ESPN College Football

Sports fans cannot get enough of their teams -- particularly behind-the-scenes looks at their teams. That is one reason why "Hard Knocks" is so popular.

Rutgers has decided to delve into behind-the-scenes territory with a 90-minute documentary airing Saturday called “RFootball: 15 Days of Spring.” New coach Kyle Flood gave Mind Over Media total access to the program as it focused on telling the story of his first spring as head coach.

The documentary starts with the first day of spring practice, as Flood prepares to leave his home at 5 a.m. He gives his son a hug and is off to the athletic facility in the dark. When he arrives, he stops at the entrance, snaps a quick photo and then begins his day. Next up is linebacker Steve Beauharnais, one of several players miked for the documentary.

"This is the time to come together and build chemistry," he says into the camera. "This is a great time to get on the field, do what we love and build more chemistry."

Specifically about Flood going into his first spring, Beauharnais says, "It doesn't seem like it's his first rodeo. I love the way he's handling things, the way he's handling the media. I think he's going to live up to the expectations, and so is this team."

There is plenty to be seen, from the equipment room -- stacked with boxes and jerseys and pants -- to the weight room, to the practice field. Scott Vallone details film he watches so you get a better idea of what players are actually studying when they say, "I have been getting in the film room more."

There is even a glimpse into the home life of Rutgers fullback Michael Burton, who arrives at his room to find his girlfriend had made him dinner. I can see why he is prepared for some good-natured ribbing.

The documentary also features draft day with Mohamed Sanu and the final spring game, to wrap. It airs on SNY and Comcast Saturday. Check local listings for times.

Today, we move on to the candidates for best defense in 2012.

Several of the best defenses in the league from a year ago return with their key players. A few others should make improvements. Who are my top four candidates headed into spring practice?

Cincinnati. The Bearcats have some definite question marks on defense headed into the season, with JK Schaffer, Derek Wolfe and John Hughes gone. But they also return some veteran players, particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. Walter Stewart is poised for a breakout season at end. Drew Frey is coming off an All-Big East season at safety. If the front seven is able to match the production of a year ago, that will alleviate whatever concerns there might be in the middle of the defense, and at corner.

UConn. The Huskies had the best run defense a year ago, but the worst pass offense. I fully expect the back end to be much better, with Blidi Wreh-Wilson back and healthy, and several young players in Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones having gained experience a year ago. Kendall Reyes is gone inside, but this is a defense that returns a majority of its starters, along with solid linebacker Sio Moore.

Louisville. The Cardinals finished No. 2 last season in total defense, and return a great majority of their key contributors. The big hole is in the middle of the defense since Dexter Heyman is done. The secondary should be much improved now that young players have much more game experience. The Cardinals need more depth along the defensive line, but the players who should contribute all saw significant action last season. If there is one thing you can bank on with a Charlie Strong-coached team, it is solid defense.

Rutgers. This would be my preseason choice for No. 1 defense. The Scarlet Knights were No. 1 in the Big East last year and return virtually everybody. That includes Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year Khaseem Greene, along with Logan Ryan, Scott Vallone and Steve Beauharnais. Greg Schiano is gone, but the aggressive defensive scheme that he favored will remain.

I included "other" as an option so folks can express their displeasure with my four choices. If I had to put in a No. 5 choice, it would probably be USF. The Bulls return many key players, including Sam Barrington, DeDe Lattimore, Ryne Giddins and Kayvon Webster. But they also switched defensive coordinators and have to prove they can hold on to four-quarter leads.

Make sure to vote, or send me an email or leave a response in the comments section with your prediction for best defense in 2012.

We continue with our final 2011 position rankings by moving to linebacker. There were plenty of exemplary individual performances in this group, as six teams were represented on the Big East first and second teams. But this evaluation is of the unit as a whole, so I am factoring in the performance of every starter, along with depth and stats.

1. Rutgers. Khaseem Greene's move to linebacker was the smartest position change of the year, pushing the Scarlet Knights into the top spot in this category. Greene led the league with 140 tackles en route to Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was essentially all over the field. Greene and Steve Beauharnais were the only linebacker tandem to finish in the top 10 in the Big East in tackles for loss. Add in the much-improved Jamal Merrell and it's easy to see why this group is No. 1. Preseason ranking: No. 4.

