Big East: Troy Pascley
Stock up
1. Ryan Nassib: Making his first start at quarterback for Syracuse, Nassib completed 17 of 27 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a win at Akron. That earned him Big East player of the week honors.
2. The West Virginia kicking game: The Mountaineers' kickoff coverage, which had been pretty awful the last couple of years, allowed only 94 return yards on six kickoffs against Coastal Carolina. New punter Gregg Pugnetti averaged 49.2 yards on six attempts, including a 71-yarder.
3. Jordan Thomas: The Rutgers true freshman got 15 touches in the opener against Norfolk State. While he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, he flashed his speed and quickness and showed he can be an asset to the Scarlet Knights' offense.
4. Steven Bravo-Brown: A true freshman walk-on, Bravo-Brown got thrown right into the fire for South Florida. The receiver had four catches for 48 yards against Stony Brook.
Stock down
1. The Cincinnati offense: The Bearcats were among the nation's top-scoring teams last year, and that figured to continue under Butch Jones. But Cincinnati mustered only 14 points at Fresno State -- none in the second half -- as the offensive line allowed eight sacks. And receiver Vidal Hazelton has been lost for the year to a torn ACL.
2. Pitt's red zone offense: The Panthers were inside Utah's 20 four times but came away with just one touchdown and three field goals. Pitt was one of the best teams in the country in red zone offense the past two years. It will need sevens, not threes, against upcoming opponents Miami and Notre Dame.
3. Connecticut's defensive front: We wondered about the Huskies' secondary. Turns out, UConn got pushed around up front by Michigan last week. The defensive line is undersized and lacks experience. "We've got to get a lot more physical," Randy Edsall said.
4. Louisville's wide receivers: Adam Froman completed just six passes to receivers against Kentucky, and none for more than 15 yards. Junior college import Josh Bellamy was hurt early and Troy Pascley continued to be inconsistent. The Cardinals lack players who can stretch the field and keep defenses honest.
Player of the year race: Offense
1. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: Devine assumes the top spot after rushing for 111 yards against Coastal Carolina.
2. B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida: Daniels was strong out of the gate, throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns and running for a score versus Stony Brook.
3. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt: When your career low for rushing yards is 75, that means you've had a great career. Lewis will bounce back.
4. Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: As disappointing as the Huskies were, Todman still had 105 yards and a score against Michigan.
5. Nassib: Might as well give the reigning offensive player of the week some love.
Player of the year race: Defense
1. Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: Had 1.5 tackles for loss and anchored a defense that pitched a shutout versus Coastal Carolina.
2. Alex Silvestro, DE, Rutgers: Silvestro had four tackles for loss against Norfolk State.
3. Greg Romeus, DE, Pitt: Disappointing effort against Utah for the preseason favorite, as Romeus had no sacks or quarterback hurries in the loss.
4. Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: Team's defensive effort was poor, but Wilson continued to be a tackling machine with 12 stops.
5. Mike Holmes, DB, Syracuse: Won the league's official defensive player of the week award for his performance at Akron.
Dion Lewis vs. Noel Devine:
Lewis: 25 rushes for 75 yards (3.0 ypc) and one touchdown
Devine: 23 rushes for 111 yards (4.8 ypc) and one touchdown
Tom Savage vs. B.J. Daniels
Savage: 10-of-19 for 148 yards and one touchdown; rushed six times for 18 yards
Daniels: 15-for-22, 264 yards and two touchdowns; rushed five times for 23 yards and a score
1. Cincinnati: Pretty easy call here. The starting trio of Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and D.J. Woods is as good as anybody's in the country. If Kenbrell Thompkins, Marcus Barnett and Jamar Howard can add to the group, this could be a really deep and dangerous unit.
2. Pittsburgh: It just doesn't get any better than Jonathan Baldwin. Mike Shanahan came on late in the season a year ago and should provide a strong No. 2 target. Guys like Devin Street, Cam Saddler and Greg Cross could make this a corps that can give Cincinnati a run for its elite status.
3. West Virginia: Depth here is a problem. But the Mountaineers are solid on the front lines with Bradley Starks, Jock Sanders and Tavon Austin, who will try to succeed as a wideout. Stedman Bailey played very well this spring at times. Beyond that, there are question marks, but incoming freshman Ivan McCartney could contribute right away.
4. Rutgers: Mohamed Sanu is the only proven receiver on this team. But Mark Harrison, Tim Wright and Quron Pratt all looked great this spring. I'm expecting big things out of this crew this year.
