ESPN College Football

ESPN.com NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have released their latest mock drafts as we inch closer to draft day.

Kiper still has one Big East player in his first round; McShay has none . In his mock draft 3.0 , Kiper moved UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes up to the first selection the Patriots have, at No. 27 overall. Kiper writes:

The Patriots know they have to get better along the defensive front, and that could come via free agency (Mario Williams?). Still, I'd be surprised if they don't target it in the draft, even though Bill Belichick never fails to make moves and surprise during the draft. Reyes provides an active run-stuffer up front, a guy that can eat up blocks and free up rushers.

Kiper also lists Reyes as the No. 4 defensive tackle available in the draft, in his updated look at the top 5 players by position. Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse is also listed as the No. 5 safety available. Kiper also updated his big board, though there are no Big East players on it.

Last up in our position rankings for the defense -- the secondary. In the preseason, I rated the safeties and cornerbacks separately. In the postseason evaluation, I feel that would be a little redundant, so I am taking into account the unit as a whole. Of all the positions, I felt there was a clear bottom and a clear top to the league in this category.

In my opinion, this was also one of the weakest positions in the league. Only three teams allowed opponents to complete fewer than 60 percent of their passes.

1. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were clearly the best here, allowing a league-low eight passing touchdowns, grabbing a league-high 19 interceptions and allowing their opponents to complete just 51.8 percent of their passes. Logan Ryan emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, while safety Duron Harmon won first-team honors.

2. West Virginia. Though there were some problems for the Mountaineers in the secondary this season, for the most part this group held its own. Cornerback Pat Miller was inconsistent and eventually lost some starts to Brodrick Jenkins -- who was an upgrade. Keith Tandy was third in the league with four interceptions, and Eain Smith, Terence Garvin and Darwin Cook played well at safety. West Virginia finished the year as the No. 2 pass defense, and let's not forget some of the huge plays this group made at the end of the season.

3. Pitt. The Panthers were up and down in pass defense all year, and were hurt when safety Jason Hendricks was lost for the year. Antwuan Reed was better; Jarred Holley earned his spot on the Big East first team. This was not an opportunistic group, with a league-low eight interceptions. But it was one that got better as the year went on. After allowing over 300 yards in two of the first three games of the season, the Panthers held the rest of their opponents below that mark.

4. USF. This unit was steady, if unspectacular in 2011. Kayvon Webster was much improved, and Jerrell Young did a nice job anchoring the team at safety. But there weren't big plays -- 12 total interceptions, and depth was an issue when injuries hit late in the season. Major kudos are deserved for holding West Virginia to 237 yards -- second-lowest on the year.

5. Louisville. The Cardinals were better than I expected given all the youth and inexperience in the secondary. Hakeem Smith was good again; Adrian Bushell was a huge pickup and made a big impact. The one weakness was getting beat way too many times on deep passes. Louisville allowed 20 passing touchdowns and had just 10 interceptions, tied for second-worst in the league.

6. Cincinnati. The Bearcats were a much more opportunistic group than a year ago. Drew Frey emerged as a first-team Big East safety, and Cam Cheatham and Deven Drane each got three interceptions. But the long pass was again something the Bearcats had a hard time covering, and wrapping up and tackling was sometimes a problem, too. Opponents averaged 7 yards a completion.

7. Syracuse. Injuries took a toll on the defensive backs last season. Players like Shamarko Thomas, Olando Fisher, Ri'Shard Anderson and Keon Lyn were banged up and that impacted how everybody played. Then the best player in the secondary, Phillip Thomas, was suspended for the final two games of the season. Syracuse gave up 300 yards five times last season, and only had 10 interceptions.

8. UConn. The Huskies struggled in the secondary all season, particularly after starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson went out with a knee injury. There were a lot of young players forced into action, and it showed. UConn gave up over 400 yards passing four times last season, and ranked last in the league in passing defense.

Every team has plenty to do in the offseason. Today, I present to you my top priorities for each Big East program headed into the 2012 season.

Cincinnati

• Settle on a quarterback. If 2011 was any indication, then Munchie Legaux seems a sure bet to start next season. He showed flashes, but he needs to spend the bulk of his offseason developing a nice rhythm and chemistry with his receivers. That was one of the biggest roadblocks for him when he took over for Zach Collaros. Cincinnati has some good talent at receiver -- with Anthony McClung, Kenbrell Thompkins and Alex Chisum coming back -- so this must be a top priority.
• Develop senior leadership. The Bearcats are losing the best senior class in school history, filled with leaders left and right. With guys such as Collaros, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer gone, who is going to take the responsibility of leading this team? That is something that must be worked on throughout the offseason.

