SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty has been chosen as the Big East Special Teams Player of the Week in two of the last three weeks and has staked his claim as one of the conference’s top defensive backs. McCourty, who participated in a staggering 110 plays in the Scarlet Knights’ Oct. 31 win at Connecticut, had a forced fumble and blocked a punt in last week’s win against USF. He has six career blocked kicks and is averaging 25.7 yards with a touchdown on 10 kickoff returns.
NAILBITERS
If this season’s results are any indication, then Connecticut’s game at Notre Dame Saturday (2:30 p.m., NBC) should be a nailbiter. The Huskies come in at 4-5, though the five losses have been by a combined 15 points. The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, have played in eight games this season that have been decided by seven points or fewer (no other team has played in more than six). Big East teams have won three straight against Notre Dame, with Pittsburgh and Syracuse scoring wins last year and Pitt getting a 27-22 decision last week.
AWARD CONTENTION
The Big East continues to be well represented with candidates for college football’s top individual honors. Pittsburgh freshman Dion Lewis, who was previously named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award as the nation’s outstanding player, has also been tabbed one of 15 players to watch for the 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Lewis is the only freshman on the list. Syracuse punter Rob Long is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter, while Pitt’s Dorin Dickerson is one of eight semifinalists for the John Mackey award as the top tight end.
ALL THE MARBLES
Cincinnati and Pittsburgh meet Dec. 5 at Heinz
Field in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Regardless of what happens in the other seven
remaining Big East games, the winner of the
Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game will earn the BIG
EAST’s automatic bid to the Bowl Championship
Series.
Cincinnati is 10-0 for the first time in school history, while Pitt's 9-1 record is it's best since the 1982 season, when Dan Marino was at quarterback for the Panthers.
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CINCINNATI
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Open Date
Next Game
Fri 11/27
vs. Illinois
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CONNECTICUT
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at Notre Dame
Sat 101/21
2:30 PM
NBC
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Connecticut and Notre Dame will meet for the first time Saturday … Big East
teams have won three straight against Notre Dame (Pittsburgh and Syracuse
in 2008 and Pittsburgh last weekend) … Connecticut QB Zach Frazer was on
the roster at Notre Dame in 2006 before transferring.
Connecticut looks to snap a three-game slide with Saturday’s visit to Notre
Dame … The Huskies’ five losses are by a combined 15 points, most recently
a 47-45 setback at then-No. 4 Cincinnati Nov. 7 … Connecticut has held
fourth-quarter leads in four of the five losses … The Huskies have outscored
their opponents by an 82-31 margin in the third quarter … The Huskies
boast the top running back tandem in the Big East in RB Jordan Todman
and RB Andre Dixon, who rank third and fifth in the conference in rushing
… Todman has rushed for 826 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Dixon has
gone for 730 yards and seven TDs … QB Zach Frazer has thrown for 815
yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions … WR Marcus Easley
has team highs of 559 receiving yards and five touchdowns … Easley has a
touchdown reception in each of the last five games … LB Lawrence Wilson is
the Big East leader in tackles (10.8 per game), while LB Greg Lloyd is third
(8.9 per game) … DE Lindsey Witten has a Big East-leading 10.5 sacks …
Connecticut closes the regular season with Big East home games against
Syracuse and USF.
Notre Dame fell to 6-4 after a 27-22 loss at Pittsburgh last Saturday … The
Fighting Irish have played in eight games this season that have been decided
by seven points or fewer … Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally in total offense
(452.2 yards per game) and fifth in passing offense (321.3 ypg) … QB Jimmy
Clausen ranks fifth in the nation in pass efficiency (158.21) … Clausen has
thrown for 3,053 yards and 21 touchdowns against four interceptions … WR
Michael Floyd and WR Golden Tate both surpassed the 100-receiving-yards
mark against Pittsburgh, marking the first time in Notre Dame history that
two receivers have had 100-yard games in consecutive weeks … Tate ranks
fourth nationally in receiving yards (117.2 per game) … RB Armando Allen
is the team’s leading rusher with 591 yards and three touchdowns on 118
carries … FS Kyle McCarthy leads the Fighting Irish with 78 tackles, five
interceptions and nine passes defended … OT Sam Young has tied Notre
Dame’s school record with 48 career starts … Young is the only offensive
lineman in school history to start every game in his career.
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LOUISVILLE
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at USF
Sat 11/21
12:00 PM
Big East Network
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Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting between Louisville and USF
and the winner will take a 4-3 series lead … The schools have met each year
since 2003 and have alternated wins … Each team has gone 3-0 at its home
stadium in the series … Last year’s game in Louisville saw the Cardinals ride
a 134-yard, two-touchdown effort from WR Scott Long to a 24-20 win …
The last meeting in Tampa was a 55-17 Bulls win behind two touchdowns
and 140 rushing yards by RB Mike Ford.
