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Monday , May 16

 
"The last time either a men’s or women’s golf team from Notre Dame qualified for a women’s golf championship, Ara Parsegian was the football coach of the Fighting Irish. That was 1966. Since the NCAA began sponsoring a women’s golf championship in 1982, Notre Dame had never participated – until 2011."
Irish ready for return to Tournament - NCAA.com

Tuesday, April 19

 

"Pitt concluded its spring drills Saturday in the annual Blue-Gold Game by filling the dark, rainy sky with 81 passes, running its fast-break offense without regard to the conditions and committing five turnovers.The football was slippery, and the turf was slimy. But you won't hear any excuses from coach Todd Graham." "
Pitt's offense still a work in progress - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith has spent the past three weeks looking through a microscope, viewing the Mountaineers new offense one slide at a time.He got his first glimpse of the big picture Saturday. And he liked what he saw."
West Virginia still learning new offense - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


"Will Stein passed for two touchdowns, while Vic Anderson ran for two more scores as the Red beat the White 31-14 Friday night in the University of Louisville's spring football game. "For it being the end of our spring practice I thought the guys did a great job of coming out and competing," Louisville coach Charlie Strong said."
Stein shines in Louisville spring game - USA Today


"Matt Floyd has been on USF's campus for only three months, so it's all the more surprising the quarterback was the breakout star of Saturday's spring game at Raymond James Stadium. The freshman threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, mostly against the Bulls' No. 1 defense. "All my friends back home are getting ready for prom, getting their last-minute ACTs in to get into college," said Floyd, who graduated early from Milton High in December."
Freshman quarterback Matt Floyd steals the show at USF spring game - St. Petersburg Times


"The moment David Rowe received word today about where Rutgers’ intra-squad scrimmage was going to be held he knew it was going to be a good afternoon for the defense. On most weather-affected days like this one — with winds gusting to 22 mph, raw temperatures and, eventually, heavy rains — coach Greg Schiano takes practice indoors. Not this time."
Amid unfavorable weather, Rutgers defense shines in spring game - The Star-Ledger


"So it’s wise to take what happened Saturday night at Nippert Stadium in Bearcat Bowl V with a grain of salt. But if you were looking for an early indication that the defense might be improved this fall, the signs were there.Instead of conducting a full-blown scrimmage, UC coach Butch Jones put his offensive and defensive units in various game situations, using a scoring system that awards points for various accomplishments, such as a sack by the defense."
UC defense shows positive signs in spring game - Cincinnati Enquirer


"Three cheers for Syracuse University football coach Doug Marrone, who benched the goofy scoring system that has doomed past Orange spring games and replaced it with a real game. And three cheers for Marrone’s players, who rose to the occasion and treated it like a real game."
Syracuse football team displays several encouraging signs during annual spring game - The Post-Standard


"A two-yard touchdown pass from walk-on quarterback Blaise Driscoll to walk-on tight end Teddy Baker with no time left gave the Blue team, consisting primarily of the back-ups, a come-from-behind 16-14 victory over the White team in UConn's annual spring football game at Rentschler Field."
UConn Blue-White Scrimmage: The Backups Win - Hartford Courant

Thursday, April 14

 

"The last recruiting class that Brian Kelly signed at the University of Cincinnati was ranked fifth in the Big East Conference by Rivals.com and Scout.com. It included 28 players, including transfers Demetrius Jones and Dorian Davis."
Butch Jones Picks up the Pieces at Cincinnati - Cincinnati Enquirer

"Kemba Walker grew up a couple of subway stops away, and he played basketball at Gauchos Gym, which is even closer. "I walked past it all the time," Walker said, "and it was like, 'Wow, that's Yankee Stadium,' and you know about all the history. But I never had the chance to go inside. I was always playing basketball."
Yankees Welcome Walker, UConn Teammates - Hartford Courant


"The only thing less predictable than the University of Louisville's baseball team this season has been its lineup."
Coach Dan McDonnell shuffling young Louisville players in search of consistency - The Courier-Journal

Monday, March 21

 

"In a wide-ranging postgame news conference, Marquette Coach Buzz Williams quoted Albert Einstein and Robert Frost, teared up when asked about hugging his wife, and defended the five players he called Jukes, the junior-college products who helped the Golden Eagles advance to the N.C.A.A. tournament’s Round of 16."
Marquette coach waxes poetic after upset of Syracuse - New York Times


"It's clear that nothing fazes Kemba Walker. The more demanded of him, the more he certifies the belief that he's capable of just about anything. Walker had 33 points Saturday night in Washington as third-seeded UConn defeated No. 6 Cincinnati 69-58 in the third round of the NCAA Tournament."
Kemba Walker continues to amaze despite the constant pressure - Hartford Courant

Friday, February 18

 

"The Cincinnati Bearcats got what the Associated Press described as "the defining win of their season" Wednesday night. That might be a little bit hyperbolic -- and who's to say Cincinnati can't get another "defining win" before the Big East season finishes? -- but you can understand the enthusiasm at work."
Cincinnati steals Superman's cape - ESPN.com

"Jim Calhoun planned to spend a couple of hours late Wednesday thinking about UConn's victory over Georgetown. With the exceptional playmaking that sealed it and for the place it left his team — at the 20-win benchmark — it was worth taking time to appreciate."
UConn men get another shot at Louisville - Hartford Courant

Tuesday, February 1

 

"Duke's flight home to North Carolina left as quickly as the team could make its way to the plane after Monday's game at Connecticut, all the better to beat the latest round of inclement weather headed toward New England. But while that ground around Gampel Pavilion not still buried under previous storms remained dry in the hours after the game, the visiting team's departure turned out to be a few hours too late to beat the storm."
Near-perfect game from UConn dismantles Duke's perfect season - ESPN.com

"As I watched the final seconds tick away in a 93-78 St. John’s win over third-ranked Duke, I kept thinking of Gary Charles. The longtime director of the AAU Long Island Panthers, Charles is one of those guys you go to when you want to get your arms around what matters and who matters in New York City basketball."
St. John's: Another step in taking back NYC - ESPN.com


"Joe Mazzulla has played 132 games in his West Virginia basketball career and figured only a few were as thoroughly impactful and impressive as Saturday night's game at Cincinnati. "Joe Mazzulla single-handedly won the game for them," Bearcats Coach Mick Cronin said."
Mazzulla making impact for Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail

Wednesday, January 26

 

"Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer has made a habit of getting her teams to play their best when the New Year rolls around. So it shouldn’t come as much of a shock that Rutgers is once again in the midst of a midseason run after a sluggish start."
Rutgers on a roll with five straight wins - Associated Press

Saturday, January 22

 

"The NCAA Tournament national semifinals will be held in Houston on April 2, but the four best teams in college basketball could very well meet before that, at Madison Square Garden March 11."
BIG EAST has developed into a real beast - Boston Globe

 

 

Wednesday, January 19

 

"It's best, when covering college basketball, not to let your opinion of a team be swayed too much by one game, one half or one stretch. These are teams of collegians that can look terrific one week, awful the next. I suspect this is why national writers (myself included) are so bad at filling out NCAA tournament brackets. Despite our best efforts, we assign too much meaning to the marquee games we see firsthand -- mostly because we've been sent to cover those games and write about what they mean."
It looked weird, but Pitt did what it always does - SI.com

"The Legendary Blue Horizon, home to some of boxing’s richest history, sits just a few blocks north on Broad Street from Brad Wanamaker’s Roman Catholic high school.  So when the Philadelphia native was looking for a way to explain the Big East, and, better yet, to explain who wins the Big East, Wanamaker went with an analogy he and his Brotherly Love natives know well."
Pitt still throwing punches in BIG EAST - ESPN.com


"Jeremy Lamb has shown he can score when the flow of the game allows for it, like when he posted 13 points Saturday at DePaul. Monday against Villanova, Lamb showed he can force himself into making a difference, too. He made six of 12 shots and scored 14 points, stats that weren't accumulated because he just happened to find himself open."
Lamb works hard, finds scoring touch - Hartford Courant


"Kemba Walker is performing for Connecticut as if he is an NBA All-Star. He's well-aware that he will take the last shot, and he won't have any doubt about making it. He won’t always make it -- plenty of NBA stars don’t. But the Huskies believe their best chance to win is with Walker taking the shot, no matter the moment’s conditions."
Walker wins another for UConn - ESPN.com

 

Monday, January 17

 

"When the West Virginia student section poured onto the Coliseum court on Sunday, it was appropriate. The reason: This 12-4 Mountaineer basketball team, a 68-64 victor over No. 8 Purdue, is a rush."
Mountaineers giving fans something to talk about - Charleston Gazette


"The only way tonight’s Steel City showdown between Syracuse and Pittsburgh could get any bigger would be if Mark Sanchez replaced Scoop Jardine at guard for the Orange and Bill Belicheck took over for Rex Ryan on the Syracuse bench. Then the denizens of the Oakland Zoo; otherwise known as the Pittsburgh student section, could all start waving Terrible Towels."
Syracuse and Pittsburgh prepare for Top 5 showdown in steel city  - The Post-Standard


"The critics became supporters, the doubters believers. A year ago, Pittsburgh went to Syracuse with a gaudy record and a whole lot of people who thought the Panthers were little more than an inflated byproduct of an easy schedule. By the time the Panthers left central New York, they were selling tickets for the bandwagon."
What to Watch for: Syracuse-Pittsburgh - ESPN.com


"Pittsburgh-Georgetown was supposed to be the first marquee Big East matchup of the season. Pitt was ready for the game. Georgetown was not. So the Big East waited a week for a pair of headline matchups. In the preseason, Monday night’s Syracuse-Pitt game was a natural one to promote with the Panthers and Orange predicted to be in the league’s top three."
What to Watch for: Villanova-Connecticut - ESPN.com

Friday, January 14

 

" Connecticut officially introduced Paul Pasqualoni as its new head coach on Friday. The news conference was light on news but heavy on nostalgia. My favorite part was when Pasqualoni talked about growing up in Cheshire, Conn. His father allowed the kids to play sports, but if they weren't playing sports, they had to work at the family greenhouse. So Pasqualoni chose sports"
Paul Pasqualoni gets back to his roots - ESPN.com

"When West Virginia ended practice on New Year's Eve, the players thought they were finished preparing for the next day's game against Marquette. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to begin a new way to prepare for opponents"
Quizzes have helped WVU prepare - Charleston Daily Mail

Thursday, January 13

   

"Todd Graham promised Pitt fans an exciting brand of championship-level football then asked them to give him a chance to prove himself and earn their respect."
Pitt introduces Graham as new head coach -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Jim Calhoun said Tuesday night after UConn defeated Rutgers that he isn't always entirely truthful with his players. Shocked? Of course you aren't."
Calhoun Pleased, But looking for more -Hartford Courant

" Georgetown University women's soccer player Ingrid Wells (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) got a bit of an early Christmas present this year. It was just a simple phone call, but it was just what she wanted."
Ingrid Wells Invited to Under-23 National Team Training Camp - GUHoyas.com

Tuesday, January 4

   

"The 10 seniors had heard all about the heralded signing class that new St. John’s coach Steve Lavin was busy assembling since he took the job last April. It’s a nine-man group that includes a half-dozen players ranked in the Top 100 – and a class that’s supposed to mark the dawn of a new era for the Red Storm."
St. John's Red Storm regains relevancy with upset of Georgetown - FoxSports.com



"Pitt is beginning the new year a lot like it ended the old one -- bracing for one of the nation's top scorers. One week after topping Kemba Walker-led Connecticut, No. 5 Pitt will play a lesser-known -- but just as prolific -- scorer when it travels to Providence at 7 tonight."
Pitt readies for Providence swingman - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
 

"For all of the things that West Virginia did right Saturday at Marquette, the bottom line was still a second straight Big East loss to start the season. Yes, the Mountaineers played well for most of the game. Yes, they clawed back from an awful start, on the road, and had a chance to win. They got encouraging performances from almost everyone who played, particularly Truck Bryant and Deniz Kilicli."
Huggins: Team's resolve being tested - Charleston Gazette


 

Thursday, December 30

   

"During the regular season, Nick Carparelli Jr. has to remain neutral. As Senior Associate Commissioner for the Big East Conference, Carparelli shouldn’t show favoritism to one team over another. Like a father with many sons, he must love them all the same. But this week, book-ended by Christmas and New Year’s with the first-ever bowl game at Yankee Stadium in the middle, Carparelli is showing his true colors – and they are most definitely blue and orange."
Working for the BIG EAST, former Syracuse player Nick Carparelli, Jr. instrumental in creation of Pinstripe Bowl - The Post-Standard


"It's not like Maya Moore has much experience with losing during her extraordinary career at UConn. In fact, she played in only two losses in 127 games, one at Rutgers in February 2008, one against Stanford in a national semifinal later than season in Tampa, Fla."
UConn vs. Stanford: Two streaks on the line - Hartford Courant


"When Georgetown shoots 18 threes and makes four, they're not going to win many games. It's basically just that simple....St. John's attempted only 41 field goals Wednesday night. They made 25 of them. Only six of those field goals were 3-pointers; only one of those 3-pointers went in. So how did the Red Storm score 81 points in Morgantown? By shooting -- get this -- 39 free throws."
The Morning After - Last night's BIG EAST games - ESPN.com

"The Big East is the SEC of college basketball. In fact, the Big East was the SEC of college basketball before the SEC became the Goliath of college football. Founded in 1979, the Big East became the first, and still only, conference to send three teams to a Final Four, which it did in 1985 (Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova).
BIG EAST living large as conference play tips - New York Post

 

Thursday, December 23

   

"John Thompson III was once in Josh Pastner's shoes, taking over a brand-name program where the “Ghost of Coaches Past” still loomed large. So he gets it.  He knows how Pastner feels as he toils under intense scrutiny, his team good but still not quite great.  And he feels … OK, the truth is that Thompson doesn’t feel much sympathy at all. Not even a little bit. Not even a smidgen in this time of holiday cheer."
Thompson has no empathy for Tigers - ESPN.com


"Sometimes it's embarrassing to be a male. The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team is in the midst of an extraordinary run that should be celebrated in song and story, with no qualifiers whatsoever. Yet we have been sidetracked into a male-generated debate, the purpose of which is to diminish the accomplishment."
Oh man, can't we just appreciate these women - Boston Globe

"The game wasn't competitive. Coronations rarely are. UConn won its 89th consecutive game on Tuesday night, a 93-62 win over Florida State that morphed from basketball game into a blue and white pep rally in the second half."
Moore dazzles once again as UConn women take their place in history - Sports Illustrated

 

Wednesday, December 22

 

"Last night President Obama congratulated UCONN Huskies women’s basketball team, Coach Geno Auriemma, on winning eight-nine (89) in a row and breaking the all-time NCAA Division I basketball consecutive win record of 88 games, formerly held by the UCLA Bruins’ and coach John Wooden. Coach Auriemma and the women athletes have fought hard for their success on and off the court, and their efforts have brought them to a legendary status."
An historic night for women's sports - Whitehouse.gov