2. Cincinnati. J.K. Schaffer had yet another outstanding season for the Bearcats, racking up 100 tackles once again. But quietly, Maalik Bomar put together a nice year as well, and that helped make up for some serious question marks that surrounded this unit going into the season. True freshmen Dwight Jackson and Nick Temple made contributions, but on the whole it was the Schaffer show again and that was enough to boost this group. Preseason ranking: 8.

3. Louisville. Dexter Heyman and Preston Brown had career seasons for the Cardinals, elevating the position and helping Louisville post another outstanding season on defense. Heyman and Brown finished in the top 15 in the Big East in tackles, and Heyman ranked fourth in the league with 16 tackles for loss. His play earned him second-team honors, and he leaves a big hole to fill for 2012. Preseason ranking: 3.

4. UConn. The Huskies were one of two teams without a linebacker on the Big East first or second team. But I thought this position group was vastly underrated for most of the year. Sio Moore came up with some big plays, and Yawin Smallwood and Jory Johnson developed nicely throughout the season. To illustrate how active Moore was, he was the top linebacker in tackles for loss with 16. This unit should be even better in 2012. Preseason ranking: 2.

5. USF. The Bulls were the other team without a linebacker named to the Big East first or second team but that shouldn't diminish the season DeDe Lattimore had. He had seven sacks, 13 tackles for loss and led the team in tackles. In fact, all three linebackers led the team, in Mike Lanaris and Sam Barrington. But the group as a whole underachieved, as the Bulls struggled to get teams off the field and were often times out of position to make a play. Preseason ranking: 1.

6. West Virginia. Middle linebacker Najee Goode had a terrific season, earning first team Big East honors. But beyond him, there were few significant contributions. Injuries hurt and so did inexperience. Plus, the expected emergence of junior college transfer Josh Francis never materialized. Between Jared Barber, Jewone Snow and Doug Rigg, there was not much doing in this group. Preseason ranking: 5.

7. Pitt. The problem in evaluating Pitt is this -- Brandon Lindsey played both end and linebacker in the hybrid Panther role. Does he get evaluated with the line group or the linebacker group? He started eight games on the line, so I gave more weight to his contributions at end. However, I did take him into account for this unit, though it was not enough to life this group up much as a whole. Max Gruder was solid, but otherwise this was a lackluster bunch. Todd Thomas showed some spark but injuries slowed him down. Between Shane Gordon, Greg Williams and Tristan Roberts, there were problems all year. Preseason ranking: 6.

8. Syracuse. It was a struggle for the Orange on defense this season, and linebacker was no exception. Marquis Spruill had to make the transition to middle linebacker and struggled at times. Dyshawn Davis showed glimpses as a true freshman. Dan Vaughan actually was the leading linebacker in tackles. You generally want your linebackers to lead the team in that category, and that was not the case this season. But there is talent here. Another year of development for Spruill and Davis could yield big things in 2012. Preseason ranking: 7.

Rutgers and Army are tied at 6 at halftime, thanks in part to some key Scarlet Knights defensive stops in the game at Yankee Stadium.

Army got down inside the Rutgers 3-yard line on its first two possessions, but the defense held the Black Knights to two field goals. On their next drive, Army went for it on a fourth-and-2 from the Rutgers 40, but Steve Beauharnais came up with the huge stop on quarterback Angel Santiago, starting in place of the injured Trent Steelman.

That stop led to Rutgers' only touchdown of the game, a 3-yard pass from Chas Dodd to Michael Burton. San San Te missed the extra point. The Rutgers offense has been slow to get going with Dodd back in the starting lineup. Rutgers has 35 yards rushing and has been limited to just 11 minutes of possession time because Army plays ball control with the triple option.

Receiver Mohamed Sanu already has six catches. He needs 12 to set the Big East record for single-season receptions. Larry Fitzgerald holds the mark of 92.

Eric LeGrand took part in the coin toss before the game started. LeGrand was paralyzed a little over a year ago while making a tackle during a game against Army.