5. Connecticut: No one on the current roster had more than 24 catches a year ago, but the Huskies still should be fine at receiver this year. Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore and Michael Smith are all quite capable of providing big plays. If youngsters like Gerrard Sheppard, Malik Generett and Dwayne Difton can add something positive, this ranking will improve.
6. South Florida: The loss of A.J. Love to an ACL injury in the spring game leaves this group with more questions than answers. Dontavia Bogan turned in a huge spring game performance and may have to become the go-to guy. Sterling Griffin and Lindsey Lamar have tremendous speed if not much experience. Evan Landi is trying to convert from quarterback into a dependable target. It's still a work in progress.
7. Louisville: Eventually, Doug Beaumont (38 catches a year ago) is going to find the end zone. Troy Pascley and the 6-foot-9 Josh Chichester have been around a few years now, and Andrell Smith looks promising. Still, one wonders if the Cardinals have any true deep threats. Incoming freshman Michaelee Harris and junior-college import Josh Bellamy could contribute right away.
8. Syracuse: Perhaps I'm not giving the Orange enough due, but I just haven't been overly impressed with their receivers outside of Mike Williams for the past few years. Guys like Marcus Sales, Alec Lemon and Van Chew have improved, and Hofstra transfer Aaron Weaver could help this year. But this is a case of needing to see it before I believe it.
This was my third Big East practice but the first one with full contact. It was good to finally see some hitting and tackling. Although there wasn't nearly enough of that from the defense. It was a bad, bad day for that side of the ball. But don't take my word for it.
"It was definitely a rough day," defensive lineman Greg Scruggs said. "We've got to get tougher, mentally and physically. We've got to stay disciplined when we get tired. If we don't, then what you saw today will happen. The defense will get run through, the offense will score 50 points and that will be the ball game."
The problems for the defense started early and never stopped. The team went through a drill in which running backs were matched up with linebackers in an open-space tackling test. Not a single defender made a stop the entire drill."Can't one guy tackle a running back?" head coach Charlie Strong barked in exasperation.
Fed up, Strong stopped the drill and made the linebackers do pushups. Receivers were going against defensive backs a few yards away in the same drill and they weren't having any success either. The defense got plowed during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work as well.
Strong definitely isn't in Gainesville any more. The defense needs a ton of work and lacks bodies on the line and in the defensive backfield. A lot of young players are going to have to play and grow up in a hurry.
- Strong, not surprisingly, runs an intense practice. He and his assistants get after players when they mess up, and there were many, uh, teaching moments tonight. Strong is not afraid to run after a guy and get in his face to make his point, and most of his staff is just as intense. It's definitely a change from Steve Kragthorpe, who was a little more laid back in practice.
- It may just be a function of the defense, but offensively the Cardinals looked pretty solid. Justin Burke took the majority of the first-team reps as he and Adam Froman continue to split them at quarterback. Will Stein was on crutches and wearing a walking boot and is probably done for the spring, so it's a two-man race. I continue to believe the starter will ultimately be Froman, if not Dominique Brown. But that's just my opinion.
- The Louisville running backs are very good. You know about Victor Anderson, Bilal Powell and Darius Ashley. I was mightily impressed with redshirt freshman Jeremy Wright, who made an awful lot of plays.
- The receiving group doesn't seem to have many deep threats, but Doug Beaumont caught just about everything thrown his way. Andrell Smith, a 6-4 sophomore, really needs to come on this year. And I keep waiting for Troy Pascley to have a big year.
- Tight end Cameron Graham hauled in a few nice catches. He has a lot of ability and just needs to be more consistent.
- I won't give away plays and formations, but suffice it to say we saw evidence of the Florida spread. Look for this team to run some two-back sets with some option thrown in. Works better with Tim Tebow, of course, but Froman ended the practice with a 65-yard touchdown run.
- A couple of guys who caught my eye in an otherwise forgettable day for the defense: Malcom Mitchell made a tremendous spin move off the edge during line vs. line drills. Shenard Holton put a big hit on Smith to break up a passing play.
- Notably missing from practice were defensive linemen Rock Keys and Joe Townsend and quarterback Luke Woodley, a midyear enrollee. Woodley went home, though the team hopes he'll return for the fall.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- I stopped by Louisville practice today to get my first summer glimpse of the Cardinals. They were in full pads for the morning session and have another workout scheduled for this evening, marking their first two-a-day of camp.
