ESPN College Football

The official league selections will come out tomorrow. Here are my choices for the best of the Big East, from a season's worth of observations and some consultation from league coaches:

Offense

QB: Tony Pike, Cincinnati

RB: Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

RB: Noel Devine, West Virginia

WR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

WR: Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh

TE: Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh

OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh

OT: Jeff Linkenbach, Cincinnati

C: Moe Petrus, Connecticut

OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh

OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut

Defense

DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh

DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida

DT: Mick Williams, Pittsburgh

DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia

LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

LB: Kion Wilson, South Florida

LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse

CB: Devin McCourty, Rutgers

CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh

S: Aaron Webster, Cincinnati

S: Nate Allen, South Florida

Specialists

K: Tyler Bitancurt, West Virginia

P: Scott Kozlowski, West Virginia

KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

PR: Robert McClain, Connecticut

We've got two weeks left in the season, though two Big East teams -- Louisville and Syracuse -- wrap up their 2009 this weekend.

The end of the season also means it's time to start thinking about who will make the All-Big East team. Here's an early look at who I think should and should not make the team at each position:

Quarterback

Raise your hand if you thought Pitt's Bill Stull would be the Big East's first-team quarterback this year. Heck, most people thought he'd lose his job. But he's leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency -- all by a large margin. Had Tony Pike stayed healthy or Zach Collaros played a full year, we might be talking about them here. But they didn't, so it's an easy choice.

Running back

Dion Lewis is a shoo-in. The second running back spot on the team will likely belong to Noel Devine. But he's been slowed lately, mostly due to injuries. If that continues, there's a chance that UConn's Jordan Todman or Andre Dixon could slip onto the first team. Combine the two Huskies, and they've produced exactly 1,800 rushing yards.

Receiver

Mardy Gilyard and Tim Brown are the choices here for now, though you could make a strong argument for Jonathan Baldwin. If Baldwin has a big two final games, perhaps he'll earn a spot on the first team. Jock Sanders has had a great year as well. Mike Williams looked like a lock before he quit Syracuse.

Tight end

No doubt about it, Pitt's Dorin Dickerson -- a Mackey Award finalist -- gets the nod. His teammate, Nate Byham, might be the second-team tight end.

Offensive line

This is always the most difficult position to single out players, because offensive line play is not easy to evaluate from the outside. My two tackles at this point would be Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Pitt's Jason Pinkston. Rutgers left tackle Anthony Davis is the best pro prospect, but he's been far too inconsistent. Pitt's John Malecki is another lock at guard. The other two spots are less obvious. Perhaps Zach Hurd from UConn at guard and Chris Jurek from Cincinnati or UConn's Moe Petrus at center. This is one where I'll have to pick some coaches' brains to decipher.

Defensive line

You might be shocked at the one guy who's not on my list here: South Florida's George Selvie. I think his opposite end, Jason Pierre-Paul, has had the better year. I'd put Greg Romeus at the other end, along with his Pitt teammate Mick Williams at one defensive tackle. The other defensive tackle is up for grabs; I think I'd vote for West Virginia's Chris Neild in a tight one over Syracuse's Arthur Jones.

Linebacker

A lot of players have strong cases here. My three, at this point, would have to be USF's Kion Wilson, UConn's Lawrence Wilson and Louisville's Jon Dempsey. That's leaving off a lot of really good players, including Pitt's Adam Gunn and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.

Secondary

Cincinnati's Aaron Webster and USF's Nate Allen are my safeties, hands down. Devin McCourty is clearly a first-team cornerback. The other cornerback spot is debatable; right now, I'd probably pick Pitt's Aaron Berry, who's coming on strong at the end of the year.

Specialists

The clubhouse leaders are Pitt's Dan Hutchins at place-kicker, West Virginia's Scott Kozlowski at punter, Gilyard as punt returner and Louisville's Trent Guy as kick returner.

This early ballot leaves off several players I had ticketed for first-team honors in the preseason, including Selvie, Jones, West Virginia's Reed Williams, Rutgers' Ryan D'Imperio and others. But there's still time for performances to sway my picks, and I plan on getting a lot of input on my choices before picking a final team.