The two worst teams in the Big East last season are now among the two best.

How has it happened for Cincinnati and Rutgers?

Defense.

Both teams feature aggressive, opportunistic units that have made huge strides defending opponents, and that is a big reason each team has gone from 4-8 in 2010 to 4-1 at the midway point of the season. A quick check of the stats show how far both defenses have come.

Last season, Rutgers and Cincinnati were the two worst defenses in total defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense and sacks. Cincinnati was the worst team in the league in turnover margin.

Now? Rutgers is No. 1 in scoring defense; Cincinnati is No. 3. Rutgers is No. 2 in total defense; Cincinnati is No. 4. The Scarlet Knights lead the league with 20 sacks. Cincinnati is third with 17.

And the two teams lead the nation in turnover margin. Rutgers has 22 takeaways -- tying the total amount from 2010. Cincinnati is second with 18 takeaways -- four more than all of last season.

Rutgers has gotten so many solid performances from so many of its players, coach Greg Schiano demurred when asked for an MVP.

"The group," Schiano said. "The thing that I really enjoy most about coaching these guys is there is an unselfishness about us. That is the MVP."

There are a few big reasons Rutgers is playing well on defense. Schiano began moving players around the defense to help get more speed on the field.

Among the most significant moves -- Justin Francis to defensive tackle; Khaseem Greene to weakside linebacker; and David Rowe to safety. Greene is in contention for Big East defensive player of the year, as he averages nine tackles a game. Francis leads the league with 4.5 sacks. Rowe has two interceptions this season.

Schiano, whose background is on defense, is now calling the plays for the first time since 2008. Linebacker Steve Beauharnais said that has had a huge impact. At the beginning of training camp, Schiano showed a tape to his entire defense that essentially set the tone for what he wanted out of them.

The tape showed animals in the wild hunting for food. Specifically, Beauharnais remembers seeing lions taking down zebras as their prey. Schiano used it as an analogy for his players -- they needed to be relentless in pursuit of what they wanted. In their case, that meant going after the ball and their opponent.

"At first I was like what does this have to do with football?" Beauharnais said in a phone interview. "But when he stopped to explain it, everybody got the picture. You see us all swarming, attacking. We are real aggressive, and we are always running to the ball."

Schiano also stressed the need to play as one before every practice during training camp. He would hold his two hands far apart, then join them together in a fist. That was his way of showing his players how they needed to come together.

"We've always been friends, but I don't think we've ever been this close," Beauharnais said. "Everybody talks to everybody, and everybody hangs out with everybody. It's like a family."

The mentality has been much the same at Cincinnati. Coach Butch Jones has stressed becoming a more physical team. In fact, there are signs hanging up in the locker room that say, "Live Toughness Daily."

That has shown. The Bearcats have used an aggressive defensive front to help them set the tone in their games. Dan Giordano and Derek Wolfe have four sacks each, and Wolfe is third in the league with seven tackles for loss. In their last two outings, they have held their opponents to negative rushing yards.

What has helped has been the return of all 11 starters on defense. They have gained another year of experience, which means they are another year more mature, and another year more responsible to each other.

"The overall maturity and bond that our team has now is really starting to come into effect," Cincinnati linebacker JK Schaffer said. "Even when the offense isn’t putting points up on the board sometimes, we’re not saying, 'What is the offense doing? They need to put some points on the board.' No we’re like, 'OK, let’s go out there and play.' The whole mindset changed. Our team had to grow up. We were immature last year, a little resistant to some of the things we were doing. Now that the team’s grown up, we’ve accepted our jobs and responsibilities. Coach Jones talks about indisputable role understanding and guys are doing that."

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

Offense: Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh.Graham rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and finished with 309 all-purpose yards, leading Pittsburgh to a 44-17 win against No. 16 USF. Graham, the nation’s third-leading rusher this season (146.8 ypg), was also chosen as the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.

