Big East Breakdown: Rutgers, Louisville win opening games

The only two Big East teams to fall in week one of the college football season were the two…The only two Big East teams to fall in week one of the college football season were the two teams that won’t even be in the conference next season — Pitt and Syracuse.

Big East Senior Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli took advantage of that irony last Saturday night by tweeting, “The #BigEast will be a better football conference on the field next year than it has ever been!”

But Carparelli’s statement lost validity when two of the teams replacing Pitt and Syracuse in the Big East next season, Houston and Memphis, suffered even more embarrassing defeats.

Pitt and Syracuse drop in my first Big East Breakdown of the young campaign, but there’s no doubt that the conference will be weaker without the Panthers and the Orange next season.

Rutgers

A 24-12 win at Tulane wasn’t overly impressive, but the Rutgers defense lived up to the hype that it entered the season with, holding Tulane to only eight rushing yards.

The Rutgers rushing attack was led by Jawan Jamison, who carried the ball for 112 yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Gary Nova struggled to find a rhythm, and Jamsion appeared to be the only bright spot of the Scarlet Knights’ offense.

If its quarterback play doesn’t improve, Rutgers won’t hold the top spot for long.

Louisville

The Cardinals were the only Big East team to pick up a win against an opponent from a BCS conference last weekend when they rolled to a 32-14 victory over cross-state rival Kentucky.

Talented quarterback Teddy Bridgewater impressed, as did running backs Senorise Perry and Jeremy Wright, who both recorded more than 100 yards. The Cardinals should be up a lot of points this season.

South Florida

USF powered past FCS-school Chattanooga behind three touchdown tosses from quarterback B.J. Daniels, who could be a breakout star in the conference this season.

The passing attack looked good against inferior competition, but the struggles on the ground were scary considering USF’s opponents. If the Bulls’ offense becomes one-dimensional, expect to see another mid-season collapse from Coach Skip Holtz’s team.

Cincinnati

The Bearcats began their season on Thursday night with a dominating win against a disappointing Pitt team. Athletic quarterback Munchie Legaux posed a real threat throughout the game, and if he can continue to lead the Bearcats’ attack like he did in the opener, this offense could be scary.

The opportunistic defense will also make plays for Cincinnati, so don’t be surprised if the Bearcats end up winning their fourth Big East title in five years by the end of this season.

Connecticut

UConn jumps up out of the basement with the most dominating performance of week one after the Huskies tallied a 37-0 victory against new Football Bowl Subdivision school and local rival Massachusetts.

The Huskies’ balanced offensive attack against the Minutemen recorded 225 yards passing and 147 rushing, but two interceptions thrown by quarterback Chandler Whitmer shows that the passer needs to improve quickly if Connecticut wants to be competitive in the conference this year.

Temple

The Owls dominated their season opener, recording a 41-10 victory over fellow Philadelphia school Villanova.

But much like USF, the Owls looked one-dimensional, except Temple showed an inability to pass the ball. Quarterback Chris Coyer attempted only 11 passes, completing five, but he did impact the game with his mobility, recording 13 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Running back Matt Brown also chipped in with 19 carries, 145 yards and a touchdown.

Syracuse

In probably the most exciting game during college football’s opening weekend, the Orange dropped a back-and-forth decision against Northwestern, 42-21.

While the defense obviously struggled, Syracuse’s offense looked potent. Quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 470 yards and four touchdowns, which makes him the NCAA’s current leading passer.

After coming back to take the lead, Syracuse’s defense coughed up the narrow advantage by allowing a touchdown pass with 44 seconds remaining. It doesn’t get any easier for the Orange as they take on No. 2 USC in New York City this weekend.

Pittsburgh

A shocking loss against Youngstown State last Saturday was followed by an even worse performance at Cincinnati Thursday night, and the Panthers appear to be set for a long season.

New head coach Paul Chryst will be hopeful after running back Ray Graham played well versus the Bearcats, but the play of the defense, offensive line and quarterback Tino Sunseri will all need to improve drastically before the Panthers can climb the standings.