Now I want your input. Agree or disagree with these selections? Let's hear it.

Syracuse's Rob Long and Connecticut's Desi Cullen are among 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the nation's top punter.

Long averages 42.5 yards per punt and has landed 19 of 47 punts inside the 20.

Cullen is averaging 43.8 yards per punt and has put 18 of his 43 attempts inside the 20.

The list of semifinalists does not include West Virginia's Scott Kozlowski, who leads the Big East at 45.5 yards per kick. Kozlowski ranks fourth in the FBS in punting average.

Is this a glaring oversight, or am I missing something here?

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Stock it to me.

Stock up


1. Tim Brown: You had to wonder if a guy as small as Brown could become a true No. 1 receiver. He's answered that question resoundingly with a terrific season, catching 37 passes for 811 yards and five touchdowns for Rutgers. He had two scores, including the last-minute, 81-yard game-winner against UConn last week. Imagine his numbers if he had a more experienced quarterback all year.

2. Eric Schwartz: There's no other way to say it: South Florida's kicking was flat-out brutal during the middle of the year. But ever since he drilled a wholly unexpected 50-yarder to end the half against Cincinnati, Schwartz has been money in the bank. The junior walk-on has made six straight, including all three against West Virginia.

3. Cincinnati's hands: The Bearcats are the only team in the country that has not lost a fumble this year, amazingly. They have committed only four turnovers the entire season.

4. Mo Plancher: South Florida's running game aside from B.J. Daniels had stalled in recent weeks. Plancher helped fix that with 86 yards on 18 carries against West Virginia, creating many yards after first contact and setting a tone for that game.

5. Gallows humor: We criticized Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe's weird postgame comments about wanting to play against Tony Pike last week. This week, we credit the coach for his surprisingly funny press conference opening line about talking to Jon Gruden. Here's hoping that if this is indeed the final month of the Kragthorpe tenure, we get to see more of the guy's personality in the final days.

Stock down

1. Syracuse and Louisville crowds: The Orange drew only an announced 33,802 fans to Saturday's game against Cincinnati, a number that was probably inflated. Louisville had a stadium-record low 21,497 turn out for Arkansas State. Pathetic all around. Cardinals fans at least had somewhat of an excuse with the bad opponent, apathy for Kragthorpe's team and a game that spilled into Halloween trick-or-treating time. The Orange were playing the No. 5 team in the country at noon and offered free tickets to students. What's the deal with that?

2. Mike Williams: For quitting on his team. Don't be surprised if he comes back before the season is over, but that wouldn't make his decision-making any less boneheaded.

3. West Virginia's pass defense: Cornerback Keith Tandy got burned a lot against South Florida, but he wasn't the only culprit. The Mountaineers rank seventh in the league against the pass and have allowed big days through the air to Connecticut, Colorado and Auburn. That needs to get fixed before the Mountaineers take on Cincinnati and Pitt.

4. Overtime: The very first game of the year, Syracuse's loss to Minnesota, went to an extra period. Since then, the Big East hasn't given us an free football. Come on guys, put in a few overtime hours.

5. Instant replay: Maybe it's just me, but it seems like a lot of the Big East games I've seen this year have been bogged down by endless replay reviews that take far too long to resolve. I'm all for getting the call right, but the countless breaks in the action kill any kind of flow to the game.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

South Florida showed right away it was going to play this game against West Virginia with a sense of urgency, when Jim Leavitt went for it on fourth down near midfield on his team's opening possession. it worked, and the Bulls scored one play later.

The Mountaineers are in for another fight in this spirited series, and it's clear that the South Florida offense has rediscovered its big-play ways in building a 20-12 halftime lead. B.J. Daniels has already completed two long passes to his favorite downfield target, Carlton Mitchell. Makes me wonder even more why the Bulls did not try to do that against Pittsburgh. Truly baffling.

