College Football Nation: Reed Williams
Biggest shoes to fill in the Big East
The league fared just fine in 2009 without those stars, and the good news for 2010 is that many of its top performers will be back. But that's not to say there aren't still some key losses that teams will have to adjust to this spring. Here's a look at the biggest shoes to fill this season in the Big East:
- Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: The Bearcats aren't exactly hurting at wide receiver with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and USC transfer Vidal Hazelton around. Still, someone must replace Gilyard's leadership and knack for making the big play at crucial times. What might be even more difficult to replace is Gilyard's production on special teams. The two-time Big East special teams player of the year was always a threat to score on kickoffs and punt returns. And hopefully someone will step in Gilyard's role as the best quote in the entire conference.
- Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers: Brown may not have received a ton of attention nationally, but he was vitally important to the Scarlet Knights. The speedster averaged 20.9 yards per catch and amassed 1,150 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as the team's only true deep threat. With a still very young receiving corps surrounding Tom Savage, Rutgers will need to find someone who can stretch the field the way Brown did.
- Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: The 2009 co-defensive player of the year in the conference, Williams was a wildly disruptive force in the middle of that Panthers defensive line, as well as an inspirational leader. With fellow senior tackle Gus Mustakas also gone, Pitt needs more production from backups Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih, among others.
- Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: McCourty was an underappreciated gem for the Scarlet Knights, a lockdown cornerback who also was seemingly everywhere on special teams. He was the leader of the secondary. Guys with his skills don't come around that often.
- Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: The Mountaineers had to deal with Williams' absence for most of 2008 and at times this past season because of various injuries. But it was clear that they were a different team whenever Williams was healthy. A smart player (he's the 2009 Big East football scholar-athlete of the year ) who anchored the defense at middle linebacker, Williams was like a coach on the field.
- George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Say what you will about Selvie's dwindling production, but opposing offense still always had to account for him. And Pierre-Paul ascended to star status in his one year on campus. Combined, the two produced 26 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2009. The Bulls now need the next wave of pass-rushers to emerge, with former stud recruit Ryne Giddins one possible candidate.
West Virginia must beat Seminoles, sentiment
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesWest Virginia will have to overcome the sentimental edge for retiring FSU coach Bobby Bowden off with a smile."I’ve told the guys this: There’s going to be 70,000 crimson, gold and white Florida State fans, I’m sure, against about 15,000 of us," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said this week. "Our men know they’re going to be outnumbered, our men know they’re going to be up against it, and if they don’t they’re going to know real quick as soon as we come through that tunnel.
"I've probably got family at home that will be cheering for him, I don’t know."
Stewart understands what the other sideline will be going through. He was an assistant coach during Don Nehlen's final game at West Virginia, a win over Ole Miss in the 2000 Music City Bowl.
"I’ve coached a lot of football games in my time," Stewart said. "That one right there, I gave everything I had to give. I gave just a little more that night for Coach Nehlen. I can only imagine what the Florida State coaches and players are going to do, and I can only imagine what Coach Bowden himself is going to do for this last hurrah."
In one sense, the Mountaineers are honored to be a part of the last game ever coached by Bowden, who was the West Virginia head man before he went to Florida State. But they have to find a way to match the intensity of their opponents while staying focused.
"It's nice, but it's something you don't want to get caught up in," senior linebacker Reed Williams. "We know most people will be rooting for (Bowden), but we can't care about what everybody else thinks. We've played in a lot of emotional games around here, so I think we should be ready."
If West Virginia can maintain its level of play from the last month of the regular season, especially defensively, it should have a great chance to end up with a 10-win campaign.
After a disheartening loss at South Florida on Oct. 30, the defense held Louisville to nine points, helped nearly pull off an upset at Cincinnati in a 24-21 loss, kept Pitt at bay in a 19-16 win and held off Rutgers on the road for a 24-21 victory. Getting the entire unit healthy and active -- with guys like Williams, safety Sidney Glover and defensive tackle Scooter Berry returning -- proved to be a big key.
"We finished the season strong, but I still feel like we haven't played our best football yet," Williams said. "Hopefully, we can do that in our last game."
It's a game in which Stewart says his team will be underdogs. Most people will probably hope West Virginia is a footnote in a historic ending for Bowden.
But the Mountaineers have a little history on their side as well. No current player has ever lost in a bowl game.