"Tina Charles flew in from Russia. Kemba Walker, Randy Edsall, Richard Blumenthal — the who's who of Connecticut — descended from all parts Nutmeg. In the middle of Geno Auriemma's postgame press conference on this historic night, even the President called."
Not Women's or Men's, Just Greatness - Hartford Courant


"The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team has fans in high places. The Huskies’ 89th straight victory last night received the seal of approval from President Obama and from Greg Wooden, who assured them his grandfather, John, was a supporter."
Huskies set the record - Boston Globe


"HARTFORD — For decades, U.C.L.A.’s winning streak seemed as round and fundamental and permanent as the shape of the ball itself. And yet, it is the Connecticut women, not the U.C.L.A. men, who now hold the major-college basketball record for invincibility. The Huskies won their 89th consecutive game Tuesday with a 93-62 throttling of Florida State before a sellout crowd of 16,294 at the XL Center, surpassing the 88 straight won by the U.C.L.A. men, coached by John Wooden, from 1971 to 1974."
UConn Women Own the Longest Streak - New York Times


"Maya Moore answers each question with such thoughtfulness that if you didn't know better, you'd never guess she has been asked thousands. It is her nature to take each query as if it truly matters, a respectfulness you just won't find in many people you encounter. But Moore's probably never going to be able to give an adequate answer to what she means to UConn, because that definitely is not in her nature. She's a drummer, not a horn blower.."
UConn streak is all that and Moore - ESPN.com

"One is a lightning rod who never met a truth he wasn't willing and even eager to share or a bear he wasn't willing to gleefully poke. The other carries herself with a smooth and stately grace rarely associated with a sport of sweat and sharp elbows. Together they've taken a program already at the pinnacle and somehow climbed still higher."
Moore, Auriemma an unbeatable team - ESPN.com


"Midway through his postgame press conference at the XL Center Tuesday, UConn Coach Geno Auriemma was handed a cellphone by his administrative assistant Sarah Darras. This had to be important. It was. The President of the United States was on the phone."
Obama makes the call to Geno - Hartford Courant


"For the University of Louisville football team, this season was all about coming back. Coming back from three years of futility and frustration, from three seasons that ended with no bowl games. And ultimately, in the Beef ‘O' Brady's Bowl last night against Southern Mississippi, coming back from a 14-0 deficit and a nightmarish start."
Beefed up Cardinals finish Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl strong - The Courier-Journal

"The University of Connecticut women's team has a way of turning games into coronations almost as soon as they start. Tuesday night's game, their 89th straight win, played out like most of them do: a fast start, a big lead, a roaring crowd, and finally a lopsided scoreboard."
UConn women set mark of excellence - Wall Street Journal

"Regardless of what happens Sunday at Madison Square Garden, UCLA's record of 88 consecutive wins will remain the standard for the sport in which it was set, men's collegiate basketball. It's something that -- considering the reality of early entry into the NBA draft and many other factors -- seems highly unlikely to ever be broken."
UConn's Geno Auriemma late UCLA Bruins' coach John Wooden are kindred spirits in coaching  - ESPN.com

 

Tuesday, December 21

 

 "There is no such thing as perfection, but a winning streak represents holding off imperfection -- a delay of the inevitable. Call it being in the zone or being on a roll or being unconscious -- the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team is all that with a streak that reached 88 straight with Sunday's 31-point demolition of Ohio State."
UConn women's streak has little comp in sports - MLB.com


"Having previously matched major-college basketball’s longest winning streak, the Connecticut women will seek to run a fast break into the record books Tuesday night. With an expected defeat of Florida State here at the XL Center, UConn would win its 89th consecutive game, a Division I record surpassing the 88 won by the U.C.L.A. men, coached by John Wooden, from 1971 to 1974."
UConn Women can set record for major college winning-streak - New York TImes
 

"Maya Moore was born in 1989, 15 years after UCLA’s NCAA-record 88-game winning streak had come to an end. But Moore, a senior member of the University of Connecticut women’s team, and her teammates have a sense of their place in basketball history as they prepare for a chance to break the Bruins’ record against No. 22 Florida State at the XL Center in Hartford tonight."
UConn women prepared to take their shot at history  - Boston Globe


"From all over the world, they follow the streak on the Internet and commiserate through text messages or Twitter updates. As the UConn women's basketball team attempts to win its 89th consecutive game tonight, the program's alumni will be hanging on every shot. And for those who contributed to the winning streak, there's a vested interest in UConn's quest to pass the revered 88-game streak of the UCLA men."
Former players following UConn's winning streak  - Hartford Courant


"A major tip of the cap to the UConn women's basketball team! We should salute coach Geno Auriemma and their amazing record. Wow, 88 in a row tying the UCLA Bruins men's mark is awesome, baby with a capital A! My friends, both the UCLA mark and the Connecticut streak are amazing accomplishments. I have read some people criticizing Auriemma's team because of comparisions of the streaks, but both should be praised."
Let's salute UConn women's hoops   - ESPN.com


 "The Big East has five teams in the top 10 of this week's ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll with the additions of Villanova and Georgetown.The top five remained unchanged, with No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 Connecticut and No. 5 Syracuse all holding steady. Duke again was a unanimous choice at No. 1, receiving all 31 first-place votes from the panel of 31 Division I coaches. The Blue Devils were also ranked No. 1 in this week's Associated Press Top 25."
BIG EAST has fie teams in top ten  - ESPN.com


"New York Life executive Mark Pfaff, who oversees the insurance company's sales force of 11,000 agents around the country, is no stranger to a commute. Pfaff, after all, lives in Colchester and works in Manhattan."It's a family decision, and you give up a lot," Pfaff said last week. "We love the community up here, and the atmosphere is such a difference from midtown New York."
Lives in Vermont, works in New Hampshire, roots for UConn  - Burlington Free Press

 

Sunday, December 19

 

"Regardless of what happens Sunday at Madison Square Garden, UCLA's record of 88 consecutive wins will remain the standard for the sport in which it was set, men's collegiate basketball. It's something that -- considering the reality of early entry into the NBA draft and many other factors -- seems highly unlikely to ever be broken."
UConn's Geno Auriemma late UCLA Bruins' coach John Wooden are kindred spirits in coaching  - ESPN.com

"reat isn't good enough for Geno AuriGemma, and no one on his UConn women's basketball team is too gifted to get better. Woe to any player who thinks differently.For Auriemma, the bar always gets set a notch higher."
Just win baby! UConn cast changes, results don't  - Associated Press

 "A message of hope for Geno Auriemma, who is poised to make history: Don't move. Don't make the same mistake some of your colleagues in the men's game have made. Larry Brown, one of the great coaching minds of all-time, has been devoured in the NBA. P.J. Carlesimo left Seton Hall and almost got strangled by Latrell Sprewell. Billy Donovan was halfway to Orlando when he realized Gainesville was a much better fit."
Auriemma please don't leave UConn - New York Post

Thursday, December 16

 

"You could win plenty of bets in sports bars across the country by asking what conference has posted the best bowl record during the BCS era. It's not the mighty Southeastern Conference, which has produced each of the past four national champions. Nor is it the Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac-10. The answer instead is the much-maligned Big East, which has gone 36-23 in bowl games since the 1998 season."
Head of class in BCS era: BIG EAST? - News-Press.com

"The University of Louisville's lack of rebounding in Tuesday's 52-46 loss to Drexel has coach Rick Pitino considering a lineup change where going smaller may actually help them play taller. The Cardinals tried several frontcourt combinations late in the game against the Dragons to ratchet up rebounds, including Stephan Van Treese with Terrence Jennings and Rakeem Buckles with Gorgui Dieng. None seemed to work, as U of L got beat on the boards 46-26."
New starting lineup being considered for Louisville basketball - The Courier-Journal

 

Wednesday, December 15

 

"About 15 years ago, Geno Auriemma met John Wooden, who put a grandfatherly hand on his knee as the two coaches talked basketball. Then, after Connecticut won the 2000 N.C.A.A. women’s title, Wooden said that he enjoyed the selfless way the Huskies played."
UConn and UCLA linked by winning streak - New York Times


"You don’t have to tell the University of Cincinnati Bearcats why they’re not ranked in the Top 25 despite an 8-0 record. They know how it works. “I would have to say it’s because we haven’t played anybody that’s been ranked,” said senior forward Rashad Bishop."
UC not worried about rank - Cincinnati Enquirer


"Villanova is playing seven games at the Wells Fargo Center this season, starting Saturday against Delaware. Why more games there this season than ever? "It's a combination of available dates, Saturdays are better than Tuesdays, opponent and a mix of games between the Pavilion and there in terms of the quality and the timing," Villanova athletic director Vince Nicastro said. "This year, we stretched it a little bit. We felt like we had a better number of Saturdays and felt like we could stretch the package and still have balance between the quality of the games on campus and at the Center."
Villanova has found a home in South Philly - Philadelphia Daily News

Monday, December 13

 

"A few days before she became Connecticut's alltime leading scorer, Maya Moore listened self-consciously as her sophomore teammate Kelly Faris went off on a compliment rant. "Maya does everything," Faris said. "She's a great player. A great person. A great leader. We're going to miss Maya so much when she's gone."
The Nutmeg Dynasty - Sports Illustrated

Monday, December 6

 

Thursday, December 2

 

"Kemba Walker is averaging 30 points for undefeated Connecticut, Pittsburgh has wins over Maryland and Texas and, somehow,Cincinnati managed to thump Dayton by three dozen points. And the Big East is supposed to be down in 2010-11? Uh, hardly."
All about the BIG EAST: Better than billed - Yahoo! Sports

 
"Notre Dame and Ohio State will meet Friday for a berth in the College Cup championship game. Kickoff is 4 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPNU. The winner moves into the title game Sunday at noon against the Stanford-Boston College winner."
Cup vet Notre Dame faces rookie Ohio State - South Bend Tribune


"Noel Devine has two goals for the final week of his final regular season at West Virginia. "First things first, I'm trying to get healthy," Devine said. "Then, after that, it's going down."
Devine wants to get healthy - Charleston Daily Mail


 

Tuesday, November 23

 

"It is going to get tougher this week for Villanova, but so far the Wildcats have played very well on the way to who knows how good. Villanova (4-0) has not left campus to play yet, but was about as impressive as possible in Saturday's 86-41 win over Lafayette (1-3)."
Unbeaten Villanova looking good heading into tough week - Philly.com

 

Tuesday, November 16

 

 "Check the transcripts if you must. Scan the volumes of wisecracks and witticisms that Geno Auriemma has voiced over the years. Nowhere will you find the sentiment to support the contention, held widely in our state of steady habits, that a college basketball game held between November and February holds great significance to the Hall of Fame coach of the UConn women's basketball team."
Baylor vs. UConn: Another 'Game of the Century' - Hartford Courant

 
"Jimmy Butler remembers the conversation as if it were yesterday. Sitting in his junior-college dorm room in April 2008, he was discussing the future with roommate Joe Fulce. The Texas natives were among the best forwards in the nation at their level, and Fulce recently had reaffirmed his pledge to play at Marquette University despite Tom Crean leaving unexpectedly for Indiana University."
Butler cast aside dreams, found success - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"After enjoying a relatively stress-free debut Saturday against Dartmouth, the Friar freshmen played a lot like freshmen Monday night against Yale. The Friars will lean heavily on their newcomers all season, and for much of the game, Keno Davis kept waiting for someone among the group to step up and spark his team. It never really happened"
Veterans to the Rescue - Providence Journal

Friday, November 12

 
"Rutgers football followed up its No. 1 ranking nationally in Academic Progress Rate (APR) in June with another significant classroom achievement when it finished as the top-ranked public institution in graduation success rate according to data released by the NCAA, the school announced today."
NCAA study indicates Rutgers has top graduation success rate among public FBS schools - The Star-Ledger

"The whirling dervish of a basketball program is no more. The Tasmanian Devil of a coach is gone. The storm has passed and the calm has set at Seton Hall. At least, so it seems."
Kevin Willard the calm after the storm at Seton Hall - Newsroom New Jersey

"Before this football season started, every time I ran into University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich the message was the same. It was going to take time. He wanted it built for the long haul. I only remember the word “bowl” coming up once, and the word Jurich associated with it was “huge.”
Strong has Cards doing big things - The Courier-Journal
 

 "Cathy Williams wasn't just a soccer mom. She was the ultimate soccer mom. Cathy and her son, current Cincinnati senior goalkeeper Matt Williams, were surrounded by the game. A 5-year-old Matt could be seen on the sidelines of Deering High School in their hometown of Portland, Maine, as the ball boy running after every errant pass. It was only the beginning."
Cathy's Boy - GoBearcats.com

Wednesday, November 10

 

" In a way, this is really nothing new. Talented Philadelphia-area basketball players have long bypassed local schools to play for college basketball's most storied programs. Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1955 when the Overbrook High graduate went to the University of Kansas. In 1977, after graduating from West Philadelphia, Gene Banks took his game to Duke."
BIG EAST a big lure for local recruits - Philadelphia Inquirer

 
"Last season, before Jacquian Williams was a starter or a captain or a leader for USF football, the inspiration came when he was just playing special teams and had failed to make a play on kickoff coverage. Frustrated on the sideline, he looked up at the video screens at Raymond James Stadium, and there was his daughter, Jashira, smiling."
USF's Jacquian draws inspiration from his three children - St. Petersburg Times


"Sick. Anxious. Excited. Nervous. Those were the feelings that rushed at Andrew Phillips like a Louisville defensive end in a 48-hour period beginning late Thursday afternoon and lasting two plays into the first start of his college football career. Then, in the time it took for one Cardinal defender to meet Phillips head-on and land on the Carrier Dome turf, the feelings were replaced by confidence."
Thrust into starting lineup, Phillips had nice debut for Syracuse - The Post-Standard

"For all the questions surrounding this inexperienced UConn team, coach Jim Calhoun does have options. There's Kemba Walker, and then everybody else, the only clear sign of true separation through three weeks of practice and one exhibition game."
Calhoun expects to have deep rotation - The Hartford Courant


 

Tuesday, November 9

 
" When South Florida visits Louisville on Saturday, it will be the first time Skip Holtz and Charlie Strong have met on the field as head coaches. But the two are very familiar with one another. "
Skip Holtz, Charlie Strong have close bond - ESPN.com


"Agnus Berenato doesn't look at last year as a bump in the road, a down year or a signal that the Pitt women's program needs some work. She won't put it in a box and label it as anything. To the fervent Panthers coach, it simply is what it is -- or rather, what it was."
No looking back for Berenato - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"After four days off, Rutgers freshman quarterback Chas Dodd and his offensive teammates returned to the sobering news that Syracuse comes off the team bus blitzing. That bit of information doesn't bode well for Dodd, who is playing behind an offensive line that doesn't exactly boost one's confidence. The unit ranks last in the nation in sacks allowed per game (4.4) with a total of 35."
Rutgers QB Chas Dodd is preparing for Syracuse blitz - The Star-Ledger