Louisville picked up its first Big East win last week with a 10-9 decision
against Syracuse … The Cardinals have won two of their last three and have
held each of their last three opponents to 17 points or fewer … Louisville is
4-1 at home and 0-5 on the road … The Cardinals’ last road win was a 35-
28 decision at Memphis Oct. 10, 2008 … The last Big East road win was a
28-24 victory at Cincinnati Oct. 13, 2007 … QB Adam Froman returned to
the starting lineup against Syracuse … Froman had missed the previous two
games after suffering an elbow injury against Cincinnati … Froman is one of
three quarterbacks who have seen significant action … RB Victor Anderson,
who has been limited by a number of injuries, had just three carries against
Syracuse … WR Scott Long is the leading receiver with 40 receptions for 565
yards and one touchdown … LB Jon Dempsey is second in the Big East in
tackles (9.8 per game), while LB Chris Campa is seventh (7.9 per game).
USF enters Saturday’s game looking to rebound from a 31-0 loss at Rutgers
… The Bulls, who had won their first five games of the season, have dropped
three of their last four … USF had just 159 yards of offense against Rutgers
and had four turnovers … QB B.J. Daniels leads USF in both passing and
rushing … Daniels has thrown for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns and has
rushed for 530 yards and four TDs … Daniels ranks third in the Big East in
total offense (195 yards per game) … RB Moise Plancher and RB Mike Ford
also have four rushing touchdowns each … LB Kion Wilson had 18 tackles
against Rutgers, which were the most by a Big East player since the 2007
season … Wilson is fifth in the Big East in tackles (8.8 per game) … DE
Jason Pierre-Paul leads the Big East in tackles for loss (1.3 per game) …
Pierre-Paul has four sacks and 12 tackles for loss this season … DE George
Selvie has three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss … CB Jerome Murphy and S
Nate Allen have three interceptions each.
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PITTSBURGH
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Open Date
Next Game
Fri 11/27
at West Virginia
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RUTGERS
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at Syracuse
Sat 11/21
3:30 PM
ESPN360.com
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Rutgers and Syracuse first played during the 1914 season and, more recently,
have met every year since 1980 … Saturday’s game will be the 40th meeting
in the rivalry, with Syracuse holding a 28-10-1 series lead … The Orange
won 12 straight from 1987-98, but the Scarlet Knights enter Saturday’s game
having won the last four meetings … Last year’s game at Rutgers Stadium
featured three touchdown passes from QB Mike Teel as the Scarlet Knights
overcame a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to take a 35-17 win.
Rutgers improved to 7-2 in emphatic fashion as the Scarlet Knights were
31-0 winners against USF last Thursday … Rutgers registered its second
shutout of the season and held its opponent to less than 20 points for the
sixth time in nine games … The shutout was Rutgers’ first against a BIG
EAST opponent since the 1993 … Rutgers has forced at least one turnover
in every game this season and has eight takeaways in the last two games …
Rutgers has just five giveaways in the last eight games … QB Tom Savage
ranks third in the Big East in passing with an average of 191.9 yards per
game … Savage has thrown for 1,535 yards and 10 touchdowns against just
two interceptions … RB Joe Martinek is the leading rusher with 729 yards
and five TDs … WR Tim Brown leads the Big East in receiving yards (95.6
ypg) and has six touchdown receptions this season … Brown has 17 career
touchdown catches and shares the school record with Kenny Britt and Chris
Brantley … CB Devin McCourty has a team-high 56 tackles and has registered
two blocked kicks on special teams.
Syracuse fell to 3-7 overall with its third straight loss — a 10-9 setback to
Louisville … Two of the Orange’s losses have seen the opponent score the
tying or go-ahead points in the last 1:24 of regulation … Syracuse has allowed
just one opposing player — Pittsburgh’s Dion Lewis — to rush for at least 100
yards … The Orange are second in the Big East in rushing defense, having
held opponents to 99.2 yards per game … The top player on offense is RB
Delone Carter, who has rushed for 852 yards and nine touchdowns … Carter
ranks fourth in the Big East in rushing at 85.2 yards per game … QB Greg
Paulus has thrown for 1,586 yards and 10 touchdowns, but has a Big Eastleading
14 interceptions … LB Derrell Smith has a team-high 81 tackles with
6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles … K Ryan Lichtenstein has made 11 of 13
field goals, including all five attempts from 40 or more yards … P Rob Long
is averaging 43.3 yards per punt and is a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
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SYRACUSE
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vs. Rutgers
Sat 11/21
3:30 PM
ESPN360.com
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Rutgers and Syracuse first played during the 1914 season and, more recently,
have met every year since 1980 … Saturday's game will be the 40th meeting
in the rivalry, with Syracuse holding a 28-10-1 series lead … The Orange
won 12 straight from 1987-98, but the Scarlet Knights enter Saturday's game
having won the last four meetings … Last year's game at Rutgers Stadium
featured three touchdown passes from QB Mike Teel as the Scarlet Knights
overcame a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to take a 35-17 win.
