ESPN College Football

Andrea Adelson talks to USF kicker Maikon Bonani about this spring and where he wants to improve this season.

We have come to the final group in the 2011 postseason position rankings: special teams. This one is all encompassing -- kickers, punters, returners, and team coverage -- which has made it quite the task to evaluate as one group. Some teams had returns that excelled and kickers that were so-so. Some had great kickers but a so-so return game.

I tried to give equal weight to all parts. In the end, I took the rankings in several special-teams categories and used an average ranking to help determine these. Special weight was given to game-changing plays as well.

1. Cincinnati. The Bearcats ranked in the top two in four of the five statistical categories I used to evaluate special teams as a whole. The only area lacking was field goals, but I thought overall Tony Miliano had a decent year for a true freshman, even considering his missed kick against West Virginia. Ralph David Abernathy IV emerged as a dynamite kickoff man, and Pat O'Donnell was the best punter in the Big East again. Kickoff coverage was solid as well. Preseason ranking: 5.

2. UConn. Nick Williams averaged just 5.6 yards a return on punts. He was not particularly dynamic on kickoff returns, either, ranking No. 4 in the Big East after going into the season as one of the top returners in the league. UConn was one of two Big East teams without a kickoff return for a touchdown. But still, the Huskies were solid in every other category. Dave Teggart once again was the Big East first-team kicker, and Cole Wagner averaged 41.1 yards a punt. Preseason ranking: 1.

3. West Virginia. Tavon Austin was hands down the best returner in the Big East this season, and one of the best in the nation. But since this is an evaluation of special teams as a whole, everything is taken into account. West Virginia had the worst punting situation in the Big East, and ranked last in kickoff coverage. There were several critical blocked field goals as well. Special teams absolutely improved as the year went on, and some players made big plays -- Eain Smith comes to mind. But Austin alone wasn't enough to elevate the group higher. Preseason ranking: 7.

4. Rutgers. Once again, the Scarlet Knights were highly effective at blocking kicks -- a staple under coach Greg Schiano. Jeremy Deering was solid in the kickoff return game as well. But San San Te had the worst field goal percentage in the Big East (64.5 percent), and kickoff coverage ranked No. 7 in the conference. Rutgers only had an opportunity to return 16 punts last season, averaging about 6 yards a return. Preseason ranking: 6.

5. Pitt. The Panthers lost their punter and field goal kicker from a year ago and did perhaps better than expected in special teams overall. Punter Matt Yoklic was second in the league in punts, though Kevin Harper did struggle at times with his field goals. Losing Cameron Saddler really hurt the punt return game as well. Preseason ranking: 8.

6. Syracuse. Ross Krautman led the Big East in field goal percentage (78.9) but he only had 19 attempts on the season, second fewest in the Big East. Punt returns were essentially nonexistent -- with only 12 attempts for an average of 3.1 yards a return. Jeremiah Kobena was a nice addition at kickoff returner, but the Orange still ranked No. 6 in the Big East in that category and kickoff return coverage as well. Preseason ranking: 4.

7. Louisville. Chris Philpott had a disappointing season, ranking No. 7 in the league in field goal percentage (66.7). He and Josh Bleser averaged 37.3 yards a punt. Punt returning ranked No. 7 in the Big East as well, and aside from Adrian Bushell's 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, that category was just average for the Cardinals. Preseason ranking: 3.

8. USF. I think the Bulls were the biggest disappointment in this category. Lindsey Lamar, who was the first-team Big East selection at returner last year, had zero this year and ranked No. 9 in the league in kickoff return average. His average was down some six yards from last season. When Terrence Mitchell got hurt and missed the second half of the season, no one was dynamic at punt returner, either. Maikon Bonani ranked No. 3 in field goal percentage but fairly or not is going to be remembered for missing a field goal that would have beaten Rutgers, and eventually gotten the Bulls bowl eligible. Preseason ranking: 2.

Cincinnati dominated the Big East individual awards announced Thursday, as running back Isaiah Pead was honored as Offensive Player of the Year, tackle Derek Wolfe was selected as Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Butch Jones won Coach of the Year.

Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene also took Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the Newcomer of the Year and West Virginia all-purpose player Tavon Austin is the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Below you will find the first and second teams. All of these awards and teams are selected by the eight league coaches. Here are some of my thoughts on the winners:

• I have to say I am surprised to see Pead win Offensive Player of the Year. I thought West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith would be a slam dunk because he and the Mountaineers dominated on offense this season. That being said, Pead is deserving of this award because he was the most valuable player for the Bearcats this season and he put the team on his back when Zach Collaros went down with an ankle injury. Pead led the Big East in touchdowns (14) and ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards with 1,429. He is a very deserving winner.
• As for the defensive awards, I am not surprised to see a split. My choice was Greene, and I have been going back and forth for most of the season on who was most valuable for Cincinnati -- Wolfe or linebacker JK Schaffer. I thought both were terrific this season. But perhaps the coaches voted for Wolfe because he had a breakout season and was a big reason why Cincinnati led the nation in sacks. Wolfe led the Big East with 19.5 tackles for loss to rank No. 6 in the nation. The senior also had 9.5 sacks after notching 10 sacks combined coming into this season.
• Jones also was my choice for coach of the year because of the turnaround season he led: from 4-8 to 9-3 and a share of the Big East title.
• As for the first-team offense, I am surprised that Tavon Austin made it at receiver over teammate Stedman Bailey. Both are extremely solid, valuable players, but I thought Bailey was a notch more consistent this season as a wide receiver. Austin absolutely is the special teams player of the year. I also was surprised to see Antwon Bailey with first-team honors. My two backs would have been Ray Graham and Pead.
• On first-team defense, West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin made the list despite an inconsistent season. Coaches clearly realized what a force he is because he was double-teamed most of the year and still got 7.5 sacks. The coaches were torn at safety, where four players were honored on the first team. I thought Duron Harmon and Hakeem Smith were the top two this season.
• How about Rutgers getting Art Forst on the first team at guard and Desmond Wynn on the second team at guard. Hand clap for the big-time improvement on the Scarlet Knights offensive line.

Let's take one look back at the Big East in Week 12 and a quick lookahead to the games in Week 13.

The good: Rutgers snapped a five-game losing streak to Cincinnati and is now in position to earn a share of its first Big East title. The Scarlet Knights did everything right -- as Jawan Jamison notched a career-high 200 yards rushing and Rutgers limited Cincinnati to 67 yards rushing. Rutgers held Cincinnati to 225 yards of total offense. The Scarlet Knights are 39-4 (.907) under coach Greg Schiano when holding an opponent under 300 yards of total offense. They are also 28-7 when rushing for 150 yards or more in a game, since 2006. Mohamed Sanu had a relatively quiet day with six catches, but he now has 100 on the season. ... Louisville rebounded from an uninspired loss to Pitt last week with a win over UConn. The Cardinals (6-5, 4-2) have their most wins in Big East play since 2006, when they went 6-1. Adrian Bushell made his return to the field after serving a one-game suspension with a huge play, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He was the fourth player in school history to return a kickoff 100 yards for a score, and the first since Trent Guy did it against Kentucky in 2007. The Cardinals had success on the ground again, rushing for 126 yards against the No. 6 run defense in the country. Dexter Heyman had a monster day, with 3.5 tackles for loss. ... Though Cincinnati lost, linebacker JK Schaffer had a huge game, with 13 tackles, including three for loss and 1.5 sacks. He now has over 300 career tackles, the most of any active Big East player.

The bad: What more can be said for the way Cincinnati played on offense in a 20-3 loss to Rutgers. Everybody knew it was going to be difficult for backup Munchie Legaux to step in for Zach Collaros at quarterback, but did anybody envision it would be as bad as it looked? Cincinnati was held to a season-low 225 yards of offense -- its lowest total since gaining 146 against Rutgers in 2005. Legaux only completed 12 passes with an interception. Not only did he have several passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, his receivers dropped many catchable balls as well. The Bearcats' inability to throw was a huge reason why they could not get anything going on offense. Rutgers was locked in on stopping the run, and worked its game plan perfectly. ... How many heartbreaking losses can one team take? USF dropped yet another game by three points, losing to Miami 6-3 when Jake Wieclaw made a 36-yard field goal as time expired. USF lost in overtime to Rutgers when San San Te made a field goal and Maikon Bonani missed his short attempt at the end of regulation. The Bulls also lost to Cincinnati when the Bearcats rallied to win in the fourth quarter. It was a tough loss to take when you consider how good the defense played all game. USF had six sacks, the second-highest total in school history, and allowed the fewest points all season. In fact, it was the lowest scoring game in school history. But when it came down to crunch time, Miami was able to drive into field-goal range and USF simply could not get a stop when it was needed. Miami converted three third downs on that final drive, which went 15 plays. ... UConn running back Lyle McCombs had a season-low 33 yards rushing but went over 1,000 yards on the season in a loss to Louisville. The Huskies were totally stymied on the ground, a big reason why they only had the ball for 21 minutes against Louisville. What hurt even more -- dropped passes. UConn had nine of them, including two that very well could have been touchdowns. Poor tackling was also a problem, and coach Paul Pasqualoni described his team's overall effort as "puzzling." Now UConn has to win out just to become bowl eligible.

