Big East: Logan Heastie
2009 conference record: 5-2, T-2nd in Big East
Returning starters: Offense: 9. Defense: 9. Punter/kicker: 1
Top returners
RB Noel Devine, WR Jock Sanders, WR Bradley Starks, LB J.T. Thomas, DT Chris Neild, S Robert Sands, DE Scooter Berry
Key losses
QB Jarrett Brown, LB Reed Williams, OT Selvish Capers, WR Alric Arnett
2009 statistical leaders (* returners)
Rushing: Noel Devine* (1,465 yards)
Passing: Jarrett Brown (2,144 yards)
Receiving: Jock Sanders* (688 yards)
Tackles: Pat Lazear* (78)
Sacks: Julian Miller* (9)
Interceptions: Robert Sands* (5)
Spring answers
1. Experience matters: West Virginia returns 18 starters on offense and defense, most in the Big East, so even a few injuries and other issues that kept players out of practice this spring weren't a big deal. The coaching staff has the luxury of plugging in veterans at virtually every position, and when the first-stringers finally came together in the spring game, they looked very sharp. This is a team that should be ready to go from the opening gate.
2. White is all right: With projected starting quarterback Geno Smith limited throughout the spring by a foot injury, sophomore Coley White took the vast majority of the snaps. Though some had questioned whether he could play quarterback at this level, White showed great improvement throughout the spring and could easily lead the Mountaineers to victory if something goes wrong with Smith.
3. Backfield in motion: The Mountaineers should not have many problems running the ball this season. Devine returned and looks poised for a monster senior year. Shawne Alston also impressed at times, as well as fullback/tailback Ryan Clarke. West Virginia could also use Tavon Austin, Sanders and Daquan Hargrett as ball carriers.
Fall questions
1. Wideout depth: The defections of Deon Long and Logan Heastie before spring thinned the receiving corps. Sanders is a stud in the slot, but Starks needs to have a big year as one of the team's few deep threats. The pint-sized Austin has to show he can be effective outside of the slot, and Stedman Bailey must continue to make improvements. Incoming freshman Ivan McCartney could play an immediate role as well.
2. The offensive line: The Mountaineers return four starters who took virtually every snap last season. Still, coach Bill Stewart expressed concern about the right side of the line, including right tackle, where Selvish Capers must be replaced. There's a lot of experience up front, but this unit needs to gel this fall.
3. Improved leadership: Stewart called for more leadership from his team this spring, particularly among the underclassmen. The Mountaineers have solid senior leaders in guys like Devine, Sanders, Chris Neild and J.T. Thomas. But Stewart would like to see fewer young players running stadium stairs or riding exercise bikes during fall practice.
- The team that came out for practice No. 6 won't be the same team you see this fall. At least Stewart hopes not. Several walking wounded wore non-contact jerseys, including receiver Bradley Starks (ankle) and running back Noel Devine (quad). Smith only participates in individual and skeleton drills, no team competitions. Cornerback Brandon Hogan didn't practice as he is concentrating on his academics. Fellow corner Keith Tandy was doing conditioning only with a red jersey. And Jock Sanders missed practice because of class.So it was far from a full deck, and Stewart said he was frustrated by a number of busted assignments and broken plays. You could tell the coaching staff's frustration, because after practice several defensive players were made to do up-downs, while the offensive guys ran sprints. Some defensive players argued with each other coming off the field.
"You have a couple of guys putting on [non-contact] jerseys, and all of a sudden leadership starts spiraling down," Stewart said in disgust.
- Coley White is a busy man with Smith limited. White takes every snap during the 11-on-11 and other team drills. He's had a good spring and showed off a stronger arm than I -- and even other frequent Mountaineers observers -- expected a couple of times on Wednesday, on a touchdown pass to Stedman Bailey and a long one to Starks. Smith is almost certain to be the starter, but White can win games if needed at quarterback. The only bad news is his time is so important at quarterback that he can't work on his desired transition to receiver.
- Only saw a little bit of Smith in skelly, but he made some nice throws. He's much bigger than last year, too. In fact, he later told me he's put on 25 pounds since the Gator Bowl, which is amazing.