Rutgers improved to 7-2 in emphatic fashion as the Scarlet Knights were
31-0 winners against USF last Thursday … Rutgers registered its second
shutout of the season and held its opponent to less than 20 points for the
sixth time in nine games … The shutout was Rutgers' first against a BIG
EAST opponent since the 1993 … Rutgers has forced at least one turnover
in every game this season and has eight takeaways in the last two games …
Rutgers has just five giveaways in the last eight games … QB Tom Savage
ranks third in the Big East in passing with an average of 191.9 yards per
game … Savage has thrown for 1,535 yards and 10 touchdowns against just
two interceptions … RB Joe Martinek is the leading rusher with 729 yards
and five TDs … WR Tim Brown leads the Big East in receiving yards (95.6
ypg) and has six touchdown receptions this season … Brown has 17 career
touchdown catches and shares the school record with Kenny Britt and Chris
Brantley … CB Devin McCourty has a team-high 56 tackles and has registered
two blocked kicks on special teams.
Syracuse fell to 3-7 overall with its third straight loss — a 10-9 setback to
Louisville … Two of the Orange's losses have seen the opponent score the
tying or go-ahead points in the last 1:24 of regulation … Syracuse has allowed
just one opposing player — Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis — to rush for at least 100
yards … The Orange are second in the Big East in rushing defense, having
held opponents to 99.2 yards per game … The top player on offense is RB
Delone Carter, who has rushed for 852 yards and nine touchdowns … Carter
ranks fourth in the Big East in rushing at 85.2 yards per game … QB Greg
Paulus has thrown for 1,586 yards and 10 touchdowns, but has a Big Eastleading
14 interceptions … LB Derrell Smith has a team-high 81 tackles with
6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles … K Ryan Lichtenstein has made 11 of 13
field goals, including all five attempts from 40 or more yards … P Rob Long
is averaging 43.3 yards per punt and is a Ray Guy Award semifinalist.
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USF
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vs. Louisville
Sat 11/21
12:00 PM
Big East Network
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Saturday's game will be the seventh meeting between Louisville and USF
and the winner will take a 4-3 series lead … The schools have met each year
since 2003 and have alternated wins … Each team has gone 3-0 at its home
stadium in the series … Last year's game in Louisville saw the Cardinals ride
a 134-yard, two-touchdown effort from WR Scott Long to a 24-20 win …
The last meeting in Tampa was a 55-17 Bulls win behind two touchdowns
and 140 rushing yards by RB Mike Ford.
Louisville picked up its first Big East win last week with a 10-9 decision
against Syracuse … The Cardinals have won two of their last three and have
held each of their last three opponents to 17 points or fewer … Louisville is
4-1 at home and 0-5 on the road … The Cardinals' last road win was a 35-
28 decision at Memphis Oct. 10, 2008 … The last Big East road win was a
28-24 victory at Cincinnati Oct. 13, 2007 … QB Adam Froman returned to
the starting lineup against Syracuse … Froman had missed the previous two
games after suffering an elbow injury against Cincinnati … Froman is one of
three quarterbacks who have seen significant action … RB Victor Anderson,
who has been limited by a number of injuries, had just three carries against
Syracuse … WR Scott Long is the leading receiver with 40 receptions for 565
yards and one touchdown … LB Jon Dempsey is second in the Big East in
tackles (9.8 per game), while LB Chris Campa is seventh (7.9 per game).
USF enters Saturday's game looking to rebound from a 31-0 loss at Rutgers
… The Bulls, who had won their first five games of the season, have dropped
three of their last four … USF had just 159 yards of offense against Rutgers
and had four turnovers … QB B.J. Daniels leads USF in both passing and
rushing … Daniels has thrown for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns and has
rushed for 530 yards and four TDs … Daniels ranks third in the Big East in
total offense (195 yards per game) … RB Moise Plancher and RB Mike Ford
also have four rushing touchdowns each … LB Kion Wilson had 18 tackles
against Rutgers, which were the most by a Big East player since the 2007
season … Wilson is fifth in the Big East in tackles (8.8 per game) … DE
Jason Pierre-Paul leads the Big East in tackles for loss (1.3 per game) …
Pierre-Paul has four sacks and 12 tackles for loss this season … DE George
Selvie has three sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss … CB Jerome Murphy and S
Nate Allen have three interceptions each.
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WEST VIRGINIA
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Open Date
Next Game
Fri 11/27
vs. Pittsburgh
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Broadcast outlets for each game can be viewed here.
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