The Bulls' defense has also done a good job of bottling up Noel Devine, and Jarrett Brown made a poor decision in throwing an interception in the red zone. West Virginia did get some points on a safety after a terrific punt by Scott Kozlowski, but once again it is struggling against this South Florida 'D'. Remember that the Mountaineers haven't broken the 20-point barrier in this game the past three years.

Long way to go in this one, but West Virginia needs to continue its recent trend of turning things up in the second half if it wants to keep its Big East title dreams afloat.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Bulls and bears are the lingo of the stock market, while Bulls and Bearcats are the top teams in the Big East. Coincidence? Well, yeah. But that's one way to introduce this week's Big East stock report (with special teams our bonus category this week):

Stock up

1. Nate Allen: The South Florida safety has always had NFL-caliber talent, and he's living up to that his senior year. He played great at Florida State and had two interceptions at Syracuse.

2. Mike Williams: His stock was already high, but now it's soaring. The Syracuse receiver continues to shine and had 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns against South Florida despite the Bulls knowing he's their best playmaker. Is Williams the best receiver in the Big East? Right now, yes.

3. West Virginia special teams: After looking shaky in the spring and earlier in the season, the Mountaineers are improving in the kicking game. Punter Scott Kozlowski was the Big East special teams player of the week. West Virginia allowed 25.5 yards per return on its much-maligned kickoff coverage team -- not great, but better than its season average.

4. Cincinnati fundraising: The school announced that donors had matched a $1 million private gift for an athletics project that includes long-awaited football practice fields. No better time to strike than when your football team is in the top 10. Construction of those fields is the only way the school has a prayer of keeping Brian Kelly.

5. Ray Graham: Dion Lewis isn't the only freshman running back capable of big things at Pitt. Graham bounced back from a first-half fumble to post 75 yards and a touchdown at Louisville. He's got a little LeSean McCoy flair to his game as well.

Stock down

1. Cincinnati's time of possession: Opponents are trying their best to keep the Bearcats off the field, and Cincinnati has had the ball for a little more than 35 minutes in its last two games combined.

2. West Virginia's pass defense: The losses of Ellis Lankster and Quinton Andrews have hurt more than expected. The Mountaineers have been sliced up by both Auburn and Colorado, though they did pick off the Buffaloes' Cody Hawkins three times last week.

3. Syracuse's pass defense: Without starting defensive back Phillip Thomas, the Orange gave up two huge passing plays against South Florida. Thomas will be back this week. Could we see a shootout in the Carrier Dome this Saturday between Greg Paulus and Jarrett Brown?

4. Steve Kragthorpe: Just when you thought the Louisville coach's stock couldn't get any lower, his home stadium empties in the second half as Pitt outscores the Cardinals 28-0. Kragthorpe took over as offensive coordinator this season, and his team is last in the Big East in scoring. Speculating on the next coach has become a full-time obsession in Louisville. Kragthorpe had better beat Southern Miss this week.

5. South Florida's kicking game: Eric Schwartz missed a field goal and an extra point at Syracuse, one week after missing two at Florida State. The Bulls may lose a game because of their field goal troubles at some point this year.

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati: Has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 1,493 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions.

2. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: Has rushed 73 times for 540 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

3. Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse: Has 41 catches for 623 yards and five touchdowns.

4. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: Has 38 catches for 517 yards and seven touchdowns.

5. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt: Has rushed 107 times for 580 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. George Selvie, DE, South Florida: Still the anchor for the Bulls' dominant defensive front.

2. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn: This week's game at Pitt will be big to prove whether he was an early-season wonder or a yearlong force.

3. Nate Allen, S, South Florida: See above.

4. JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati: Has three interceptions and 31 tackles on the year.

5. Greg Romeus, DE, Pitt: Had 3.5 sacks last week and is now second in the league in that category.

Player of the year race: Special teams

1. Ryan Lichtenstein, K, Syracuse: Has converted 9 of 10 field goals this season, including the game-winner against Northwestern.

2. Mardy Gilyard, KR, Cincinnati: Numbers are down for last year's winner of this award, but he does have a punt return touchdown.