Here are some quick impressions based on what I saw:
• Let's start with the most pressing issue: quarterbacks. Justin Burke got the snaps with the first team as coach Steve Kragthorpe continues to rotate him and Adam Froman at No. 1. I thought Burke played a little better in the spring, but I've been hearing that Froman has maybe inched ahead so far in camp.
Well, it wasn't a great morning for either quarterback, as there weren't a whole lot of completed passes. Neither one has a great arm, which can be overcome by accuracy and timing. Still, the deep ball just wasn't there today. Receivers had to wait or even come back on those long throws, and wind was not a factor. Third-stringer Zack Stoudt, who has the best arm of the three, didn't get many reps today.
• The biggest depth-chart development is on the offensive line. Junior Byron Stingily is now the starting left tackle, while Greg Tomczyk has shifted over to right tackle. Jeff Adams has been bumped down to second string. The 6-foot-5, 293-pound Stingily was a junior college transfer last year who redshirted for the 2008 season.
Kragthorpe said Stingily has really improved in his understanding of the game and position and has quick feet. But he said that "we're still moving guys around" on the offensive line. The Cardinals had hoped to work huge (6-6, 330) juco import Joe Evinger into the mix on the line, but he's yet to practice because of some academic administrative issues.
• Receiver Scott Long did not wear pads or participate in any contact work. Louisville is trying to bring him along slowly after his offseason knee injury. Long, who was wearing an ice pack on his right knee toward the end of practice, was supposed to practice tonight. The Cardinals are a far, far better team when he is healthy.
• Fellow receiver Josh Chichester also was held out of contact work. First-string fullback Joe Tronzo was in a walking boot.
• The first-string defense had William Savoy and Greg Scruggs at defensive ends, L.D. Scott and L.T. Walker at the tackle spots, Jon Dempsey, Antwon Canady and Brandon Heath at linebacker, Karldell Dunning and Johnny Patrick at corner and Daniel Covington and Chaz Thompson at safety. The defense as a whole looked better than it did at times in the spring, but again the offense struggled.
• Speaking of struggling, the Cardinals' goal-line drill did not go well. The first play was a botched quarterback-center exchange. Then there were a couple of offside penalties. Froman threw a pass to Troy Pascley that was about 5 yards out of the end zone, prompting Kragthorpe to yell, "We're not in Canada!"
• It's hard not to notice newcomer Tim High, a 6-foot-2, 310-pound mountain of a defensive tackle. The junior college transfer played with the second team and looked like he could use some conditioning work.
• Mike Fennerty and Cameron Graham were running with the first team at tight end, a position Kragthorpe would like to use. Graham had a tough day catching the ball.
• Kamran Joyer, the former South Florida signee who was released from his scholarship over grade concerns, saw some time on the third team offense. The one time I noticed him, he got yelled at for missing an assignment. That will happen with true freshmen.
I'll have more from Louisville practice a little later on.
Happy Friday, everybody. And it is a happy one, because there's actual football being played (OK, practiced) around the Big East.
As I expected -- and feared -- my mailbag was full of emails about expansion in light of the New York Post article from a couple of days ago. You guys sure love to talk about that. I'm going to keep this an expansion-free zone as long as I can because the issue has just been talked to death and is in no way imminent. But I may relent and run some letters on that topic next week.
On to some emails about stuff that is happening.
Alex from Piscataway, N.J., writes: After seeing the Pitt/Utah series scheduled, I was wondering would it be worth it for the Big East and Mountain West to schedule an annual conference challenge? Say four games a year on a rotating basis? I feel like these two conferences are always lumped together as the two most deserving to be excluded/included in the BCS. Although, the Big East would have more at risk. Perhaps an alternative would be to set up a bowl game for the Big East No. 3 to take on the Mountain West No. 2. Maybe that St. Petersburg bowl could be used.
Brian Bennett: It's an interesting thought, but a lot of the nonconference matchups come down to interest from TV. And given the geographic differences, I'm not sure the casual fan would be too enticed by such a showdown on an annual basis. Besides, after Utah, TCU and BYU, who would you really want to see play from the Mountain West? Do you want a Wyoming-Rutgers game? A New Mexico-South Florida thriller? A bowl game matchup would be fun, but again, geography becomes an issue. Mountain West fans probably don't want to travel across country to Florida, the same as Big East fans don't exactly get excited about going to El Paso, Texas.
Speaking of the Mountain West vs. the Big East, look for a debate on that topic next week between myself and fellow blogger Graham Watson, including a mock playoff. It should be fun.
