CFI: LIVE FROM THE DOME: THE BIG EAST REPORT

BY CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON
BIG EAST INSIDER

Big Winners

Syracuse - There was nobody who thought the Orange could possibly win this game -- as 38 point underdogs -- this was a historic win. This was the best football played under coach Greg Robinson who earned his second conference win in three seasons. The quarterback Andrew Robinson was efficient and smart, making the tough throws and the easy ones, throwing for four touchdowns. Robinson hit the big plays throwing for 423 yards including a 79-yard touchdown pass to Taj Smith to open up the game. Smith showed nice hands and big play ability catching four balls for 173 yards including a 60-yard touchdown where Smith put the moves on a couple Louisville defenders before taking it to the house for about 50 yards of YAC. Even though they gave up 35 points the ‘Cuse defense was solid and made plays. Jameel McClain has been waiting to break out and it may have started in Louisville where he recorded a sack and an interception. Syracuse forced four turnovers in a 38-35 victory, as Louisville scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes to make it close.

Connecticut - In what was supposed to be a battle -- the Huskies just walked all over Pittsburgh on their home field. The defense for Connecticut played their best ball of the year, forcing four turnovers and holding star freshman tailback LeSean McCoy to 70 yards rushing. The defense forced quarterback Kevan Smith to his worst game of the season, which included two interceptions and a fumble which directly led to 17 points. Smith had to be taken out at halftime after only completing 3/9 passes for 23 total yards. Pittsburgh did not convert any of their first seven third downs.

Most Lost

Louisville - The most noise in Papa John’s Stadium on Saturday was the cheers when Mario Urrutia was taken out of the game after committing a personal foul penalty. In total, Louisville’s 12 penalties cost them 105 yards. For whatever reason the offense ignored their tight ends and running game and instead just kept on throwing the ball up for grabs. Brian Brohm did throw for a remarkable 555 yards and four touchdowns but wasn’t as efficient has his opponent. The secondary was just embarrassed leaving Syracuse receivers open for big plays numerous times, twice the Orange responded after Louisville scores with quick long pass plays for touchdowns.

Setting Up a Showdown

Both South Florida and West Virginia took care of business before their much anticipated match up on Friday night. Neither of these teams looked ahead and blew out their opponents. South Florida came out strong putting up 14 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Matt Grothe threw for 230 yards and a touchdown, he also ran for 35 yards. The running game was strong rushing for a total of 192 yards, with junior Benjamin Williams led the way with 64 yards and a touchdown. The South Florida defense held North Carolina to only 85 passing yards and 164 total yards. North Carolina was four of fifteen on third down conversations and turned the over four times. Meanwhile in Morgantown, it was the Pat White show. White was an outstanding 18/20, throwing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Darius Reynaud caught five balls racking up 54 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a reverse for a touchdown and had a 12-yard run on an option play. The defense was just as good holding East Carolina to 54 yards passing in the 48-7 win.

Under the Radar

The Cincinnati Bearcats have quietly remained undefeated after a romp over Marshall 40-14. Junior Mike Mickens started the blowout with an interception and a fumble recovery to setup their first two scores. Dustin Grutza played most of the game throwing for 142 yards and was 14/20 with two touchdowns. Ben Mauk was 6/7 with 77 yards and a touchdown. Freshman receiver Marcus Barnett caught 6 balls for 77 yards, and two touchdowns, both coming in the third quarter.

RE: MORAL VICTORIES

BY SHANNON O’KEEFE
NOTRE DAME INSIDER

Two offensive touchdowns and positive yardage may not add up to a win, but it does soften the blow for Fighting Irish fans in what has begun to feel like the longest September ever. In Saturday’s match up against Michigan State, which the Irish dropped 31-14 en route to their sixth consecutive loss, Spartan quarterback Brian Hoyer threw four touchdown passes. By contrast, the Irish quarterback was only sacked four times – something to take note of, given that 23 sacks were allowed in the first three games of the season, and that Michigan State was leading the nation in sacks coming in to the game.

When did it get to the point that only being down by three points at the half was something to be celebrated by Irish faithful? Probably around the same time they realized the team would likely roll to an 0-8 start, despite the fact that no team in Notre Dame’s 119 season history has been 0-4 before. Despite the fact that as Michigan State went on to their own record – the first team in the nation to win six in a row at Notre Dame Stadium – the Irish were thought to be improving and not looking quite as pitiful as they have in weeks prior.