3. Cameron Saddler, KR, Pitt: Freshman is averaging 31.5 yards per return.

4. Trent Guy, KR, Louisville: Senior is averaging 30.2 yards per return.

5. Desi Cullen, P, UConn: Leads league with a 43.9-yard average.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Put some backspin on it.

Team of the week: South Florida. The Bulls won a Big East road game and cracked the polls for the first time this season, joining Cincinnati as the only league teams to be ranked in 2009.

Best game: Slim pickings from a short week. I guess the honor will go to West Virginia's 35-24 win over Colorado, which at least featured a lot of big plays.

Biggest play: For the second week in a row, it's a Cincinnati interception in the red zone. This time JK Schaffer saved the Bearcats from having a really tight game on their hands by picking off a Miami pass in the end zone late in the third quarter.

Best call: And for the second straight week, it's a pass play dialed up by South Florida's Mike Canales. This time, he opened the second half with a play action bomb that resulted in B.J. Daniels' 85-yard touchdown pass to Carlton Mitchell. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Big Man on Campus (Offense): Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia. He was nearly unstoppable against Colorado, running for 220 yards on 22 carries, including a 77-yard score.

Big Man on Campus (Defense): Nate Allen, S, South Florida. He had eight tackles and a pair of interceptions at Syracuse to continue his strong season.

Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Scott Kozlowski, P, West Virginia. Kozlowski averaged 48 yards on four kicks, including a 56-yarder.

Worst Hangover: Louisville. The Cardinals were geeked up to beat Pitt, breaking out new uniforms and staging a black-out in front of a sold-out crowd. The fans wished they could black out the second half, in which the Panthers outscored Louisville 28-0.

Strangest moment: On two separate occasions in the first quarter of the Syracuse-South Florida game, one team turned the ball over only to have the other team give it back on the very next snap.

OK, time to pay it forward. (games listed in descending order of interest and importance):

Connecticut (3-1) at Pittsburgh (4-1, 1-0 Big East): Could be an early contender elimination game. We'll found out which of these teams is a serious threat in the league race.

West Virginia (3-1) at Syracuse (2-3, 0-1): The Mountaineers have owned Syracuse the past several years, but the Orange are a bit feistier these days.

Southern Mississippi (3-2) at Louisville (1-3, 0-1): Two old-school rivals meet, and that's appropriate because Louisville has been playing like it's back in the mid-1980s again.

Texas Southern (1-4) at Rutgers (3-1, 0-1): I will pay attention to this game because it's part of my job. Anyone else doing so will need a similar excuse.

Byes: Cincinnati, South Florida

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Our preseason position rankings comes to a close on the final official day of the college preseason. The only thing left is special teams, where we'll consider punters, kickers, returners and coverage units as a whole.


1. Cincinnati: The Bearcats have the league's best return man in Mardy Gilyard, one of the best place-kickers in the country in Jake Rogers and led the league in kickoff
coverage last year. Losing All-American punter Kevin Huber hurts, but Rogers should be able to do an adequate job there.


2. Connecticut: The Huskies had their share of problems with special teams mistakes a year ago, but I have to believe Randy Edsall will get those fixed. Beyond that, they have a senior punter in Desi Cullen, whose numbers would have been much better if not for so many blocked kicks, and a strong-armed place-kicker in Dave Teggart. The return and cover teams should be solid as well.


3. Rutgers: Punting and kicking are in good hands with returning starters Teddy Dellaganna and San San Te, respectively. The Scarlet Knights led the league in punt return average last year and were solid on kickoffs as well.


4. Syracuse: The Orange have the top returning punter in the league with Rob Long and one of the better return men in Mike Holmes. Field goals are a major question, however, after departures left the Orange with only one scholarship place-kicker and none who have performed in a college game.


5. South Florida: The Bulls would have ranked much higher if not for the injury to Maikon Bonani. As is, Delbert Alvarado will have to handle field goals, and he's been erratic throughout his career. Alvarado is a very solid punter, however, and Dontavia Bogan is the best returner in the league outside of Gilyard.