- Bailey, by the way, looked pretty good and made a nice adjustment on one ball. He could be important with very little depth at receiver now that Deon Long and Logan Heastie are gone (and barring a miracle, they aren't coming back).
- Former cornerback Eddie Davis continues to work at receiver, but while he looked fast on the practice field, Stewart called him out as one of many players who did not know their assignments and plays Wednesday.
- I'm very high on Ryan Clarke. The big, bruising runner steamrolled defensive back Darwin Cook at one point. No surprise, since Cook was yielding about 45 pounds in that matchup.
- The starting corners, with Tandy and Hogan out, were Pat Miller and Brodrick Jenkins.
- Stewart said he's happy with the left side of his line (Don Barclay and Josh Jenkins) and center Joe Madsen. But he wants to see much more improvement from the right side, where Eric Jobe is at guard and Matt Timmerman is at tackle.
- The oddest sight during practice occurred in the end zone, where a couple of players apparently being punished had to slam a giant tire with a sledgehammer repeatedly. Reminded me of something out of "The World's Strongest Man" competitions. But it provided a good drum beat for practice.
- Most discombobulating sight: Starks wearing No. 5 (Pat White's old jersey number) and Devine sporting No. 10 (Steve Slaton's former digits) in their green noncontact shirts.
- Knee-jerk reaction of questionable merit: Hard to make a solid judgment on this team with so many important players out. But you'd think the Mountaineers would be a little sharper just because of all the returning starters who are back. It's still early in the spring for them, and there's plenty of time to turn things up. This team is too talented and experienced not to be a major factor in the Big East race.
Russell from Louisville writes: Hey. Brian, what are the realistic chances the Cardinals make it back to a bowl game this year (granted there are enough bowls to go around)? Does their schedule help or hurt them in pursuing that goal? And how deep of a hole is the defense in?
Brian Bennett: I think making a bowl game would be a major achievement in Charlie Strong's first year. But getting to 6-6 is not impossible. On the nonconference schedule, the Louisville Cardinals have very winnable games against Eastern Kentucky, Arkansas State and Memphis. If it can beat Kentucky at home to start the year, there's four wins right there. Then they'd have to win two in the league, which won't be easy since they probably wouldn't be favored in any of those games right now (even the Syracuse game is on the road).
The defense looks pretty rough right now, and I imagine you'll see a lot of young players getting time this fall, even incoming freshmen. I have no doubt that Strong will get this program back. Be prepared for another possible bowl season at home, however, in Year One.
Michael W. from Syracuse writes: What do the Orange have to do to get more quality players to come to Syracuse? They have the history, but recently it has been a struggle. When full, the Carrier Dome is one of the loudest places to see a football game (like the Minnesota game this year) and I would really like to see a return to prominence. Does it hurt schools like Syracuse, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt are private schools in leagues with massive public universities?
Brian Bennett: Hate to sound simplistic here, but what Syracuse needs is just to win more games. The history is great, but what 17-year-old kid cares about or even knows about Jim Brown and Ernie Davis? All they know is that Syracuse hasn't been to a bowl game since they hit puberty. And the weather isn't exactly a selling point. Still, that's a town that loves its football, and if Doug Marrone can get the program back on the right track and going to bowl games, the players will come.
Hank from Leeds, Mass., writes: You should do more stories on the coaches in the Big East. This league really has some talented and respected guys, i.e. Randy Edsall. The fact the Edsall sits "stars" during spring ball to make a point is a classic example. You think Urban Myer would do that? UConn has been very fortunate to keep this guy for as long as they have! They are paying him good $$, but I fear Edsall is one outright league title away from moving on.
Brian Bennett: Couldn't agree more about Edsall. Class guy, terrific coach. UConn and the Big East are lucky to have him. If the Huskies have the kind of season I think they're capable of having this year, some major programs could chase after Edsall this winter.
Nick from Morgantown, W.Va., writes: The loss of Logan Heastie and Deon Long is another recruiting blemish. It seems to be a reccuring theme (Davenport, Finau, Kerns, Dorsey, Kemoeatu, etc). How does West Virginia compare to other Division I programs?