Corey from Hurricane, W. Va., writes: Randy Edsall and the UConn Huskies recently agreed to play Michigan in the upcoming years, that same Michigan team coached by Rich Rodriguez. When Rich coached the Mountaineers, the UConn game was never close; talent, speed, and coaching were all major factors in WVU's annual double-digit victories. Why would coach Edsall want to renew that with the Wolverines?
Brian Bennett: Despite the rivalry, Rodriguez and Edsall are on good terms. And Connecticut has improved its speed and talent over the years, while Michigan is not exactly striking fear in people's hearts just yet under Rodriguez. Plus it gives UConn a chance to play in the Big House, and most importantly, bring a storied program to Rentschler Field. It's a terrific deal all around.
Russell from Louisville writes: Hey, Brian, I'm not seeing too many mailbag responses from U of L fans the past few weeks ... is that your way of saying your hometown team is no longer interesting, or are you trying not to show favoritism? My guess is the former, as the only input we Cards fans get from the blog is brutally negative. But what about the tremendous upside of returning receivers like "Mr. Hands" Doug Beaumont and the 6-11 match-up nightmare Josh Chichester, or the future Big East rookie of the year -- Darius Ashley? And what about the newly-created "rover/cardinal" position for defensive menace Brandon Heath? Can you give the Cardinal faithful any hope here?
Brian Bennett: The reason you haven't seen much Louisville talk here is because 99 percent of the mailbag emails regarding the Cardinals is some variation of, "When will Steve Kragthorpe be fired?" There's little new that can be added to that subject. I'm glad you broght up something different. I do think receiver and linebacker are both going to be positions of real strength for Louisville this season. With Beaumont, Chichester, a healthy Scott Long and an improved Troy Pascley, the Cards have a very solid core of wideouts. Linebacker is also a position where they're deep and experienced, and I'd like to see what Heath, who's been hyped for a long time but has never really matched it with production, can do in a playmaking role. I don't see Ashley winning rookie of the year honors, because he just won't get enough touches with Victor Anderson around.
Mike B. from Beckley, W.Va., writes: Hey, Brian, I follow the blog on Twitter and enjoy reading it each day. I just saw your post regarding the Big East summer kickoff and bowl tie-in situation and had a question. It's been no secret that the Big East wants out of the split arrangement with the Gator and Sun Bowls. My question is, does this include the split bowl contracts with Notre Dame? Letting the Irish butt in on the league's bowls isn't fair to the eight teams that play football in the Big East.
Brian Bennett: Notre Dame will still be involved in the Big East deal, mostly just affecting where the No. 2 team goes. But the Big East is trying to make it where Notre Dame could only take the slot once every four years instead of two. The reason the Irish are still included is because they bring clout. The Sun Bowl, for instance, remains very interested in the Big East for the chance to get Notre Dame. You may not like it, but the truth is the Big East would not get as good a bowl tie-in for its No. 2 team without the Irish connection.
Jim from Highland Park, N.J., writes: What are you thoughts of a potential New York City bowl game at Yankee Stadium? I have hear many people that think its not a good idea due to the cold weather and open roof. I disagree. The amount of tourists in NYC during the holidays is mind boggling. NYC is filled with people walking the streets, shopping and standing for hours in Times Square for new years. All of which brave the out door temps. I think this would be a hit. Not to mention the millions of people that live in NYC that want to see a bowl game. Your thoughts?
Brian Bennett: I think a bowl game in New York is a tremendous idea. But let me first give you two items for full disclosure: I love New York and would take any chance I could to go there. And if I ever went to that game, it would be in a heated press box. So maybe my opinion isn't the same as everybody else's. Still, if given the choice between going to New York over Toronto or Birmingham, Ala., wouldn't you take New York every time? (No offense to Toronto, which I hear is a wonderful city; there's just no college football vibe there, and fans have to deal with passports and customs). I would rather see the game in the new Giants Stadium rather than Yankee Stadium, though. I like the idea of a couple of regular season games at the baseball park, but let's keep the football on football fields.
Josh S. from Morgantown, Ky., writes: So, when are you going to give us your preseason poll? I am interested to see who you think will take the league this year. Well, we all know WVU will be first, so who do you think will finish second? Thanks.
Brian Bennett: My official preseason power rankings will be out on Monday, and on Tuesday I'll have bowl predictions for every league team. So stay tuned.