6. Pittsburgh: The Panthers had to replace dependable kicker Conor Lee and punter Dave Brytus. Dan Hutchins will attempt to fill both roles while dealing with the sometimes tricky wind patterns at Heinz Field. Pitt has enough athletes that it should field above-average return and coverage units.


7. West Virginia: While the Mountaineers were awful in kick coverage last year, at least they had the reliable Pat McAfee on field goals and kicks. He's gone now, leaving field goal duties to Tyler Bitancurt and punting to Scott Kozlowski. Both need to perform better than they did in the spring. With guys like Jock Sanders and Tavon Austin, there's no reason why the Mountaineers shouldn't improve on their mediocre return numbers of '08.


8. Louisville: Special teams were an adventure last year for the Cardinals, especially on field goals and punts. The same players will handle those roles this year, so they'll need to have improved leaps and bounds. Louisville also ranked last in the Big East on kick returns a year ago.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

We've made a big deal all offseason about all the talent that was lost in the Big East from a year ago. Usually, we're talking about quarterbacks, running backs or linebackers.

But a lot also is missing from the kicking games. The Big East had some excellent specialists in guys like Kevin Huber, Pat McAfee, Conor Lee and Patrick Shadle. In a league with so much parity, the difference between winning and losing could come down to a missed 40-yard field goal or a shanked punt.

So let's look at how the kicking situations are shaping up at each Big East school this preseason:

Cincinnati:

Field goals are in good hands with junior placekicker Jake Rogers, a preseason Lou Groza Award candidate. But the Bearcats lose quite a weapon in All-American punter Huber. In fact, Kelly said at Big East media day that losing Huber concerned him more than missing 10 starters on defense.

"If I'm up late at night worrying about one thing, it's that," he said about not having Huber.

Rogers may end up handling punt duties as well. Freshman Patrick O'Donnell is also vying for the job.

Connecticut

The Huskies are in excellent shape. They have quirky but effective senior Desi Cullen back at punter, and Dave Teggart returns as the placekicker after being highly effective down the stretch a year ago.

Louisville

The Cardinals were brutally bad on field goals last year and return all three players who attempted kicks for them in '08. Somebody needs to emerge as a reliable option. Senior Cory Goettsche is trying to hold off Jon Payne to keep the punting job.

Pittsburgh

Dave Wannstedt lists the kicking game as one of his main worries this preseason. The Panthers lost Lee, a tremendously accurate kicker inside of 45 yards, and punter Dave Brytus. Dan Hutchins and Kevin Harper are the top two candidates at placekicker, while Hutchins is also the leader for punting duties. Kicking in the swirling winds at Heinz Field is never easy.

Rutgers

Like UConn, the Scarlet Knights have everything in place with returning punter Teddy Dellaganna and kicker San San Te.

South Florida

Maikon Bonani's amusement park fall means senior Delbert Alvarado will go back to handling field goals. He has a big leg but has been wildly inconsistent in the past. Alvarado is a solid punter, however.

Syracuse

Rob Long is one of the top punters in the Big East, if not the country. The Orange have to find a new field goal kicker to replace Shadle. True freshman Shane Raupers looks like the next guy in.

West Virginia

Bill Stewart is wondering who will pick up the slack left by McAfee, who excelled at both punts and field goals. Tyler Bitancurt has been the presumed leader at placekicker, with Scott Kozlowski at punter, but neither has established a firm hold on the job.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