Brian Bennett: Oh, I could find you all kinds of examples of recruiting busts and high-profile players who never panned out. Happens everywhere. I'll say this, though: You can't call Bill Stewart soft on discipline. These are kids who apparently didn't work hard enough in conditioning, but they're talented players at an area of need for the Mountaineers. And yet they're not on the roster. Stewart didn't let them slide by because he needed them. Let's hope both get things straightened out, because it would be silly for them to throw their careers away.
Brian J. from Asheville, N.C., writes: I wanted to point out one minor flaw in the mailbag from last Tuesday. You stated 2007 WVU lost the Pitt game with a healthy Pat White. White injured the thumb on his throwing hand fairly early in the game and was replaced by Jarrett Brown, who I vividly remember losing at least one fumble. White did play the final two drives of the game, but we were in a throwing situation and he was unable to throw effectively.
Brian Bennett: You're right. I, uh, fumbled that one. White did finish the game but was clearly limited by the injury. Still, West Virginia should have never been in that position to begin with, and it's foolish for anyone to claim that Mountaineers team was somehow unbeatable with such clear evidence to the contrary.
Q&A with West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, Part I
You've had longer than most teams to go through lifting and conditioning. Anyone or anything standing out in offseason workouts?
Bill Stewart: We've had tremendous senior leadership. I don't like our underclassmen leadership at this point. You don't have to be a senior to lead. You just have to be a player to lead. And how you become a leader is by being accountable. Chris Neild is leading. J.T. Thomas is leading. Robert Sands is leading. Sidney Glover is leading. Offensive line, Donnie Barclay is doing a great job. Tyler Urban is doing a great job.
Noel and Jock are absolutely driving themselves with such a passion. They, on offense, have been the true team champions. Not just the fact that they came back and want to graduate, but they're putting themselves in a position to graduate in December. Their leadership skills in the winter have been outstanding.
We only had one senior linemen last year and none on defense, and we only have one senior lineman this year. Think about that. We won 19 games [since Stewart took over] and in the past two years we've had one senior lineman last year and one this year. We're fired up about that.
And Tavon Austin, holy cow. All I can say is wow. This guy, he is going to explode onto the scene.
You've got him listed as a wide receiver this year, which is new for him.
BS: I'm going to put the best players on the field. And if Noel goes down, I'll put him at tailback with Ryan Clarke. The best players are going to play. Tavon Austin is going to play. He's got to play.
The question most people probably want to know is, how is Geno Smith doing? And what will he be able to do when you start practice?
BS: Geno has been throwing pass skeleton on his own. I've not seen it, but I've heard about it. The trainers have watched him and said he was was standing with a knee on a chair throwing, then he got to where the chair was removed. His foot was in a boot, and he's out of the boot now. He can stand and throw it, he can hand off. We're not going to bootleg him or let him scrimmage or anything. By the end of spring, the end of April, he should be moving around pretty well. So I'm not worried about him. I'm going to keep him out of the scrimmages and everything, but we'll get done what we need to do.
So you think he'll get enough first-team reps to get ready for the fall?
BS: Oh, yeah, we just won't go live. And I'm looking for Coley White. Coley just wants to play. He asked to go to receiver, and he wants a shot so we'll put him out there. But I think Coley can still play quarterback. He doesn't throw the ball maybe as well as some of the other guys but he's a good little athlete and a good player and a great guy. And he's a competitor. And then Bary Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson will be here early. Barry will be done the 15th of May.
- Stewart said quarterback Geno Smith (broken foot) has been throwing pass skeleton, first off a chair and lately on both feet without a walking boot. Stewart said the sophomore should be able to take the majority of first-team reps without contact this spring and should be moving around well by the time the spring game rolls around later this month.
- Backup QB Coley White has asked to move to wide receiver and will get some reps there this spring. But West Virginia needs him under center this spring with Smith still not 100 percent.
- Freshmen receivers Logan Heastie and Deon Long aren't with the team right now. Stewart said he'd move forward without them, but if they decided to come back and put in extra work to catch up, he would welcome them back.
- Stewart called sophomore Tavon Austin "an absolute future superstar" and that he would crack the starting lineup for sure.
- West Virginia is starting practice later than normal and later than most teams, in large part because of Smith's injury. But Stewart said he likes the way this schedule has worked out with the school's spring break and how it allows the players to focus on lifting weights longer. In the future, he said he'd like to start spring practice in the last week of March.