Week 13 schedule

Friday

Louisville at USF, 11 a.m., ESPN2

Pitt at West Virginia, 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday

Cincinnati at Syracuse, noon, Big East Network

Rutgers at UConn, noon, ESPN2

Rutgers became bowl eligible after an incredible come-from-behind win over USF, erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 20-17 in overtime.

Who had a role in the comeback? None other than Chas Dodd.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano turned to Dodd in the fourth quarter to relieve an ineffective Gary Nova, who was 11-of-24 for 110 yards and a lost fumble. Dodd was not effective to start, but he came on strong after a huge momentum-shifting play. USF went up 17-3 with 7:38 to play after Demetris Murray capped an 89-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.

But Jeremy Deering returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and Rutgers was right back in the game. USF went three-and-out on the next possession. That is when Dodd worked his comeback magic. He and Mohamed Sanu continually burned the Bulls, including on a critical fourth-and-9 conversion that kept the drive alive. Rutgers tied the score with 1:08 remaining.

Dodd nearly blew the game, though, when he threw an interception late. B.J. Daniels marched USF down the field in no time, and set up for the game-winning 27-yard field goal from Maikon Bonani with 2 seconds left. But he missed it, and the game went into overtime.

Daniels threw an interception on the opening USF drive. San San Te did not miss his game-winning opportunity and nailed a 37-yarder to win to cap the improbable comeback.

USF, which dominated the game, has dropped four straight and is 0-4 in Big East play. The Bulls held Rutgers to minus-7 yards rushing and outgained the Scarlet Knights 381-228. But once again they found a way to lose. A team that started the season with a win over Notre Dame is now in danger of not making a bowl game.

It took nearly a half, but USF was able to finally get some scoring going in its game against Rutgers and take a 10-0 lead into halftime.

The teams combined for eight punts on the first eight possessions of the game, as both did everything they could to stop the run. USF held Rutgers to minus-4 yards rushing in the half, including minus-8 for starting running back Jawan Jamsion. The Bulls finally broke through after Darrell Scott had a 20-yard run midway through the second quarter. USF used that momentum to build a nine-play, 58-yard drive that ended when B.J. Daniels threw a 23-yard touchdown for Victor Marc.

Gary Nova was under constant pressure in the first half, and fumbled away a ball after getting sacked. Ryne Giddins recovered, and that set up Maikon Bonani's 43-yard field goal just before halftime. Nova has now turned the ball over 10 times dating back to a win over Navy four games ago.

Rutgers only has 87 yards in the first half.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Cincinnati and USF are tied at 10 at halftime in what can only be described as a mistake-filled first half by both teams.

Consider:

• USF ended the half with a bit of a clock-management blunder that wasted a chance for a third-and-goal. On second-and-goal at the 2, the Bulls snapped the ball with 28 seconds left in the half. B.J. Daniels ran for no gain. But it took a while for him to be extricated from the pile. Then the Bulls appeared to be confused and waited until 3 seconds remained on the clock to call timeout. Maikon Bonani hit the 20-yard field goal, but fans booed the team on the way to the locker room.
• The Bulls had two opportunities from inside the Cincinnati 5 in the first half, but came away with just a field goal. On the other chance, they botched the snap on the field-goal attempt.
• Daniels had yet another fumble, this one early in the game. He has four turnovers in two games.
• Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros has thrown two pretty bad interceptions. The first was in the end zone; the second led to the game-tying field goal, when he inexplicably decided to flip the ball to a sea of green shirts after being chased way, way outside the pocket.
• The Bearcats had a missed field goal of their own on the opening drive of the game, when Tony Miliano went wide left from 33 yards.

So you see the game has not been played well on either side. Collaros is not having the greatest game, and USF is really doing a nice job of slowing down Isaiah Pead, who only has 34 yards rushing with a long of 9. Both defensive fronts are doing an excellent job getting pressure -- that is a big reason why Collaros has struggled. Neither team is running the ball well, either. Cincinnati has held the No. 1 rushing team in the league to 42 total yards on the ground.