 

Wednesday, November 3

 

"Patrick Hampton could tell you he was stuck behind All-Americans and first-round draft picks in his first three seasons as a USF defensive end, but he's humble enough to admit that early on, he wasn't big enough or strong enough to do what he needed on the field. "When I first got here, I was about 207 pounds," he remembered, wincing as he smiled after practice last week."
USF Bulls' Patrick Hampton expected to make his first career start against Rutgers - St. Petersburg Times


"Wide receiver Mark Harrison was perhaps the Scarlet Knights’ biggest enigma. At 6-3, 230 pounds, he had it all — size, blazing speed and tantalizing athletic ability"
Rutgers wideout Mark Harrison found the wakeup call he desperately needed - The Star-Ledger

 

Sunday, October 31

"Yes, it's Halloween weekend, and yes, Syracuse's mascot is an orange spheroid. But, no, this is not the story of the Great Pumpkin. These Orange can no longer be discounted as an October tall tale. They are, in fact, for real -- and pointing toward a big November."
Orange prove they're here to say - ESPN.com


"Dom DeCicco is right: Senior defensive end Jabaal Sheard isn't just the best player on Pitt's team, he is the best player in the Big East this season. Before Saturday, one could have made an argument for Louisville running back Bilal Powell. Not now, not after first-place Pitt held Powell in check until the Louisville star's second-half injury."
Sheard, Pitt rule the BIG EAST - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"USF men's basketball has its first exhibition Monday against Division II Eckerd College, but Stan Heath told reporters Wednesday that he is hoping to find better consistency at point guard, where he isn't sure who will step up to take over for last year's starter, Chris Howard."
Heath hasn't found answer at point guard yet - St. Petersburg Times

"Like all the other rookies around the league, Lazar Hayward of the Minnesota Timberwolves is learning about the ins and outs of the National Basketball Association. The former Marquette University player has discovered, for example, that his name to the veterans isn't really Lazar."
Ex-Golden Eagle Hayward makes good first impression - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel


"Greg Schiano stepped to the podium and saw several hundred solemn faces staring back at him, each one looking to him for something. For guidance. For strength. For wisdom. For answers."
Greg Schiano's role as 'father' to his Rutgers football team has never been more important - The Star-Ledger

 

Wednesday, October 27

" If Zach Collaros can’t play Saturday against Syracuse, backup quarterback Chazz Anderson says he’s ready to go. “When you prepare during the week like you’re the starter – because that’s what you have to do when you’re the backup quarterback – you kind of have to always be ready,” Anderson said. “I’ve played before. I’ve seen it. I’ve done it. So I just go out there and get the playmakers involved.”
Zach Collaros' backup stays ready - Cincinnati Enquirer

 

"As first impressions go, Charlie Strong's lived up to his name. Strong made an immediate impact at Louisville, where the Cardinals were ready to welcome the former Florida defensive coordinator with open arms after going from 12 wins in 2006 to 15 victories over the past three seasons."
Louisville gets dose of Strong medicine - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"On just about any other day this season, it might have been foolish to put Geno Smith next to Mike Box and compare West Virginia's quarterback to UConn's."
UConn quarterback is getting his chance - Charleston Daily Mail


 

Tuesday, October 26

" Louisville's Doug Beaumont had a 91-yard punt return for a touchdown called back because of a holding penalty in the second quarter of Saturday's game against UConn. Not to be denied, Beaumont took another one back 74 yards for a score in the third quarter, this time without any yellow laundry on the field."
Louisville succeeds on senior strength - ESPN.com

" One program is on the way up from rock bottom; the other has been on top for two years and is trying to prevent a slide into mediocrity. The Orange haven’t had a winning season since 2001 and haven’t been to a bowl game since 2004. In the last five years, they’ve gone 4-31 in the Big East, 14-45 overall."
Syracuse Orange no longer BIG EAST pumpkins - Cincinnati Enquirer


"The New York guys, current coaches and former coaches, sat and watched as Jay Wright ran his Villanova players through a practice. The guys on the court were all very familiar. Six of the Wildcats call either New York or North Jersey home."
Corey Fisher comes full circle - ESPN.com

"If nothing else, Buzz Williams proved he can roll with the punches in his first two seasons as Marquette Golden Eagles coach. He kept his team together late in the 2008 season despite Dominic James' broken foot, a crushing injury to what MU did on both ends of the floor. Last year he made sure the Golden Eagles remained focused despite a 1-3 start to Big East play that saw them lose all three by a total of five points."
Williams says youth will be served -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

" Normally, a team with five freshmen would have time to acclimate itself to Division I basketball at the highest level. But this will not be an ordinary season, and UConn is not a normal program. With the start of the 2010-11 season coming Nov. 14 against Holy Cross, the two-time defending national champions may be in more of a hurry than usual to figure out where the new pieces fit."
UConn women counting on freshmen  -Hartford Courant

Tuesday, October 19

"As the University of Cincinnati football team heads into the second half of its season, the Bearcats have won two straight, their offense has rebounded from a slow start and their young defense is making plays when it has to."
Cincinnati, USF try to tackle turnovers - Cincinnati Enquirer


" Continuously on campus through fall, winter and spring breaks, Notre Dame senior guard Ben Hansbrough had all of three weeks to relax and recharge between the end of summer school and the start of the fall semester."
Tough camp builds up Hansbrough - South Bend Tribune


"Last month West Virginia's women's basketball team was ranked No. 9 in preseason polls by Athlon and Sporting News. Practice began Oct. 5. Thursday they'll discover where they rank in the Big East's preseason poll. The Associated Press and coaches' preseason polls come out later this month."
Marketing grant to raise awareness of WVU women's basketball - Charleston Daily  Mail


"It has been one year. "No, it seems like yesterday," UConn football coach Randy Edsall said Wednesday, reflecting on the night when Jasper Howard was stabbed to death. It really does. It doesn't seem like a year. When you drive down the road here on campus right by where it happened, every time you go by, the image comes into your mind that that's where it took place. That's where it happened."
One year after killing, UConn remembers Jasper Howard - Hartford Courant

Thursday, October 14

"If former North Fort Myers High School football coach James Iandoli accomplishes his quest tonight, he will capture another iconic image to display in the Ron Hoover Fieldhouse. Iandoli, who still teaches physical education at North Fort Myers, plans on traveling to Morgantown, W. Va. today."
Former North coach, players reunite - The News-Press
Diggins back in spotlight at Washington - South Bend Tribune


"Like most coaches, Skip Holtz is always hesitant to turn to a freshman in a key role. But when it came to finding out more about DeDe Lattimore, the opportunity was worth the risk of starting him at weakside linebacker, even over a more experienced option."

Despite his youth, freshman DeDe Lattimore plays a key role for USF Bulls - St. Petersburg Times

"West Virginia enters tonight's Big East Conference opener leading the league in five statistical categories and is in the top three in 18 total. The 25th-ranked Mountaineers (4-1) are the only ranked conference team and the only one receiving votes in either poll. Pitt, the preseason pick to win the conference, is 2-3. Cincinnati, which tied with WVU for second place in the preseason poll, is also 2-3.  The Mountaineers, meanwhile, have become the favorite."
WVU focused solely on USF - Charleston Daily Mail


"This really should be nothing new to Skip Holtz because he spent the past five years at East Carolina in Conference USA. There, as it is in the Big East, football schedules are not so much formulated as they are dictated."
Holtz, USF challenged by difficult schedule - Charleston Gazette


"University of Louisville defensive line coach Clint Hurtt said Greg Scruggs has been very “orderly” playing tackle. That's not exactly a compliment, because Scruggs' job is to be disruptive."
Louisville tackle Scruggs needs to turn 'orderly' to ornery  - The Courier-Journal

Tuesday, October 12

 
" Notre Dame sophomore point guard Skylar Diggins tossed up the basketball on an alley-oop pass to teammate Devereaux Peters during a women's basketball practice. Peters sprang from the court and drove the basketball through the hole, slamming it with such force that it bounced back up and triggered a howling reaction from her teammates."
Optimism runs high for Irish women's basketball team - South Bend Tribune

 
"Pitt men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon has a deep respect for every man who has held the same position at the university. That includes the winningest coach in school history, H.C. "Doc" Carlson, who coached the Panthers from 1922-53."
Dixon can only see Pitt in future - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

"By the time Doug Marrone got back to the visitor's locker room in Raymond James Stadium after Saturday afternoon's Big East opener, he was already looking ahead — not to Syracuse's next big game but to the Yankees' next big playoff game."
Marrone has Syracuse surging - New York Post

 

Monday, October 11

 
"The non-conference portion of the season has been filled with obstacles for first-year head coach Butch Jones and the University of Cincinnati football team. UC lost receiver Vidal Hazelton for the season in game one at Fresno State."
Bearcats turn attention to BIG EAST - Cincinnati Enquirer


"The little envelopes contained 24 cents and this unwritten message: Don’t let the bully take it. Doug Marrone apparently remembers the days when moms would put the milk money in an envelope and pin it to a shirt to make sure Junior didn’t lose it – an enticement irresistible to a lunchroom bully."
Syracuse football team balled its fists and said enough is enough to USF - The Post-Standard


"As if losing a conference home opener isn't hard enough, USF faces the challenge this week of putting it behind them to prepare for a trip to West Virginia. And the Bulls have five days to do it."
USF Bulls can't dwell on Syracuse loss with West Virginia next - St. Petersburg Times


"NFL defensive linemen are known for their brute strength, size, and power. Houston Texans (and former Louisville) DT Amobi Okoye is no exception, standing 6'2 and 292 lbs. When Okoye isn't busy stuffing the run, or pursuing NFL QBs, he can be found helping others, including those of his home country Nigeria."
Okoye giving back to Nigeria - ESPN.com


"For two-plus seasons, Rutgers junior kicker San San Te was asked if he ever dreams of having a "Louisville moment.''That's the night Te's predecessor, Jeremy Ito, kicked the Scarlet Knights onto the national stage when he drilled a game-winning 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left to give Rutgers' a watershed victory over powerful Louisville in 2006 on national television at raucous Rutgers Stadium."
Rutgers kicker San San Te finally has his 'Louisville Moment' - The Star-Ledger


"After becoming the first West Coast player to commit to play for coach Buzz Williams at Marquette University on Wednesday, Juan Anderson said he was happy to buck the conventional wisdom by heading east for his college career."
Marquette recruit happy to be heading east - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Friday, October 8

 

"Butch Jones says he can see the progress. As he put it this week, "Our players are starting to see the fruits of their labor." He was talking about the way his University of Cincinnati football team played against then-No. 8 Oklahoma on Sept. 25 in a 31-29 loss that could have been an upset victory by the Bearcats if not for four turnovers."
After staggering start, Bearcats want a run - Cincinnati Enquirer


"When Mohamed Sanu isn’t setting a school record with a 91-yard touchdown run, he’s leading a contingent of Scarlet Knights attending the opening ceremony for the Special Olympics of New Jersey in Ewing, imploring athletes to be the best they can be."
On and off the field, Mohamed Sanu is a special performer - The Star-Ledger


"If you put all the X's and O's aside, step back from who has the advantage on offense, defense or special teams, all that remains is one simple fact: UConn owes Rutgers.They owe the Scarlet Knights big time."
UConn looking to pay back Rutgers - Hartford Courant

"Pitt has won two in a row against Notre Dame, but the Panthers can still get some payback Saturday. First-year Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly handed Pitt one of the most agonizing losses in the program's history last December and denied the Panthers a pair of Big East titles during his tenure at Cincinnati."
Pitt gets another shot at coaching nemesis - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Tyler Urban hasn't really played any football for more than a month now, but perhaps the layoff wasn't a total loss. If the West Virginia tight end ever wants to get into coaching, at least now he has some practical experience."
Urban ready to roll again - Charleston Gazette

"Senior running back Bilal Powell and many University of Louisville offensive linemen have slimmed down, and the running game has beefed up. The Cardinals (2-2) rank second in the Big East Conference and 30th in the FBS in rushing at 197.4 yards per game. Against Memphis (1-4), whose run defense ranks ninth in Conference USA (155.0), they're likely to continue their success Saturday in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium."
Louisville football has been pounding it on the ground - The Courier-Journal

Thursday, October 7

 

"St. John's head men's basketball coach Steve Lavin and BTIG Brokerage Co-Founder Steven Starker presented a $20,000 gift to the St. John's Bread and Life Soup Kitchen on Tuesday in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Lavin and his wife, actress Mary Jarou, pledged an additional $25,000 over the next five years that will benefit the soup kitchen, which serves thousands daily in the same neighborhood where St. John's University was originally founded in 1870."
  St. John's Lavin, BTIG's Starker Present $20,000 Gift To Brooklyn Soup Kitchen -RedStormSports.com


"Some might have thought Doug Marrone was using some typical coach-speak this week when he said South Florida's defensive line was playing better now than a year ago.  After all, the Bulls had first-round NFL pick Jason Pierre-Paul and former Big East defensive player of the year George Selvie at defensive end last season. This year, the group is talented, but far more anonymous."
  St. John's Lavin, BTIG's Starker Present $20,000 Gift To Brooklyn Soup Kitchen -RedStormSports.com

"When true freshman quarterback Chas Dodd replaced injured starter Tom Savage in the second half last Saturday against Tulane, the middle of the field — and the Scarlet Knights offense — suddenly opened up like the biblical Red Sea."
  Rutgers sees promise in quarterback Chas Dodd's poise, confidence -The Star-Ledger

"After missing the Florida International game with an injured shoulder and watching backup Ray Graham run for 277 yards and three touchdowns, Pitt tailback Dion Lewis plans to play Saturday at Notre Dame."
Pitt's Lewis ready to return against Notre Dame - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"West Virginia's defense can be found in the top 20 of several statistical categories after five weeks of the season. Much of the success can be attributed to how the Mountaineers have handled themselves on third down."
WVU's Sands says 'we want it more' on 3rd down - Charleston Daily Mail

"Louisville is proving to be more than just a hoops school. Even men's basketball coach Rick Pitino took note of the Cardinals' recent men's soccer success. "He gave us a shout-out because in one of the polls we're ranked No. 1 in the country," Louisville soccer coach Ken Lolla said, referring to comments made during Pitino's annual Tip-Off Luncheon on Tuesday."
Undefeated Louisville continues to climb - ESPN.com

Tuesday, October 5

 
"As the head coach at Central Michigan for three years, Butch Jones grew accustomed to filling the role of the upstart from the Mid-American Conference trying to knock off the school from a BCS conference."
Butch Jones has experienced other side of BCS -Cincinnati Enquirer

