| Syracuse running back Prince-Tyson Gulley leaps over the pylon for one of his two scores against Louisville. (US Presswire) |
Big East scoreboard
Saturday
Syracuse 45, No. 10 Louisville 26: The Orange jumped all over a Louisville team that has looked vulnerable -- but had not lost -- all year. Seniors Ryan Nassib and Alec Lemon led Syracuse, along with RB Jerome Smith, who ran for 144 yards on 18 carries. The Cards (9-1, 4-1 Big East) were again led by QB Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 422 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. But the Louisville defense was atrocious, allowing the Orange (5-5, 4-2 Big East) to roll up 533 yards. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)
Cincinnati 34, Temple 10: Coach Butch Jones handed the quarterbacking keys to Brendon Kay, and the senior did not disappoint. Kay was 13 of 21 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and, perhaps most importantly, no interceptions. Kay also rushed for 71 yards. The Bearcats (7-2, 3-1 Big East) held Temple (3-6, 2-4 Big East) to 267 total yards.
No. 23 Rutgers 28, Army 7: The Scarlet Knights struggled to defend the Black Knights' vaunted triple-option offense but used a fourth-quarter flurry to escape with the win. Rutgers (8-1, 4-0 Big East) broke open a tied game in the fourth quarter by outscoring Army 21-0 over the final eight minutes. The Scarlet Knights forced three turnovers, including a game-clinching 73-yard fumble return by S Duron Harmon. WR Brandon Coleman had three receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns. (For more on the game, check out CBSSports.com's Eye on College Football blog)
Friday
Connecticut 24, Pittsburgh 17: The Huskies' second-half offensive problems were again evident -- UConn has been outscored 76-3 in the second half against Big East competition -- but Lyle McCombs and Chandler Whitmer did enough overall to lead Connecticut (4-6, 1-4 Big East) to its first conference win. McCombs had 120 yards rushing, and Whitmer threw for 213 yards. Return man Nick Williams provided a first-half spark with an 80-yard punt return for a score, extending the UConn lead to 17-0. The Huskies led 24-0 before the Panthers rallied. QB Tino Sunseri led Pitt (4-6, 1-4 Big East) with 302 yards passing.
Play of the week: Syracuse DB Dyshawn Davis's clinching interception. Not so much the actual play -- a bad throw by Bridgewater that Davis picked -- but for what it accomplished. The Orange have been on the wrong side of too many close games this season, so the Davis interception had to be a cathartic moment for the Syracuse faithful.
They said what?
A couple, via twitter, reacting to Louisville's loss at Syracuse.
First, a quote from coach Charlie Strong:
Charlie Strong quote: "I'm very embarrassed today for our program."
— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) November 10, 2012
Next, injured Louisville RB Dominique Brown offering his thoughts on fellow RB Corvin Lamb's playing time. Lamb had one touch Saturday, and it went for a 53-yard score:
@ericcrawford that's what I'm saying he only had 1 play on offense and that was a touchdown!
— Dominique Brown(@hardbodynique) November 10, 2012
RapidReports defensive player of the week: Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene. The Scarlet Knights senior had a season-high 22 tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in the win over Army. With the Black Knights poised to take the lead in the third quarter, Greene’s forced fumble proved to be critical. Greene took another step toward earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors.
| Syracuse WR Alec Lemon had 176 receiving yards and two TDs against Louisville. (US Presswire) |
RapidReports offensive player of the week: WR Lemon, Syracuse. The senior, along with QB Nassib, showed up big in his last game in the Carrier Dome. Lemon finished with nine catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns.
A possible spot on the bench for: Cincinnati QB Munchie Legaux. Well, that just about does it for Munchie. Brendon Kay played well in his first start of the season, so Legaux will likely be the backup for the remainder of the season. It really started going downhill after Legaux famously said he was better than Louisville's Bridgewater. Since then, Legaux has thrown for just 181 yards with four interceptions and a touchdown in two games.
Why you care about these 3 stat lines:
1. Louisville run defense: The Cardinals allowed a season-high 278 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per carry in the loss to Syracuse. The Orange led 31-13 at halftime after rushing for 154 yards in the first 30 minutes. Entering the week, Louisville ranked fourth in the Big East against the run (148.0 ypg). The Cardinals surrendered six runs of 10 yards or more, including touchdowns of 55 and 35 yards.
2. Lyle McCombs rushing yards: The UConn sophomore running back gained 120 yards on 29 carries in the victory over the Panthers. It has been a trying season for McCombs, who entered this week with just 95 yards combined in his previous three games. Last year, McCombs had six 100-yard games in his freshman season. McCombs reached the century mark in a game for just the second time in 2012.
3. Rutgers’ blocked kicks: The Scarlet Knights blocked two field goals in the victory over Army. Rutgers has eight blocks in 2012 and 31 since the start of the 2009 season. The latter is the most of any team in FBS. Both first-half blocks were crucial, as the game remained tied at 7 into the fourth quarter.
Key number: 278. The Louisville defense allowed 278 rushing yards to Syracuse -- a team that averages fewer than 156 yards per game. That is definitely a soft spot of the Cardinals' defense that remaining opponents Connecticut and Rutgers will plan to exploit.
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Big East, follow bloggers Evan Hilbert and Matt Rybaltowski @CBSBigEast.