Defense: Steve Beauharnais, LB, Rutgers. Beauharnais had nine tackles, two sacks and an interception, leading Rutgers to a 19-16 double overtime win at Syracuse. Beauharnais’ interception came on Syracuse’s last drive of the fourth quarter, and his 44-yard return allowed the Scarlet Knights a chance at the potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation.

Special teams: Jamal Merrell, LB, Rutgers. Merrell blocked two kicks -- a field goal attempt and a PAT try -- potentially taking four points off the board in a game that went to double overtime. Merrell also started at linebacker and contributed four tackles and a forced fumble as part of a defense that produced five takeaways.

Weekly honor roll

JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati. Had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a half-sack in a 27-0 win at Miami (Ohio). Led a defense that held the RedHawks to minus-3 rushing yards.

Johnny McEntee, QB, UConn. Went 22-of-39 for career highs of 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-31 loss to Western Michigan.

Jarred Holley, S, Pittsburgh. Had 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a 44-17 win against No. 16 USF.

Dustin Garrison, RB, West Virginia. Rushed for 291 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in a 55-10 win against Bowling Green.

Julian Miller, DT, West Virginia. Had seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in a 55-10 win against Bowling Green.

San San Te missed a field goal that would have won it in regulation, but he made up for it with a 47-yarder in the second overtime to lift Rutgers over Syracuse 19-16.

Rutgers erased a 13-3 third-quarter deficit behind true freshman quarterback Gary Nova, who replaced an ineffective Chas Dodd after halftime. Though Nova was not perfect, he was able to chip away at that deficit, thanks in part to miscues from Syracuse. The game-tying touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu came after Rutgers blocked a Syracuse field-goal attempt. Rutgers actually returned that block for a touchdown but it was called back on a personal foul penalty on Steve Beauharnais.

That was just the way the game went. It was ugly on both sides. Syracuse had five turnovers -- and the game ended when Antwon Bailey had his second fumble of the game and Rutgers recovered. Ryan Nassib also threw an interception in the end zone in the third quarter with the Orange up 13-3 and trying to build on their lead. He threw another late in the fourth quarter from the Rutgers 37 as Syracuse was driving for a potential game-winning field goal.

Special teams had some let downs, too. The Orange had one missed extra point, one blocked field goal and a missed field goal as special-teams mistakes really added up.

But Rutgers was no better in the miscue department. The Scarlet Knights had four turnovers, three missed field goals, and eight penalties. Four of them were personal fouls. They struggled to run the ball once again, with five total rushing yards.

The game was far from pretty, but Rutgers will take the win. The Scarlet Knights have now equaled their league win total from last season. As for what happened at quarterback: Dodd was 14-of-32 for 166 yards and an interception. Nova was 14-of-24 for 122 yards and a touchdown. Now you have to wonder whether there is a quarterback controversy at Rutgers.

Syracuse and Rutgers are headed into overtime tied at 13 in one of the ugliest games so far this season.

Rutgers had a chance to win the game in regulation after Steve Beauharnais intercepted a Ryan Nassib pass late in the game. But San San Te missed a 44-yard field goal with 11 seconds left -- his third miss of the game. Syracuse has not been much better -- the Orange have one missed extra point, one missed field goal and one field goal blocked in the game.

Rutgers pulled starting quarterback Chas Dodd in favor of true freshman Gary Nova, who played the entire second half. Though he did not generate much offense, he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu with 2:09 left to tie the game.

Rutgers just wrapped up fall camp, so let us take a look at some questions that remain headed into the season.

1. Running back rotation. The most wide-open competition of camp featured plenty of players with talent, but who would emerge? Unfortunately, Jawan Jamison (hamstring) and Jeremy Deering (head) lost some practice time because of injuries. How that affects the rotation going into the season remains to be seen. Without them, true freshman Savon Huggins and De'Antwan Williams had good fall camps so they may be ahead right now. This may end up being done by committee. We will have to wait to see how Greg Schiano handles the situation.

2. Defensive changes. Schiano made more defensive changes during camp, moving Steve Beauharnais back to middle linebacker. Ka’Lial Glaud is at defensive end and Jamal Merrill is now a starter at outside linebacker after being converted from receiver. Those go with changes that were made in the spring -- Manny Abreu to defensive end, Khaseem Greene to outside linebacker and David Rowe to safety. So how is all the tinkering going to shake out once the season begins? Schiano believes the linebackers now have more speed, but the line remains undersized.