- Remember this video of Stewart singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" at a Myrtle Beach sports bar? Stewart said he was egged on by his son and the other members of the Morgantown High School baseball team. He was obviously bursting with pride about the school's Final Four trip, and he had nothing but glowing things to say about Bob Huggins's crew. And Stewart added that he had "ice water and lemon only" at the bar. "No one will ever accuse me of doing something crazy," he said.
- Stewart also was very happy to see Dave Wannstedt's contract extension at Pitt. The two schools may be rivals, but the two coaches are friends.
Smith questionable, Heastie missing for WVU
But at a media luncheon on Wednesday, Mountaineers offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen expressed doubts about how much Smith will be able to do this spring, Mike Casazza reports in the Charleston Daily Mail. The sophomore was hurt during a January conditioning drill and was originally listed as out for six weeks. Mullen said Smith may only do skeleton drills this spring.
"It's a big, big deal and it certainly affects how we call plays in the spring, it certainly affects the drills we run and it certainly affects Geno Smith in the long run in terms of his ability to grow and mature," Mullen said.
It really is a big deal, because Smith is the presumed starter, and the only other quarterback on the roster is sophomore Coley White, who has barely seen the field. True freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson will arrive this summer, and they may be forced into competing for time right away.
"They'd be in the top-three by default, they'd be on the bus by default, they'd be on the plane by default," Mullen said, adding that either one could be "one rep away from being the guy and having absolutely no clue what we're doing on offense."
The fact that Mullen lists two true freshmen in his top three behind Smith shows that the coaching staff doesn't appear to be counting on White to emerge as the starter.
In other news, sophomore Logan Heastie has left the team and is not included on the pre-spring depth chart. Head coach Bill Stewart said Heastie is still a member of the team if he so desires.
"He's not in any trouble," Stewart said. "He's not done anything wrong. It's not school related. It's him related.
"I'm not giving up on him. I'm not going to yell at him, I'm not going to be hostile toward him, I'm not going to challenge him."
Heastie was a highly-touted recruit who enrolled early last year but did not see much action. West Virginia is in need of receivers after the loss of seniors Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons. Sophomore Tavon Austin, a former slot receiver, is now listed as atop the depth chart at one of the wideout positions.
What to watch in the Big East this spring
CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:
- Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.
- Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.
- Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.
CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:
- Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.
- Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.
- Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.
LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:
- Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.
- The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.
- Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.
Friday Big East mailbag: Bowl reaction
A lot went on this week, including some big bowl news. Let's not waste any time in getting to your questions.
T.K. from Pittsburgh writes: You actually think it's a downgrade to replace the Sun Bowl with the Champs Sports Bowl? The Sun Bowl was played on a Wednesday (at around noon) last year and nobody cared. Nobody cares about tradition in bowl games (otherwise the Sun Bowl would not be shown in the middle of the day on a Wednesday). Here's all you need to know. Orlando > El Paso (why travel all the way to a dump like El Paso when you can take a two-hour flight to Orlando?)
Brian Bennett: T.K., what I said was that the Champs Sports is a slight downgrade in prestige from the Gator/Sun deal. No one would argue that the Champs Sports is a higher-profile game than the Gator. And the Sun in its own right has a lot of history. Now, the fact that Notre Dame can only take the bid once every four years instead of twice is a big plus, but let's also remember that we're in Year 4 of the current arrangement, and the Irish have yet to steal a spot. So that may not even matter.
I do think Orlando is a much better spot for fans to travel. And even though it's not on New Year's Day, I'd personally rather have my New Year's Eve free than have to spend it in Jacksonville. So there are pros and cons to both sides.
Ryan from Charlotte, N.C., writes: I can't get through to these guys that the move from Gator/Sun/ND to Champs Sports/ND for our No. 2 is a step sideways and not back. They were snowed into believing we'd get Champs Sports and Sun for No. 2 and No. 3. Is it a step forward, no? But I don't think it's any worse when if ND wins 7 games this year the Big East 2 is going to Charlotte. Can you set the record straight?
