Big East Football Week 3 Breakdown
This week the Big East features a great slate of games, which begins by showcasing Iowa State at Connecticut Friday night on ESPN 2.
Lock of the Week: Florida A&M at South Florida
South Florida is flirting with the top 25, after two straight victories to start the year. QB B.J. Daniels threw for an impressive 359 yards last week against Ball State. Their running back tandem has been as good as advertised as both Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray each scored a touchdown. Scott was the breakout tailback last week, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Terrence Mitchell, a sophomore, was the main threat at wide out last week, reeling in seven catches. Look for these players to power South Florida to another victory.
South Florida 31 Florida A&M 10
Upset Alert! Syracuse at USC
USC was nationally ranked coming into this year, but poor performances against Minnesota and Utah at home have made them drop. However it should be noted that the Trojans have yet to lose a game. Their luck of playing poor football while escaping with W’s may end this week however. The Orangemen also boast a spotless 2-0 record and are up for the challenge of taking on USC on the road. Senior running back Antwon Bailey needs to have a big game, as Syracuse will need to be in control of the clock in order to win this game. This is an experienced ‘Cuse team that will not beat themselves, which is many times a recipe for upsets. Watch for senior signal caller Ryan Nassib to have a monster game as well. He has thrown six touchdowns in two games so far this year.
Game of the Week! West Virginia at Maryland
West Virginia takes their 18th national ranking against the slick new uniforms that have been sweeping the nation of the Maryland Terrapins. Maryland is 1-0, fresh off their debut of their new uniforms that netted a win against the Hurricanes. This game pits a solid ACC team that is trying to establish themselves as a contender against the top team in the Big East. Which conference will flex its muscles? My money is on West Virginia. The Mountaineers are coming off a great victory, drumming Norfolk State 55-12. Quarterback Geno Smith had a monster game, tossing four scores and totaled 371 yards. This passing assault will lead West Virginia over Maryland. It is a very balanced attack, as five different wide outs caught the five touchdown passes that were thrown in the game. This should be a hard fought game, with lots of offense, but West Virginia prevails.
West Virginia 38 Maryland 31
Best of the Rest:
Pittsburgh at Iowa
Pittsburgh is 2-0 this year, but is coming into a tough venue to win. The Hawkeyes are a solid team, but should be playing some inspired football after dropping the in-state battle to Iowa State in triple overtime. The Panthers will have their hands full in this contest. Ray Graham, a junior running back for the Panthers has had a stellar season so far, rushing for six touchdowns and averring 5.6 yards per carry! Expect him to get tons of touches against the Hawkeyes, but do not expect a similar yard per carry average. The offense may be based around him coming into this week, but Iowa will be keying on him all game. The Hawkeyes at home are simply too much for the Panthers to overcome.
Iowa 31 Pittsburgh 27
Iowa State at Connecticut
Iowa State is riding high waves after toppling Iowa, but this is a tough game for them. The Huskies are 1-1, but that lone loss was on the road against Vanderbilt by a field goal. This week they will be looking for revenge. Getting Iowa State at home certainly helps. We will see if Iowa State invested too much energy in their win over Iowa, or if they can keep their great play going. Expect Iowa State to load the box to try and stop freshman tailback Lyle McCombs, who is the Huskies leading rusher. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry so far this year and has scored four times. Additionally there will be a lot of pressure on junior quarterback Johnny McEntee who has yet to throw a touchdown this season. Iowa State will force the Huskies to be a one dimensional team by loading the box and stuffing the run. It will be up to McEntee who is going to win this game, but I am taking Iowa State.
Iowa State 27 Connecticut 20
Akron at Cincinnati
The Bearcats got throttled on the road against a good Tennessee team last week. This week they come back home and expect them to come out fired up and ready to pound whoever is in their way. This week it is Akron. Look for the high octane offense that the Bearcats boast to come back to life this week. This offense is lead by senior Zach Collaros, who is having a solid year so far, throwing for six touchdowns. Senior wide receiver D.J. Woods is having a strong start, catching 13 passes for 170 yards, so watch for him and Collaros to hook up in this lopsided contest.
Cincinnati 45 Akron 17
Louisville at Kentucky
Louisville lost to Florida International last week on national T.V. and will certainly be looking to bounce back from that ugly loss. However they are travelling to a 2-0 SEC school in Kentucky. Will Stein, the Cardinals quarterback, has thrown four touchdowns to only one interception so far this season and will need to continue that trend if he wants to pilot the Cardinals to another win. If he plays well, and protects the football, Louisville has a great chance to come out of Kentucky with a win. Senior running back Victor Anderson will also be relied on heavily to balance out the Cardinals attack and help Stein out in the passing game. Louisville will march into Kentucky and leave victorious this year.
Louisville 24 Kentucky 17
Game of the Week: 2-0
Lock of the Week: 2-0