3. Punter still undecided. True freshman Anthony DiPaula and junior college transfer Justin Doerner are neck and neck in the competition to win the starting job. Doerner also is competing for the kickoff job.

Serving up your links for today ...

• Another UConn receiver has left the program.
• Much will be asked of Louisville's sophomores.
• Dana Holgorsen is a reason to be excited about the upcoming college football season. Paul Millard has the right attitude in camp, but Holgorsen has advertised walk-on tryouts for quarterback to the student body. Also in that story -- running back Daquan Hargrett is transferring. Is Tavon Austin the answer to return punts? Ryan Clarke carries a fumble rap.
• Pitt defensive end Bryan Murphy is academically ineligible. Also, linebacker Dan Mason (knee) is out indefinitely. Backup quarterback Anthony Gonzalez says his arrest on marijuana possession was a learning experience. The team has embraced Todd Graham's vision.
• Rutgers linebacker David Milewski is eager to test out his knee. Miles Shuler brings speed to the receiving group. Steve Beauharnais is moving back to middle linebacker after going outside in the spring.
• USF quarterback B.J. Daniels tweaked his hamstring during the morning practice Tuesday. No quarterback has more starting experience in the Big East than Daniels. Chaz Hine has been working at center.
• Prince-Tyson Gulley returned to practice for Syracuse and had a great day. It's been a big year for the Jones family.
• Video: catching up with Cincinnati linebacker Maalik Bomar. Isaiah Pead is one quick learner. Running back Darrin Williams' career is over after hamstring surgery.

We move on to linebacker rankings in the Big East. Will these cause as much outrage over the defensive line rankings? Let me also add that I am surprised only Max Gruder was named to the Butkus Award watch list. Plenty of other good candidates in the league, though there are questions on nearly every team because some good linebackers are gone.

1. Sio Moore, Connecticut. With Lawrence Wilson gone, expect Moore to emerge as the leader of the linebacker group. He already had a great season in 2010, finishing second on the team with 110 tackles. He also had 11.5 tackles for loss and should be one of the best in the league.

2. J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati. Schaffer was a second-team All Big East selection last season after finishing second in the league in tackles with 111. In fact, he has posted back-to-back 100 tackle seasons. He was one of the bright spots on the Bearcats defense and should be even better in 2011.

3.Max Gruder, Pitt. The only player from the Big East under consideration for the Butkus Award, Gruder has 175 combined tackles over the past two years. Pitt is moving to a 3-4 and he will be on the weakside this season. The Panthers need a good season out of him.

4. Najee Goode, West Virginia. The Mountaineers lost many of their best players at linebacker, but at least Goode returns to anchor the unit. As a senior and most experienced player, he is in line to have a breakout season and be a leader of this group.

5. Sam Barrington, USF. Barrington had his best season yet in 2010. He finished right behind DeDe Lattimore in tackles on the team with 65.

6. DeDe Lattimore, USF. The Lattimore-Barrington duo put USF atop the team linebacker rankings, so here they are in back-to-back positions here in the player rankings. Lattimore finished second on the team in tackles in a season that got him Freshman All-America honors in one publication.

7. Marquis Spruill, Syracuse. Spruill had a breakout freshman season last year, with 51 tackles, two tackles and seven tackles for loss in 13 starters. Just a true sophomore, he will be the veteran of the starting unit because of heavy losses the Orange took at this position.

8. Dexter Heyman, Louisville. Heyman was transformed when Charlie Strong took over as head coach. He moved to linebacker and had the best season of his career. He should be even better this year, especially when you consider he is one of the hardest workers on the team.

9. Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers. Beauharnais is the top returning tackler for the Scarlet Knights after finishing third on the team last season. But he has been moved from the middle to the strong side, where he will be able to contribute in the pass rush.

10. Khaseem Greene, Rutgers. Greene has moved from free safety to linebacker, and he should help shore up the entire linebacker group. But the big question is how well he does in the transition.