"Jeff Casteel has done some important work through West Virginia's first four football games of the season. Maybe the most important work Casteel has done is not what went into developing enough depth to cover injuries up front on defense, or even coaching through some anxious moments in the defensive backfield."
Casteel finds defense on par with preseason buzz -Charleston Daily Mail

"If there's a time for coach Skip Holtz to pull double duty trying to rebuild USF's program while making a run at a Big East championship, it may be this season."
USF Bulls begin BIG EAST play against Syracuse this week -St. Petersburg Times

"With the University of Louisville and Memphis in similar rebuilding stages, the football programs have resorted to similar tactics heading into their Saturday matchup at 2 p.m. in Papa John's Stadium."
True freshmen get time on Louisville, Memphis football teams -The Courier-Journal

" The NBA preseason game at the Carrier Dome between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 15 is billed as the return of former Syracuse stars Wesley Johnson and Jonny Flynn to the Dome."
Former SU stars will honor Jim Boeheim at NBA exhibition game at the Dome - The Post-Standard

Wednesday, September 29

 

"West Virginia has this weekend off and then a game against 1-3 UNLV a week from Saturday before diving into the meat of its schedule. South Florida comes to Morgantown for a Thursday night game just five days after UNLV."
WVU has extra time to heal -Charleston Gazette


"It’s no secret that the West Virginia University cross country team has been good, make that very good, the past few seasons.  With All-Americans Marie-Louise Asselin, Keri Bland and Clara Grandt in the lead, the Mountaineers recorded three straight top 10 performances at the NCAA Championships, one BIG EAST title, attained a school-best No. 3 national ranking on October 6, 2009, and the trio collected a combined 10 All-America honors."
Bringing it all together -MSNSportsnet.com


"Against nearly anyone it can play, USF's football program will always be the younger one on the field, trying to counter decades of established tradition with a quick rise to national relevance. But Saturday, the 14-year-old Bulls (2-1) will be the old guard, lining up against Florida Atlantic (1-2), a program that launched in 2001 — four years after USF — and sees USF as a model to follow."
FAU Owls follow example of USF Bulls in building football program -St. Petersburg Times

"Though Rutgers’ defense is fully aware of Tulane’s fragile quarterback situation, defensive end Alex Silvestro said it won’t influence the unit’s approach to Saturday’s game. Starter Ryan Griffin suffered a sprained left shoulder in the Green Wave’s 42-23 loss to Houston last week, while backup Kevin Moore is sidelined indefinitely after breaking two fingers on his throwing hand during that game."
Despite wavy quarterback situation, Rutgers won't take Tulane lightly -The Star-Ledger

Monday, September 27

 

 "Doug Marrone has spent the last month painting a picture. Each week he has supplied another layer of texture, added a touch of contrast, provided a few more details. His goal is to have discerning art critics look at the work, scratch their heads and wonder what it is they are looking at."
Syracuse football team gives USF-- and itself -- plenty to work on -The Post-Standard


" Though a measure of progress has been made in the passing game, the call to UConn's wide receivers to step up their play continues to be made. Though a measure of progress has been made in the passing game, the call to UConn's wide receivers to step up their play continues to be made."
UConn wideouts receive some praise - Hartford Courant

 

"To the casual fan, what the University of Cincinnati football team did Saturday against No. 8 Oklahoma might seem to have come out of nowhere. This was a UC team that was soundly beaten by both Fresno State and North Carolina State and played a lackluster first half against Indiana State in its only win of the season."
Bearcats a work in progress, with emphasis on progress - Cincinnati Enquirer


"USF coach Skip Holtz has said he has won games throwing nearly every down and has also won by moving the ball almost exclusively on the ground, and the latter was certainly the case in Saturday's win against Western Kentucky."
USF Bulls show they can win with run offense - St. Petersburg Times

 

"While West Virginia's football team was preparing for LSU's Bayou Bengals this past week, the school's basketball coach was doing what he does best: chasing tigers by the tails. It's a contact period for NCAA basketball coaches, so Bob Huggins was making his recruiting rounds."
Huggins busy on recruiting mission - Charleston Gazette

 

"When University of Louisville quarterback Adam Froman rolled up a career-best 334 total yards and accounted for three touchdowns against Oregon State, it begged the question: What will his naysayers say now?"
Louisville's Adam Froman likes that chip on his shoulder - The Courier-Journal

 

"Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage remains in considerable pain following a rib injury suffered in Saturday’s loss to North Carolina and his status for next week’s game against Tulane is uncertain, coach Greg Schiano said Sunday."
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano defends injured quarterback Tom Savage's decision-making against North Carolina - The Star-Ledger

 
 

Sunday, September 26

 
"The very early and equally unfair returns on Butch Jones were not favorable. UC’s rookie football coach was escaping Brian Kelly’s shadow by getting his quarterback killed. The bloodletting wasn’t supposed to let up Saturday night against eighth-ranked Oklahoma. The Bearcats might have owned the Big East the last two years. Against non-conference pedigrees, they still rent month to month."
Things looking up for UC - Cincinnati Enquirer


"In USF's season-opening victory against Stony Brook, coach Skip Holtz said he was frustrated with how many mishandled punt returns his team had. It prompted him to start looking for someone new to step into the position. Freshman cornerback Terrence Mitchell, the third option in that opener, has answered the call for the Bulls."
USF freshman Terrence Mitchell providing spark in return game - St. Petersburg Times

 

"The Scarlet Knights’ defense began the game by stopping North Carolina cold on a fourth-and-1 from the Rutgers’ 30-yard line on the opening series to set the tone. The unit finished its work for the evening by forcing a three-and-out in 21 seconds in the fourth quarter. The Tar Heels started a potential game-sealing drive at their own 7-yard line with 2:42 left to play but the defense stiffened, giving the ball back to its offense with 2:21 remaining and a chance for a game-winning touchdown drive."
Rutgers proud of its defensive play in 17-13 loss to North Carolina - The Star-Ledger

 

Wednesday, September 22

 

 

"The prospect of making his first college start -- and doing it against North Carolina this Saturday -- doesn't seem to have Jordan Thomas, Rutgers' true freshman tailback, on edge. That doesn't surprise the coach who knows him best."
Rutgers true freshman running back Jordan Thomas ready if called upon to start Saturday - The Star-Ledger

"They are a big part of the future of the Syracuse University team. One of them is helping in the present. The other is biding his time. Each has an unusual story to tell. True freshman defensive tackle Jason Bromley was overlooked, a victim of playing for a high school that was passed over on the downstate recruiting trail. Micah Robinson felt the tug of staying home in Cleveland to help care for a disabled younger sister."
Freshman defensive lineman are happy they heeded the call of Syracuse University football team -  The Post-Standard

 

"The qualities that make Jacory Harris such a dangerous passer can also be his own worst enemy. The junior quarterback from Miami is so self-assured that he will attempt any throw — even if it means an interception."
Pitt will look to exploit Miami quarterback  - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"David Bedford's view is the kind a defensive end dreams of finding, one with nothing between him and the opposing quarterback. After two years adjusting to major college football largely on the USF bench, the senior is making plays as a starter and establishing himself as a leader on defense."
USF Bulls' David Bedford beginning to live up to high expectations  - St. Petersburg Times

"After going 33-7 the past three seasons and winning back-to-back Big East championships, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats are rediscovering the pain of losing and finding out how difficult it can be to regain the winning formula. That’s what the players are dealing with this week as they take their 1-2 record into Saturday’s game against No. 8 Oklahoma (3-0) at Paul Brown Stadium."
Bearcats not at loss over 1-2 start - Cincinnati Enquirer

"While this is the sixth consecutive season West Virginia plays a Southeastern Conference team, this Mountaineers' squad might be significantly different than the previous five. No. 22 WVU visits No. 15 LSU for Saturday's 9 p.m. ESPN2 game at Tigers Stadium, but this Mountaineer team won't look quite the same as some of its recent predecessors that used to slice through SEC opponents."
LSU will see a different West Virginia University team - Charleston Daily Mail

 
 

Tuesday, September 21

"Bill Stewart was quick to point out last Saturday the effect that West Virginia's loud home crowd had on Maryland. And after watching the Terrapins call one timeout, be penalized once for illegal procedure and no fewer than three times for delay of game and back themselves into a third-and-28 situation on their first series alone, it is hard to argue the point."
Can Geno silence LSU roar?  - Charleston Gazette

"When the University of Cincinnati Bearcats traveled to Norman in 2008 to play Oklahoma, their football program was on the rise, having just come off a 10-3 season in 2007, their first under Brian Kelly. They left town nursing a 52-26 defeat and dealing with the loss of starting quarterback Dustin Grutza to a broken right leg."
Cincinnati has biggest challenge yet in Oklahoma  - Cincinnati Enquirer

"When Steve Lavin thought about exchanging his catbird perch in the analyst's chair for the hot seat of the head coach's chair, he called the two men whose opinions he values more than anyone's: his father and his coaching mentor."
Steve Lavin's difficult task at St. John's  - ESPN.com


"Jim Boeheim returned home from the FIBA World Championships in Turkey last Monday; a 17-hour journey with three stops along the way. His gig as an assistant to USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski ended in a gold medal and a guaranteed spot in the 2012 Olympic games."
Fresh off winning gold medal in FIBA World Championships, Syracuse's Jim Boeheim looks ahead to 2010-11 season  - The Post-Standard


"Western Kentucky, which faces USF at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday night, is giving up 50 points per game in an 0-3 start against Nebraska, Kentucky and Indiana. But the Hilltoppers have at least one player the Bulls will be well aware of: RB Bobby Rainey , who has topped 100 yards in every game."
USF wary of WKU running game  - St. Petersburg Times

"Is Rutgers facing one of those no-win situations against North Carolina on Saturday? Beat the Tar Heels and the Knights will have done exactly what they were supposed to do — win at home against the 0-2 Tar Heels minus six suspended defensive starters and 12 players overall because of an NCAA investigation into agent-related benefits and possible academic fraud."
Greg Schiano doesn't see North Carolina as 'measuring stick' - The Star-Ledger

"Plays on special teams usually offer spectators a good excuse to make a run for the concessions, but University of Louisville coach Charlie Strong plans to give them his full attention after kick coverage breakdowns in Saturday's 35-28 loss at Oregon State."
Kickoffs, punts get Louisville football's special teams attention - The Courier-Journal

"Bill Stewart and his no-game-is-bigger-than-any-other philosophy is going to be put to the test this week. West Virginia plays at LSU Saturday night and, while it may or may not be the biggest game the Mountaineers play this season, even for the most casual fan, it ranks as far more intriguing than just about any other."
Just another game? Not for mad sacker  - Charleston Gazette

Monday, September 20

"Bill Stewart walked out of his locker room and into reality following Saturday's victory against Maryland. His third West Virginia football team is right now the strongest in the Big East. No one else in the conference is 3-0. It's WVU that has the win in the league's 1-6 record against opponents from BCS leagues and two wins in the 4-9 record against Football Bowl Subdivision teams."
WVU offense rolling up yardage, points - Charleston Daily Mail


"In time this will be the kind of loss that puts a 10-day sag into the University of Louisville football team. Howling at the scoreboard for the 14 points the Cardinals refused to take in the first 10 minutes. Kicking the turf for senseless and poorly timed penalties. A four-hour grimace on the plane ride home.Not this year. Not yet."
Louisville football team hints at what it could become - The Courier-Journal


"The continued lack of production in the passing game will lead UConn coach Randy Edsall to take a closer look at the play of his quarterbacks in practice this week. Edsall said Sunday that the depth chart "will be different" for Buffalo following the Huskies' 30-16 loss at Temple on Saturday, the first win for the Owls against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since 2004."
Edsall looking at QB position; Changes possible - Hartford Courant

"The glimmer is hard to see, but there may be a silver lining to Pitt's recent tough luck. Two weeks into the season, the Panthers' defense had already lost, to some extent, an All-America end, a promising middle linebacker, an all-Big East strong safety and the team's primary nickel back due to injury or off-the-field issues."
Pitt backups getting chances - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"After starting strong but not finishing that way in a 31-17 win over Maryland, the No. 22 West Virginia Mountaineers are hoping to play four quarters of consistent football for the first time this season when they travel to No. 15 LSU Saturday. "Coach (Bill Stewart) always tells us that he wants us to start fast and finish strong," receiver Tavon Austin said. "Hopefully, when we get up on teams in the future, we just keep putting it on them."
WVU seeks complete game vs. LSU - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"Here's the good news regarding the chances that West Virginia's defense can keep LSU's offense in check Saturday night when the teams play in Baton Rouge: The Tigers have yet to prove they can throw the ball deep. Here's the bad news, though: Neither had Maryland before playing the Mountaineers. Nor had Marshall."
Big plays cause for concern with LSU looming - Charleston Gazette

Friday, September 17

"UConn defensive tackles Kendall Reyes and Twyon Martin know they're going to have to get busy Saturday afternoon and that's all there is to it. Temple has a strong and physical offensive line and an outstanding running back in sophomore Bernard Pierce. Junior quarterback Chester Stewart can run and throw."
UConn-Temple game could be decided on the line - Hartford Courant


 "If West Virginia's offensive line is one under siege - which is the most common presentation following last week's performance against Marshall - it either doesn't know it or won't admit it. Those Mountaineers are, instead, a group still coming together, still encouraged by successes, still followed by failures, but still the group blocking for runs and passes on a 2-0 football team"
WVU offensive line starting to come together - Charleston Daily Mail

"When first-year Louisville coach Charlie Strong called Bilal Powell the "face of the program" in the preseason, a lot of people had the same reaction: Huh?  Powell had opened eyes with a strong finish to his freshman year, but he was underwhelming and at times out of shape his next two years. Besides, the Cardinals had a more-heralded player in the same backfield as Powell with 2008 Big East rookie of the year Victor Anderson returning from injuries."
Louisville's Powell earns 'Face' time - ESPN.com
 

Thursday, September 16

"When the University of Cincinnati Bearcats make their first prime-time national TV appearance under first-year head coach Butch Jones tonight, the rest of the Big East will be watching to see if they still have the firepower that made them so entertaining - and tough to beat - the past three seasons."
Bearcats hoping to re-ignite explosive offense vs. Wolfpack - Cincinnati Enquirer


"North Carolina State never has faced Cincinnati on the football field, but the Wolfpack's coaching staff is well aware of the Bearcats and their status in the Queen City. "With them being the only college team in town I think everybody pulls for them now. It's great to see," N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien said. "They made the most of their opportunity when they had the chance to go to the Big East. When you win 33 games like they have the past three seasons ... it shows how far that program has come and how good they really are."
Plenty of connections between UC, N.C. State staffs - Chillicothe Gazette

 