Looking back at the '06 Big East recruiting classes
My colleague Ted Miller out in the wild, wild west of the Pac-10 had a really fun post earlier this week. He looked back on that conference's 2006 recruiting class. Players who signed that year should be seniors or redshirt juniors now, so it's a perfect time to judge the class on actual results, not promise.
And so, I figure that's a good idea to steal and apply to the Big East. Pittsburgh had the 16th-best recruiting class in the nation that season, according to our Scouts Inc. experts, while Louisville ranked 21st. No other Big East team cracked the top 25.
Let's take a look back and see how things have turned out, shall we?
Cincinnati
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- LB John Goebel, LB Robby Armstrong, CB Marcus Barnett, TE Ben Guidugli, DL Ricardo Matthews, RB Jacob Ramsey, S Aaron Webster
Misses: DT Oren Wilson
Verdict: Mark Dantonio's final full class contained some players who have already contributed, like Ramsey, Guidugli, Barnett and Webster, and some who should assume bigger roles this year, like Armstrong and Matthews. But overall, this lacked the quality of the deep '05 bunch that formed the core of last year's Orange Bowl squad. Receiver Jamar Howard, who was part of the '06 class but didn't qualify in 2006, is back this year after a stint in junior college.
Connecticut
Class: 24
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Brad Kanuch, S Robert Vaughn, K Desi Cullen, OL Zach Hurd, LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, LB Lawrence Wilson, DE Lindsey Witten, OL Mathieu Olivier, DT Alex Polito, DE Mike Cox
Misses: CB Jamie Nixon
Verdict: As usual, Randy Edsall's '06 class didn't draw much attention nationally. But he found a whole bunch of players who exceeded their star rankings and became key pieces for the Huskies. Lutrus is one of the best linebackers in the Big East, while Vaughn is a top safety and Witten has NFL potential. UConn could use a breakthrough from the oft-injured Kanuch.
Louisville
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- DE Rodney Gnat, DT L.T. Walker, LB Brandon Heath, WR Josh Chichester, CB Johnny Patrick, WR Troy Pascley, OT Jeff Adams
Misses: DT Aundre Henderson, DT Kareem Crowell, QB Emmanuel Francis
Verdict: Bobby Petrino's final class at Louisville looked great on paper but was hit hard by attrition and misevaluations, which is part of the reason why the Cardinals have been so thin the past two years. Some problems were unforeseen; promising defensive end Peanut Whitehead had his career ended after just a season by a back injury. Henderson decided he didn't like football and quit. Running back Anthony Allen transferred. Several others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons or never panned out.
Pittsburgh
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Nate Byham, OT Jason Pinkston, CB Aaron Berry, OL John Malecki, CB Jovani Chappel, OL Joe Thomas, S Elijah Fields, DE Greg Romeus, CB Ricky Gary
Misses: QB Kevan Smith, CB Aaron Smith, DT Scott Corson
Verdict: Overall, this was a deep, solid class that will form the backbone of this year's team. Add in the fact that star left tackle Jeff Otah was part of this group as a junior college transfer, and it becomes all the more impressive. Byham, Pinkston, Berry and Romeus are All-Big East-caliber players with pro futures. Pitt hasn't seemed able to figure out what to do yet with once highly-rated prospect Dorin Dickerson. Running back Kevin Collier could contribute this year.
Rutgers
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- RB Kordell Young, WR Tim Brown, LB Antonio Lowery, DT Blair Bines, LB Ryan D'Imperio, DB Zaire Kitchen, TE Shamar Graves, FB Jack Corcoran, DT Charlie Noonan
Misses: TE Jeff Minemeyer, LB Sorie Bayoh
Verdict: The best player from this class, Kenny Britt, was a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Combine that with a high number of contributors, and Greg Schiano had a pretty good batting average with this class.
South Florida
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Zach Hermann, S Nate Allen, DB Jerrell Young, OL Jeremiah Warren, LB Sabbath Joseph, DL Aaron Harris, DL Craig Marshall, K Delbert Alvarado, WR Ed Alcin, OL Kevin McCaskill
Misses: DT Leslie Stirrups, WR Jason Sherman, DE Joseph Jackson
Verdict: Surprisingly, some of the Bulls' highest-rated recruits in the 2006 class are the ones who didn't pan out, while the lesser-regarded names have gained regular playing time. The best player so far of this group is Allen, who should have an NFL future. This is a good class that just needs a little more star power.