Previous rankings:

• Offensive linemen
• Wide receivers
• Running backs
• Tight ends
• Quarterbacks
• Defensive line

We continue our team position rankings with the linebackers. This position was one of the hardest hit in the league with the number of quality players who are gone. You could probably interchange teams 2-7 in the rankings, depending on your point of view. So who is going to step up? Let's peer into the crystal ball.

1. South Florida. Sam Barrington and DeDe Lattimore form the best linebacking duo in the league, helping put the Bulls into the top spot. By no means have they fully arrived -- plenty of room for improvement here. What also helps with the ranking is depth. Reshard Cliett had a nice spring, after coming into USF as a safety. Junior college transfer Mike Juene was in for spring and also has raised expectations. Mike Lanaris and Curtis Weatherspoon should be important contributors as well.

2. Connecticut. The strength of the team is on defense, but if there is one group on this unit that has the biggest questions it is linebacker. There is no disputing Sio Moore is one of the best in the league. But the Huskies lost four-year starters Lawrence Wilson and Scott Lutrus. Jory Johnson, Jerome Williams, Mike Osiecki and Yawin Smallwood are all in the mix, but there is no question this group is much more inexperienced than a year ago. Still, Moore makes this a top-tier group.

3. Louisville. The Cardinals lose Brandon Heath and a few other players who brought valuable experience. But Daniel Brown and Dexter Heyman are experienced starters who will anchor this unit. The Cardinals took a hit when Brandon Golson reportedly decided to transfer, so they are going to need to work on some depth.

4. Rutgers. Some players moved around during the spring -- Manny Abreu moved from strongside linebacker to defensive end, and Khaseem Greene moved from safety to weakside linebacker. These moves should make the defense better. Steve Beauharnais switched back to the strong side from the middle, a move that should benefit him. Ka'Lial Glaud is now penciled in to start in the middle. Marvin Booker had a good spring as well. Depth is an issue and true freshman Quentin Gause and Kevin Snyder could play. But this group should be better.

5. West Virginia. Najee Goode is a proven big-time player, but there were some huge losses for this unit. Anthony Leonard, JT Thomas and Pat Lazear are all gone. Junior college transfer Josh Francis and Casey Vance are competing on the weakside and Doug Rigg, Tyler Anderson and Donovan Miles on the strong side. Francis would add athleticism to the group, but first he has to win the starting job.

6. Pittsburgh. The Panthers are transitioning to a 3-4 and experimented plenty during the spring with various combinations. They have experience, with the top seven linebackers on the team returning. Plus Brandon Lindsey is going to play more of a hybrid defensive end/linebacker role. But this was one of the worst units on the team last season. Max Gruder and Greg Williams have to be better for this unit to be ranked higher.

7. Syracuse. The Orange lose not only two of their best players, but two of their biggest leaders in Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith. Smith led the team in tackles, and Hogue was right behind him, making linebacker one of the biggest question marks on this team heading into the season. Two other contributors, Malcolm Cater and Brice Hawkes, were kicked off the team. That leaves sophmore Marquis Spruill as the only player with significant playing time among the linebackers, and he moved to a new position in the middle. Early enrollee Dyshawn Davis, a receiver in high school, is penciled in to start so that should tell you where this group is headed into the fall.

8. Cincinnati. JK Schaffer is one of the best in the Big East, but depth here is a concern. Walter Stewart has moved to defensive end, leaving a hole at one of the linebacker spots. True freshmen Nick Temple and Dwight Jackson were in for spring practice are expected to compete for starting jobs. This unit was not very good last year and undersized, making it the group with the most to prove in 2011.