Brian Bennett: I'm going to reserve final judgment until I see what the full lineup is. If it's the same as the previous agreement with the only difference being that Champs Sports replaces the Gator/Sun, then I think that's disappointing. Imagine if Notre Dame takes the Champs Sports spot one year and the No. 2 Big East team ends up playing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. No offense to the fine folks in Charlotte, but that would be just plain embarrassing.
Paul from Louisville writes: Just curious. Instead of these bowls taking Notre Dame insetad of a Big East team, couldn't there be a bowl that pitted Notre Dame against a Big East team? As a West Virginia fan, I'd love to see my Mountaineers kick some Irish butt in a bowl game.
Brian Bennett: That would be a fun scenario, but it seems unlikely. It could happen in a BCS game, if the Irish qualify. The problem is that the team with the No. 1 at-large pick would likely snatch up Notre Dame, while the Big East would fall to another game. The Irish are just too attractive to bowls to fall to a lesser game that might match them with a Big East team as an at-large. You'll have to comfort yourself rooting for UConn and Pitt against the Golden Domers in the regular season.
Mike from the Bronx, N.Y., writes: While losing out on a New Year's Day bowl has the appearance of a step back, I think sending the No. 2 team to Orlando is better, assuming it's a better payout than the current Gator Bowl slot. The Gator Bowl currently on Jan. 1 has to fight with the Capital One, Outback, and/or Cotton bowls (not to mention the now-annual NHL outdoor game) for viewers, where as the Champs Sports on the Dec. 29 should be more or less unopposed in terms of viewers. Question: How realistic is a bowl game in Yankee Stadium? I like the idea, and on paper it seems like a good idea, but in the back of my mind I know the weather could be major sticking point for it to happen.
Brian Bennett: You're right in that New Year's Day is just different since the BCS system began. People don't look forward to it as much. A guaranteed prime-time slot on ESPN, which the Champs Sports Bowl has, is almost just as valuable, if not more so.
The New York bowl continues to be discussed, but there are several issues. The Big East would need an opponent, and it doesn't want to settle for a non-BCS conference. There's the issue of where to play the game, whether it's Yankee Stadium or the new Meadowlands facility, and when. And any new bowl game would have to be certified, and there are enough bowl games out there already. Throw in the weather factor, and you can see why this is still at the discussion stage.
Ryan J. from Madison, W.Va., writes: In the spring there seemed to be a lot of hype about wide receiver Logan Heastie. Recently, I've not seen much about him. Any news on his progression or what the WVU coaches plan on doing with him?
Brian Bennett: From what I can tell, Heastie is just going through the normal freshman adjustment process. Since the Mountaineers are fairly stacked at receiver, with Alric Arnett, Bradley Starks, Wes Lyons, Jock Sanders and Tavon Austin, there's no need to rush Heastie along.
Newman from Cincinnati writes: After reading your article on the Cincinnati Bearcats training camp, you sound shocked at how good they look. Are other teams surprising you when you go see them? Will you do another pre-season power rankings after seeing all the teams? It didn't quite seem fair that you had seen only about half when you did the other ones.
Brian Bennett: Hello, Newman. I don't know if shocked is the right word. I did see Cincinnati twice this spring, after all, and had a pretty good idea of their personnel. I just think that, when all the newcomers were added and some of the veterans progressed, the Bearcats just looked a lot deeper than I had seen before. I'm not sure if another preseason power ranking is on the agenda or not. Quite frankly, I'm pretty tired of prognosticating and am ready to actually see these teams in action.
Newman!
John C. from Hurricane, W. Va., writes: I love the blog and read it daily. Yes, you can say we have a problem with Notre Dame. Just tired of hearing about them and how great they USED to be. I think the best plan for the Big East is to tell Notre Dame put your football team in the league or get the rest of your teams out. If the Big East wants to add a team they don't want to add another basketball team, so if Notre Dame doesn't add football that opens a spot on the basketball side by having them pack their bags.
Brian Bennett: I get at least one e-mail like this every couple of days. The idea of Notre Dame joining the Big East is ludicrous. No one has ever been able to give me one good reason why the Irish would even consider it for a second. As for what they bring to the league, well, just look at how much trouble the Big East is now having finding a No. 3 bowl slot with the Irish in tow. Imagine how bad it would be if the league was going lone wolf.