That being said, there were a few highlights, most notably sophomore halfback James Aldridge’s performance, with 18 carries for 104 yards, including a 43-yard run that led to a touchdown. Still, the Irish are going to have a hard time coming up with enough clips for the highlight reel shown to national television audiences and starry-eyed recruits. Did you notice that NBC’s intro to Saturday’s game showed more Irish players running than catching/throwing/tackling? That’s a problem Notre Dame and NBC will likely face for the next season or two. While Aldridge’s run may end up there, one or two decent plays a game just won’t be enough.

CFI: PENN STATE FUMBLES ONE AWAY

BY PAUL ASPAN
PENN ST. INSIDER

I was all ready to rip into Anthony Morelli and Austin Scott for their play during Penn State’s loss to Michigan, when I saw a clip of Oklahoma State Coach Mike Gundy’s press conference. Gundy lashed out at a reporter for a story she wrote criticizing Cowboy’s quarterback Bobby Reid for not being tough enough. For a second it made me step back and if nothing else – think twice about the nature of covering college athletes. On the one hand, no they’re not getting paid, they have to balance class and practice, a lot of them are good kids, and the nature of the criticism they endure might not always be fair. On the other hand, they embrace the media spotlight when they perform well, they get preferential treatment, and let’s face it, it’s kind of tough to feel sorry for guys that have girls throwing themselves at them on a nightly basis. They don’t even have to be good. I watched it at Syracuse for the last four years.

On to the Penn State loss to Michigan….

Anthony Morelli didn’t exactly instill confidence in the Penn State faithful before the Michigan game, but afterwards, let’s just say I don’t think he received a hero’s welcome on his return to Happy Valley. The Nittany Lion quarterback was 15/31 for 169 yards, no touchdowns and a huge fumble on the day. The key for the Wolverines coming in was to jump on Penn State early, as the Lions offense has struggled to get going in its last few games. The Maize and Blue parlayed Morelli’s first quarter fumble into an early touchdown and the Lions had to play catch-up the rest of the way. This allowed Michigan to grind it out with their All-American tailback Mike Hart.

It was a battle on the ground between the Lion’s nation-best rushing defense and the third best rusher in the nation. Often it seemed like it was All American PSU linebacker Dan Connor vs. Hart – as the two met repeatedly. In fact, Paul Maguire wouldn’t shut up about it. Especially with freshman quarterback Ryan Mallet under center, Hart was going to get his carries – 44 of them to be exact – so he was going to get his yards – 153, and eventually a one yard TD run. Ironically enough, it was a heads-up Mallet run that put Michigan on the board first.

Coming into the game – especially after that early Michigan score – if you had told me the Wolverines were only going to score 14 points, I absolutely would have picked Penn State. There is no question that the Penn State defense played well enough to win. To be perfectly honest with you, I expected something like 17-14 or 21-14 PSU.

Morelli didn’t play well, but he didn’t get much help from his running backs either. Scott chose an awful time for his fourth fumble in the last three games – this one at the Michigan nine-yard line in the third quarter. The Lions got the ball back at the Wolverine 35-yard line a few plays later, after a Mallet fumble, but they had to settle for a field goal to cut the lead to 7-6. Scott finished with 35 yards on nine carries, and backfield mate Rodney Kinlaw ran for 69 yards on 12 carries. Kinlaw, Morelli, and Scott are all seniors, but the latter two have not been the leaders on offense that one might expect. Scott’s inability to hold on to the ball speaks for itself, and do you think Penn State fans had any hope with Morelli under center for that last drive – not even drive, last series – for the Lions? He didn’t even give them a chance to get excited as he threw the ball away on the first two plays, and almost threw interceptions on the final two.

Penn State’s national title hopes (yea, yea they were a bit overrated) are gone, but they still have the chance to have a very good season. With upcoming match-ups against Illinois and Iowa in the next few weeks, the Lions defense should be able to carry them to a couple wins. But, they’re going to lose AT LEAST one more game if they don’t change something with the offense. It’s time to give Kinlaw the full workload, and for the Lions to see if there is a better option at quarterback.

Defense wins championships, but they need to have a lead.

CFI: GEORGIA 26 ALABAMA 23

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

When this game got underway the home crowd was in an uproar. Their beloved Crimson Tide was back. They were 3-0 and looking to make four straight with a win against the Bulldogs of Georgia. Alas…they had trouble with pass protection and missed throws by QB John Parker Wilson. The defense seemed to be in a hurry at times to get lined up before snaps like they were confused as to what play to call. On the other side of the field, the Bulldogs were looking to boost their confidence with a win here and they got it. The play calling that was criticized last week seemed to be corrected against the Tide. Because of the inexperience of the ‘Dogs offensive line coach Mark Richt called a lot of screens and quick passes to offset their lack of pass protection. This ended up helping Georgia sustain longer drives and balanced out their offensive production. It all paid off with the winning touchdown in overtime.