Previous rankings

• Offensive line
• Receiver
• Running back
• Tight end
• Quarterback
• Defensive line

2010 overall record: 4-8

2010 conference record: 1-6, eighth in Big East

Returning starters:

Offense: 10. defense: 5. Punter/kicker: 1

Top returners:

WR Mohamed Sanu, WR Mark Harrison, QB Chas Dodd, RB Jeremy Deering, DL Scott Vallone, LB Khaseem Greene

Key losses:

SS Joe Lefeged, DE Alex Silvestro, DE Jonathan Freeny, LB Antonio Lowery, C Howard Barbieri

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Jordan Thomas* (417 yards)
Passing: Chas Dodd* (1,637 yards)
Receiving: Mark Harrison* (829 yards)
Tackles: Antonio Lowery (108 tackles)
Sacks: Alex Silvestro (5.5 sacks)
Interceptions: Khaseem Greene* and Brandon Bing (2 interceptions)

Spring answers

1. More speed: Greg Schiano's main goal in making several offseason position changes was adding more speed to a defense that has long been built on that trait. He seemed to have accomplished that this spring. Moving Khaseem Greene from safety to weakside linebacker, David Rowe from corner to safety and leading returning rusher Jordan Thomas to corner all brought more speed to the Scarlet Knights defense. Steve Beauharnais looked more natural at strong side linebacker than in the middle. Schiano hopes that will help shore up a defense that fell apart in the latter half of 2010.

2. Brandon Coleman: The 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman receiver might have been the story of the spring for Rutgers. He showed elite speed to go along with his size, making him almost unstoppable at times in the passing game. His play made Schiano question whether redshirting Coleman was a mistake last season. Coleman seems poised to become a star quickly.

3. Skills set: As far as skill position players go, the Scarlet Knights might have the best-looking cast in the Big East. Along with Coleman, there's 6-foot-3 Harrison -- arguably the top returning receiver in the Big East -- and 6-4 Tim Wright, who was the team's best receiver last preseason before suffering a knee injury. Jeremy Deering's move to full-time running back was a major success, and De'Antwan Williams had his best spring yet. They'll give incoming super recruit Savon Huggins a challenge. We haven't even mentioned the incredibly versatile Mohamed Sanu yet or D.C. Jefferson, a wildly impressive physical specimen who could be devastating at tight end if he puts it all together. Rutgers could do a lot of damage on offense if it figures out its one main question mark.

Fall questions

1. Offensive line concerns -- again: Those hoping for a miraculous turnaround for the offensive line -- which allowed an NCAA-worst 61 sacks a year ago -- were sure to be disappointed. There were some minor signs of encouragement, but losing starting left guard Desmond Wynn for the spring with a knee injury and then having expected starting center Dallas Hendrickson go down with a season-ending torn ACL did little to help. David Osei showed great progress and should take over at center, and Antwan Lowery, Andre Civil and Desmond Stapleton got lots of valuable reps. But this is still the No. 1 concern for the Scarlet Knights this summer.

2. Defensive line concerns: Rutgers knows it has a standout performer on the defensive front with senior Scott Vallone, who played at nose tackle this spring and dominated most of the time he was in there. Justin Francis and Manny Abreu are trying to become first-time starters at defensive end, a position that failed to get a great pass rush most of last season. Young players like Mike Larrow, Jamil Merril, Isaac Holmes and Djwany Mera will have to contribute. Schiano's best teams have had disruptive defensive lines. It remains to be seen whether this one can measure up.

3. Backup quarterback: This is Dodd's team, both because of the way he took charge last season and the fact that there weren't really any other options at quarterback this spring. Just a true sophomore, Dodd must show that he can lead a team the entire season. Maybe more importantly, Rutgers must get someone else ready in case Dodd gets hurt. A pair of true freshmen in Gary Nova and Mike Bimonte will likely battle for the No. 2 job when they arrive this summer. The Scarlet Knights would like to avoid having to turn to a true freshman at quarterback for a third consecutive season.

• Syracuse's final practice before the spring game ended on a high note. Here's a cool story about what former Orange receiver and Super Bowl hero David Tyree went through to support Eric LeGrand.

• Tino Sunseri is still the man at quarterback for Pitt.

• West Virginia's offensive line has satisfied its new position coach. A friend of Dana Holgorsen had a short-lived and controversial job stint with the Mountaineers. Holgorsen's offense has spread -- no pun intended -- all over Texas.

• Notes from UConn's final practice before the spring game. The Huskies' quarterback situation is still up in the air.

• Louisville has had a difficult spring with injuries and is particularly thin at cornerback.