UConn

• Find a quarterback. Sounds the same as last season, right? The Huskies never really found one in 2011 and that is a big reason why they struggled. Spring practice has the potential to have five different quarterbacks taking reps in Johnny McEntee, Scott McCummings, Michael Nebrich, Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran. Somebody has to emerge to take a hold of this offense.
• Work on improving the secondary. The weakest part of this team last season ranked No. 113 in the nation, so this is a clear area that has to get better. The Huskies were hurt when starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson missed a good chunk of the season with a knee injury, and they also had to rely on freshmen in Byron Jones and Ty-Meer Brown. This group will be much more experienced, so you have to hope they will be much better, too.

Louisville

• Mature. The Cardinals were one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, and their immaturity showed at times. But now they enter the offseason with exceedingly high expectations. Many preseason lists have them ranked in the Top 25 and challenging for the Big East title. This team will still be young in 2012, so it will be imperative for coach Charlie Strong to help get this group to mature quickly and stay focused.
• Work on the run game. Strong wants the run game to be the bread-and-butter of the offense, and this was an area that took a step back in 2011 with Bilal Powell gone. Louisville went from being ranked No. 1 in the Big East to No. 5 in the Big East, averaging 121.5 yards per game. That is down over 50 yards per game. Dominique Brown and Jeremy Wright are back, but they have to be consistent and the Cardinals probably need somebody else to emerge.

Pitt

• New identity. A new coach means a new identity, so it will be interesting to see how the Panthers look under Paul Chryst and his new staff. We will find out when spring practice opens in March. There is plenty of talent on the roster, but the big question is how will the talent be utilized?
• Is Tino the man? This is starting to sound like a trend, right? The Panthers have quarterback issues as well after Tino Sunseri had a season to forget. Much of his performance can probably be laid at the feet of former coach Todd Graham, who stubbornly tried to run an offensive system that was not suited for the players he had. You can be sure Chryst will open up the quarterback competition to see who emerges.

Rutgers

• Handle expectations. The Scarlet Knights have not been so good in the past when the pressure is on. All you have to do is look back at what happened this season, with a shot to win a share of the Big East title. Now they are getting some preseason love and probably have their best team since 2006. So coach Greg Schiano is going to have to do a good job of managing preparation and focus because expectations were raised off a successful 2011 campaign.
• Quarterback derby. Yet another Big East team with a quarterback question mark. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova ended up splitting the starts this past season. Now there is the possibility that former quarterback Tom Savage transfers back in. I don't know if Schiano can afford to keep playing musical chairs with his quarterbacks every season.

USF

• Re-focus. The Bulls have to put 2011 behind them and focus on the future. This is still a team that has the talent to win. Coach Skip Holtz has to find a way to get that done. This is going to be a veteran team that has been through good times and bad. He needs leaders who will their teammates to victory, who know how to win close games and are determined to get this team back on top. Who are they?
• New defense. USF brings in new defensive coordinator Chris Cosh from Kansas State, its third different coordinator in the past four years. Getting the players adapted to his scheme as soon as possible has to be a point of emphasis in the spring and throughout the offseason.

Syracuse

• More offensive consistency. To be sure, Ryan Nassib and Alec Lemon both had career years and made strides for the Orange. But a lot of that was because the run game was inconsistent, and Syracuse found itself trailing late in several games. This team has to find a way to sustain drives and score -- Syracuse was No. 7 in the Big East in scoring offense (24.2 ppg).
• Shore up the defense. The Orange lose some of their best players on the defensive line, and have to get better in the secondary, which was a major problem for most of the year. Syracuse ranked No. 98 in the nation in pass defense, and they lose some key contributors. Shamarko Thomas is really going to have to step up and take control of this group.

West Virginia

• Big 12 or Big East? The Mountaineers are bent on leaving for the Big 12, regardless of any court outcomes. On-field issues have nothing on trying to figure out where you are going to be playing. And who you are going to be playing.
• Defense. Coach Dana Holgorsen has hired a few defensive assistants, but still no word yet on who is going to run the show. That, of course, will determine the future course of this defense. It appears an inevitability that they will no longer use the 3-3-5 that former coordinator Jeff Casteel ran. Plus, players such as Keith Tandy, Najee Goode, Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller are gone. Shoring up this unit has to be tops on Holgorsen's list.