"That's a tradition we definitely want to keep going," Williams said.
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., (CBS)
Florida State take by Heather Dinich: In the end, Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett got what he wanted, but will the product on the field match the off-field drama? Probably not. This is still a 6-6 Florida State team with one of the nation’s worst defenses. That hasn’t changed just because it will be the last game of Bobby Bowden’s career.
Considering that offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has already begun to build his staff, it could be an awkward preparation period for those assistants who know their time in Tallahassee is coming to an end. If the staff isn’t on the same page heading into this game, how are the players supposed to be? And those are just the off-field issues.
Rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel, who took over late in the season for injured star Christian Ponder, will be making his first appearance in a bowl game. Sure, FSU has proven it can score, but the last time it was on the field, it suffered a humiliating 37-10 loss to rival Florida.
The Noles’ defense is ranked 108th in the country in rushing defense, 113 in pass efficiency defense and 110 in total defense, and 98 in scoring defense. West Virginia, led by Noel Devine, has the No. 2 rushing offense in the Big East, and leads the conference in pass efficiency defense.
This might be not turn out to be the celebratory sendoff Bowden supporters would like to see.
West Virginia take by Brian Bennett:
Three weeks ago, the Mountaineers stood at 7-3 with an uncertain bowl future. They finished by winning their final two games to earn the Big East's second-best bowl spot and make it a nice season.
The West Virginia offense has lacked its usual firepower lately, failing to score more than 24 points in any of its final five games. But it remains a dangerous attack, thanks to quarterback Jarrett Brown's strong arm and scrambling ability and running back Noel Devine's capability of turning any play into a touchdown.
The cure for whatever has slowed that offense may arrive in the form of Florida State's 98th-ranked defense. The Seminoles haven't really been able to stop anybody since October.
The biggest boon for West Virginia the past few weeks has been its defense getting fully healthy, especially difference-making linebacker Reed Williams and safety Sidney Glover. They helped put the clamps on Pitt and Rutgers and hold Cincinnati to its lowest-scoring output of the season.
Of course, the storyline of this game will be all about Bobby Bowden coaching his last game for Florida State against the school that gave him his first Division I head coaching job. Current West Virginia coach Bill Stewart has a little bit of Bowden's folksy wisdom and down-to-earth style about him. And this year, he's got a better team.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Our weekly look at who's up, who's down and who's leading the player of the year races in the Big East:
Stock up
1. Jarrett Brown: We knew the guy was good. But 334 yards, four-touchdown good? Brown made some throws against East Carolina that not many other college quarterbacks could pull off.
2. Mo Plancher: The South Florida back had his first career 100-yard day against Western Kentucky, and coach Jim Leavitt said, "We trust him a lot."
3. Dorin Dickerson: It took Pitt and Dickerson four years to figure out how to use his talent, but better late than never. The senior tight end has four touchdowns already this season.
4. Jock Sanders: Coming back from his offseason suspension for a DUI arrest, Sanders leads the Big East with 17 catches in two games.
5. Yankee Bowl: The Big East should announce within the next couple of weeks that it will send one of its top teams to Yankee Stadium for the new bowl game starting in 2010.
Stock down
1. UConn's offense: Remember Zach Frazer's spring quote that the Huskies would average 40 points a game? Now he's hurt, and the Huskies are hurting for points. They've scored 33 in two games combined.
2. Syracuse receivers' hands: After bobbled catches cost the Orange a touchdown and led to an interception at Penn State, coach Doug Marrone minced no words. "We have to get away from the dropped passes," he said. "That's hurting our program right now."
3. Delbert Alvarado: The South Florida kicker is once again making Bulls' fans very nervous after he missed two field goals at Western Kentucky. Darn those amusement park rides!
4. Pitt's pass defense: The Panthers were torched for 433 yards by Buffalo, making you wonder how they're going to stop Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincinnati.
5. Bowl games in nice football stadiums: The addition of the Yankee Bowl means the Big East will have two of its five postseason games in baseball stadiums (the other being Tropicana Field for the St. Petersburg Bowl) and two others (the Champs Sports and Papajohns.com bowls) in badly-aging facilities.
Player of the year race: Offense
1. Tony Pike, QB,Cincinnati: Has completed 77.2 percent of his passes for 591 yards and six touchdowns.
2. Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: Has completed 75.4 percent of his passes for 577 yards and four touchdowns.
3. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: Has run for 319 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
4. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: Has 14 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
5. Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida: Has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Player of the year race: Defense
1. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn: His numbers keep changing, but he's now credited with seven sacks, which leads the nation.
2. Adam Gunn, LB, Pittsburgh: Ranks second in the league in both tackles (19) and sacks (5).
3. George Selvie, DE, South Florida: Numbers not impressive yet -- just 10 tackles and one sack -- but he remains a force.
4. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Has grabbed an interception in both games this year.
5. Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: Leader of the Mountaineers' defense will be a factor in this race if he stays healthy.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
I'm going to try something new here on Fridays, giving out a list of what's up and what's down in the Big East, along with how the races for the the league's offensive and defensive player of the year are shaping up. It's early, but this should be fun as the season goes along.
Stock up
1. Cincinnati: For obvious reasons. The Bearcats have cracked the Top 25 at No. 23 and could really climb high with a win at Oregon State next week.
2. Dion Lewis: The Pittsburgh back had a smashing college debut with 129 yards and three touchdowns. He could be a star in this league for a long time.
3. UConn's defensive ends: This position looked a little questionable after the departures of seniors Cody Brown and Julius Williams and the offseason dismissal of Marcus Campbell. But senior defensive end Lindsey Witten had three sacks and a safety at Ohio and showed he can be a full-time threat, while freshmen Jesse Joseph and Trevardo Williams also played well.
4. The Wildcat at Syracuse: They call it the Stallion package, but it's the same Wildcat formation just about every other school is using. Having Antwon Bailey and Delone Carter in the backfield at the same time with Bailey taking the snap added life to the Orange offense.
5. Julian Miller: Who needs Tevita Finau? The third spot on West Virginia's defensive line seemed like a concern going into the season, but Miller had other thoughts. He had 2.5 sacks against Liberty and brought a dose of speed to the Mountaineers' defensive front.
Stock down
1. Rutgers: For obvious reasons. No matter what the Scarlet Knights do the next few weeks, they won't have an opportunity to turn perception from that 47-15 beating until the Oct. 16 game against Pitt.
2. UConn fans: At last report, about 3,000 tickets remained for the North Carolina game. A team ranked 19th comes to town for the home opener, and the Huskies are having trouble selling out their 40,000-seat stadium? What's going on?
3. South Florida's Twittering: First, Jim Leavitt decided to stop tweeting after reports of his players and coaches doing so before the Wofford game. Now it seems that several players' accounts have either been shut down or switched to private. So much for embracing technology.
4. The Wildcat at Rutgers: They call it the Jabu package for quarterback Jabu Lovelace, but it's been so wildly ineffective since last year that it looks like it's time to scrap the project.
5. Steve Kragthorpe as offensive coordinator: Kragthorpe took over play-calling duties himself in the offseason and promised a new look. Fans didn't exactly like what they saw as Louisville scored only 30 points against Indiana State. Perhaps he's holding back the good stuff for next week at Kentucky. We can only hope that wasn't his best stuff last week.
Player of the year race: Offense
1. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati: Went 27-of-34 for 362 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1.
2. Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: Completed 19 of 26 passes for 243 yards and ran for 69 yards and a score in the opener
3. Jordan Todman, RB, UConn: Ran for 154 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 win at Ohio.
4. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: See above.
5. Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida: Went 19-of-23 for 155 yards and one score with an interception and ran for 44 yards versus Wofford.
Player of the year race: Defense
1. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn: See above.
2. George Selvie, DE, South Florida: Got his first sack of the year versus Wofford.
3. Curtis Young, LB, Cincinnati: Had 11 tackles and a sack versus Rutgers
4. Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: Relatively quiet day against Liberty (six tackles) but will be a factor in this race.
5. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Had 10 tackles and an interception at Rutgers.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
The Big East doesn't put out an official preseason all-conference team. But I do. Below are my picks for the best in the league for 2009. Pittsburgh leads the way with six selections.
