Big East Week 12 Breakdown
The Big East got even more interesting over the weekend, with West Virginia knocking off Cincinnati on the road. That upset leaves the Big East without a single team nationally ranked in the conference. This week West Virginia is off, and the Bearcats have a chance to rebound from their loss against a tough Rutgers team.
Lock of the Week: Miami at South Florida
This is a great non-conference clash. Both of these squads have struggled this season, but both still have tons of talent. The Hurricanes are coming off a tough loss to Florida State, falling 19 to 23. South Florida on the other hand stopped a four game losing skid, toppling Syracuse 37-17. The Bulls slashed the Orangemen on the ground, rushing for 236 yards and averaging 5.5 yards per carry. The ground and pound was led by dual threat quarterback B.J. Daniels and junior tailback Demetris Murray. Daniels ran 21 times for 117 yards and a touchdown. Murray added two touchdowns on his own, while tacking on 86 yards on 17 attempts. South Florida’s defense did not create any havoc, as they were unable to force a turnover, but they did limit Syracuse to just 17 points. Playing excellent defense and getting the ground game going is huge for South Florida and will carry into this week against the Hurricanes. South Florida is looking for another signature win and beating a good Miami squad for their second straight victory is a good way to turn their season around. South Florida will continue to lean on the ground and pound and slice through Miami’s defense on their way to victory.
South Florida 29 Miami 20
Upset Alert! Louisville at Connecticut
Louisville is the slightly better team on paper, but only slightly. Their 3-2 Big East record is just one win better than the Huskies 2-2 mark. Overall, the Cardinals are 5-4 and Connecticut is 4-5. The records are very similar, but Louisville has a slight edge. That being said, if the Huskies win, it will not be a big surprise or upset, but with the slate of games the Big East has this week, it’s the closest to an upset alert we are going to get.
Louisville is coming off a tough loss to Pittsburgh, which snapped a three game winning streak. This game will be a gut check for them. After a tough loss it is important to not dwell on the loss and get back to winning. That is much easier said than done, and many teams begin to fall apart after the loss. Connecticut was off last week, but won their last matchup 28-21 over Syracuse. The Huskies have had an extra week to prepare, as well as a week of rest, so they will be ready to hit someone and start a winning streak in front of their home crowd. They will be led by their defense that only gives up 22.3 points per game. Offensively they have a balanced attack, using the run about 50 percent of the time and attacking through the air an equal amount. Junior signal caller, Johnny McEntee, is having a roller coaster ride of a season. At times he has looked great, completing a high percentage of his passes, spreading the ball around to a variety or wide receivers, not making mistakes, and throwing touchdowns. However at times he has looked horrendous. In a game earlier in the year against Vanderbilt he completed a measly 37 percent of his passes, only gained 99 yards through the air, and threw three interceptions. That is good for half of his yearly total. The game after, against Iowa State, he also did not throw a touchdown and threw one interception. However after that loss, he reeled off five straight games without turning the ball over through the air. That streak was snapped in their last game, as the Orangemen picked him off twice. Which McEntee shows up could be the difference in the game.
Louisville’s defense will feast on McEntee, especially if the talented one does not show up. The Cardinals have relied on their defense to eke out their five victories this year, as they only give up 18.6 points per contest, good for 12th in the nation. Louisville will look to win this game on defense, shutting down the Huskies offense, and creating turnovers. However, if the Cardinals do need to score, they will rely on their passing attack, which is led by freshman Teddy Bridgewater. He has thrown for nine scores this year, but has also thrown eight interceptions. However, Bridgewater has never thrown more than two interceptions in a game. He has been efficient as well, completing over 60 percent of his passes in every start.
Game of the Week! Cincinnati at Rutgers
The Bearcats were the Big East’s only ranked team a week ago, but a loss to a tough West Virginia team put an end to that. Rutgers, on the other hand, has reeled off two straight wins and is looking to make it three in a row. Rutgers is the Big East’s most dangerous team that no one talks about. They have an outstanding passing attack, which is run through the talented junior wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. He has now caught seven touchdowns on the year and is the focal point of their offense. The Bearcats defense will need to keep a close eye on him if they wish to win this game. However the true strength of this Rutgers team has been their defense. This stingy unit is only giving up 18.2 points per game.
The Bearcats on the other hand have an explosive offensive attack, but do most of their damage on the ground. Cincinnati scores an average of 37.1 points per game, so Rutgers defense will have their hands full. The Bearcats ground game is led by senior Isaiah Pead. He is looking to go over 1,000 yards on the season and needs just 66 yards to get there. He has also scored 10 touchdowns on the year, so keeping him in check will be a priority for the Rutgers defense. Look for Rutgers to come into this game energized and ready to pick up their third straight win. Their defense will hold Cincinnati down and their offense will score just enough points to win, as Sanu will be difficult to contain for the Bearcats.
Rutgers 27 Cincinnati 23
Week 12 Football Breakdown Page