Syracuse
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Andrew Robinson, RB Delone Carter, OL Jim McKenzie, OL Ryan Bartholomew, OL Tucker Baumbach, OL Jonathan Meldrum, DE Jared Kimmel, LB Derrell Smith, WR Mike Williams
Misses: WR Andrey Baskin, S Derek Hrinya
Verdict: Several players from the '06 batch will start this year, including nearly all of Syracuse's offensive line. But this class, like most of Greg Robinson's efforts, is short on all-conference caliber players. Baskin was the Orange's biggest recruit, but he failed to qualify and never made it to campus. Robinson was the starting quarterback two years ago before switching to tight end this spring.
West Virginia
Class: 16
Expected major contributors in 2009: 6 -- DT Chris Neild, WR Wes Lyons, LB Anthony Leonard, C Eric Jobe, S Franchot "Boogie" Allen, LB J.T. Thomas
Misses: S John Maddox, CB Robert Williams, OL Eric Rodemoyer, CB Greg Davis
Verdict: The Mountaineers had a small class in '06, and they could have handed out half the scholarships and gotten the same results. Only eight 2006 signees are on the current roster. Several from that class are expected to take a step up this year, including Neild, Lyons and Allen. Still, only getting six major contributors from any class is a hard pill to swallow.
Hope and concern: Louisville Cardinals
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Biggest reason for hope: Stars at the skill spots
Yes, Louisville's talent level has dipped since the 2006 Orange Bowl season. But the Cardinals still have some front-line stars. Leading the way is 2008 Big East newcomer of the year Victor Anderson, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season as a freshman and should only get better. The receiving group is strong and deep as well, led by a healthy Scott Long, two speed guys in Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont, a 6-foot-8 matchup nightmare in Josh Chichester and an improving Troy Pascley. Stack up Louisville's backs and receivers against the rest of the Big East, and this team is in about as good a shape as anybody.
Biggest reason for concern: Everything else
The offensive line is shaky, while the defensive line is a mess. There are no experienced quarterbacks on the roster and no one with an arm that would impress a pro scout. The secondary needs a serious depth infusion and may rely on junior college players immediately. The kicking game is one of the worst in all of the BCS. And if there are any injuries, this whole house of Cards will come crashing down. Louisville has enough talent to be competitive in a watered-down Big East this year, but its margin for error is razor thin.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Louisville defense carried the day in Friday night's spring scrimmage, which showed that the Cardinals still have a lot of work to do before the fall.
Let's break down the good, the bad and the ugly:
• The quarterback battle was the big story going into the spring game, and little was settled between Justin Burke and Adam Froman, who split reps with the first team. Burke was 6-of-10 for 69 yards, while Froman was 3-for-6 for 58 yards. Froman should have a had a lot more, but his 50-yard pass from the offense's 2-yard line was juggled and dropped by Josh Chichester, who appeared to injure his hamstring on the play.
"I thought Adam threw the ball better tonight," head coach Steve Kragthorpe said. "We missed a couple of protection things where we could have got the ball out to some open receivers so we'll have to continue to shore those up."
Neither quarterback wowed the crowd with his arm and probably never will. But both showed the ability to scramble and make throws on the move, something Kragthorpe is emphasizing this year.
"I think that's what the game has become with defensive linemen as athletic as they are now and all the different zone blitz combinations that you see," he said. "You've got to have a guy make some plays with his feet. Fortunately, we had some guys who did that tonight. All our guys did a good job buying time."
Quick-hit thoughts from Louisville's first practice
I attended Louisville's spring practice on Sunday, and while it was good to see the first Big East team back at work, you can't really learn a whole lot from the early going. The players were in shorts and jerseys with no pads, and there was no point in trying to judge the linemen on either side until they start hitting.
Still, you can begin to get a read on some of the skill players in their drills and see who looks like an athlete and who doesn't. Here a couple of thoughts from the session:
• I was impressed with some of the catches made by receivers Josh Chichester and Troy Pascley. Sure, they all came in one-on-one coverage, and neither wideout had to worry about getting hit. But both guys struggled with drops last season in big spots. On Sunday, they were going up confidently and making catches with their hands instead of letting the ball get into their bodies. Pascley has always been one of the most impressive looking receivers Louisvlle has had and perhaps now he's growing into his frame. Chichester, who's already a weapon at 6-foot-8, has added about 12-to-14 pounds since the end of 2008. If he puts it all together, he could be a monster.
• Steve Kragthorpe is his own offensive coordinator now, and he spent all of practice with that side of the ball, working with the quarterbacks nearly the entire time.