Dave from Williamsville, N.Y., writes: From last week's mailbag: "I don't think there's any question that if a player led the nation in rushing with more than 2,000 yards on a national title contender, he would have been a serious threat in the Heisman race." So you are basically setting the record straight that the award is not for the best pla
yer. It's the best player under certain conditions, with other players around him. Thank you for exposing the award for what it's worth.
Brian Bennett: You're welcome. But I didn't know that was even a question any more.
Janet in Panama City writes: How much respect with the USF program garner playing FSU and Miami -- both out of conference, ACC teams? It's arguably our most difficult schedule. I've read 7-5 overall record this season for USF. I'm more optimistic. I see us splitting the FSU/Miami games, beating UConn, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Wofford, Charleston Southern, Western Kentucky, Louisville, and WVU. Am I being too optimistic? I call Pitt and Rutgers too close to call ... hoping for a win!
Brian Bennett: The respect will only come if the Bulls can beat one of those two. I tend to agree with most of your assessment, though I see a split in the West Virginia and Cincinnati games and losses to both Pitt and Rutgers. That makes 8-4, with a good shot at 9-3.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
• Doug Marrone is trying to bring Syracuse back to prominence, but Saturday's spring game shows a lot of work needs to be done, Mark Beech writes for Sports Illustrated.
• Chris Gedney, a Syracuse assistant athletic director, remembers former NFL teammate Pat Tillman on the fifth anniversary of Tillman's death. Bud Poliquin has the story in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• Donald Brown has a good chance of becoming UConn's first-ever first-round pick on Saturday, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Dave Hickman clears out his notebook on West Virginia, touching on kickers, the defense and how Logan Heastie has adjusted to the rigors of college weight training.
Big East mailbag: From the road, Part II
Back to more of your questions about the teams I saw on my mini-spring tour ...
Frank from Parkersburg, W. Va., writes: I was curious about the status of the offensive line at WVU. Given the youth and lack of a fullback... how do they match up against other teams and how is the health status of Josh Jenkins?
Brian Bennett: Mountaineers fans were spoiled by the play of the offensive line the past few seasons. This year's group is a work in progress. The coaching staff likes the tackles -- senior Selvish Capers at right tackle and sophomore Don Barclay on the left side. The guards -- Jenkins and redshirt freshman Jeff Braun -- are both basically first-year players and need to gain experience. The defense absolutely dominated them in the scrimmage last Saturday. I would be encouraged by the unit's overall size and athleticism, but it's going to take them some time to jell.
Chris from Princeton,W.Va., writes: Here are a few of my questions: 1. What type of practices does Coach Stewart run -- too soft? too nice? 2. How does Jarrett Brown look at QB? 3. Give us a name we don't know now but will hear this coming season. 4. What's the team's biggest strengths and weaknesses? 5. Do we finally have a fullback to run 3rd and short?
Brian Bennett: Lots of questions, and good ones. Nice and soft are not words I would use to describe the practices I saw. The Mountaineers' practice with a pretty high energy and tempo, and they're not afraid to hit each other. Stewart doesn't keep them out for three hours, but he gives them intense workouts. I wrote about Brown Wednesday, and suffice it to say he looks sharp. A guy you might not know much about right now is defensive lineman Josh Taylor. The redshirt sophomore is really athletic and could force his way onto the field. The biggest strength right now is probably the defensive front six. The weakness is the offensive line and the kicking game. I wrote about Ryan Clarke and some of the fullback options on Tuesday.
Daniel from Wheeling, W. Va., writes: Hey, Brian, I'm sure youll get this question a lot, but how does Logan Heastie look? A lot of people in Morgantown are looking forward to seeing him this fall.
Brian Bennett: Heastie was running with the second-teamers and didn't do anything to stand out among the receivers when I saw him. But, hey, he's a true freshman who enrolled early. He's got a good frame. Let's give him time to develop. The Mountaineers seem pretty set at receiver with Bradley Starks, Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons, plus the possible return of Jock Sanders.
Anthony from Tampa writes: Brian, after seeing Mike Ford on the practice field do you think he looks good enough to be the best running back in the Big East?