Let's see what West Virginia's got.

• Ralph David Abernathy IV played the role of hero in the Liberty Bowl win for Cincinnati.
• UConn has begun a search for a permanent athletic director.
• Prep linebacker James Burgess commits to Louisville.
• Pitt players are still a little bitter over what Todd Graham did. OK, a lot bitter. You have got to really give Tino Sunseri credit for taking the high road.
• Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is encouraged by next year's team.
• Is Shamarko Thomas' return the start of a good January for Syracuse?
• Can USF hold on to Sean Price?
• Athlon Sports previews the Orange Bowl. Big games are needed from the West Virginia wide receivers. Yes, folks, a shootout could be looming.

Time to check in with the other teams in the Big East. ...

• Style points don't matter in Cincinnati's Liberty Bowl win.
• Former Clemson receiver Bryce McNeal is headed to UConn.
• Former Florida receiver Robert Clark has decided to transfer to Louisville.
• Pitt is waiting on a staff.
• Rutgers has come a long way under Greg Schiano since the Insight Bowl.
• Shamarko Thomas will stay at Syracuse for his senior season.
• Bruce Irvin's honesty will be missed at West Virginia. J.D. Woods is excited to play in a bowl game.

I'm baaaack.

• Cincinnati picked up a quarterback commitment.
• Desmond Conner of The Hartford Courant has a few recruiting updates.
• Is Louisville safety Shenard Holton gone?
• How about another quarterback choice for Pitt?
• Rutgers has become a pipeline for the Patriots.
• A USF assistant is headed to Youngstown State.
• Syracuse's Dorian Graham and Shamarko Thomas also appear to be testing the NFL draft waters.
• West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen didn't have much to say when asked about some of his players getting snubbed from Big East awards.

Checking around the Big East ...

• UConn running back Martin Hyppolite is close to returning, but it's uncertain whether he will play against West Virginia.
• Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer says it is time for the Big East to force the issue with Notre Dame.
• Louisville coach Charlie Strong has been pained by his team's offensive numbers.
• Pitt coach Todd Graham took time away from his preparations for Rutgers to attend the funeral of a former player. The key to success against Rutgers -- don't turn the ball over.
• Rutgers quarterbacks Chas Dodd and Gary Nova split reps with the first team during practice.
• Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas is pumped to get back onto the field.
• USF returned to practice for the first time since its loss to Pitt.
• With Doug Rigg out, West Virginia had to shuffle its defense. The quarterbacks and receivers do a special drill during practice that has helped them in games.

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone was still smarting over his team's loss to Rutgers on Monday, because he felt his team simply gave the game away.

Turnovers and special teams mistakes really did the Orange in. But his main focus headed into Saturday's game against Tulane is to make sure one loss doesn't turn into two. So he is going to give his team a little history lesson this week, complete with examples from famous people who perfected the art of perseverance.

"People like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein and all the failure they've had in their past and how they succeeded by working hard, keeping their level of focus," Marrone said. "[We'll] give them some more stuff they can relate to a little bit more with the NFL and players that might have been undrafted that became starters in the league, or teams that didn't perform well to a certain point then all of a sudden the level of focus went up. So basically trying to work on making sure our kids' minds are in the right place and to work extremely hard with a high level of focus."

Opening the pages of a history book might help, but the loss itself could serve as motivation as well. After the game, quarterback Ryan Nassib said the offense was humbled because of the way Rutgers forced them out of their comfort zone. Antwon Bailey ended up fumbling in overtime to give Rutgers the win. During his postgame news conference, the entire offensive line stood behind him as a sign of solidarity.

"Our kids are out there trying," Marrone said. "They're not trying to make mistakes. It goes to show you the type of communication and the type of accountability that they have and how we rely on one another."

If there was one bright spot in the loss, it was the defense. Despite missing several veterans and starters, Syracuse's defense played its best game of the season, forcing four turnovers and giving up 302 yards of total offense. Dyshawn Davis had an incredible game, with two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Marrone also spoke highly of Cameron Lynch and Siriki Diabate. He also is hopeful starting safety Shamarko Thomas and backup Olando Fisher will be back this week. Defensive end Chandler Jones has been cleared for limited practice, but won't play this week.