Offense
QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
RB Victor Anderson, Louisville
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
OT: Anthony Davis, Rutgers
OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh
C: Ryan Blaszczyk Rutgers
OG: Art Forst, Rutgers
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
TE: Nate Byham, Pittsburgh
Defense
DE: George Selvie, South Florida
DT: Arthur Jones, Syracuse
DT: Scooter Berry, West Virginia
DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
LB: Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers
LB: Scott Lutrus, Connecticut
LB: Reed Williams, West Virginia
CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
S: Nate Allen, South Florida
S: Robert Vaughn, Connecticut
Specialists
P: Rob Long, Syracuse
PK: Jake Rogers, Cincinnati
KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
PR: Jasper Howard, Connecticut
All teams are not created equal. And not all positions on a given team are on a level playing field.
There are some position groups that are much stronger than others. Today, we take a look at the areas where some Big East teams are simply loaded:
• South Florida's defensive line: Probably the most impressive-looking group, physically speaking, that I saw all spring. The Bulls' D-line is full of tall, rangy, athletic specimens. There's George Selvie, of course, but don't forget about Terrell McClain and Aaron Harris. And when Jason Pierre-Paul and Ryne Giddins come in this summer, the defensive line is going to be even more loaded.
• Pittsburgh's defensive line: The Panthers defensive front is just as strong as South Florida's, but in a different way. Dave Wannstedt prefers undersized, hyper-athletic players up front, and he's got them in spades with Greg Romeus, Jabaal Sheard and Mick Williams, among others.
• Rutgers' offensive line: The Scarlet Knights return all five starters from their offensive front, the only team in the Big East to do so. But this is more than just a collection of veterans. There are real stars on this unit in left tackle Anthony Davis and Rimington Trophy candidate Ryan Blaszczyk at center. Throw in improving right tackle Kevin Haslam, and you've got one loaded line.
• Connecticut's linebackers: All three of the Huskies' starting linebackers -- Scott Lutrus, Lawrence Wilson and Greg Lloyd -- are back, as well as the top three backups. And one of UConn's top recruits, Mike Osiecki, also plays linebacker. This is one position that's in extremely good hands for Randy Edsall.
Others considered: Cincinnati's wide receivers, Connecticut's safeties, Louisville's wide receivers, Rutgers' linebackers, South Florida's wide receivers, Syracuse's running backs and West Virginia's defensive line.
Like country music, it's always award season around here. Let's dole out some superlatives from the Big East spring.
Best spring game performance: West Virginia's Jarrett Brown looked like a worthy successor to Pat White in completing his first 15 passes and finishing 21-for-28 for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Granted, that came against the second-team defense, but Brown was still impressive for his efficiency.
Best out-of-the-blue performance: Connecticut walk-on receiver Marcus Easley had 10 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the Huskies' spring game. Not surprisingly, he's going to be put on scholarship now.
Best performance by a freshman: Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu enrolled in January and played most of the spring in the secondary before a late switch to receiver. He had four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown and impressed everyone with his overall ability and savvy.
Biggest surprise: Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly switching receiver Marcus Barnett to cornerback the day before spring practice, and Barnett claiming the starting job right away.
Biggest surprise II: The Syracuse quarterback situation. Doug Marrone caught everyone off guard by naming Ryan Nassib the starter in the team's fourth practice. And since it's still technically spring, the Greg Paulus story is not one anybody saw coming a couple of months ago.
Best comeback: I was all set to give this to Pitt linebacker Adam Gunn for coming back from a broken neck to win the starting middle linebacker job. That's a tougher sell following this week's news of Gunn's arrest and suspension. So let's go with another middle linebacker, Reed Williams of West Virginia. He missed almost all of last season with shoulder problems but regained his dominant form this spring.
Best quote: "This is our version of 'The Gong Show.' We just line them up and see how they look. If we don't like them, we try another guy. Tomorrow we're going to take a look at Tony Pike at nose guard." -- Cincinnati's Kelly on Barnett's switch.
Best quote II: "If there are any students who can't beat that, then they really need to decide what they want to do in life." -- South Florida coach Jim Leavitt after running a 5.72 40-yard dash to promote the Bulls' spring game.
Safety Robert Sands stood out in a West Virginia scrimmage, Mike Casazza says in the Charleston Daily Mail.
• The Mountaineers need to find a third linebacker to complement Reed Wiliams and J.T. Thomas, Dave Hickman writes in the Charleston Gazette.
• Isiah Moore has been rising up the depth chart at wide receiver for UConn, John F. Silver says in the Journal Inquirer.
• Oft-injured defensive back Zaire Kitchen is enjoying a rare healthy spring at Rutgers, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.