Brian Bennett: Unfortunately, we only get to see the first 30 minutes at South Florida, and that time was spent on basic drills. Ford is entering his junior year, and it's time for him to live up to his potential. I hear the same things I've heard in the past about him: He needs to get in the weight room and really dedicate himself to being the best back he can be. Right now, I'm not sure he's the best running back on his own team.
Kyle from Washington, D.C., writes: On a scale from 1-to-10, how worried should I be as a USF alumnus and football fan about the offensive line in the 2009 season?
Brian Bennett: Right now, today, it's a 10. The line is banged up and inexperienced, to boot. But if everybody heals up, and the guys coming in this summer are as talented and ready as the coaching staff expects, then this could end up being a pretty solid group. I question how they're going to build the right chemistry with basically only fall camp to work on it. But given that the Bulls' first three games are against Wofford, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern, they should have time to iron out some kinks.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
• Bill Stewart was so upset with West Virginia's defensive effort on Wednesday that he wouldn't let any players from that side of the ball do interviews, Mitch Vingle says in the Charleston Gazette.
• Freshman Logan Heastie is getting a head start for the Mountaineers, Dave Hickman writes in the Gazette.
• Donnie Webb has some Orange practice notes in the Syracuse Post-Standard, including word of a tough day for Lavar Lobdell.
• Former Rutgers defensive lineman Matthew Hardison is finding a home at backup center, reports Keith Sargeant in the Home News Tribune.
• Freshman receivers Isiah Moore, Gerrard Sheppard and Brian Parker are hoping to make an impact for UConn, Chip Malafonte says in the New Haven Register.
West Virginia's Heastie cleared to practice
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Good news for West Virginia and Logan Heastie. The freshman wide receiver has been cleared by the NCAA eligibility center and can begin practicing this afternoon.
Heastie missed the first two practices of the spring because of a clearinghouse issue.
Heastie was one of the Mountaineers' top recruits this offseason and enrolled in January so he could get a head start on his development.
West Virginia freshman Heastie sidelined
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
West Virginia was excited when freshman receiver Logan Heastie enrolled in January, making him eligible to participate in spring practice and get a jump-start on his development.
But when spring drills began on Tuesday, Heastie was not in uniform. Coach Bill Stewart said that Heastie is dealing with an NCAA Clearinghouse issue and he wasn't sure when it would be resolved. Missing a couple of days, especially before the Mountaineers put on pads, is no big deal. But if Heastie has to miss most or all of spring practice, that's going to be a setback for his chances to play right away this fall.
In other receiver news, Bradley Starks practiced on Tuesday despite offseason shoulder surgery. He is wearing a non-contact jersey. Stewart said Starks, who was the third-string quarterback a year ago and may need to be the emergency signal-caller this season, won't get reps under center this spring.
"He can throw right now, but we don't want him to throw right now," Stewart said. "We're going to let him have all of the spring and summer to work on receiving. He'll pitch and catch now and then. I believe Bradley Starks is going to be a big-time receiver."
The Big East lost a handful of top-flight receivers, including Kenny Britt, Tiquan Underwood, Dominick Goodman and Taurus Johnson. But don't worry. Some of the league's best playmakers are still on board, and lots of new ones are ready to step forward.
Let's take the temperature of each Big East team at the receiver spot with the first spring practices less than a week away:
Feeling great
• Cincinnati: Goodman is gone, but first team All-Big East wideout Mardy Gilyard returns after catching 11 touchdown passes and 1,276 yards. The Bearcats will need Marcus "Bones" Barnett to get back to his freshman form and for a youngster like D.J. Woods to emerge. But there's not too much to be worried about here.
• South Florida: Seventeen different Bulls caught at least one pass in 2008, and there's a wide cast of characters ready to run routes for Matt Grothe again in '09. Leading receiver Jessie Hester Jr. is back, along with A.J. Love, Carlton Mitchell and Dontavia Bogan. Add in promising redshirt freshman Daniel Bryant and some incoming speedster recruits, and the Bulls have a full stable of receivers.
Feeling pretty good
• Pittsburgh: The Panthers might have the single most talented receiver in sophomore Jonathan Baldwin, who could develop into something truly special. Even without Derek Kinder, this should be a solid group as T.J. Porter, Oderick Turner and Cedric McGee come back. Still, these guys have to prove themselves in a passing game that hasn't exactly been prolific of late.