USF receiver Deonte Welch has more than 100 yards in the first half, and the Bulls have been able to move the ball at times. They just keep getting in their own way.

No letdown in Tampa tonight. USF is the only Big East team who has made things look easy from kickoff to the half, taking a 30-0 lead into the break against Ball State.

And it all started on the opening kickoff, when Mark Joyce recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown 8 seconds into the game. The Bulls piled it on from there, getting three field goals from Maikon Bonani and a solid performance from B.J. Daniels, who has started 24-of-31 for 288 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

If anyone was looking for a reason to nitpick, then there is one: USF has settled for field goals instead of touchdowns on severeal drives when it gets to the red zone. But it's hard to complain about that when you are winning 30-0.

Here are the Big East players of the week, as selected by the conference:

Offensive player of the week

Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh

Graham rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in a 35-16 win against Buffalo in the Panthers’ season-opener. It was the second 200-yard day of his career, and second-best rushing total of all FBS players in Week 1. Oregon State’s Malcolm Agnew rushed for 223 yards in a loss to Sacramento State.

Defensive player of the week

Jerrell Young, S, USF

Young had a hand in two of USF’s five takeaways as the Bulls scored a 23-20 win at No. 16 Notre Dame. He contributed to a potential 14-point swing in the first half by causing a fumble at the 4-yard line — a fumble that was recovered by the Bulls for a 96-yard touchdown. He added a fourth-quarter interception that denied Notre Dame’s comeback bid.

Special Teams player of the week

Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

Austin broke open West Virginia’s 34-13 win against Marshall with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that gave the Mountaineers a 27-13 lead late in the third quarter. Austin finished with 190 all-purpose yards, with 119 yards on two kickoff returns and 46 yards on three punt returns.

Weekly honor roll

Lyle McCombs, RB, Connecticut: Rushed for 141 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in his collegiate debut in a 35-3 win against Fordham.

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pittsburgh: Had six tackles, two tackles for loss and a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown in a 31-16 win against Buffalo.

Maikon Bonani, K, USF: Scored 11 points, including field goals of 49, 17 and 36 yards, in a 23-20 win at No. 16/18 Notre Dame.

Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse: Completed 20 of 28 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-29 overtime win against Wake Forest.

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Completed 26 of 35 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-13 win against Marshall.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- USF is up on Notre Dame 13-0 after the first quarter. But could it be more?

Debate this among yourselves. USF had the ball with three tries at the Notre Dame 5-yard line to punch it in for a score. Darrell Scott ran it twice down to the 1. On third-and-goal from the 1, B.J. Daniels tried to sneak it in but was stuffed -- a play call that already has been debated.

So what would you do on fourth-and-goal from the goal line? If you go for it and make it, you take a huge 17-0 lead on the road against No. 16 Notre Dame. Storm clouds are rolling in, so the field could get soaked if the rains come. It would be a huge confidence and momentum builder.

But coach Skip Holtz went the conservative route and opted for the short field goal from Maikon Bonani. USF is on the road, after all, so he probably figures you take the points whenever you can get them. We'll see whether that decision ends up having any impact on the game.

Checking in around the league after yet another day of practice:

Cincinnati: Tight end Travis Kelce hurt his shoulder in the morning practice but the injury isn't believe to be serious. The team moves Friday to the Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center in West Harrison, Ind., to practice for two weeks.

Connecticut: Yet another receiver has decided to transfer. Malik Generett became the third receiver in a week to leave UConn for an FCS school. Generett is headed to Tennessee-Martin.

Louisville: The Cardinals held their media day on Wednesday, and coach Charlie Strong reiterated that Will Stein would be the starter at quarterback if the season started today. He also emphasized that this team's strength would be its defense, particularly in the front seven and at safety.

Pitt: Coach Todd Graham chastised his players for cursing during practice Wednesday. He also has banned them from using Twitter during camp. As for his players, he is looking at Ryan Turnley and Chris Jacobson at center. "The first two days we’re trying to make sure we have people in the right position, and at the end of the day we will go back and make evaluations," he said.

Rutgers: Injuries have started to mount for the Scarlet Knights. Defensive end Manny Abreu was carted off the field after he got "dinged." "He didn't look too good,'' coach Greg Schiano said. "I hope it's not too bad.'' Meanwhile, redshirt freshman safety Rashad Knight could be out for the season with a broken foot. Starting cornerback Logan Ryan also injured his leg. Running backs Jawan Jamison (hamstring) and Jeremy Deering (ill) have also missed practice time, along with starting left guard Desmond Wynn.

