Teel, Brown light up stat books on Saturday

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for some Big East bowl-bound squads. Pitt, Cincinnati,… It’s the most wonderful time of the year for some Big East bowl-bound squads. Pitt, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Rutgers, Connecticut and South Florida will represent the Big East after securing bowl bids over the weekend. Cincinnati survived a scare late on Saturday night against Hawaii. After falling behind 24-10 in the fourth quarter, the Bearcats led 29-24 with 4:42 left. Cincinnati, this year’s Big East champion, will face Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. In West Virginia, senior quarterback Pat White and the Mountaineers took a 13-7 win over South Florida on Saturday night. The crowd honored White with a ‘whiteout’ in the regular-season finale. White responded by throwing for 141 yards and a score. Rutgers also locked up a bowl bid last Thursday night when it dismantled Louisville, 63-14. Here’s the regular-season’s final slate of awards. Big East Beasts of the Week (Offense): Rutgers’ senior Mike Teel threw for a school-record seven touchdowns and 447 yards against Louisville in a rout. Connecticut’s Donald Brown, the nation’s leading rusher, ran for 189 yards and a score in a losing effort against the Panthers. Big East Beast of the Week (Defense): Pitt linebacker Greg Williams had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. Big East Least of the Week: Certainly Louisville’s entire defensive scheme, coaching staff, execution, personnel play-calling and philosophy, but this should go to another player. That player is South Florida’s Matt Grothe. In what was a microcosm of a hugely disappointing season, Grothe completed 18 of 33 passes, didn’t have a touchdown and tossed two interceptions. Big East Plea of the Week: Cincinnati needs to beat Virginia Tech to give the Big East something to be proud of in the BCS.