"Defensively, we played well enough to win the game," Marrone said. "We had some younger kids that were playing and stepped up, made some good decisions on packages for the players. ... It feels good to know the younger players are getting better. Were playing faster, that's the one thing you see. Defensively, that's what you want."

Hard as it may seem, Mohamed Sanu went into the season a little bit overshadowed.

Mark Harrison had a standout season last year. Brandon Coleman was the talk of the spring. Tim Wright got some buzz as he returned from a knee injury.

Sanu? Just a part of a talented receiving corps.

Then the games kicked off. Now we know Sanu is not just a part of the group -- he is the best player in the group. And it's not even close.

Sanu goes into Saturday's conference opener against Syracuse off the most productive game in league history. Sanu caught a league-record 16 passes against Ohio last week, following up on his 13-reception game at North Carolina.

He has 36 receptions for 363 yards on the season -- nearly half of Rutgers' team total of 62. He leads the nation in receptions per game and is No. 8 in receiving yards per game (121). And he has four of Rutgers' seven receiving touchdowns.

Two major factors have contributed to his early success: He is completely healthy and completely focused on receiver.

"Everybody has a guy that has special talents. That's Mohamed," coach Greg Schiano said. "Because of that, we needed to use him in the Wildcat because we felt that was the only way to run the football effectively. This year, he's back at his natural position and he's doing a fine job."

Sanu said he has focused on his technique and trusted his training so far this year. But he did not really set any goals for himself for this season.

"I just came into the season open minded," Sanu said. "I wasn’t sure what I was going to do or how I was going to do it. I'm just trying to play well each and every game."

Asked for his thoughts on leading the NCAA in receptions, Sanu said, "I don’t really pay attention to any of that stuff. I'm just trying to help my team win. If that’s how we’ve got to do it, I’m just going to embrace my role and continue to play at a high level."

Certainly Schiano would like some of his other receivers to step up. Fullback Joe Martinek is the next closest to Sanu with five receptions. Harrison and Coleman have three each. Wright has four.

They could get an opportunity against the Orange, who have had their share of struggles against the pass. Syracuse has given up 10 passing touchdowns -- second worst in the nation. The Orange rank No. 91 in pass efficiency defense and No. 106 in passing defense.

Both Wake Forest and USC threw for over 300 yards against Syracuse. Two receivers -- Chris Givens of Wake Forest (seven catches, 170 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Eric Page of Toledo (13 catches, 148 yards) -- notched 100-yard games this season as well. Syracuse also had to defend USC receiver Robert Woods.

But Syracuse has been dealing with injuries to several of its top players in the secondary. Keon Lyn, Ri'Shard Anderson, Olando Fisher and Shamarko Thomas all have been hobbled. Coach Doug Marrone closed practice this week, and it is unknown who will be able to go on defense.

You can bet whoever is out there will be focused on Sanu.

"He's one of the better athletes -- if not the best athlete on the field," Marrone said. "He can make every catch, he can run all the different routes -- short game, intermediate, down the field. The line does a great job of protecting. This has been a recurring theme for us. We had Woods, we had Page. Now we have Sanu."

Here are some news and notes from the Big East coaches call earlier today.

Cincinnati
Can the NC State win be a springboard for the Bearcats?

"When you win, it breeds more and more confidence," coach Butch Jones said. "We need to build off it. Games like this can help you or they can hurt you. We still have a lot of improvements we have to make.

UConn
Starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson has a sprained MCL and is out at least a couple of weeks. Coach Paul Pasqualoni did not have a timetable for his return. Wreh-Wilson was injured against Buffalo, and Gary Wilburn replaced him. He will get the starting nod while Wreh-Wilson is out.

"Nobody's happy about the way this has happened, because Blidi had such a big game going the other night when it happened. It's just a shame. He's a leader, he's a captain, but this is an opportunity for Gary Wilburn and I think he'll do well with it," Pasqualoni said.

Louisville
Coach Charlie Strong said the team is preparing as if quarterback Will Stein will be able to play. Less certain is the status of center Mario Benavides.

“He has a chance,” Strong said. “How much of a chance that is, we don’t know, but we’re going to get him out there and try to let him go to work on Tuesday and see exactly where we are.”

Guard John Miller and cornerback Andrew Johnson are also "prepared to go."

Pittsburgh
Coach Todd Graham knows it has been slow going for his offense, which scored just 12 points last week against Notre Dame. Tino Sunseri was sacked six times, and a big reason why is because he continues to hold onto the ball too long. Graham was asked what it would take to get the offense going.