• Pitt assistant coach Greg Gattuso is a former policeman who was hit hard by the killing of three city officers last week, Colin Dunlap writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gaztette
Reed Williams had just finished his last exam before spring break when I caught up with him last week. But West Virginia fans can rest easy knowing that Williams doesn't plan to take any more breaks this fall.
The middle linebacker was the defensive MVP in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and was viewed as a key part of last year's team. But after undergoing double shoulder surgery in the offseason, he played in only two games before shutting it down.
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| Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US PRESSWIRE | |
| Reed Williams is back after playing in just two games last season. |
Now back for a fifth year, Williams should be a leader for the Mountaineers and one of the best players in the Big East. He's the subject of this week's installment of our spring Q&A series:
Are you going anywhere for spring break?
Reed Williams: I'm actually planning a little vacation. Going down to the Dominican Republic and laying on the beach for a while. It's going to be great. I'll get up and run on the beach a little so I don't completely fall out of shape.
That sounds great. Well, I guess the pressing question here is, how are the shoulders:
RW: Fabulous. This is the best my body has felt in two years, including when I played my junior year. So I'm healthy again and I'm positive I made the right decision to take a year off last year, and I can't wait to get back on the field.
Can you take us through how everything unfolded for you last year?
RW: We started out, and I talked to some coaches and it looked like surgery was the way to go to fix this injury. One was going to happen in the spring, but we decided to go ahead and do two, instead of doing one at the end of my junior year and one at the end of my senior year. So we talked it out with the coaches and thought it was the best thing to do.
It was rough. Trying to rehab from two major shoulder surgeries, it's almost impossible to get back in time for the season. From the beginning I knew it was going to be tough to try and get back. I tried to be patient with the process and ended up sitting the first two games and played the next two. Then it came down to whether or not I should redshirt. That's when we had to do a lot of decision making. It was an emotional time, but I made the right decision. The coaches were very supportive and shared a lot of information with me and my family.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
It's never too early to start thinking about 2009 college football awards, apparently.
The Rotary Lombardi Award announced its preseason watch list today, and three Big East players made the cut.
South Florida defensive end George Selvie is the headliner. Selvie was a semifinalist for the award, given to the nation's best lineman or linebacker. Syracuse defensive tackle Arthur Jones, currently sidelined by a torn pectoral muscle, and Pitt tight end Nate Byham also made the list.
Players who didn't make this early list still are eligible for the award. Some guys who may force their way into the discussion from the Big East include Pitt's Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard, UConn's Scott Lutrus, West Virginia's Reed Williams and Rutgers' Ryan D'Imperio.
Big East lunchtime links: Where does Louisville go from here?
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
The Courier-Journal's Eric Crawford takes an in-depth look at Louisville's fall from the 2007 Orange Bowl to two straight bowl-less seasons and where the Cardinals are headed from here.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
- West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams had to make a tough decision to shut it down this season and let his shoulders heal, Dave Hickman writes in the Charleston Gazette.
"It was terrible. I've never been through such mental anguish,'' Williams said. "That's probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life, to leave behind guys that I've played with for three years. Mortty [Ivy] is like a brother to me. He's the first person I had to tell and I broke down emotionally. It wasn't an easy couple of days."
- Who is Syracuse's main football rival? Brent Axe of Syracuse.com poses that question on the eve of the game against West Virginia, a trophy game but one that does not make Axe's Top 5 list.
- Louisville linebacker Jon Dempsey and Memphis quarterback Arkelon Hall were junior college teammates and friends last season and will face off on opposite sides Friday night.
- The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner analyzes UConn at the halfway point.
- Injured South Florida cornerback Theo Wilson will move to wide receiver when his knee heals, Brett McMurphy reports in the Tampa Tribune.
- Speaking of position changes, Rutgers walk-on holder Andrew DePaola is getting a chance at receiver and may be the team's most consistent pass catcher, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.
Rutgers: Looking to spark his slumping offense, coach Greg Schiano made several changes to his offensive line last week at West Virginia. Only two starters, left tackleAnthony Davis and center Ryan Blaszczyk, remained at their original positions. Kevin Haslam moved from left guard to right tackle, Mike Gilmartin switched from right tackle to right guard and split snaps with true freshman Art Forst, and Kevin Haslam went from right tackle to left guard. Schiano was non-committal this week when asked if we would use that alignment again after the Scarlet Knights mustered only 72 yards rushing in Morgantown.