• Rutgers' Mason Robinson is making yet another position switch but says he is fine with it. Steve Beauharnais hopes a move back to strongside linebacker will help him make more plays for the Scarlet Knights.

I'm still hovering around the West Virginia/Pennsylvania corridor but have time to answer some of your burning questions (once again on a Wednesday).

Kris K. from Hollidaysburg, Pa., writes: Everybody talks about Dana Holgerson's offense being high-powered and pass-heavy, but what makes this passing offense schematically different from others? Can you describe the basic concept for us? I understood what WVU was doing, for the most part, with the zone-read option offense, but I haven't wrapped my brain around this new offense. Sounds like a version of the spread, i.e., 4 or 5 receivers spreading the defense from sideline to sideline forcing the defense to try to tackle skill players in space.

Brian Bennett: Kris, it's basically Holgorsen's version of the "Air Raid" offense developed by Hal Mumme and Mike Leach. The biggest difference, it seems to me, in Holgorsen's approach is there is a little more balance with the running game. He also adds some signature touches to adapt to his personnel, like the three-back "diamond formation" and an offset pistol formation he used at Oklahoma State last year. It's still based around being in the shotgun, having multiple receivers on the field and getting rid of the ball quickly. Holgorsen installed the entire base of the offense in just three days.

"The gist of our plays don't change much," he said. "What we introduced is the base foundation. Then we'll go back and take the same play a few days later and do it about 10 different ways. We have base things that have about 1,000 different ways of doing it, based on what kind of motion we want and tempo we want. That's why the offense looks complicated, but it's really not."

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Kirk from Mechanicsville, Md., writes: I've read a great deal about WVU's emphasis on the passing game in 2011 and beyond. I'm looking forward to more of an emphasis on the big play, but how about when the team is locked in a close game? Or when the elements are not favorable to the passing game? Will the Mountaineers rely more on their running game as they have in the past?

Brian Bennett: Relying on the running game more is doubtful, but Holgorsen's offenses have been very balanced in the past. Oklahoma State ran for more than 174 yards per game last year and had a 1,500-yard tailback. As I wrote on Tuesday, there's no clear No. 1 tailback yet in the mode of a Steve Slaton or a Noel Devine. But the Mountaineers do have some big bodies if they need to switch to a power look and pound the ball on the ground.

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Shawn W. from Manchester, Conn., writes: UConn's defense did awesome in spring practice this week. Is this a sign that uConn will do well on defense this year?

Brian Bennett: It would be folly to read too much into a single spring scrimmage. But if the Huskies have a strength on one side of the ball right now, it's definitely defense. That's because they have a lot of returning starters on that side, including just about every main contributor on the defensive line and the secondary and a future star in linebacker Sio Moore. And it's also because the offense is uncertain at quarterback and running back. The UConn defense should be ahead of its own offense this spring, and it has a chance to be one of the better defenses in the Big East for 2011.

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Anthony from McKeesport, Pa., writes: What's the current status of Pitt's Todd Thomas? What position is he expected to play and will he contribute?

Brian Bennett: Thomas, a celebrated recruit, is currently out for the spring with a knee injury. The Pitt coaches think he can play either the spur linebacker position or safety when he's healthy.

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Josh from Orlando writes: I enjoyed your predictions on the potential Offensive and Defensive POTY. That being said, you don't list any Rutgers players even on the defensive side of the ball? Do you think Scott Vallone, Steven Beauharnais (moving back to SLB), or David Rowe (Kiper's favorite at Rutgers and moving to Free Safety) have a chance in this race?

Brian Bennett: I didn't include any Rutgers players for the same reason no Cincinnati defenders were mentioned: both teams were awful on defense in 2010. That doesn't mean they can't turn it around this year, but it does mean they won't get much recognition in a preseason odds situation. Vallone is moving to nose tackle this spring, where he can be good but probably won't put up the kind of stats it takes to win a defensive player of the year award. It's hard for cornerbacks or safeties to win those awards, either, unless they're utterly dominant. The award usually goes to linebackers or defensive ends who rack up big tackle and/or sack numbers.