Syracuse: Three of the team's four centers were hampered with injuries during Wednesday's practice. Only starter Macky MacPherson is healthy. Freshman Jesse Wolf-Gould also took a few snaps to help out. Seniors Ian Allport and Nick Lepak and freshman Rob Trudo were all out. Offensive line coach Greg Adkins also has returned to the team after a non-threatening medical condition kept him out of camp the first five days.

USF: The kicking jobs remain open at USF. Coach Skip Holtz said after practice that nobody is kicking with any consistency so far in camp. “I can’t look you in the eye and tell you that anybody has nailed down any of the special-teams responsibilities,” he said.
Holtz said kicker Maikon Bonani has had a few up and down days. Redshirt freshman Marvin Kloss and true freshman walk-on Mattias Ciabatti are in the mix. At punter, Justin Brockhaus-Kann and Chris Veron are competing, along with Mattias Ciabatti.

West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen is not too pleased with his receivers. He says there is still too much inconsistency there. "I don’t know how those guys can get worse from spring, but it looks to me like some of them have," Holgorsen said. The one player who stood out Wednesday was Ryan Nehlen, whose grandfather, great West Virginia coach Don Nehlen, was in attendance at practice.

All the college football watch lists have been released, so here they all are, with your Big East representatives:

Bednarik Award, best defensive player
Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt
Kendall Reyes, UConn
Keith Tandy, West Virginia

Biletnikoff Award, best receiver
Tavon Austin, West Virginia
Van Chew, Syracuse
Mark Harrison, Rutgers
Mike Shanahan, Pitt
Michael Smith, UConn
D.J. Woods, Cincinnati

Butkus Award, best linebacker
Max Gruder, Pitt

Walter Camp Award, best overall player
Geno Smith, West Virginia
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt

Lou Groza Award, best kicker
Maikon Bonani, USF
Ross Krautman, Syracuse
Dave Teggart, Connecticut

Rotary Lombardi Award, best lineman
Moe Petrus, UConn
Kendall Reyes, UConn
JK Schaffer, Cincinnati
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt
Julian Miller, West Virginia
Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
Don Barclay, West Virginia
Chandler Jones, Syracuse

Mackey Award, best tight end
Ryan Griffin, Connecticut
Josh Chichester, Louisville
D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers
Nick Provo, Syracuse

Maxwell Award, college football player of the year
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Ray Graham, Pitt
Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati
Geno Smith, West Virginia

Bronco Nagurski Trophy, most outstanding defensive player
DE Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
DE Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
LB J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati
CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Davey O'Brien watch list, best quarterback
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Geno Smith, West Virginia
Tino Sunseri, Pitt

Outland Trophy, best interior lineman
OT Don Barclay, West Virginia
C Chris Jacobson, Pittsburgh
OT Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh
C Moe Petrus, Connecticut
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Rimington Trophy, best center
Mario Benavides, Louisville
Joe Madsen, West Virginia
Moe Petrus, UConn

Jim Thorpe Award, best defensive back
Keith Tandy, West Virginia

Doak Walker Award, best running back
Victor Anderson, Louisville
Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati

We wrap up our look at team position rankings with special teams. There are plenty of strong kickers and returners in the league. I did not separate them, though, because those would be more like individual rankings. Those are coming soon.

1. Connecticut. The Huskies have one of the best kickers in the league in Dave Teggart and one of the best kickoff returners in the league in Nick Williams putting them in the top spot here. Williams led the NCAA in kickoff return average last season with 35.3 yards per kick. Teggart was the Big East first-team selection, making 25 of 31 field goals. They should be better this year, even with the loss of Robbie Frey.

2. USF. The Bulls also have an excellent kicker-returner duo in Maikon Bonani and Lindsey Lamar. Bonani made 17 of 21 kicks last year, while Lamar was the first-team All-Big East selection, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaging 26 yards per return. Add in punt returner Terrence Mitchell and this is one of the best units in the league.

3. Louisville. The Cardinals have one of the best in the league in Chris Philpott, who punts and kicks. Josh Bleser is solid in splitting the punting duties with Philpott. Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright are back as kickoff returners -- both averaged 30-plus yards per return last season. Wright's kick return helped the Cardinals win the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl last year. Doug Beaumont is gone as punt returner, but he is the only loss. This unit has a chance to be No. 1 at year's end.