West Virginia Mountaineers 2008 overall record: 9-4 2008 conference record: 5-2 Returning starters Offense: 7, defense: 8, kicker/punter: 0 Top returners RB Noel Devine, LB Reed Williams, DT Scooter Berry, CB Brandon Hogan, WR Alric Arnett, LB J.T. Thomas, S Robert Sands, WR Bradley Starks, OT Selvish Capers, DL Chris Neild. Key losses QB Pat White, OT Ryan Stanchek, OG Greg Isdaner, LB Mortty Ivy, CB Ellis Lankster, S Quinton Andrews, P/K Pat McAfee. 2008 statistical leaders (*returners) Rushing: Noel Devine* (1,289 yards) Passing: Pat White (1,842 yards) Receiving: Alric Arnett* (466) Tackles: Mortty Ivy (90) Sacks: John Holmes (5) Interceptions: Brandon Hogan*/Mortty Ivy/Ellis Lankster (3) 2009 Schedule Sept. 5 Liberty Sept. 12 East Carolina Sept. 19 at Auburn Sept. 26 BYE Oct. 1 Colorado Oct. 10 at Syracuse Oct. 17 Marshall Oct. 24 Connecticut Oct. 30 at South Florida Nov. 7 Louisville Nov. 13 at Cincinnati Nov. 27 Pittsburgh Dec. 5 at Rutgers Spring answers From White to Brown: West Virginia loses perhaps its greatest player ever in Pat White, but the quarterback position remains in good hands with fifth-year senior Jarrett Brown. Brown eased concerns about the transition with a laudatory spring, showing off his strong arm and athleticism. Brown still has much to learn, and the depth behind him remains a problem, but the Mountaineers go into the fall with one of the better quarterback situations in the Big East. Lyons share: Moving 6-foot-8 receiver Wes Lyons to the inside slot receiver position was done somewhat out of necessity; West Virginia was thin there with the suspension of Jock Sanders, and Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks had locks on the outside spots. The idea looked like a stroke of genius as Lyons had what Bill Stewart called "the spring of all springs." The senior looks like he's finally ready for a breakout campaign. Fewer power outages: West Virginia's inability to pick up short yardage in key situations might have cost it the chance to go back to the BCS last season. Stewart made improving that area a top priority this spring, and for the most part, the Mountaineers looked much better in the power-running department, led by the emergence of fullback Ryan Clarke. Fall questions Youth up front: The Mountaineers will have one of the league's youngest and most inexperienced offensive lines in 2009. They're replacing three starters, and one of their returnees, center Eric Jobe, moved into a starting role late last season. Not surprisingly, then, the O-line was overwhelmed at times by the far more veteran defense this spring. Then left tackle Donnie Barclay suffered a leg injury in the spring game that will cost him a couple of months' worth of conditioning. This unit has to take shape in the fall, or West Virginia will have a hard time contending. New faces in the mix: The post-spring depth chart West Virginia released contains the names of a lot of incoming recruits. That doesn't mean they'll all play, of course, but it shows that the Mountaineers are counting on several youngsters to play right away, like Tavon Austin and Deon Long, to add depth at many thin positions. Punting and kicking: For the past few years, Pat McAfee gave the team the luxury of having one ultra-reliable guy to handle both placekicking and punting duties. Now both positions need new players. Stewart expressed unhappiness several times this spring with his kickers. Scott Kozlowski showed the ability to boom some punts but needs more consistency. The kickers, led by Tyler Bitancurt, need to keep improving this summer.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

MORGANTOWN, W. Va -- I had the pleasure of watching two West Virginia practices this week, including a scrimmage on Saturday afternoon. I'll have lots to say about the Mountaineers in the days to come, but I thought I'd tide you over with a few thoughts from the scrimmage:

• The offense had a tough, tough day. The first-stringers scored two touchdowns in their first 10 possessions before the ball was moved to the defense's 10. Several of those series ended with three-and-outs. Quarterback Jarrett Brown, by my count, was 4 for 13 for 44 yards with an interception. Brown got no help from his offensive line, which consistently got blown up by the defense.

• Speaking of the defense, J.T. Thomas had a fantastic day. The linebacker finished with four sacks and an interception. The Mountaineers blitzed a lot and gave the offense a lot of different loss by moving the linebackers around. Thomas and Reed Williams often flew right up the middle untouched.

"We've got a couple of older guys at linebacker and we can move around a lot more than the younger guys to try and confuse the offensive linemen who are pretty young," Thomas said. "Maybe last year with the veteran guys they knew where we were going."