• West Virginia: The Mountaineers should be well-positioned to make the adjustment to more of a pro-style passing offense. Alric Arnett had a big Meineke Car Care Bowl and looks to be in line for a breakout senior year. Bradley Starks should be more of a contributor now that he doesn't have to split his focus being a backup quarterback. Newcomers like Logan Heastie could make an immediate impact, and Jock Sanders will try to work his way back from a suspension. The group has to be far more consistent for West Virginia to avoid last year's stop-and-start offensive problems.
One question
• Louisville: If Scott Long is healthy, this could be among the best receiving corps in the Big East. Long missed several games last season with a broken foot, then tore his ACL shortly after coming back. When he's right, he's the playmaker the Cardinals need. Doug Beaumont, Josh Chichester and Troy Pascley are among those who gained valuable experience with Long out last season, and they should be better for it this year.
Some questions
• Syracuse: The return of Mike Williams from his one-year academic exile figures to do wonders for this group, but Williams has to show that he's not too rusty. Junior Donte Davis started to become a go-to guy last season, and perhaps the new coaching staff can get more out of former major recruit Lavar Lobdell. Some of these questions should be answered in the spring.
Big questions
• Connecticut: UConn's passing game was a train wreck in 2008, and the receivers shouldered a large part of that blame. Now, with the Huskies looking to open up things more, they simply have to get better. Last year's leading receiver was Kashif Moore, who managed just 27 catches and 273 yards in 12 games. And he averaged fewer yards per catch than fullback Anthony Sherman. This is a work in progress, and Connecticut may have to lean on some true freshmen like prized recruit Dwayne Difton.
• Rutgers: Anytime you lose perhaps the best two receivers in school history in Britt and Underwood, there are going to be major question marks. Tim Brown (565 yards in 2008) and Dennis Campbell (183) are the leading returning wideouts, but they seem more like complementary parts than true No. 1s. The Scarlet Knights will likely look to youngsters like Marcus Cooper and Keith Stroud to become the next big things in Piscataway.
Five newcomers to watch in the Big East
Some familiar names in the Big East are gone, and they're not coming back. It's time to get to know some new names.
The two newcomers in the league who will probably get the most attention are a pair of quarterbacks: Tom Savage at Rutgers and Eugene Smith at West Virginia. But it's tough to pick up the finer points of quarterback play early on, so expecting too much out of them right away might be unrealistic. Here are five other newcomers to watch in 2009 (for purposes of this discussion, we define newcomers as incoming freshmen, transfers, redshirts and even coaches):
• Antwan Lowery, DT, Rutgers: Interior linemen are usually not big or strong enough to play right away as true freshman. But very little is usual about Lowery, who's massive at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds. Greg Schiano has never had a tackle with Lowery's size and speed, and he could change the way the Scarlet Knights play defense. Lowery will likely force his way onto the field sooner rather than later.
• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Ryne Giddens was the Bulls' highest-ranked recruit, but as a true freshman he'll probably be slow to pick things up. Pierre-Paul, on the other hand, is a junior-college transfer who has the talent to start right away. And with defenses focusing on George Selvie at the other end spot, he'll have opportunities to make plays.
• Logan Heastie, WR, West Virginia: There are several incoming recruits who could make an immediate impact for the Mountaineers, including Smith, running back Tavon Austin and junior-college lineman Tavita Finau. But Heastie is getting a head start by enrolling early so he can participate in spring drills, and receiver is a spot where it's easier for a newcomer to play right away. The Mountaineers will need more targets in their ramped-up passing game.
• Adam Froman, QB, Louisville: It's no secret that Louisville hopes Froman is its next starting quarterback. The junior-college quarterback is on campus and will be ready to throw his first passes in a Cardinal uniform on March 8. Spring practice observers will be watching him closely to see how he handles himself and what his arm strength is like.
• Doug Marrone, Syracuse: He's not a player, of course, but the new Orange head coach will be someone to watch all through spring and fall. He's brought a buzz back to Syracuse, but he's still never been a head coach at any level. How will he run practice? What kind of offensive overhaul will he and offensive coordinator Rob Spence install? Orange fans are eager to find out.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.