University of Louisville defensive coordinator Vance Bedford's ideal use of true freshman B.J. Butler would be to bring him in as a pass-rushing specialist on certain downs. Injuries at linebacker and a lack of quality depth on the defensive line have dictated otherwise."
B.J. Butler caters to Louisville football's defensive needs - The Courier-Journal

 
"Before leaving for Europe with USA Basketball, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said there wasn't any point to worrying about things were going on campus for now, other than how long it might take for his five freshmen will adapt. On a team with only 10 players that is a legitimate real concern. But while in Spain Wednesday preparing for Friday's exhibition game against Australia, his Huskies were on the Gampel Pavilion floor continuing to work out of the big issues the two-time defending champions will have this season."
UConn women's Dixon giving it her best shot - Hartford Courant

 

"Cindy LaCrosse isn't exactly sure what she's going to be doing this winter. But she knows what she won't be doing: Attending LPGA Qualifying school. She's already qualified.
Cindy LaCrosse has had smooth path to earning her tour card - St. Petersburg Times


"Doesn't it seem like UConn always has a star tailback waiting in the wings? From Donald Brown to Andre Dixon to Jordan Todman, the Huskies have had a wealth of excellent running backs come through Storrs in recent years. And one guy who's patiently waited for his chance might be ready to join that level."
Robbie Frey adds to UConn backfield depth - ESPN.com


"Maybe Saturday's loss at Florida wasn't such a bad thing for the University of South Florida football team. While the 38-14 setback to the Gators brought to an end a notable streak for the Bulls - this is the first season since 2005 they will not start 3-0 - there were plenty of positives USF coach Skip Holtz and his staff took from the game, and they've touched on them seemingly since the final whistle blew."
Loss can't dampen USF's spirits - Tampa Bay Online

"Frequently during his two-plus seasons as West Virginia's football coach, Bill Stewart has defied criticism and curiosity by refusing to be second-guessed or apologize for the alleged poor quality of a victory. A win, he is known to say, is a win, no matter the score."
WVU coach is never satisfied - Charleson Daily Mail

 

"Marcus Sales ranked third on the Syracuse University football team last year with 28 pass receptions. As a sophomore in 2009, he was second in yards gained off those receptions and second in touchdowns scored. But Sales, now a junior and a hometown talent, has yet to play a down in two games this season."
Receiver Marcus Sales ready to get into the game for Syracuse - The Post-Standard

"UConn football recruits don't generally mistake Storrs, Conn., for Fantasy Island and coach Randy Edsall can hardly be compared to Ricardo Montalban. Not one bit.  UConn sophomore receiver Dwayne Difton had to learn that the hard way. The talented and much ballyhooed four-star recruit from St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., learned it by not playing nearly as much as he expected."
UConn receiver Dwayne Difton more focused this season - Hartford Courant

Wednesday, September 15

"Doug Marrone knows his Syracuse University football team can ill afford to take its next two opponents lightly, even though they are Football Championship Series teams. "If we were a top team that had won consistently for a long period of time some, people refer to these games as trap games," Marrone said of Saturday’s 7:15 p.m. home opener vs. Maine and a date with Colgate the following week. "You take them for granted. We’re not even close to that stage."
Syracuse football team would love to add some depth over the next two games - The Post-Standard

 

"UConn coach Randy Edsall says his team needs to practice with a sense of urgency as it prepares for Temple. "Yes, those are the things I'll be stressing to them," Edsall said Tuesday at the Burton Complex. "That, to me, is the way you have to approach it. When you approach it that way and go out and play as hard as you can, then, hey, you let the chips fall where they may."
Edsall says UConn must practice hard to prepare for Temple - Hartford Courant

 

"Darius Ashley — who at this time last year was toting the football for the University of Louisville — made his first appearance at cornerback against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, and coach Charlie Strong said he has to be ready to play more."
UofL's Patrick to play; Ashley on call - The Courier-Journal

"Pat Miller and Brodrick Jenkins have spent the past year and a month playing make-believe cornerback. They’d practice every day, go through the drills and study the situations, but always come game day there was Keith Tandy and Brandon Hogan there to carry the load as older players, more experienced players."
Internship over for Miller, Jenkins - The Times West VIrginian

"The numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched Rutgers’ first two games. They’re both ugly and baffling. The Knights are 71st nationally in scoring (out of 120 schools), 108th in passing and 100th in total offense."
After ugly start to the season, Rutgers' offense looking for its stride during bye week - The Star-Ledger

"For the third consecutive time in the series, West Virginia and Maryland will be 2-0 when they play Saturday in the noon ESPNU game at Mountaineer Field. The Terrapins haven't been 2-0 since the 2007 matchup between the schools, which also was the last time these two played."
Terrapins catch Stewart's attention - Charleston Daily Mail

 

Tuesday, September 14

 

"Those 263 rushing yards the University of Cincinnati churned out against Indiana State last week left head coach Butch Jones feeling much better about his offense than he did after its 14-point performance in week one. “I was pleased to see us be able to run the football,” Jones said Monday. Throwing it is another matter."
UC offense not clicking yet - Cincinnati Enquirer

 

"UConn's Maya Moore, who has completed most of the requirements for her degree in sports media and promotion, is carrying 12 credits this semester; classes in sports law, sports management, sports in society and a research methods communications class. And she must attend to her workload while in Spain and the Czech Republic with the U.S. national team."
For three weeks, Maya Moore forced to study abroad - Hartford Courant

 

"Aside from putting the first ‘L’ on the Syracuse University football record this season, Saturday’s 41-20 licking by the Washington Huskies served another purpose. The beating the Orange (1-1) took in Seattle almost certainly erased any chance that the players will take its upcoming opponent – the Maine Black Bears – lightly this week."
Husky loss will ensure that Syracuse will take Maine visit seriously  - The Post-Standard

"Before University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong makes his first road trip to Oregon State on Saturday, he has a checklist of travel essentials that his team will need to pull an upset in Corvallis. Strong said defense, special teams and togetherness is what it will take to help the Cardinals (1-1) claim their first road win over a ranked team since 2007."
Louisville wants to take crowd out of it for Oregon State game  - The Courier-Journal


"Dion Lewis hasn't looked like himself yet in 2010.  The Pittsburgh star, who was the Big East's offensive player of the year in 2009 after running for 1,799 yards, has only 102 total yards in two games this season. On Saturday against New Hampshire, he managed just 27 rushing yards. He's averaging just 2.9 yards per carry."
Pitt not worried about Dion Lewis' start -ESPN.com

Monday, September 13

"Doug Marrone knew the risk involved. He took it. That’s simply his nature. The Syracuse University football coach knew Washington quarterback Jake Locker had the ability to make a lot of big plays. He believed Jermaine Kearse was the Huskies’ best receiver. He was aware the safe play would have been to react accordingly."
Syracuse football team's plan fell apart due to lack of execution - The Post-Standard


"With UConn having defeated Texas Southern 62-3 and having tied a record for the largest margin of victory in Randy Edsall's time as coach, there was little to be learned regarding some of the Huskies' top playmakers. Edsall sees room for improvement for redshirt freshman QB Box."
Edsall hopes Box learns from mistakes - Hartford Courant


"As he tried to scrub away whatever sweat and stigma Friday night's football victory against Marshall produced, West Virginia offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen confessed the Mountaineers had some choppy and sloppy moments that need curing. Just two games into the season, one urge might be to slow down and not make problems out to be bigger than what they are already. Mullen might prefer to hurry up."
Faster pace key to Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail

 

"As the football hung in the air at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, an entire sideline of University of Louisville football players and coaches inhaled. In 37-plus games as a UofL player, Doug Beaumont had caught 106 passes. But after scoring 91 touchdowns at Male High School, Beaumont had not scored any at UofL."
Finally, you can score one for Louisville's Doug Beaumont - The Courier-Journal


The University of Cincinnati football team entered this season with the reputation as a passing team, featuring a talented group of receivers and a star in waiting at quarterback in junior Zach Collaros. After two games, it’s unclear what kind of offense UC will have this year under new coach Butch Jones, having averaged only 174 passing yards against Fresno State and Indiana State."
Cincinnati no longer fancies passing so much  - Cincinnati Enquirer

 

 

Sunday, September 12

"Butch Jones spent seven minutes answering questions in his post-game press conference Saturday after the University of Cincinnati knocked off Indiana State, but no one asked him about recording his first victory as UC’s head coach. His players, though, had plenty to say about Jones."
Bercats happy for Butch Jones - Cincinnati Enquirer


"Bill Stewart spent much of the week leading up to West Virginia's game at Marshall insisting that he was not at all concerned with the Herd being able to steal his team's signals from the sideline, even with a veritable small army of former Mountaineers now wearing green."
WVU switch signaled 2nd-half surge - Charleston Gazette

Louisville's 23-13 win over Eastern Kentucky pleases Charlie Strong - The Courier-Journal


"In two quarters of work, UConn junior tailback Jordan Todman rushed for 151 yards on 15 carries, including three touchdowns, in the Huskies' 62-3 bouncing of Texas Southern before 37,359 at Rentschler Field Saturday. Todman, who didn't play in the second half, had touchdown runs of 1, 1 and 9 yards for the Huskies, who scored on their first five possessions and had a 45-0 lead at halftime."
UConn rout of Texas Southern a confidence boost for offense - Hartford Courant

Friday, September 10

"With its attitude and its actions, West Virginia's defense is attempting to build a boundary between its end zone and the opponent this season. "The goal is to go in and shut out any and every team, regardless of the situation," linebacker Anthony Leonard said. "If our offense turns the ball over on our 1-yard line, our goal is to go out there and stop them from even getting a field goal. "
WVU's defense has shut out mentality - Charleston Daily Mail

"West Virginia fans, coaches and followers would just as soon their team continue the same mastery over Marshall that has produced a four-year winning margin of 141-43. Thundering Herd players, on the other hand, feel they're much closer to a breakthrough victory than the numbers indicate. They will try to prove as much at 7 p.m. today, when the teams square off for the fifth year in a row and the 10th time in history."
Herd's chance? - Charleston Gazette

"Marshall has played well against West Virginia, though the Thundering Herd have nothing to show for it since victories are not awarded for one half of play. Decent starts, yes. Strong finishes, no."
Marshall tries for 1st win over neighbor WVU - Associated Press

"So the Mountaineers hit the road for the first time this season for this Joe Manchin Bowl in what has the makings to be, well, I can't figure it out. What I can do is this, though: Give you five aspects of this game, five storylines to pay special attention to as you watch Tess and Gil break down all the action in this Wild and Wonderful whirlwind of a football clash."
5 things to pay attention to during WVU-Marshall - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Blog

 

 

 

"Anyone who has ever visited this marvelous city with its verdant hills and shimmering waters can understand, if only a little, why Jake Locker was so reluctant to leave. That might have been his $78 million, which the St. Louis Rams showered upon Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick in last spring’s NFL Draft. That might have been him starting on Sunday in the greatest league ever built rather than on Saturday in a town that has become wary of the college boys. That might have been an entirely different story being written about this quarterback who very much looks the part."
Who stands between Syracuse and its first 2-0 start in 11 years? Jake Locker, that's who - The Post-Standard

 
"Though FIU hasn't announced its starting quarterback for its game against Rutgers on Saturday (8 p.m., SNY), Scarlet Knights cornerback David Rowe has a pretty good idea Wayne Younger will play at some point. "He says he's going to get in so we'll see," said Rowe, who was teammates with Younger at Cocoa (Fla.) High and remains close with FIU's quarterback today. "We talk all the time even when we're not playing each other. He's a real good friend. We played all three sports together in high school so I know him real well. We're just going back-and-forth a little bit."
Scarlet Knights prepare for two quarterbacks - MyCentralJersey.com

 

Thursday, September 9

"Skip Holtz relishes the opportunity to take South Florida into The Swamp for the Bulls' long-awaited shot at playing Florida. Win or lose on Saturday, the USF coach says it's just one game and won't determine whether this season is a success or failure. That's a message that should resonate throughout the Big East, which is 4-4 against nonconference opponents, with two of the losses coming against other BCS leagues."
USF's Holtz eager to see how Bulls stack up against Florida - Associated Press


"A lasting image of Tino Sunseri's first start saw the Pitt redshirt sophomore quarterback, his confidence increasing with every completion, urging coach Dave Wannstedt on the sideline to put the game in his hands."
Confidence not an issue for Sunseri - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Connecticut star Maya Moore visited NBC's Today Show

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"The Marcus Barnett who will line up as the outside receiver in place of injured Vidal Hazelton on Saturday says he's a stronger, more physical player who runs crisper routes than the Marcus Barnett of 2007. But the University of Cincinnati football team doesn't want Barnett to change too much. The Bearcats are hoping he still bears a strong resemblance to the receiver who caught 62 passes for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman that year."
Barnett seizes second chance - Cincinnati Enquirer

"Several days after the fact they used words such as “fun,” “exciting” and “great experience.” Cornerback Jeremi Wilkes said his first taste of college football had his pulse racing, and his stomach fluttering. But not so much because of nerves."
Syracuse freshmen get past opening night jitters, bigger test awaits this weekend - The Post-Standard

"Gregg Pugnetti made a dazzling debut as the punter in West Virginia’s season-opening shutout of Coastal Carolina, 31-0. But he may have set some sort of record for having had to wait four full years for the opportunity. And that obviously required patience and faith."
Fifth year walk-on has dazzling debut for WVU - The Times West Virginian


"If Antonio Lowery can just get his hands on about 20 more tickets, he figures he’ll be set for this weekend at Florida International. His favorite conch dishes, freshly prepared by his mom, will be waiting. Same with the banana pudding that is his grandmother’s specialty."
Home cooking, tickets on mind of Rutgers LB Antonio Lowery as team travels to FIU - The Star-Ledger

 

Wednesday, September 8

 

"University of Cincinnati coach Butch Jones did his best after practice Tuesday to spread the blame for the Bearcats' offensive woes Saturday at Fresno State, but center Jason Kelce didn't need to have it sugarcoated for him. He knows the offensive line's lackluster performance was the major culprit in the loss."
Offensive line confesses to breakdowns in defeat - Cincinnati Enquirer

There isn't a harder hitter on West Virginia's football team than free safety Robert Sands. The 6-foot-5, 221-pound junior from Miami is the quintessential definition of what coaches mean when they talk about defensive players flying around and getting to the ball, and most of Sands' flying ends in a thunderous crash."
Big bang theory - Charleston Gazette

Running back Victor Anderson totaled more yards on two kickoff returns (91) than he did from eight rushing attempts (32) against the University of Kentucky on Saturday. Bolstered by his career-best 67-yarder, he helped the Cardinals rank third in the FBS in kickoff return yards. It was the first time since his freshman season that Anderson returned kicks. It was also the first time since then that he was limited to single-digit carries without injury being the reason."
Louisville football's Victor Anderson will get his carries - The Courier-Journal