• Coley White ran the second-team offense and did pretty well, completing 5 of 8 passes. He's the spitting image of his older brother, Pat, at least when Pat was a freshman. I had heard the younger White was struggling with his accuracy this spring, but he threw it pretty well the two days I saw him. West Virginia would love for him to emerge as a capable backup to Brown. If White of true freshman Geno Smith can't do it, receiver Bradley Starks will have to serve as Brown's backup.

• Both of the first team's two touchdowns before the goal line sets came from Noel Devine. He had a 65-yard touchdown run where he danced along the sidelines, though Williams might have tackled him if this were a real game. Later, he caught a 4-yard pass from Brown. Devine said he's been working on going north-south more this year instead of trying to cut back across the field so much.

• The field goal kickers struggled, and Bill Stewart wasn't happy with their effort. Tyler Bitencurt didn't kick because of a minor injury, and Stewart said his kickers needed to get tougher. But Scott Kozlowski showed promise by booming several punts out of the shadow of his own goal post.

• Another bright spot for the offense was the play of Ryan Clarke. The 240-pound redshirt freshman got the ball over and over again on the goal line sets, and he barreled in three times, including once from the 5-yard line when he carried tacklers with him. West Virginia desperately needs a power back like Clarke.

• The Mountaineers will practice at 6 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

It's a late lunch for the links today as I just finished up practice and interviews at Cincinnati.

• The Syracuse Post-Standard's Donnie Webb has more on the promotion of freshman Ryan Nassib to starting quarterback, including reaction from last year's starter Cam Dantley and former starter Andrew Robinson, who's been switched to tight end.

"They obviously came to a consensus on what they wanted, so I respect their decision, obviously," Dantley said. "It just made me keep realizing, I've been in this situation before. Nothing new to me. I'm going to keep on working regardless."

"I feel a sense of relief," Robinson said, "and I feel a sense of rejuvenation with my football-playing career. I think it's going to work out for the better. I really do. I'm not just saying that just because it's the right thing to say. I'm saying that because that's really the way I feel."

• Pitt's uber-talenteed Jonathan Baldwin is working to become a more complete receiver, Colin Dunlap writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• Scott Kozlowski is trying to follow in the footsteps of Pat McAfee as West Virginia's punter, Dave Hickman writes in the Charleston Gazette.

• Zach Frazer and Moe Petrus are spending time off the field mentoring kids, Desmond Conner says in the Hartford Courant.

• Rutgers kicker San San Te had back surgery after being bothered by a stress fracture all season in 2008, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

West Virginia won't begin spring practice until March 24, but for those of you yearning for a Mountaineers football fix, the team has posted its spring prospectus online.

The thing that's bound to catch most eyes is the spring depth chart. Again, like all spring depth charts, this should be viewed as a rough draft only. But there are still some interesting items here, such as:

• The team is painfully thin and unproven at the slot receiver spot with Jock Sanders still suspended. The depth chart lists starters at two different slot positions: seldom-used seniors Carmen Connolly and Jack Crow. No backups are listed behind either. Unless Sanders makes it back by the start of the year, West Virginia may have to rely on newcomers like Deon Long and Tavon Austin to add depth there. Backup tailback Mark Rodgers can also slide out to the slot.

• Only two starters are back on the offensive line in center Eric Jobe and right tackle Selvish Capers. The first-stringers going into the spring are sophomore Don Barclay at left tackle, sophomore Josh Jenkins at left guard and junior Matt Timmerman at right guard.

• The fullback position, which proved to be a trouble spot last season, bears watching. Returning starter Will Johnson is listed on top there, but Ricky Kovatch and redshirt freshman Ryan Clarke are right behind.

• There aren't a lot of holes to be filled on the defensive side. Senior Zac Cooper, who played defensive end last season, is currently listed as the starter at strongside linebacker, with Reed Williams and Anthony Leonard in the middle. Senior Franchot Allen is penciled in as the replacement for bandit safety Quinton Andrews, a three-year starter who is transferring. Keith Tandy leads a group of four players working at Ellis Lankster's old cornerback spot.

• It will take two men to replace Pat McAfee. Tyler Bitancurt is currently listed as the top place-kicker, while Scott Kozlowski begins the spring as the No. 1 punter and kickoff man.