aaron Harris, DL Craig Marshall, K Delbert Alvarado, WR Ed Alcin, OL Kevin McCaskill
Misses: DT Leslie Stirrups, WR Jason Sherman, DE Joseph Jackson
Verdict: Surprisingly, some of the Bulls' highest-rated recruits in the 2006 class are the ones who didn't pan out, while the lesser-regarded names have gained regular playing time. The best player so far of this group is Allen, who should have an NFL future. This is a good class that just needs a little more star power.
Syracuse
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Andrew Robinson, RB Delone Carter, OL Jim McKenzie, OL Ryan Bartholomew, OL Tucker Baumbach, OL Jonathan Meldrum, DE Jared Kimmel, LB Derrell Smith, WR Mike Williams
Misses: WR Andrey Baskin, S Derek Hrinya
Verdict: Several players from the '06 batch will start this year, including nearly all of Syracuse's offensive line. But this class, like most of Greg Robinson's efforts, is short on all-conference caliber players. Baskin was the Orange's biggest recruit, but he failed to qualify and never made it to campus. Robinson was the starting quarterback two years ago before switching to tight end this spring.
West Virginia
Class: 16
Expected major contributors in 2009: 6 -- DT Chris Neild, WR Wes Lyons, LB Anthony Leonard, C Eric Jobe, S Franchot "Boogie" Allen, LB J.T. Thomas
Misses: S John Maddox, CB Robert Williams, OL Eric Rodemoyer, CB Greg Davis
Verdict: The Mountaineers had a small class in '06, and they could have handed out half the scholarships and gotten the same results. Only eight 2006 signees are on the current roster. Several from that class are expected to take a step up this year, including Neild, Lyons and Allen. Still, only getting six major contributors from any class is a hard pill to swallow.
Catching up with Pitt defensive coordinator Phil Bennett
I've written in this space before that I think Pittsburgh could have the best defense in the Big East this year.
But what does the man in charge of that defense think? I had a chance to catch up with Panthers defensive coordinator Phil Bennett this week to talk about the coming season, how he'll replace Scott McKillop and the wonders of having the fabulous last name Bennett. (OK, I made that last part up.)
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| George Gojkovich/Getty Images | |
| Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Phil Bennett says the key to the Panthers defense is the secondary. |
Phil Bennett: You look at our front four, and I see great potential. I think losing (Rashaad) Duncan hurts us, but we've got some guys, with Greg Romeus, Jabaal Sheard and Mick Williams. And I'm looking for Gus Mustakas to really come back. You know, he basically played on one leg last year, and he had a good year. Right now he's healthier than anytime since I've been here
Obviously losing Scott McKillop is tough, but I like some things Steve Dell does. I'm anxious to watch Adam Gunn. I think Greg Williams has grown a year, and I'm excited about Max Gruder. In our last six games last year, I really thought we were a top 10 defense.
But for us to take the next step, I think (the key) is the secondary, even though we had the most interceptions since 1996 last year. We've got to get the best of Aaron Berry. Dom (DeCicco) came on so well last year, and I was so proud of him. We've got to find a replacement (for Eric Thatcher), and it will be a big battle between Elijah Fields and Andrew Taglianetti. I was very pleased in the spring with our other corner spot, with Jovani Chappel and also Antwaun Reed. So I think we can develop some things back there. Earlier in the year, we gave up too many plays, but I really felt we got better.
Each year brings a new chemistry. I've done this for 32 years, and I've been a coordinator for most of it, and I like the way these kids work. These guys, they have no other agenda but football, and I think Dave (Wannstedt) has done a wonderful job of managing this team. I just think, in a nutshell, we can be better than we were last year on defense.
It seems like Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard have been around a long time, but they're only now juniors. Do they still have a lot of potential for improvement?
PB: No question. Greg last year played with a sore back. Jabaal, it was his first year of playing; he only played 26 plays the year before. And Jabaal has a great sense of pride and is a true competitor. Just judging from this spring, the way he carried himself, it really excited me. I just think the sky's the limit with him, and with a healthy Greg Romeus. These guys know how to work, and it's important to them.
Replacing Scott McKillop, the 2009 Big East defensive player of the year, is no easy task. Do you feel like you have the personnel to at least account for most of his production?
PB: We're hoping. But you know, as the 49ers are finding out, and I've talked to some of their coaches, he was a pretty special player and still is. But between Steve Dell, Adam Gunn and a young man named Dan Mason we've got on campus that we're very excited about ... You know last year, a week before season, our linebacker situation (was up in the air) with Gunn and (Shane) Murray going down, and everybody was going, 'Oh, what's wrong?' And who would have thought that Austin Ransom would be, in my mind, one of the best linebackers in the Big East.
I think Max Gruder is primed for a big year. I think Greg can get better. We have some young guys behind them, like Tristan Roberts. Shane Murray is back, and I'm anxious to watch him. That's one of the things about camp that you know going in. McKillop and Thatcher are gone and who's going to pick it up. To me, all of them have to pick it up. We have to see a better Romeus, a better Sheard, a better Mick Williams.
I would think Aaron Berry also has to be one of those leaders, too, right?
PB: No question. I've been very fortunate in my career to have coached some great corners. His feet are as quick as Terrence Newman's, and I don't say that lightly. I think Aaron knows it's time and he's got to become more consistent. He's worked hard this summer and he knows what he means to this team.
He had some issues this spring and was suspended for the final couple of practices. Do you think he's got everything in order now?
PB: I do. Everybody says this, but if you've ever heard or watched me, you know I'm pretty tough on them. I'm demanding. I just think Aaron learned some lessons, as we all have, and I think we're fixing to see him step up and have the type of year that we all think he's capable of having.
I know it's early, but do you see any incoming freshmen who might earn their way into some playing time this year?
PB: I mentioned Dan Mason, and we'll give him a look. We've got a young man named Jason Hendricks that we'll look at. But it's just too early. I think Dave will tell you this, that hopefully our program is to a point where, no, we wouldn't be counting on any of them to play as freshmen. But there are variables that happen, and you have to deal with them, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Which Big East positions got the most help this spring?
Questions remain around the Big East, but a few teams found some help this spring at certain positions. Here's a list of where that help came from for a few teams:
Cincinnati: The addition of Marcus Barnett to the defense helped solidify a secondary that lost starting cornerbacks Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith and safety Brandon Underwood.
Connecticut: The play of Jordan Todman, Andre Dixon and Meme Wylie at running back left the Huskies feeling OK about their ability to replace star Donald Brown.
Pittsburgh: Elijah Fields finally played up to his potential, and Dom DeCicco was solid as the Pitt safety position looked strong this spring.
Syracuse: Moving Derrell Smith to the inside and switching Doug Hogue from running back solidified the Orange's linebacker corps.
West Virginia: The emergence of Wes Lyons in the slot and the solid play of Bradley Starks and Alric Arnett on the outside gave the Mountaineers a good feeling about their receivers.
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.
