Saturday Scores
UConn 40, Vanderbilt 21 - HIGHLIGHTS
Tulane 17, Rutgers 14 - RECAP
Pittsburgh 44, FIU 17 - RECAP
Louisville 34, Arkansas State 24 - RECAP
USF 31, FAU 3 - RECAP
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BIG EAST teams were a combined 4-1 in the last full week of nonconference games, leaving seven of the eight BIG EAST schools at .500 or better as the first league games approach.
Connecticut, for the second consecutive week, found itself tied at halftime, and for the the second consecutive week, the Huskies delivered a big second half as Connecticut improved to 3-2 with a 40-21 win against Vanderbilt at Rentschler Field.
The Huskies, who scored the last 21 points of the game in last week’s win against Buffalo, closed the win against Vanderbilt with 26 unanswered points. RB Jordan Todman was the offensive catalyst as the workhorse logged a career-high 37 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns. It was Todman’s ninth career game with at least 100 rushing yards and his seventh in his last eight games.
USF joined a group of three BIG EAST teams at 3-1 as the Bulls were 31-3 winners against Florida Atlantic at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls registered seven sacks, forced three turnovers and scored a touchdown on a blocked punt return, allowing the USF offense to enjoy a balanced effort.
QB B.J. Daniels threw for 155 yards and a touchdown while completing 14 of 19 passes, while RB Moise Plancher had 20 carries for 93 yards and two TDs.
Pittsburgh was without the incumbent BIG EAST Offensive and Defensive players of the year against Florida International with RB Dion Lewis and DE Greg Romeus sidelined with injuries. But Panther RB Ray Graham turned in what might have been the best single-game performance by a college running back this season in Pittsburgh’s 44-17 win against the Golden Panthers.
Graham had 29 carries for 277 yards and three touchdowns, turning in the second-best effort by a Pitt runner in school history. Graham added 78 yards on kickoff returns and 19 receiving yards to finish with 374 all-purpose yards.
Graham’s performance puts him third among this week’s national rushing leaders, behind only Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson and Oregon tailback LaMichael James.
Louisville pulled its record even as the Cardinals raced to a 31-7 halftime lead on its way to a 34-24 win at Arkansas State. Louisville reeled off 575 yards of offense — its best performance in more than two years — and held the Red Wolves’ potent passing game to more than 100 yards below its season average.
Cardinal quarterback Adam Froman completed 20 of 33 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns and Louisville had a pair of 100-yard rushers in tailbacks Bilal Powell (157 yards) and Victor Anderson (108 yards).
Rutgers was the only BIG EAST team to come up short Saturday as the Scarlet Knights could not overcome the loss of QB Tom Savage in the second quarter of a 17-14 setback to Tulane.
Things looked promising for the Scarlet Knights early as WR Mohamed Sanu took the second play from scrimmage 91 yards for a touchdown, marking the longest rushing play in school history and the third-longest in BIG EAST history. But Savage didn’t return after being tackled out of bounds in the second quarter and Rutgers was unable to overcome a 17-7 deficit despite a second-half touchdown pass from QB Chas Dodd.
The only league that has not started conference play, the BIG EAST has two conference games on the Week 6 schedule. Connecticut visits Rutgers Friday on ESPN (7:30 p.m. Eastern), while Syracuse returns from a bye to visit USF at noon Saturday in the BIG EAST Network Game of the Week.