Key Points
1. Georgia WR Mikey Henderson’s (pictured above) game winning catch on Dawgs first play of OT.
2. Alabama QB John Parker Wilson’s 1-yard touchdown run to tie it at 10 in the third quarter.
3. Georgia K Brandon Coutu’s 45-yard field goal to give the Dogs a 10-0 lead.

Catch Happy
1.Alabama WR Keith Brown makes a nice move to break free of cornerback for big 43-yard gain. The senior had 3 grabs for 73 yards.
2. Georgia had seven different receivers catch at least a pass with two going for scores.

That Yellow Flag
1. Both teams combine for 13 penalties for 110 yards.
2. One big penalty was for pass interference on a fourth and seven that allowed Alabama to continue its comeback in the fourth quarter.

Low Ends
1. Costly penalties and poor execution put Alabama in a hole in the first half.
2. Georgia would never have had to go to OT if not for their fourth quarter meltdown that allowed Alabama to tie it in regulation.

KENTUCKY 42 ARKANSAS 29

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

At one point in the first half, it appeared that the momentum favored the Razorbacks. They out gained Kentucky 373-131 in yards but had only a 20-14 lead to show for it. Kentucky trimmed the lead to six points when Arkansas RB Michael Smith fumbled on a key drive. That led to a 66-yard return for a touchdown for Kentucky with 26 seconds left in the half. Then just as quick as the Wildcats took the lead in the third quarter. After giving up a safety and a touchdown to fall behind 29-21, Andre Woodson turned it on and showed his Heisman credentials. He simply took over the game and led his team to 21 unanswered points to put the game away.

Key Points
1. Kentucky’s Trevard Lindley’s 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown to cut the lead to six at the end of the first half.
2. Kentucky WR Keenan Burton’s 32-yard touchdown catch to retake the lead.
3. Arkansas scores on a 16-yard fumble return to open a 10-0 lead and momentum.


Fully Armed
1. Andre Woodson throws for 265 yards and two touchdowns and runs for another score. He engineers a fourth quarter comeback for a second straight week.

Road Runners
1. Arkansas RB Darren McFadden runs for 173 yards and the lone offensive score.
2. His running mate Felix Jones runs for 133 yards of his own on only 12 attempts.

Low Ends
1. Kentucky defense gets shredded for nearly 300 rushing yards.
2. Kentucky fumbles three times and losses all three. Gotta hold on to the ball or next time you may not get the win.
3. Arkansas gets all kinds of yards running the ball but it never amounted to the scores they needed to win the ballgame.

LSU 28 SOUTH CAROLINA 16

BY RAFAEL GARCIA
SEC INSIDER

Well looks like the ol' ball coach Steve Spurrier found where he measures against the SEC’s best now. The Tigers used a fake field goal for a touchdown, dominated the line of scrimmage and was just flat out too fast for the Gamecocks. Did you see when he threw a notepad down when LSU converted a key third down early in the first half? As for LSU, they showed the college football world they may be worthy of being #1 in the nation.

Key “Points”
1. LSU’s Trindon Holliday’s super-fast 33yd touchdown run.
2. LSU fake field goal where QB Matt Flynn flipped the ball behind his head to kicker Colt Davis who ran in from 15 yards for the score.
3. Mike Davis’s (S.C.) one-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. It was the first time LSU had trailed this season.

Big Hits
1.The Tigers offensive line was huge. They consistently pushed South Carolina’s young defensive line back, opening huge holes for their running backs to the tune of 288 yards.
2. At one point their center blocked a defensive player on the line then went around him to hit a linebacker on the same play.
3. The defense held the Gamecocks to a net rushing total of six yards.

Low Ends
1. South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell has a woeful first half and gets benched for Chris Smelley who put up some good numbers.
2. South Carolina’s defense had no answer to the LSU’s running game or their speed.
3. Steve Spurrier was so overmatched he switched his quarterbacks a few times in the game.

Into The Minds
1. LSU coach Les Miles had to change very little in his game plan. He knew that if his defense could stop the run it would be an easy day. That and the fact that S.C. quarterback Blake Mitchell had such a bad first half -- made it an easy day for the Tigers. He even had the confidence in his team when they missed one trick play by answering it with the fake field goal for a touchdown.
2. The ole' ball coach looked like he might go to 12-1 against LSU in his career. His team was in the game and playing pretty good defense until the fake field goal made it 21-7 and took the air out of his team. He spent the second half trying to catch up to a team that’s still a league above his team.