"The way Da’Mon Merkerson saw it, his chance for a moment of glory had just been snatched from his grasp by teammate Mike Holmes. Merkerson shared his opinion with his pal as the two seniors trotted back to the huddle."
Syracuse University secondary takes a step towards turning the corner - The Post-Standard


"The Latest college football rankings came out Tuesday and confirmed what everyone basically thought. We figured the Florida Gators would tumble and they did, dropping four spots following their 34-12 victory over Miami (Ohio). Voters were more swayed by UF's eight fumbles than the 22-point victory margin."
Bulls know to expect Gators' best - Tampa Bay Online


"A little past noon Tuesday, some 96 hours before the home football opener, Zach Frazer issued a Texas-sized, or at least a Texas Southern-sized, dare to UConn football fans: Exercise your lungs. "Let's put out a challenge," Frazer said. "Let's see how loud we can get this Saturday."
UConn QB Frazer has to convince fans he has the touch - Hartford Courant

 
"Doug Marrone is a student of Syracuse football history. So he easily reels off the stat that the Orange are 1-11-1 when playing road games on the West Coast or in Texas since 1964. Marrone is also determined to change that. He's having the team fly out to Seattle this week on Thursday, two days before the game against Washington. He's also altering the practice schedule to get the players' body clocks adjusted."
Syracuse seeks breakthrough win - ESPN.com
 

"Florida International coach Mario Cristobal still hasn’t announced whether Wesley Carroll or Wayne Younger will start at quarterback this Saturday, but there’s no secret about the rooting interest Rutgers cornerback David Rowe has in the matter. Rowe and Younger, a fifth-year senior, grew up together in Cocoa, Fla., and attended the same high school there."
Rutgers CB David Rowe could face childhood friend Wayne Younger in game at FIU - The Star-Ledger

 

Tuesday, September 7

 

"Say this about Syracuse's Doug Marrone: He knows how to prepare with the best of them. Fresh from a season-opening 29-3 victory at Akron, the Orange's second-year head coach was quick to remind everyone what lies ahead on Saturday night when Syracuse plays at Washington."
Syracuse coach Marrone pumped after win - Associated Press

"University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong wants his wide receivers to be playmakers, but right now he'd be satisfied if they'd just consistently catch the ball. The Cardinals' wideouts took a lot of licks during Saturday's 23-16 loss to Kentucky, and some of them were self-inflicted. As a group they dropped five passes and caught just six."
Louisville's Strong wants pass catchers to catch passes - The Courier-Journal


"Last year at this time, Doc Holliday was wearing Gold and Blue and roaming the West Virginia sidelines coaching against Marshall. Holliday, a WVU graduate and former Mountaineer linebacker, will be on the other sideline Friday night as the head coach of the Thundering Herd (0-1). So, this year's Friends of Coal Bowl has a distinctive Gold and Blue feel."
WVU to face former assistant - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

 

 

"Marshall Coach Doc Holliday played linebacker at West Virginia (1976-78) and was on the Mountaineers coaching staff from 1979-1999 and again from 2008-09. Friday's 7 p.m. ESPN game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium will be his first at any stop against his alma mater."
Friendship runs deep between WVU, Marshall coaches - Charleston Daily Mail

 

Monday, September 6

 "Years ago, there was a popular wisecrack that someone who knew little about football had no clue whether the pigskin "was blown up or stuffed." Well, West Virginia's defense brings a new twist to the phrase. The Mountaineers seem to be equally adept at blowing up or stuffing an offense."
WVU defense could be team's best since 1996 - Charleston Daily Mail


"Rutgers sophomore quarterback Tom Savage’s 11 career starts were more than any returning Big East signal caller. He earned freshman All-America honors last season and rewrote the record book for freshmen in both Rutgers and Big East history. He has been there and done that.  Yet, he said he had butterflies the size of elephants swirling around in his stomach before kickoff in Thursday night’s opener."
After spotty performance, Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage admits to butterflies - The Star-Ledger


"On the eve of his football team’s 2010 season opener, Syracuse University football coach Doug Marrone was a man at ease. Gone was the tightness of four days earlier when he had addressed the media concerning the trip to Akron, the official start of step 2 of his "rejuvenation" project. "I’m good," Marrone said as three buses purred outside, waiting to whisk him and the Orange to the airport. "I’ve done everything I could to get this team ready. I didn’t take a day off all summer. I’ve given them all the stuff they need to be successful. Now it’s up to them to just go do it."
Vanilla was the flavor of the day, and Syracuse football poured it on - The Post-Standard

"As a redshirt freshman last year, Evan Landi caught five passes for 39 yards as he transitioned from backup quarterback to receiver. On Saturday, with that transformation complete, Landi looked at home catching passes, with four receptions in the first quarter alone. Then he had a 47-yard grab across the middle in the third quarter to set up a Bulls touchdown. Landi finished with six catches for 104 yards."
Evan Landi makes fast moves at receiver for USF Bulls - St. Petersburg Times

"The pace with which West Virginia's offense played to start Saturday's season opener and even some of the quarterback runs called along the way were part of a plan to introduce Geno Smith to his first college start. The three unproductive runs by Noel Devine on the first goal-to-go situation of the season? Those were most assuredly not part of the plan."
Mountaineers get QB in the flow against Coastal Carolina - Charleston Daily Mail
 

"The long marches Michigan took Saturday behind an emerging leader, quarterback Denard Robinson, were only the start of a prolonged offensive against UConn. The Wolverines began their 30-10 home victory with a 96-yard touchdown drive, then had a 77-yard drive for a touchdown seven minutes later, a 74-yard drive for a field goal in the third quarter and an 89-yard touchdown drive in the fourth."
Aftermath: Third downs a lost cause for Huskies - Hartford Courant


"For the most part, every team Geno Smith faces this season will be new to him and vice versa. That's just the way it goes with a sophomore quarterback who now has all of one start under his belt. This week is different, though."
QB Smith no stranger to Marshall - Charleston Gazette

 

Friday, September 3

"Junior quarterback Zach Collaros, with four starts under his belt, leads an offense that features a bevy of talented players at the skill positions. Wide receiver Armon Binns is the Big East's second-leading returning receiver, tight end Ben Guidguli is a preseason Sporting News All-American, and Southern Cal transfer Vidal Hazelton is expected to accomplish big things at the other wideout position."
Sizing up the Bearcats- Cincinnati Enquirer

"Kijuan Dabney had never even seen snow before his recruiting trip to Connecticut. So it is worth noting that when Randy Edsall named Dabney a starting safety this week, the UConn coach said one of the reasons was because he had been around, had "seen things."
UConn secondary? Dabney says seeing will be believing- Hartford Courant

"Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson often has said that one of his top priorities every year is to fill Heinz Field to capacity for Panthers football games. He may get his wish this year as the school closes in on a full-season sellout for only the second time in its history."
Pitt approaching its 2nd sellout season- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


"Skip Holtz calls winter workouts Stage 1, spring practice Stage 2, summer conditioning Stage 3, fall camp Stage 4, and the start of the season Stage 5. In his eight months as the University of South Florida's first football coach not named Jim Leavitt, Holtz has finished the first four stages and mastered many of his off-the-field duties, firmly placing a winning smile on a program that needed a big hug when he showed up."
Questions entering stage 5 - Tampa Bay Online

"Rutgers senior cornerback Brandon Bing and his family are locked in and looking for a breakout year this season. They realize this is his last hurrah, his final chance to show he’s more than just a track guy, and a sense of urgency has taken hold."
Rutgers cornerback Brandon Bing approaching final season with urgency - The Star-Ledger

 

"As much as University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong touts Bilal Powell as the face of the program, the extremely shy senior running back would rather let his feet speak for him.  Powell is content working in the shadows. He doesn't do television interviews and is hesitant to talk to any media if the questions focus on him."
Bilal Powell is face of Louisville program but not the voice of the program - The Courier-Journal

"Talk about being thorough. If this football thing doesn’t work out for Doug Marrone, he can always get a job compiling dossiers for the FBI or CIA. When asked about his unfamiliarity with the schemes his Syracuse University football team may face at 6 p.m. Saturday when it opens its season at Akron, a team that has a new coaching staff, Marrone offered this:"
Coach Doug Marrone knows what to expect from Zips - The Post-Standard

Thursday, September 2

Wednesday, September 1

"There are times during Rutgers practices that David Rowe admits to being frustrated when he’s matched up with wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. It’s not necessarily because Sanu is bigger. Or that he’s stronger. Or even that he’s faster. It’s that Rowe, a cerebral cornerback, usually meets his match in terms of football IQ as well."
Where is Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu at his best? Wherever you put him  - The Star-Ledger


"Zach Frazer’s path through college football may not have unfolded exactly as planned back when he was considered one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation. He attended Notre Dame, landed at the bottom of the depth chart, transferred to UConn and sat for two years (one per rules on NCAA transfers) before winning the starting job prior to his junior season."
If you can't join 'em, beat 'em: Frazer gets chance to add Michigan to list of conquests  - New Haven Register

"Pitt and West Virginia will be dressed for combat in the 103rd Backyard Brawl. When they meet Nov. 26 at Heinz Field, the teams will wear Nike Pro Combat System of Dress, uniforms designed to represent Pitt's ties to the steel industry and pay respect to the deadly explosion at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine this past April."
Pitt-WVU Backyard Brawl to feature Nike Pro Combat uniforms  - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


"Everything that happens Saturday during the Bearcats’ season-opener at Fresno State will be eye-opening for first-year University of Cincinnati coach Butch Jones as he sees his new team in a game situation for the first time. But Jones seems especially eager to see how his defense performs."
Bearcats to unveil new-look defense  - Cincinnati Enquirer


Heading into his second season as head coach of the Syracuse University football team, Doug Marrone says his team is in a good place. The former Orange offensive tackle is a tough disciplinarian with one major goal in mind: “We’ve got to get to a bowl,” Marrone said. “Once we pass that hurdle I think great things could happen. Because the way the program is being built, it’s being built for the long term, not the short term.”
2010 Syracuse Orange Football Preview: 'We've got to get to a bowl'  - The Post-Standard

 

Tuesday, August 31

"When the University of Cincinnati Bearcats run onto the field Saturday night at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, they’ll be glad they refused to concede anything during training camp to Cincinnati’s heat and humidity. The weather forecast for Saturday in Fresno calls for a high of 101 degrees. Fresno State coach Pat Hill almost gleefully pointed out Monday that he expects the temperature to be 98 or 99 degrees for the 7 p.m. kickoff (10 p.m. EDT)."
Fresno State's Hill happy to turn up the heat on Bearcats - Cincinnati Enquirer

"Greg Schiano’s approach to his lineup has remained consistent since his first year on the job: The best players play, regardless of class year. But just because Rutgers’ 10th-year coach won’t hesitate to put true freshmen on the two-deep — four are listed in the depth chart released today for Thursday’s opener against Norfolk State — doesn’t mean there isn’t some trepidation about doing so."
True freshmen could play big roles for Rutgers this season - The Star-Ledger

"Syracuse University head football coach Doug Marrone said the excitement of starting another season made it hard for him to sleep last night. I know I’m excited,” he said Monday morning while releasing his Week 1 depth chart for Saturday’s season-opener at Akron. “But I don’t want my players to be like that. I want them to make sure they are sleeping.”
Syracuse football will rely on many freshmen in opener - The Post-Standard

"It would be easy to look at West Virginia's season opener on Saturday and see all sorts of possibilities for experimentation. The opponent is Coastal Carolina, which by all accounts figures to be a sacrificial lamb. So might the Mountaineers try to see what they have in their two true freshman backup quarterbacks? Perhaps they will do more experimentation on the offensive line."
Stewart worries about the unexpected - Charleston Gazette

"Charlie Strong has waited years for the opportunity that's coming Saturday -- stepping on a football field as a head coach. But Strong isn't waxing poetic about the moment."
Louisville seeks identity under new head coach - ESPN.com

"Among the most unlikely — if not THE most unlikely program to be ranked in the top 30 college programs year after year — is West Virginia. Certainly, the Mountaineers face an uphill battle every year, and this year that begins  Saturday against Coastal Carolina, is no different. How do they do it?"
Mountaineers have chip on shoulder - Times West Virginian

"Pitt has had a lot of time to prepare for Thursday night opponent Utah because the Panthers had a month of training camp to focus on this game, right? Wrong."
Preparing for Utah no snap for Panthers - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ryan Clarke won't say he was missing something in his first two years at West Virginia. In fact, he admits his was a life of excesses. "I had to get rid of the party aspect and being a college student and not realizing I had to be a football player," said the fullback who begins his redshirt sophomore year with Saturday's season opener for No. 25 WVU against visiting Coastal Carolina.
Daughter has altered Clarke's view on life - Charleston Daily Mail

Monday, August 30

"Butch Jones is ready to get this show on the road, even if it means flying 3,000 miles to California. As next Saturday’s season opener at Fresno State approaches, the first-year University of Cincinnati football coach says he’s “anxious, ready to get going.”
Don't expect Cincinnati's Butch Jones to be Brian Kelly - Cincinnati Enquirer

In December 2008, Doug Marrone was hired to return to his alma mater and rebuild a house that had fallen into disrepair. Forty-four years old, and with more than 14 seasons of coaching experience in the NFL and at major college programs, the Bronx native came back to Syracuse University with a plan.
SU football coach Doug Marrone sticks with his plan heading into year two - The Post-Standard

"When UConn athletic director Lew Perkins threw down the challenge 19 years ago this month, there were many skeptics. Perkins recommended that UConn upgrade its football program to Division I-A. He talked about building a new stadium and asked for a commitment from the political and corporate world."
Expectations have changed for UConn football - Hartford Courant

"Less than 24 hours after Florida's SEC championship game loss to Alabama in December, UF defensive coordinator Charlie Strong opened the front door to his Gainesville, Fla., home and welcomed two guests inside. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich and his son, Mark, associate director for development at UL, shook hands with Strong, walked in and were introduced to Strong's family.
Louisville's first year head coach makes strong first impression - AOL FanHouse

"Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt isn't using hyperbole when he says Utah is by far his most difficult opener yet. "We are going to get a major dose," he said, "right off the bat." The No. 15 Panthers will need to overcome numerous hurdles to become the first team in nearly three years to win at Utah when the two teams meet at 8:30 p.m. Thursday for the 2010 opener."
Pitt facing challenges at Utah - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

As an offensive tackle at USF, Jake Sims has had his share of long practices in recent years, regularly lining up against an All-American in George Selvie or a first-round NFL draft pick in Jason Pierre-Paul. And while the Bulls don't have any single defensive end to match the talent of either starter last season, Sims has instead found himself up against a veritable throng of pass rushers, with seemingly a different hand in the dirt in front of him each time he takes his stance.
USF Bulls are deep on defense, but not star-studded - St. Petersburg Times