"Actually run the offense would be the first key," he said. "We've had a lot of misreads, taking sacks on quick-game passes. We're up and down, which results in being really inconsistent. We've done a lot of things. We got better, but that's not what we're after."

Rutgers
Rutgers made some changes along the offensive line, with Betim Bujari and Kaleb Johnson making their first career starts. Was there improvement against Ohio?

“We were a little better. Jawan Jamison had some nice runs," coach Greg Schiano said. "He made some people miss in the backfield and turned them into positive plays, had a couple big runs. Anytime you can produce, which we did, it makes you feel better. But when you watch the tape, it doesn’t take away the evils. We still have our issues. We started two new guys. I felt they performed relatively well. This is going to be a big week now. You always hear coaches say the biggest improvement is between Week 1 and Week 2. For Kaleb and Betim, this was their Week 1, so let's see how much they improve."

Syracuse
Coach Doug Marrone alluded to the injuries his team has had to deal with, especially on defense with players like Chandler Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Olando Fisher and Ri'Shard Anderson having missed time. But he was not ready to make any announcements about their playing status.

"We're a banged-up football team," Marrone said. "We have to make decisions on players -- who's playing, who's not. It will be a very, very big game for everyone."

USF
The Bulls and Panthers face the tough process of having to open Big East play with just five days between games. USF will practice late Monday night, which is usually a day off, to work around players' class schedules.

"It makes it difficult," coach Skip Holtz said. "You just have to be smart with what you do. You have to polish up some of the things you've been running at this point to get ready for this game."

West Virginia
Coach Dana Holgorsen said he has already begun to emphasize to his team that it has got to play smarter. Turnovers, special teams mistakes and penalties really hurt the Mountaineers in their loss to LSU.

Time for lots of flak to come my way over the Top 25 Big East player rankings. Thanks to everyone who submitted their comments and nominations.

This was not an easy assignment for me. In no way did "bias" enter into the picture. I never even tallied up the final player count by school until my post Monday. I tried my best to project the players I thought would be the best in the league at the end of the season, with some input from other players and coaches as well. Will I be wrong on some of them? There are always busts, and there are always surprise players. Who just missed the cut? My last five "cut" were:

Mike Ryan, OT, UConn
Sam Barrington, LB, USF
Scott Vallone, DT, Rutgers
Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse
Justin Pugh, OT, Syracuse

Now let's hear from you. USF fans were by far the most upset with the list because I had B.J. Daniels ranked, and nobody on defense. Let me reiterate an important point: this is projecting who I think will be in the Top 25 at the end of the season. Daniels might not be the best USF player now, but I think he will be when the season ends. USF fans dismissing that leads me to believe they do not have much faith in him running this team.

Eric C. in Pittsburgh: How could you possibly leave off Max Gruder? I would even consider him putting in the top 10. He's had 175 tackles in the last 2 years and he is the clear cut leader of the Pitt defense. He may not be the most athletic or talented player, but he is as essential to this Pitt defense as Brandon Lindsey is, and he is primed to have a big year. What were you thinking, Andrea!

AA:At last glance on the depth chart, Gruder and Tristan Roberts were locked in a battle to start.

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Charlie in Louisville writes: Come on, Andrea. Where is Mario Benavides in the top 25?

AA: I have great respect for him. One of the best centers in the league. Just don't think he is a Top 25 player.

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cory_hartman: It is understandable that Antwon Bailey is not on your preseason list, but he will be on your postseason list. Ryan Nassib and several of the offensive linemen have a shot too, as also do the Thomases at safety. But Ross Krautman is a better placekicker than Dave Teggart this year, just like he was last year. He should be No. 25 right now.

AA: Teggart was pretty clutch with the game on the line last season.

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newarklax24: A placekicker in the top 25. That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

AA: Let me know how dumb it is when your team loses a game on a last-second kick.

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uconnhuskies1995: The league's best OT Mike Ryan should have been on this list.

AA: I thought long and hard about him.

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Calmteer: Biggest snub was DeDe Lattimore, USF linebacker. Everyone is talking about the USF defense and specifically their linebackers........so how do make a top 25 list and not include a USF linebacker??

AA: Was it DeDe Lattimore or Sam Barrington who got snubbed? Barrington is moving positions, last I saw. These guys are good, yes, but they did not make any watch lists and have a ways to go to live up to their potential.