• In the passing drills, the quarterbacks threw underneath and checked down a lot. Kragthorpe said that had to do with how the defense was aligned but it also might give an indication of how his offense will look, with the running backs involved more in the passing game.
"We're really going to emphasize that in this offense, getting the ball in the hands of guys who can make plays," Kragthorpe said. "(Tailback) Vic (Anderson) is certainly one of those guys. (Fullback Joe) Tronzo made some nice catches today. We want to involve all five of those guys who are eligible receivers on any snap."
• Kragthorpe installed a screen pass today that was literally one. He had his quarterbacks drop back and then loft throws over a screen to an assistant standing behind it. Screens could be another big part of this offense. Tulsa used them a lot when Kragthorpe was there, and Louisville ran screens often in Kragthorpe's first year, when his former Tulsa assistant Charlie Stubbs was running the offense.
• Darius Ashley is a name to remember. The redshirt freshman running back looked quick and could provide a nice complement to Anderson. Junior running back Bilal Powell was held out of drills with an injury.
• Take this with a grain of salt, but the starting back seven for the defense in Day One was Dexter Heyman, Jon Dempsey and Brandon Heath at linebacker, Johnny Patrick and Karldell Dunning at cornerback and Richard Raglin and Daniel Covington at the safety spots. Dunning had a hard time containing Chichester one-on-one.
• Louisville practices are a lot quieter now that former defensive coordinator Ron English is at Eastern Michigan. English's voice, along with occasional profanity, would boom throughout practice and would have filled up the indoor Trager Center on a day like Sunday.
Q&A with Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe
Louisville will begin spring practice on Sunday, the first school in the Big East to get back on the field. It will be an important time for the Cardinals, who are trying to fill several holes after a second straight season that ended without a bowl game. I caught up this week with head coach Steve Kragthorpe for the latest installment of our spring Big East Q&A series.
Is spring time an exciting time for the coaching staff?
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| AP Photo/Mel Evans | |
| Steve Kragthorpe will take on offensive coordinator duties this season. |
Steve Kragthorpe: To me, spring ball is always one of the fun parts of our job, in terms of taking a new group of guys and molding them together, seeing how all the pieces start to fit together. We've got a lot of guys who've maybe had no roles at all that are going to jump into roles and some guys who've had minor roles who are now going to jump up into major roles. And the fun part about spring practice is there's always a surprise or two, a guy you weren't quite sure was ready to play who jumps up and says, "Hey, I'm ready to take one of these spots."
How do you see the quarterback competition shaping up, and how will you divvy up the spring reps there?
SK: We'll divide them up pretty much equally for the major part of the spring and start to see guys separate from each other. And as guys start to separate, we'll give them a few more repetitions. But my goal is not to name a starting quarterback by the end of spring practice. We will do that about 10 days before the first game. But I'm looking for guys to be consistent, I'm looking for guys that move the chains, I'm looking for guys to lead the other 10 guys on that field and I'm looking for guys who, over a continuum of time, can be a consistent performer.
You have to shape your offense around the talents of the quarterback, obviously. So how do you, as your own offensive coordinator, do that now if you don't yet know who will be your starter?
SK: We're going to install concepts and make sure we do a good job of establishing an identity on offense, establishing a way of playing the position of quarterback and a way of going about playing offense. And then from there we'll wrinkle, based upon what guys do well, based upon what guys are stepping up ... For us, we want to make sure we're very conceptual on offense, we're very concise in terms of our teaching and we establish a system. And from that system we'll wrinkle based on the guys who need the ball in their hands.
The Big East lost a handful of top-flight receivers, including Kenny Britt, Tiquan Underwood, Dominick Goodman and Taurus Johnson. But don't worry. Some of the league's best playmakers are still on board, and lots of new ones are ready to step forward.
Let's take the temperature of each Big East team at the receiver spot with the first spring practices less than a week away:
Feeling great
• Cincinnati: Goodman is gone, but first team All-Big East wideout Mardy Gilyard returns after catching 11 touchdown passes and 1,276 yards. The Bearcats will need Marcus "Bones" Barnett to get back to his freshman form and for a youngster like D.J. Woods to emerge. But there's not too much to be worried about here.
• South Florida: Seventeen different Bulls caught at least one pass in 2008, and there's a wide cast of characters ready to run routes for Matt Grothe again in '09. Leading receiver Jessie Hester Jr. is back, along with A.J. Love, Carlton Mitchell and Dontavia Bogan. Add in promising redshirt freshman Daniel Bryant and some incoming speedster recruits, and the Bulls have a full stable of receivers.