"When West Virginia played football at South Florida last fall, cornerback Brandon Hogan was sure he'd done everything right in order to intercept a pass. The Bulls had a first down at WVU's 15-yard line late in the first half and quarterback B.J. Daniels rolled right and threw to receiver Dontavia Bogan."
WVU's Sands comes up big -Charleston Daily-Mail

"For the most part, the hard hitting West Virginia's football team does in practice is pretty much over. Only three real workouts remain prior to Saturday's opener against Coastal Carolina, and in only one of those will there be considerable head-banging."
For White, move to WR has been a pain - Charleston Gazette
 

Rutgers redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Scott Vallone doesn’t have time to admire his work, he’s in pursuit of perfection. Frustration is often his companion in his quest but that’s what makes the journey that much sweeter. When Vallone explodes into the backfield to disrupt a play, he sees something totally different. If
he pancakes a running back, he’s kicking himself in disgust. He insists the preseason prognosticators who have made him a first-team All-Big East selection need to have their vision checked.
Rutgers DT Scott Vallone in constant pursuit of perfection - The Star-Ledger

Brandon Heath stepped into University of Louisville coach Charlie Strong's office for the first time not knowing what to expect, nor really what his football future looked like.His grades had nose-dived. He wasn't going to class. Off-field worries had wiggled into his football mind-set. He was a senior-to-be facing a fifth-year flameout. He walked into the room and sat down. Behind his desk, Strong was holding a piece of paper and reading it.
Charlie Strong has Brandon Heath aimed the right way - The Courier-Journal

"Randy Edsall, UConn's old-school football coach, made a major concession this season to his players when it came to the rules regarding personal appearance. Edsall, entering his 12th year in Storrs, went a little soft on the Huskies and allowed them to grow facial hair during the season. It may seem like a small step, but players such as senior guard Zach Hurd were taken aback and pleasantly surprised. At least one of the players isn't taking advantage of the freedom. Senior linebacker Scott Lutrus remains clean shaven."
Linebacker Lutrus a leader for Huskies - Connecticut Post
 

When Syracuse University’s two-deep depth chart is released today, a pair of familiar names will show up at the top in the defensive end positions. Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich held those spots throughout preseason camp. Marinovich, a junior, started all 12 games for the Orange in 2009, while Jones, a sophomore in terms of eligibility, started at end in eight of 12 games last year.
Mikhail Marinovich, Chandler Jones return as defensive end anchors on Syracuse football - The Post-Standard

"Pitt lost to Cincinnati by seven points in 2009 and by one point last year and, in both cases, that was the difference between winning the Big East Conference championship and finishing second."You lose a championship game by one point it hurts, but it motivates you all winter long," said Pitt safety Dom DeCicco. "Every time you get tired of working out in the winter or doing spring drills or working out in the offseason, you think about that one point, and that's really what has kept us motivated and it pushed us all to work just a little harder."
Offensive line key to Pitt's ambitions - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Friday, August 27

"Jock Sanders is seated firmly on the doorstep of West Virginia's all-time record book. Whether he gets in is probably not up to him. It seems odd, doesn't it, that a receiver's chances of breaking the school record for career receptions is, well, in someone else's hands? But that's exactly where Sanders finds himself going into his senior season."
Depth may catch up to Sanders' bid for record - Charleston Gazette

Usually, when UConn coach Randy Edsall speaks to the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, it means two things: It's time to play football (the season opener is a week from Saturday) and it's about time to celebrate his birthday. Last year, Edsall spoke on his birthday and got a pie. He turns 52 today and, at Thursday morning's breakfast, he got a cake with candles as a whole bunch of folks sang "Happy Birthday."
Edsall: Hype won't be a factor - Hartford Courant

Stop if you've heard this before: Rutgers is a sleeping giant; New Jersey is fertile recruiting ground; it's only a matter of time before the Scarlet Knights are a Big East contender; and the RAC is one of the best home courts in the league.
New coach, same potential at Rutgers - ESPN.com

Utah's defensive line is fast, athletic and physical, which means Pitt's offensive line will have its hands full Thursday when the Utes and Panthers meet at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. But for the offensive line, it will be another day at the office, having spent the spring and summer banging heads with a fast, athletic, physical defensive front that happens to wear the same uniform.
A lot is on the line for Pitt against Utes' Defense - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 

Thunder and Lightning. Smash and Dash. Rock and Roll. Rutgers’ punishing incumbent running back Joe Martinek and tantalizingly talented true freshman Jordan Thomas have yet to play a game together, but the age-old clichés and nicknames used to describe a power and speed running back tandem certainly fits them.
Joe Martinek, Jordan Thomas could jump-start Rutgers' sluggish running game - The Star-Ledger

Finally, incredibly, knock-on-wood blessedly, there are no obstacles between Donte Spires and college football again. USF's senior linebacker is eight days away from the season, a walk-on recently rewarded with a scholarship by coach Skip Holtz. His presence on the team might go unnoticed, except by all the people who know the path he has taken to get there and the adversities that would have stopped others years ago.
Persistence pays off for USF Bulls linebacker Donte Spires - St. Petersburg Times

SI.com's Stewart Mandel takes a look at the nation's new head football coaches, including the three from the BIG EAST.
Early outlook for 23 new coaches - SI.com

Ryan Lichtenstein and Ross Krautman took different roads to the Syracuse University football team. Lichtenstein, a 19-year-old sophomore from Monroeville, Pa., quietly walked on to the team last fall and won both a scholarship and the place-kicking job. He outlasted two other kickers, neither of whom stayed with the team.

Battling buddies: Syracuse kickers engage in fierce but friendly competition- The Post-Standard

"There are many who worry and wonder if Trey Johnson, at 5 feet 10 and 172 pounds, can play running back at West Virginia. "A lot of people have said I was too small," said the true freshman from Richmond, Va. "A lot of people also said I've got a big heart and I'm tough, so I don't pay attention to all that."
WVU Freshman makes an impact - Charleston Daily Mail

Zach Frazer doesn't have a confidence problem. The UConn senior quarterback showed that before his first season as the Huskies' full-time starter. When talking prior to last season about his affinity for new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead's system, Frazer boldly predicted the Huskies would average 40 points a game with their new playbook.
Focused Frazer a confident UConn QB - Connecticut Post

After he lost control of the ball out of bounds, Dion Dixon raised his hands to his head in frustration and shock. The Cincinnati Bearcats had become the talk of the Big East tournament last March. They knocked off Rutgers and Louisville and had No. 6 West Virginia on the ropes in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Huskies buck trend to find success - ESPN.com
 

Thursday, August 26

"Connecticut is building a football winner all wrong. What do you expect from a basketball school? The Huskies don't get it. You hire a coach, give him three years, boot him out the door -- keep paying him, of course -- and hire another coach. "
Huskies buck trend to find success - ESPN.com

" Members of the Georgetown women's soccer team found out a lot of new things about their teammates in the last week. Sure, the Hoyas opened the season with a 9-0 win over American last Saturday, but there were more important things to discover."
Georgetown Women's Soccer Team Builds Team Through Off-Field Competition - GUHoyas.com

A scary moment happened near the end of Cincinnati's final practice at Camp Higher Ground on Wednesday. Starting quarterback Zach Collaros took the snap, then tumbled to the turf. Head coach Butch Jones screamed, "Trainer!"  Well, it was only scary if you didn't know what was going on. After the trainers looked at Collaros, a pair of linemen helped him hobble to the sideline. Then Collaros bounced up and skipped away laughing. "
Notes from Cincinnati's Practice - ESPN.com

"Once again, West Virginia's non-conference basketball schedule is designed not for comfort or victories, but to prepare the Mountaineers for the postseason. The non-Big East portion of the schedule, announced Wednesday, includes only five games at the Coliseum. Along with the nine Big East games scheduled for home, that means the Mountaineers will play more games away from home (16) than at the Coliseum (14)."
WVU's non-league hoops schedule has eye on postseason - Charleston Gazette

"Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt sent a message five years ago that marked one of the turning points in his program. At halftime of a game at West Virginia that Pitt eventually lost, 45-13, Wannstedt was asked by a TV reporter what his team needed to do in the second half. Harsh, honest and hopeful in his first season on the job, Wannstedt said, "We have to run faster."
Pitt blessed with deep defensive line - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

At the start of training camp on Aug. 9, University of Cincinnati coach Butch Jones' biggest concern about his team was a lack of depth, especially on the offensive and defensive lines and at linebacker. As camp ended Wednesday afternoon at the Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center, Jones said he has seen nothing to ease that concern.
Bearcats' preseason camp goes according to plan - Cincinnati Enquirer

"

When Pitt played Utah in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, the Utes smoked the Panthers with their new, high-octane spread offense.Since then, the spread has taken hold of college football, so much so that Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso said Wednesday that the Panthers' traditional two-back pro-style offense "is the strange offense in the country now."
Pitt better equipped to defend the spread - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 

Charlie Noonan said the defensive line got much more physical in its play. Howard Barbieri felt the offensive line, the big question entering the month, made major strides. Steve Beauharnais likes the way the entire defense is coming into the season. Head coach Greg Schiano? He is still calling his latest team “a work in progress.”
As preseason camp breaks Rutgers still a 'work in progress': Greg Schiano - The Star-Ledger
 

"It has taken three years of moving, but it appears that Da’Mon Merkerson has finally found a home. You know Merkerson, right? The senior cornerback on the Syracuse University football team. Or is it wide receiver? Or cornerback? Or wide receiver? Both?"
Syracuse CB Da'Mon Merkerson wants to finish what he starts this year - The Post-Standard

"West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins tries to block out the date. The memory, he said, is too painful. On May 24, 2003, however, he lost his mother, who passed away after a long battle with colon cancer.."
Huggins reaching out to honor mother, raise caner funds - Charleston Gazette
 

Wednesday, August 25

West Virginia defensive tackle Scooter Berry hasn't been himself in a long time. At first, it was a shoulder injury. Then, it was academics. They all affected the veteran player last season. A year later, Berry has one thing to say: "I'm back." "
WVU's Berry: 'I'm Back' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

John Goebel tries not to think of 2009 as a lost year with the University of Cincinnati football team. He enjoyed being on another Big East championship football team and going to the Sugar Bowl. He took pride in the unbeaten regular season."
UC's Goebel up and running for last go-around - Cincinnati Enquirer

"A year ago he played a role in rolls. Now that the rolls, many of them anyway, are gone Andrew Tiller sees his role increasing on the Syracuse University football team. The junior has solidified his job at starting right guard during preseason camp. "I can move a lot better now," Tiller said after a recent practice. "A whole lot better."
Decreased girth gives Andrew Tiller increased role on Syracuse football team - The Post-Standard

Nearly all Pitt freshmen will redshirt this season to save a year's eligibility, but that does not mean there will not be a few who make an impact."I would expect we will have two, maybe three freshmen play this year," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said.
Only one freshman on Pitt's 2-Deep - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Even as Rutgers’ injury list at wide receiver seemed to grow on a daily basis, Mason Robinson said he never thought about how it might impact him. Why would he? His return to tailback had been solid enough to put him in the thick of the competition to be Joe Martinek’s backup."
Rutgers' Mason Robinson offering help where needed -- currently at wide receiver - The Star-Ledger
 
"Sixth-year senior Mo Plancher went into fall camp as the clear front-runner at running back, but a strong showing in Saturday's second scrimmage has redshirt freshman Bradley Battles turning heads and making a case for carries early in the season."
USF RB battles turns heads; focus on 5 freshmen - TampaBay.com

Pitt defensive ends coach Greg Gattuso did some research during the offseason and didn't like his findings. The Panthers were middle of the pack in forcing turnovers, with an average national ranking of 62nd over the past three years at 22 turnovers a season.
Pitt's 'D" focused on turnovers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"Bilal Powell arrived at the University of Louisville as a freshman exhausted from the 14-hour drive from Florida and unsure if he made the right move by going so far from home. His new roommate didn't do much to ease those doubts. Victor Anderson knocked around the room with a lot of energy and a little too much bounce for the reserved Powell."
Louisville running back Bilal Powell happy he stayed - The Courier-Journal

"Randy Edsall had barely finished discussing the idiosyncrasies of his beefy troupe of offensive linemen, when, sure enough, two of them came trooping up the Shenkman Training Center hallway. Mike Ryan, all 333 pounds, was chanting some kind of gibberish in cadence when the UConn head coach looked up from his media briefing. "You all right, big boy?" Edsall asked. All of a sudden, Mathieu Olivier peeked around Ryan and yelled, mischievously, in front of the reporters, "Hi, Randy!"
Comaraderie key in lineman Olivier's decision to return to UConn football- Hartford Courant

"After spending his first two years at Rutgers being knocked around on scout teams and scuffling to get the coaching staff’s attention, walk-on Evan Lampert suddenly finds himself with a major role in the Scarlet Knights’ offense."
Rutgers' Evan Lampert has perservered through scout teams, now ready to make some catches - The Star-Ledger

"It's tough to interview West Virginia receiver Stedman Bailey and stay away from one subject: his hands. They are just so there. Large. Not Andre-the-Giant large, but lengthy. Elongated. You can try to be polite. I, for instance, asked the wideout about his speed. But then ..."
Bailey seems hand made for WVU offense - Charleston Gazette

"Throughout the course of a 30-minute interview, Seton Hall athletic director Joe Quinlan kept returning to the same word to describe his new basketball coach, Kevin Willard. Thoughtful. Not thoughtful as in the kind of guy who welcomes neighbors with a basket of hot-out-of-the-oven muffins (though he might do that and we just don't know it). Thoughtful as in deliberate, conscientious, efficient. He gives a lot of thought to something before he acts.
The Hall Takes a 180 with Kevin Willard - ESPN.com

"If Barry Brunetti is ever going to have a chance to unseat Geno Smith as West Virginia's starting quarterback, he's going to face the obstacle of familiarity."
Brunetti building bonds with WVU wideouts - Charleston Gazette
 

Tuesday, August 24

"As a crowd gathered around a 12-foot-high sign in Aliquippa, a discussion broke out to see if anyone could jump high enough to touch it. It begat an impromptu contest, one that lasted as long as it took for Jonathan Baldwin to step forward and use his 42-inch vertical leap to spring up and slap it one with one hand. Contest over.
Star pupil, Pitt's Baldwin - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

" The NFL scouts walk around practice at West Virginia with fluorescent orange badges that clearly identify them in their line of work.They all wear shirts or caps (or both) that advertise the team they represent, the team that may one day employ one of these Mountaineers they're sent to town to study."
Devine's game has improved -Charleston Daily-Mail

 "During his first 10 years as the volleyball coach at the University of Cincinnati, Reed Sunahara has taken six teams to the NCAA tournament and appears primed to make it seven. The Bearcats begin the season this weekend at the San Diego State tournament as the unanimous favorites to win the Big East regular-season championship after finishing in a tie for second in 2009 with a 25-11 overall record and sharing the title in 2008, when they advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament."
UC Volleyball team sets sights on Sweet 16 - Cincinnati Enquirer