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LeavittyJim: AA, you're an idiot. I'm not even going to waste my time dignifying this with a response. The only reason I came to the blog was because I still follow on Twitter for some reason.

AA: Well, I guess you wasted your time.

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tampbabe67: She has shown nothing but hate towards USF. She won't openly say it, but she lives in Orlando...pretty much sums up some of the things she says about USF. USF has one of the best collections of talent in the conference and we put ONE player on the list. She is an idiot.

AA: Yup, those stories on Ryne Giddins, Chaz Hine, Armando Sanchez, B.J. Daniels and Skip Holtz = pure hatred.

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Any in Atlanta: Really disappointed by your lack of knowledge on the Big East. To have BJ Daniels listed as the top USF player and the only player in the top 25 shows you don't take your job seriously. I come the this blog everyday and wont be for much longer.

AA: Not to compare with others, but I think Athlon Sports had ... wait for it ... ZERO USF players in its Top 25. I guess they don't take their job seriously, either.

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BearcatTuba: I see a lot of USF fans complaining about the number of players on this list. Remember, a good team is made of just that a team, and individual stars can only carry you so far in a sport like football. We (Cincy fans) thought the same thing when BB did his post season list in 2009. UC maybe had 3 guys in the top 25 and it seem odd since UC was a great team that year, and a lot of fans thought we got snubbed that year. But look at the team, besides (Tony) Pike, (Mardy) Gilyard, and (Armon) Binns (maybe) who on that team was a star? Take consolation that she has you ranked as a team at third and look at it like you have a great team that knows how to pull together in the game.

AA: Indeed.

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wvrobo304: Keith Tandy should be top 5 and and Joe Madsen should be somewhere in the teens as well. Stedman Bailey made some big plays last year but I want to see a little more. I can understand him getting overlooked. I think that USF not getting much love from AA is kind of unrealistic. They're always underrated.

AA: We'll see what happens at the end of the season!

The Big East football coaches' call wrapped up a little bit ago. UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni was the only coach unable to make it because of disruptions from Hurricane Irene. Here are some news and notes from each coach:

Cincinnati

• Coach Butch Jones confirmed that he has hired former West Virginia offensive line coach Dave Johnson as an assistant.
• He also said Deven Drane is going to start at cornerback, with Dominique Battle right behind him. Jones also anticipates playing eight true freshmen.
• On the makeup of the team this season: “I like the mentality of our football team. We’ve improved our toughness and mental state of mind.”

Louisville

• Coach Charlie Strong confirmed former Florida cornerback Adrian Bushell has enrolled in school. Bushell played at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College last season and has only been on campus for two days, so it will take time for him to get up to speed before he can contribute.
• Strong also said center Mario Benavides, defensive end B.J. Butler and freshman running back Corvin Lamb are out with injuries.
• The Cardinals also plan on playing all three quarterbacks against Murray State on Thursday. Will Stein will start, but Teddy Bridgewater and Dominique Brown will get in as well.

Pitt

• The only player out for the game is linebacker Dan Mason.
• What is Todd Graham most eager to see about this team? “How we handle adversity. I’m anxious to see them get on the field and execute what we’re doing. I feel good about where we’re at. We’ve got an awful lot taught. I'm anxious to see how they respond and get them on the field in game day. I've told them I expect them to be better on game day than they were in the spring and summer.”
• At his news conference in Pittsburgh, Graham said walk-on freshman Trey Anderson would be the backup at quarterback and Shane Gordon would start at strongside linebacker.

Rutgers

• Greg Schiano on playing N.C. Central: “I’m not worried about our team overlooking anybody. If you know about the type of season we had last year, we underachieved. We didn’t meet expectations and our entire program can’t wait to play a football game.”
• Schiano says running back Jeremy Deering should be able to play after missing practice time with a head injury. As for his running back rotation between Savon Huggins, DeAntwan Williams and Jawan Jamison, Schiano said, “Savon is definitely going to play. Depending on what we run the first play of the game, will it be Savon, DeAntwan Williams or Jawan Jamison? I don’t know how it’s going to go. Savon has done a good job in training camp. He’s shown why he is the player that he is. He’s a talented guy, very mature and worked hard to get ready.”