West Virginia: With senior Reed Williams shutting it down and planning for a medical redshirt, the Mountaineers have turned to sophomore Anthony Leonard at middle linebacker. Leonard made his first career start last week versus Rutgers and recorded a team-high nine tackles. He is the fourth different player to start at that position in five games for West Virginia. Meanwhile, a handful of Mountaineers are dealing with head injuries, including quarterback Pat White, center Mike Dent and defensive lineman Pat Liebig.
Louisville: The competition is on again for the Cardinals' backup quarterback spot. Matt Simms, son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, has returned from his four-game suspension and split reps this past week with Tyler Wolfe. Head coach Steve Kragthorpe said he would decide on a No. 2 signal-caller the day before Friday's game at Memphis. Although starter Hunter Cantwell has recovered well from his ankle injury against Connecticut, Louisville would like the peace of mind of having a reliable backup.
Connecticut: After Bruce Carter blocked three straight punts against UConn on Saturday, North Carolina coach Butch Davis said his team exploited the Huskies' new personal protector. That would be linebacker C.J. Marck, who filled in for injured tight end Steve Brouse. But Connecticut coach Randy Edsall said after watching the film that Marck wasn't to blame, and that it was another player who failed to execute his technique. He declined to identify which player was at fault. With Brouse out several weeks, Martin Bedard has moved into a starting role, and backup offensive lineman Dan Ryan has switched to No. 88 to play tight end in some packages.
Pittsburgh: One reason for the Panthers' resurgence this season is that they have avoided a rash of injuries that's plagued the program in recent years. Linebacker Adam Gunn (neck) is the only serious, season-ending injury that has struck the team through five games. Linebacker Shane Murray, who hurt his knee in preseason, hasn't played a lot of snaps this season but is nearing full strength. With a bye this week, Pitt should be close to full health as it heads into the final seven games.
What we learned in Week 6 of the Big East:
1. The Big East is one big jumbled mess.
South Florida, supposedly the league's best team, fell on its face at home. Connecticut got bombed on the road. There are no unbeatens left in the league and there won't be any Top 15 teams by Sunday afternoon. Except for Rutgers and Syracuse, everybody has a chance to win the conference. Who's the Big East's best team? Who knows?
2. Pittsburgh is back ... maybe.
It's dangerous to suggest the Panthers turned a corner by beating South Florida on Thursday night. A lot of people thought last year's season-ending upset of West Virginia was a program changer -- and then Pitt went out and lost this year's opener to Bowling Green. The Panthers are always going to live on the edge with their style of play. But with a 2-0 league mark and young team that seems to be getting more confident each week, they are once again relevant in the Big East.
3. West Virginia isn't back ... yet.
The Mountaineers had shown signs of breaking out on offense and building a dominant defense the past couple of weeks. Saturday's 24-17 victory over Rutgers at home did little to inspire more confidence. The offense scored just once after halftime, and quarterback Pat White didn't finish the game for the second straight week. He got hit in the head and was to be examined for a possible concussion. The defense gave up too many points to a struggling Rutgers offense and will now be without one of its best players, middle linebacker Reed Williams, for the rest of the season. This still isn't the powerful West Virginia of the past few years.
4. Cincy boys can survive.
I should have known better than to pick against Brian Kelly in any game in which Cincinnati has better or equal talent. Even with Plan D at quarterback in freshman Chazz Anderson, the Bearcats put together maybe their best overall game in a 33-10 spanking of host Marshall. Their last three wins -- Miami of Ohio and Akron were the other two -- won't get anybody's blood boiling. But as Cincinnati finally enters league play this week against Rutgers, Kelly's team has as good a chance as anyone of winning this conference.
5. South Florida and Connecticut have warts.
The Bulls and Huskies were the only Big East teams to play each of the first six weeks, and both looked worse for the wear in Week 6. Luckily, each has a much-needed bye week now to rest up and shore up some trouble spots. South Florida needs to learn how to avoid mental lapses and tighten up a secondary that's giving up too many big plays. Connecticut needs to integrate quarterback Zach Frazer's downfield passing abilities into its offense and get him more reps with the first team offense. If they can get fresh and righted, both teams will still be major factors in the second half.
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