"A year ago at this time, Adam Froman was dealing with a disappointing injury that knocked him out of the competition to become the University of Louisville's starting quarterback.This time his health has held up, and the senior from Santa Rosa, Calif., won out over senior Justin Burke and sophomore Will Stein to earn the starting spot"
Louisville's Adam Froman eager to perform in offense designed around him - The Courier-Journal

"In theory, Rutgers sophomore Mohamed Sanu should not be a veteran presence among his fellow wide receivers, at least not yet. But with a receiving corps that's as green as the turf field on which the Knights practice, the former South Brunswick High School star may not have much of a choice.
Sanu already leader of Rutgers WR corps -MyCentralJersey.com

Monday, August 23

 

"For UofL to improve a defense that ranked next to last in the Big East Conference last season, it needs solid play from a host of newcomers, including true freshmen Preston Brown and Deon Rogers and redshirt freshmen Mike Privott and Jacob Geffrad."
Louisville football's defense built around linebackers - The Courier-Journal

The "16-power" is Pitt's bread-and-butter running play. On many Saturdays, the Panthers will run it until the other team cries "uncle." As Dave Wannstedt explains it, the 16-power isn't just the Panthers' favorite play -- it is their identity. And that's why, at a time when many college coaches are limiting the amount of live work and hitting at training camp, Wannstedt put the Panthers through a physical one.
Physical play is fast becoming Panthers' Identity - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Junior cornerback Quenton Washington leaned back in his locker at Raymond James Stadium, a grin washing over his face. Washington and his teammates had just completed their 20th practice in 18 days since fall camp officially began Aug. 5. As soon as they showered and grabbed a quick sandwich on campus Sunday, the Bulls hopped aboard buses headed toward RJS for FanFest, the annual meet-and-greet session with fans and boosters.
Bulls enjoy calm before storm at FanFest - Tampa Bay Online

 

Friday, August 20

"For West Virginia University football fans, there is, first, Noel. There may be other standouts on the current Mountaineer team, but Noel Devine, all 5-feet-8 inches and 175 pounds of him, remains the unquestioned star."
Will the end be Devine - Charleston Gazette

Friday, August 20

University of Cincinnati football coach Butch Jones did a Q&A with Enquirer reporter Bill Koch on Friday at the Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center in West Harrison, Ind. He discussed the state of the team with the season opener at Fresno State two weeks from today.
Q&A with Butch Jones - Cincinnati Enquirer

Thursday, August 19

"Not only was it a former Miramar High School quarterback throwing a touchdown pass to his former high school teammate, but Geno Smith has been connecting with Stedman Bailey throughout the first two weeks of West Virginia football practice - and frequently in the end zone."
Rookie Stedman Bailey's Big Hands Have Grip on WR Position - Charleston Daily Mail

 

Tuesday, August 10

" When she first arrived in Iceland in late March, much of the talk surrounding the country revolved around volcano explosions.But in the small town of Hafnarfjörður, located about 10 minutes outside of the capital, Reykjavik, the focus has been on soccer for a 5-10 forward who came to the country about three months ago after finishing off a tremendous career at Georgetown. Sara Jordan is playing for Haukar, a professional team that plays in the Premier Division of the women's league. Jordan's focus since she found a home in Iceland hasn't been volcanoes, though, it's been in finding her way on the pitch.
From the Hilltop to Iceland, Sara Jordan continues her soccer career  - GUHoyas.com

University of Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros is doing a daily dairy from training camp with Enquirer beat reporter Bill Koch. This is from the first day of practice Monday at Nippert Stadium.
UC Quarterback Zach Collaros' Diary - Cincinnati Enquirer

Rutgers' Joe Lefeged relishes big hits - ESPN.com
Secondary Role for Edsall - Hartford Courant
WVU still searching for starting QB - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Holtz likes Vero Beach tradition - St. Petersburg Times
Rutgers kicker San San Te looks for bounce back season - The Star-Ledger
Despite size, Chas Dodd is making a big play for backup QB role - The Star Ledger
You may think that Syracuse will be offensively challenged this year, but the Orange disagrees - The Post-Standard
 

Friday, August 6

"Some of the physical changes at Rutgers reporting day today were apparent right away. Mohamed Sanu, a rising star at wide receiver, has a linebacker's build now. Eric LeGrand, a key player on the defensive line as Charlie Noonan's backup at tackle, looks all of 275 pounds (he was listed at 260 last season).."
Rutgers Reporting Day: Sanu, LeGrand and Jefferson Hope Bigger is Better  - The Star-Ledger

Thursday, August 5

"As the Pitt Panthers found out last year, the road to the predicted Big East Conference championship can be littered with bumps and obstacles, some internal and some external. Last season, when the Panthers also were picked to win the Big East, they made it to about the final five minutes of their final game before falling short in a heartbreaking, 45-44 loss against Cincinnati at Heinz Field in a game with the title on the line."
Plenty of tough tests await Pitt  - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Randy Edsall rarely allows himself to wander off course. So the question had to take him out of his realm, take him to a place ruled by fans, bloggers and Saturday coaches.What do you think the average fan thought when they saw the score of the Papajohns.com Bowl crawl across the bottom of their TV screens?"
Yes, UConn! Edsall's team is no lemon  - New York Post

"Cincinnati football coach Butch Jones doesn't immediately stand out, and that's OK. As the man tasked with inheriting perhaps the most well-regarded team in Bearcat history, he has the unfortunate distinction of being "the guy following the guy." You know, like the folks tasked with following Lincoln, Churchill, Caesar, Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin and, some day, Paterno."
Cincinnati's Jones tackling familiar role  - AOL Fanhouse

" A year ago, Rutgers' Tom Savage and USF's B.J. Daniels had never taken a snap in a Big East game. But as their sophomore seasons are about to begin, the quarterbacks line up as the most experienced starters in the conference."

BIG EAST starting quarterback crop is green - St. Petersburg Times

"Three new coaches. Three distinctly different challenges. Butch Jones at Cincinnati. Charlie Strong at Louisville. Skip Holtz at South Florida. Each was introduced during Tuesday’s annual Big East football media day at the posh Viking Hotel."
New BIG EAST football coaches Strong, Holtz and Jones face different, but difficult, tasks  - The Post-Standard

Wednesday, August 4

Check out stories from around the country on BIG EAST Football Media Day

UC picked second in BIG EAST - Cincinnati Enquirer
Pitt picked to win BIG EAST - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
WVU tied for second in BIG EAST poll - Charleston Daily Mail
Media poll says Pitt is it - Charleston Gazette
Last place in BIG EAST is first for Charlie Strong - Louisville Courier-Journal
Coach Strong plants seeds for Louisville football's revival - Louisville Courier-Journal
UConn picked fourth in BIG EAST media poll - Hartford Courant
Preseason media polls pick Pitt - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
USF Bulls shrug off BIG EAST preseason projections - St. Petersburg Times
USF Bulls center Sampson Genus keeps impressing with work ethic - St. Peterstburg Times
Bulls need to find unity in Vero Beach - St. Petersburg Times
Dion Lewis thinking Heisman Trophy with Pittsburgh - The Star-Ledger
Safety Joe Lefeged ready to become vocal leader for young Rutgers team - The Star-Ledger
Lobster-eating records go unchallenged by Syracuse players at BIG EAST clambake - The Post-Standard
Syracuse punter stands tall as leader, if not eater, at BIG EAST Media Day - The Post-Standard
Holtz, USF players eager to begin a new era - Tampa Bay Online
Is B.J. Daniels the BIG EAST's most important player? - Tampa Bay Online
WVU picked No. 2 in BIG EAST - Times West Virginian
WVU goals : BIG EAST title, double-digit wins - Times West Virginian
WVU's Devine developing in all facets - Times West Virginian
Bill Stewart near top in win percentage - Times West Virginian
Greg Schiano hopes his Rutgers squad will grow up fast - MyCentralJersey.com

Tuesday, August 3

Skip Holtz is finally coaching in the BIG EAST " It would probably be quicker to name the Big East schools where Holtz wasn't a leading candidate than where he was. At Tuesday's Big East Media Day, Holtz said it wasn't necessarily destiny that brought him back to the Big East, but his past success as a UConn and East Carolina head coach."
Fourth Time's the Charm for Skip Holtz in the Big East - AOL Fanhouse

Pitt's Dave Wannstedt is downplaying the Panthers' roll as favorites  "Not long after his team was named a near-consensus favorite to win the 2010 Big East title, Dave Wannstedt started doing what most coaches in his position would do: playing down expectations."
  Wannstedt downplays favorite tag - ESPN.com

Syracuse's Marrone staying upbeat "Doug Marrone can picture the headlines before they appear. He grimaces, grits his teeth and presses forward.  Star tailback Delone Carter arrested. Linebacker E.J. Carter wants out, wants in and then is dismissed from the team. Offensive tackle Josh White quits. Defensive end Jared Kimmel is lost for the season, if not his career, with a knee injury. Tailback Averin Collier faces eligibility issues and could also miss the ."  Syracuse coach brushes aside negativity, convinced team is moving forward - The Post-Standard

Monday, August 2

Bill Koch profiles new UC coach Butch Jones "When things aren't going well for the University of Cincinnati football team this season, it is likely you'll see first-year coach Butch Jones reach into his pocket as he stands on the sideline. Jones' father, Lyle, died nearly a year ago at 82 due to complications from emphysema. On game days, Jones carries his dad's hospital ID bracelet in his pocket. "
Jones' working roots run deep - Cincinnati Enquirer

 

Thursday, July 29

Former UofL star Tom Jackson is excited about the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry "ESPN's Tom Jackson never got the chance to play against Kentucky, but the ex-Louisville star has been wrapped up in the rivalry in recent years, and he expects it to flourish under new head coaches Charlie Strong and Joker Phillips."
Ex-U of L star Tom Jackson says new coaches will be good for Kentucky, Louisville rivalry - Courier-Journal

Former USF star Nate Allen is adjusting to life in the NFL "Allen arose at 6:15, and took part in the morning practice at 8:45 - in which he promptly dropped a ball in a drill and did a few push-ups as punishment. And that, he said, was "a wake-up call."
  USF's Allen gets a wake-up call with Eagles - Tampa Bay Online

Friday, July 16

USF is in the middle of an ambitious facilities project "What all those machines are doing is giving the Bulls athletic department a massive facelift, one of the largest undertaken on a single college campus at one time. A year from now, the view will be drastically different for McGillis, USF's executive associate athletic director."
USF Facilities Getting Total Makeover - Tampa Bay Online

Eric Hall examines how Jamie Dixon and Pitt are handling huge expectations for 2010-11 "With most everyone returning — except for defensive stopper Jermaine Dixon — they are supposed to be even better. The Panthers cannot ignore the publications and the prognostications. But because of the 2008-09 season, many feel they are prepared for the burdens of being one of the best."
  Panthers Face Great Expectations - Beaver County Times

 

Thursday, July 15

Andy Katz takes a look at the program building at West Virginia "What became clear during the Mountaineers' Final Four run last season was that the physical mentality of the team on the defensive end and the overall talent coming into the program had them position for sustained NCAA tournament success. An appearance in the tourney in 2011 would be WVU's fourth straight, the longest streak in Mountaineers history since 1956-60.
WVU Builds on Final Four Success - ESPN.com

Doug Feinberg goes behind the scenes with Geno Auriemma and USA Basketball "Coach Geno Auriemma allowed The AP exclusive access to the team and coaches during its training camp at WNBA All-Star weekend. MEET AND GREET: Practice started Thursday night with a decade's worth of UConn domination on the court. The old guard of Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi and Ashja Jones teaming with young stars Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore
  All Access: USA Women's Basketball Training Camp

Bob Hertzel on the Mountaineers' academic success" Over the past few years, West Virginia has prided itself on the way it has upgraded its approach to academics throughout the athletic department, so it was no surprise that one of WVU’s teams won such an honor. What was stunning, however, was which team was recognized for it was none other than Bob Huggins’ men’s basketball team."
Huggins proves critics wrong again - The Times West Virginian

Wednesday, July 14

Curt Rallo introduces Notre Dame's new head baseball coach Mik Aoki "It only took a few sentences into his opening statement for new Notre Dame head baseball coach Mik Aoki to throw out the magic word in college baseball — Omaha, home of the College World Series. Aoki, introduced as Notre Dame's 20th baseball coach Tuesday afternoon at the Monogram Room, quickly stated his mission as the Irish boss.."
Omaha the goal for ND's Aoki - South Bend Tribune

Greg Auman examines George Steinbrenner's impact on USF athletics  "Before USF athletics had the revenue that comes with football or membership in a top conference like the Big East, the Bulls had George Steinbrenner to help them out. Dick Wittcoff, one of USF's top supporters, said it was the late Yankees owner who first got him involved with USF athletics, inspiring him with the selflessness of his donations in the late 1970s. ."
George Steinbrenner had big impact on USF Athletics - St. Petersburg Times

Wednesday, July 7

Brian Sokolowski makes the case that the BIG EAST is one of the top football conferences in Ameria "In any given week in the Big East this year, any team will be able to beat one another.  You cannot say that in any other conference.  I also think with the new coaching additions, replacing some of the worst coaches in the conference, will really help the conference in the end.  I believe that any team in the conference this year cnould go on a run and go to the BCS."
Best Conference and BE Players of 2010 - The Star Ledger

David Fox on the new "Dean of BIG EAST Quarterbacks" "Savage, a sophomore, isn't the oldest quarterback in his conference, but he's started more games than anyone else he'll face in a Big East game this season. Eleven starts are all it takes to be the wily veteran in this league this season."
Savage Enters Second Year as Seasoned Veteran - Rivals.com

Tuesday, July 6

Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that Butch Jones is upgrading his office at Nippert Stadium "Jones’ new office is on the site of the former video room. It’s roughly twice as big as his previous office and overlooks the 50-yard line of Nippert Stadium. His previous office had a great view of the tennis courts. Jones said the move didn’t cost anything. He simply moved his furniture down the hall, rearranged things and added a few touches of his own."
New Digs for Butch Jones - The Cincinnati Enquirer

Brian Bennett sits down with Rutgers' QB Tom Savage " We're only about a month away now from the start of preseason practice. Of course, players are already working hard on campus this summer getting ready. I had a chance to catch up with Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage this week to ask him how things were going in Piscataway. Here is a transcript of our conversation."
Q&A With Rutgers' Tom Savage - ESPN.com

Mike Cassaza on WVU's new Athletics Director Andrew Luck " Truth be told, one of the most beneficial attributes to his candidacy for AD was his seat on the WVU Board of Governors. For two years he was intimate with the inner workings of the university and he became familiar with plenty related to athletics."
Andrew Luck has uneventful start to new job - ESPN.com