Syracuse

• Coach Doug Marrone said Phillip Thomas and Shamarko Thomas, and cornerback Keon Lyn are back at practice and would be able to play against Wake Forest on Thursday night.
• Marrone threw out some stats in his opening remarks. Syracuse is 1-12 against ACC teams since 1996, including 0-8 at home.
• He also addressed some of the problems with winning home games. Syracuse has not had a winning home record since 2004. The main thing is eliminating the distractions that come with playing at home.

USF

• Skip Holtz talked a lot about the excitement of playing Notre Dame for his players, and the campus as well. Holtz spoke at a pep rally on campus and felt a buzz around the students, too. “There is a lot of excitement,” he said. “It's fed by not only the way we finished the season last year, but the excitement to play Notre Dame on national television. These are big games for us.”
• Holtz also said he didn’t expect any players to sit out with injuries.

West Virginia

• Dana Holgorsen still has not decided on a running back rotation, but said all three freshmen -- Vernard Roberts, Andrew Buie and Dustin Garrison will play Sunday against Marshall.
• On why he doesn’t use a playbook: “The thought process is we don't want people staring at a piece of paper. We want them to understand it based on film, seeing how it's done right, how it's done wrong and doing it trial and error on your own. We put together a few mini-playbook stuff that's video related. It makes more sense to us."
• Holgorsen also said Pat Eger is leading the race to start at right tackle. Quinton Spain is the backup to both tackles. He also expects Julian Miller to be cleared for Marshall.
• On Bruce Irvin being an every-down player: “Whether he can be every down as good as he is on specific pass-rush things, I don't know. Time will tell. He set the bar pretty high being a third-down pass-rusher.”

Syracuse has had closed practices all week as it begins preparations for the opener against Wake Forest. What are some lingering questions heading into the season?

1. How will injuries impact the team? Syracuse has had the worst luck of all the Big East teams on the injury front. Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas and Keon Lyn have all missed time, though none have been ruled out for the season opener. There also were significant injuries to backups on the offensive line. The good news is that only one player, backup tackle Sean Hickey, is out for the season. The starting offensive line is intact. On defense, having some of the projected starters sit on the sideline also has gotten some young players reps. But with the opener less than a week away, all the contributors need to get back to full contact work as quickly as possible.

2. Will the faster, undersized defense be just as good? Much has been made of the size issues Syracuse has up front. But defensive coordinator Scott Shafer believes his unit will be fast and athletic, and that will help make up for any shortcomings with their size. "We're a little undersized, but as a whole we've been undersized in the two years previously, and other places I’ve been we've done OK," he said. "You try to play with speed and an attack mentality. I don’t get concerned there. The biggest thing is we don’t have guys who have a lot of snaps."

3. Receivers. With questions about whether Marcus Sales is going to play this season, Syracuse goes into the season with solid players Van Chew and Alec Lemon. Both had good camps after injuries slowed them in 2010. But who steps up with them in the event Sales is out for a long period of time? You have Dorian Graham, Jarrod West, Adrian Flemming and a trio of freshmen as well. The reports out of camp were good for the receivers, but we will see who emerges once the games begin.

I had a chance to catch up with Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Shafer. Here is a little of what he had to say:

• Though Shamarko Thomas, Phillip Thomas and Keon Lyn have been out with injuries, the good news is younger players have gotten more reps. One young safety who has stood out is Durell Eskridge. “He has all the skill sets we look for at safety,” Shafer said. “He’s got the ability to play at a lot of positions, but we’re going to try to keep him at free safety so the learning curve isn’t too heavy on him. He’s done good things, but he flashes like most freshmen. He’s a great kid, works hard and is hungry to be a good player.”
• As for the prospects of Eskridge playing this season, Shafer said, “We need to get through some scrimmage situations and see how he does under the fire. Compared to a lot of freshmen, he’s on pace to be ready to play and hopefully our depth is such we get everybody healthy and he’s in a backup role. I’m starting to feel comfortable he’s putting himself in a position to be a contributor.
• At cornerback, Shafer said Ri’Shard Anderson, Kevyn Scott and Lyn are competing for the two starting spots. True freshman Brandon Reddish also has impressed. “I’m excited about his ability and skill sets as well,” Shafer said. “You can compare him to Eskridge in that he’s ahead of the learning curve compared to most freshmen. I’m looking forward to seeing more of what he can do.”
• Linebackers: Yet another true freshman has impressed here: Dyshawn Davis. He was in for spring, so that has given him a huge advantage. “We’ve put a lot on his plate but he’s got a nice attitude, good work ethic and we’re pleased with how he’s doing.”
• On why Marquis Spruill is more suited for middle linebacker: “At his prep school, he played in the box more and that’s where we really like him. He has a knack to play inside out and get to the ball. He had good speed as an outside linebacker, but as a middle linebacker he has great speed. On the outside, you can get exposed in space a little bit more. But if you have good enough speed inside, you become a fast linebacker who can run sideline to sideline. That’s exciting to me.”
• On his defensive tackles: “I’ve always felt like inside in college football, if you’re lucky you’d like to play four even five guys in a rotation. We’re going to have that. Right now Cory Boatman has done a nice job with Jay Bromley. Deon Goggins has improved immensely. He’s still a bit up and down but when he goes, he shows flashes of being a good player. We have Ollie Haney back. I’m excited about a young kid named Eric Crume. He’s a big kid, and he’s done some real nice things coming off the football. Robert Welsh has done some nice things. So we’ll have a committee of kids. If we can go in and say I’m going to get 30 snaps rather than 75, mentally through committee and rotation you can have a group by the fourth quarter that is not getting winded as much and can become a real strong group.”