CFI: THE ACC REPORT

CHRISTOPHER J. KRESGE
ACC INSIDER

MIAMI 34 – TEXAS A&M 17
It seemed like old times for the Hurricanes as they took the Aggies out to the “woodshed” on national television Thursday night. The Orange Bowl was rocking as the home fans were treated to a performance that they have become so accustomed to over the past 25 years. The defense dominated all night long and was not fooled at all by the Aggies play action ball fakes. As usual, the linebackers led the attack and Colin McCarthy recorded an interception. The defensive front overpowered A & M’s offensive line and the secondary’s speed was no match for the Aggies skill players. The real story of the night was the re-emergence of Kyle Wright, the passing game and the overall confidence of the offense. Wright went 21/26 passing and threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He showed a lot of poise and accuracy all night. As per the season, the running combination of Javarris James and Graig Cooper was impressive and slowly but surely, the wide receivers are starting to come together as a solid unit. There is still no standout “playmaker”, but they are improving each week. It will be interesting to see if the Canes build off this big win or slip back to mediocrity.
NEXT WEEK: DUKE

VIRGINIA 28 – GEORGIA TECH 23
Guess who is 3-0 in the ACC? Yes, that is right, it is the Cavaliers. UVA has rebounded after their opening game lost to Wyoming to rip off three wins and none being more important than this one at home against the Yellow Jackets. What is even more surprising is that Georgia Tech is now 0-2 in the ACC. Jameel Sewell has silenced his critics for at least one week after a strong performance (16/25, 177 yards and one touchdown). But Virginia’s strength is both its running game led by Cedric Peerman who went for 138 yards and one touchdown, as well as their defense, which is led by future first round pick Chris Long. This is Georgia Tech’s second loss in a row and they have 13th ranked Clemson coming to town on Saturday. A must win situation is starting to formulate in Atlanta for the Ramblin’ Wreck.
NEXT WEEK VIRGINIA: PITTSBURGH
NEXT WEEK GEORGIA TECH: CLEMSON

NORTH CAROLINA 10 – SOUTH FLORIDA 37
Butch Davis must have been reminiscing on Saturday -- what it was like when he was the head coach at the University of Miami -- when all that speed and playmaking ability that South Florida unleashed on his Tar Heel squad was on his team. Granted, UNC has 42 freshmen on their roster and if you can use the term “re-building” in college sports -- this would be the perfect scenario. T.J Yates was cooled off a bit by USF defense and was a horrid 11-27 for 85 yards and four interceptions. To be fair, the Heels have no real running game to speak of and when you play a nationally ranked team, you have to have a balanced attack. A few bright spots for the young Tar Heels were freshman running back Ryan Houston scoring a touchdown and rushing for 43 yards and freshman Marvin Austin was active and disruptive all day on defense. Butch Davis has a young, talented group. They will get better as the season progresses.
NEXT WEEK: @ VIRGINIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH 44 – WILLIAM MARY 3
It was batting practice for the Hokies against William and Mary as they ran up 44 points in their win on Saturday. Tyrod Taylor went 6/13 for 72 yards and one touchdown as he started his second straight game. It is tough to evaluate him against a William and Mary defense, but overall, looked good. His athletic ability is overwhelmingly obvious whenever he is flushed from the pocket. Taylor must show more patience though -- and think pass first and run second, this will eventually happen with more experience. As usual, the defense was superb, combining for three interceptions. This was a good confidence building game as they are still recovering from their LSU debacle.
NEXT WEEK: NORTH CAROLINA

DUKE 43 – NAVY 46
Thaddeus “AIR” Lewis erupted for 428 yards on 23/36 attempts and four touchdowns as Duke lost to Navy by three. The Blue Devils might not win many games this year, but they sure will entertain you with an aerial assault. Lewis’ favorite target is Eron Riley, whom scored four touchdowns and had a total of 235 yards. They head down to Coral Gables next week and have to play against a secondary that is fast and full of players who all have NFL potential.
NEXT WEEK: @ MIAMI

PIVITOL POINT: TENNESSEE @ FLORIDA

Experience: Erik Ainge, a starter for most of his now four seasons in Knoxville, has seen action in 31 games and made 25 starts, while this is Tim Tebow’s first ever start in an SEC game…that has to count for something. On defense, Jonathan Hefney has 38 career starts, one less than the entire Florida defense has entering the season. In all, the Gators have played 26 freshmen (17 true) and 21 sophomores this season. They are as young as you can get with 73 percent of their roster either freshmen or sophomores.

To read the rest of Daniel Mogollon's game preview, as he breaks down when both teams have the ball, as well as tells you who is going to come out on top, click on the CFI logo to sign up for the weekly newsletterhttp://collegefootballinsiders.blogspot.com/ .