Feeling pretty good
• Pittsburgh: The Panthers might have the single most talented receiver in sophomore Jonathan Baldwin, who could develop into something truly special. Even without Derek Kinder, this should be a solid group as T.J. Porter, Oderick Turner and Cedric McGee come back. Still, these guys have to prove themselves in a passing game that hasn't exactly been prolific of late.
• West Virginia: The Mountaineers should be well-positioned to make the adjustment to more of a pro-style passing offense. Alric Arnett had a big Meineke Car Care Bowl and looks to be in line for a breakout senior year. Bradley Starks should be more of a contributor now that he doesn't have to split his focus being a backup quarterback. Newcomers like Logan Heastie could make an immediate impact, and Jock Sanders will try to work his way back from a suspension. The group has to be far more consistent for West Virginia to avoid last year's stop-and-start offensive problems.
One question
• Louisville: If Scott Long is healthy, this could be among the best receiving corps in the Big East. Long missed several games last season with a broken foot, then tore his ACL shortly after coming back. When he's right, he's the playmaker the Cardinals need. Doug Beaumont, Josh Chichester and Troy Pascley are among those who gained valuable experience with Long out last season, and they should be better for it this year.
Some questions
• Syracuse: The return of Mike Williams from his one-year academic exile figures to do wonders for this group, but Williams has to show that he's not too rusty. Junior Donte Davis started to become a go-to guy last season, and perhaps the new coaching staff can get more out of former major recruit Lavar Lobdell. Some of these questions should be answered in the spring.
Big questions
• Connecticut: UConn's passing game was a train wreck in 2008, and the receivers shouldered a large part of that blame. Now, with the Huskies looking to open up things more, they simply have to get better. Last year's leading receiver was Kashif Moore, who managed just 27 catches and 273 yards in 12 games. And he averaged fewer yards per catch than fullback Anthony Sherman. This is a work in progress, and Connecticut may have to lean on some true freshmen like prized recruit Dwayne Difton.
• Rutgers: Anytime you lose perhaps the best two receivers in school history in Britt and Underwood, there are going to be major question marks. Tim Brown (565 yards in 2008) and Dennis Campbell (183) are the leading returning wideouts, but they seem more like complementary parts than true No. 1s. The Scarlet Knights will likely look to youngsters like Marcus Cooper and Keith Stroud to become the next big things in Piscataway.
Cardinals moving on from 'unfair catch'
Hardly a day and never a week goes by when Steve Kragthorpe doesn't get asked about the "unfair catch."
But the Louisville coach and his players insist they're not out for for revenge for last year's controversial play when Connecticut comes to town on Friday night.
"It's hard because all the questions keep coming up," Kragthorpe said. "You know it's going to come up all week long. But you just have to move forward and keep going."
The play happened during last season's Oct. 19 game at Rentschler Field. With Louisville leading 7-0 in the second half, UConn's Larry Taylor raised his hand and waved it while preparing to return a punt. Cardinals gunner Bilal Powell saw the universal signal for a fair catch and stopped in his tracks, as did other Louisville defenders. Taylor then caught the ball and ran in 74 yards for a score as the officials never blew the play dead.
Taylor's gambit proved huge for both teams. UConn went on to win the game 21-17 and earned a share of the Big East conference title. Louisville finished 6-6 and didn't go bowling.
Taylor is now in the Canadian Football League. And as far as Kragthorpe is concerned, his play is history.
"Whether a call has gone for you or against you, those are things you can't control," Kragthorpe said. "So we're not going to spend time working to control those things.
"It's just one of those things that happen in the game of football. I'm sure they'll be talking about Ed Hochuli and the San Diego-Denver situation for the next year or two."
Louisville players said they won't have any extra oomph in this game because of what happened less than a year ago.
"The fair catch didn't beat us," quarterback Hunter Cantwell said. "Connecticut played a good game, they were physical and they beat us.
"We're not looking back to last year. As far as, we owe them one or anything like that, nah, not really."
The Cardinals are hoping to get some good health news this week. No. 1 receiver Scott Long, out since August with a broken foot, will practice and is a gametime decision, Kragthorpe said. Offensive linemen George Bussey and Mark Wetterer, who missed the Kansas State game with ankle injuries, will also be gameday calls, he said. Receiver Troy Pascley, who jammed his hip while making a touchdown catch versus K-State, is fine and should play.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