Taking a look at practice reports from around the league:

Cincinnati: Freshman running back Akise Teague has been slowed by a hamstring injury for most of camp. Coach Butch Jones hopes to have Teague back in four to five games. That has opened up more reps for freshman Jameel Poteat. Jones expects Poteat and receiver Shaq Washington to be two true freshmen to play this season.

Connecticut: Kick returner Nick Williams is seeing more time at receiver with all the transfers the Huskies have had. "He's got real quickness in and out of cuts," coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "His play speed is very, very good. I don't know what his 40-yard dash is. It might be 5.0. But his play speed is pretty impressive. He plays fast and he's got quick feet. He's got excellent vision and excellent instincts with his hands on the ball. He's just one of those guys that's productive. Part of the skill set you look for is playmaker. You guys know what a playmaker is, I know what it is. They make plays. Sometimes you don't know how he did it, but they make plays. Nick is a playmaker. That issue of him being a kickoff returner, that tells you he can make plays. Let's try to use that in other areas as well. Try to get him the ball a few times other than kickoffs."

Linebacker Sio Moore sat out of practice Tuesday, but his injury isn't serious.

Louisville: The Cardinals had their kickoff luncheon Tuesday, and coach Charlie Strong emphasized his team's academics are improving. “When I hit the door there was no standing ovation,” he said. “They were going to hear what I had to say, and it wasn’t very pretty. I told them that never again would we have below a 2.5 team semester GPA. That will never again happen.”

Pitt: Devin Street sat out practice with what coach Todd Graham called a "bell-rung deal." Cameron Saddler and K'Waun Williams sat out for the second straight day, too. Meanwhile, backup quarterback Anthony Gonzalez has been practicing with the H-backs/tight ends. Walk-on Trey Anderson has passed Mark Myers for the backup quarterback job.

Rutgers: Coach Greg Schiano remains concerned with a head injury that has forced running back Jeremy Deering to miss most of fall practice. Deering won't practice until he is completely symptom free, and there is no timetable for when he can return. Savon Huggins and De'Antwan Williams have split the reps at running back during practice. Anthony Lalota, a transfer from Michigan, has decided to give up football to concentrate on academics.

Syracuse: The team is slowly starting to get healthy. Starting safeties Shamarko Thomas and Phillip Thomas were at practice Tuesday. Prince-Tyson Gulley and Steve Rene had nice practices, too.

USF: The team will hold its final workout in Vero Beach today. Defensive tackle Cory Grissom and cornerback Quenton Washington were able to return to practice Tuesday.

West Virginia: The defense had a good day of practice Tuesday. Coach Dana Holgorsen on who stood out: "I am not going to say they surprised me. We have some good players over there. We have some good returning players. Najee Goode is a good player that is smart and is a leader. He is a senior that has been doing a good job. Keith Tandy came up with a couple good picks. They were in the red zone area, which is an area that is a cardinal sin to turn the ball over in, but Geno [Smith] threw both of those picks. He is pretty reliable because you know what you are getting with him. Bruce Irvin is playing well and Jorge Wright stood out yesterday. Terrence Garvin is a guy that is always around the ball. We have some guys that are good over there, and we are just filling in the holes. Those guys need to continue to gain leadership, and the rest of them need to mesh together as a unit."