4. Syracuse. The Orange have one of the best kickers in the league in Ross Krautman, who missed just one of his 19 field goal attempts last season. They do lose their top punt returner in Mike Holmes, along with punter Rob Long so there are questions at some of the most important spots on special teams. But Krautman, and the return of Dorian Graham and Prince-Tyson Gulley returning kicks puts this unit just ahead of the Bearcats.

5. Cincinnati. This is a mixed bag for the Bearcats. They have the best punter in the league in Pat O'Donnell, who also happens to be a physical freak in the weight room. They should be decent in the return game with the return of D.J. Woods, who will compete with Anthony McClung, Shaq Washington and Kenbrell Thompkins to return kicks and punts. Darrin Williams is in the mix for kickoff returner, too. But kicker is a huge question mark. Jacob Rogers was solid last season. Now there is uncertainty in the competition between Tony Miliano and Danny Milligan. Coach Butch Jones says he won't name a starter until game week.

6. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights also have question marks here. Kicker San San Te returns, but he needs to be better from longer distances (2-of-7 from 40-plus yards). Punter Teddy Dellaganna is gone and so is kickoff returner Joe Lefeged. True freshman Anthony DiPaula enrolled early and takes over at punter. Mason Robinson is back at punt returner, and Jeremy Deering and Mark Harrison make a good combo returning kicks.

7. West Virginia. The Mountaineers need more consistency from kicker Tyler Bitancurt, who missed his final four kicks of last season. He made just 10 of 17 attempts and looked shaky in the spring. West Virginia has a new holder and a new punter in Corey Smith, and hopes for improvement in the return game.

8. Pittsburgh. The Panthers have to replace both kicking specialists, including Big East first-team punter Dan Hutchins. At punter, you have walk-ons Matt Yoklic and Drake Greer, neither of whom has punted in a collegiate game. Kevin Harper takes over as kicker and had a good spring game. The Panthers also replace their long-snapper, so there will be a period of adjustment for this unit when the season starts. Cameron Saddler is a bright spot at returner.

Previous rankings

• Offensive line
• Receiver
• Running back
• Tight end
• Quarterback
• Defensive line
• Linebacker
• Safety
• Cornerback

Three more watch lists have been released featuring several Big East players. Yes, we are getting close to the season; we have less than a month until preseason camps open.

Here they are:

Lou Groza Award, presented to the nation’s most outstanding place-kicker.

Maikon Bonani, USF
Ross Krautman, Syracuse
Dave Teggart, Connecticut

Outland Trophy, presented to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman.

OT Don Barclay, West Virginia
C Chris Jacobson, Pittsburgh
OT Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh
C Moe Petrus, Connecticut
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Bronco Nagurski Trophy, presented to the nation’s most outstanding defensive player.

DE Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
DE Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
LB J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati
CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

On Wednesday, I wrote about how South Florida has put together a winning streak based largely on chemistry and not dominating stats. But let's not discount the importance of special teams.

The Bulls have the leading kick returner in the league in Lindsey Lamar and the second-best punt returner in Terrence Mitchell. Lamar brought back a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last week against Louisville to change that game, while Mitchell's long punt return versus Rutgers set up a score in an eventual 1-point win. Kicker Maikon Bonani is 11-of-13 on field goals since taking over the job from Eric Schwartz.

Head coach Skip Holtz credits the work of special-teams coach Vernon Hargreaves, a former star player at Connecticut who came to Tampa with Holtz from East Carolina.

"I can't say enough positive things about the job Vernon Hargreaves has done," Holtz said. "You look at the return game, and Terrence Mitchell and Lindsey Lamar were not even our returners to start the year, and both of them have given us huge boosts.

"I think we are really growing, and the thing that's exciting is that you've got a freshman and a sophomore back there as your return guys who are creating a lot of excitement right now for this football team. But it's also the way all the guys have bought in. It's the other 10 guys blocking for them and creating holes and windows."

Holtz pointed to players like Armando Sanchez and Donte Spires who have played critical, if unsung, roles on return teams.

"We have a bunch of starters who we've tried to take off special teams," Holtz said. "But they're like, 'Nah, if a punt return will make a difference in this game, I'm playing it.' A lot of other places I've been special teams aren't as important and it's almost like a demotion. Here, guys are really excited about it."

Special teams are an area to watch in Saturday's game against Pittsburgh. The Panthers shot themselves in the foot in the kicking game against Connecticut, allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown, fumbling a return that led to a score and shanking a couple of punts.