Big East Offensive Player of the Week Avon Cobourne set the Big East career rushing record… Big East Offensive Player of the Week Avon Cobourne set the Big East career rushing record Saturday in the Mountaineers (3-1 overall, 0-0 Big East) 37-17 victory over East Carolina.

Cobourne finished the game with 260 yards and two touchdowns for the 21st 100-yard game rushing game of his career, which ties former Mountaineer Amos Zerouoe for the conference and school records.

Cobourne, who rushed for 210 yards in the first half, now holds the Big East career rushing record with 3,981 yards.

“I think [Cobourne] is, and has been, one of the better backs in the Big East,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “He’s shown us [his talent] so far this year, and he’s given us great leadership as well.”

This week, the Mountaineers host the Maryland Terrapins (3-2, 0-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), who won last season’s contest, 32-20.

The Mountaineer running attack will again be the main weapon in Rodriguez’s offensive arsenal, which ranks first in the country this season.

“If you can run the ball offensively, it usually allows you to control the game because it keeps your defense off the field as well.”

No. 4 Virginia Tech starts out 5-0 for the 5th straight season

Senior running back Lee Suggs caught one touchdown pass and ran for another as the Hokies (5-0, 0-0) defeated Western Michigan 30-0.

Despite seeing touchdowns scored through both the passing and running games, as well as a defensive fumble recovery returned for a score, head coach Frank Beamer felt his team needs to use the upcoming off week to improve its focus.

“Mentally we haven’t been as sharp as we have been in the past,” Beamer said. “We played hard, we just weren’t there mentally.”

Despite earning their first shut out this season, the Hokies have now kept their opponents to seven points or less in four out of their five games.

This week the Hokies are off, with their next date being at Boston College Oct. 10.

No. 1 Hurricanes meet Huskies in preparation for Florida State

Head coach Larry Coker used his off week to heal a few wounds and prepare the top-ranked Hurricanes for UConn’s visit to the Orange Bowl this Saturday.

Tailback Willis MacGahee and wide receiver Andre Johnson, who have both been nursing injuries, returned to practice this week.

The Hurricanes will look to extend their winning streak to 27 games, the longest in the nation. To do that, they will need to maintain their focus on the Huskies this weekend, despite the tendency to look forward to their showdown with interstate rival Florida State next week.

“That’s where I know teams get in trouble,” Coker said. “We see upsets every weekend and obviously we’re going to be favored in the Connecticut game, [but] we really try to prepare each week.”

Syracuse drops overtime thriller to Auburn

Senior backup quarterback Troy Nunes helped to tie the game on two different occasions, but in the end the Orangemen (1-3, 0-1) lost, 37-34, in a triple overtime to Auburn.

Nunes entered the game with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and later threw the game-tying touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game.

In overtime, he directed the Orangemen to a field goal drive and later a touchdown drive, but Syracuse could not stop Auburn tailback Carnell Williams.

Williams ran for 202 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were in overtime.

The loss was a tough one to watch for Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni, who first saw his team blow a 17-point second quarter lead, then eventually lose the game on a play in which his defenders had favorable position.

“[We] battled through overtime, and then Williams made a great play on the last play of the game,” Pasqualoni said. “We had two defenders in position to make a play, but he outran them both – he’s a great back and he has great speed.”

Next, the Orangemen await the Pitt Panthers in their Big East opener.

Although Syracuse has not lost to the Panthers in 11 consecutive meetings since a 30-23 defeat in 1989, Pasqualoni feels his squad is facing a better Pitt team.

“Defensively [they are] playing very hard and aggressively,” Pasqualoni said. “I think Rod Rutherford is doing a great job. This is probably the best Pitt team we’ve seen in awhile.”

Temple loses to Cincinnati

Senior running back Tanardo Sharps rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns but the shaky Temple defense continued to struggle as the Owls (1-4, 0-1) lost to Cincinnati, 35-22 at Franklin Field.

While the offense has been productive with an average of more than 20 points a game, Saturday’s loss was the fourth consecutive game the Temple defense has conceded at least 35 points – a span that includes 156 total points given up on defense.

With an off week scheduled next, head coach Bobby Wallace is intent on going back to the drawing board and fixing the leaks in his beleaguered defense.

“It’s probably good to have the week off,” Wallace said. “The main thing we want to do is get as healthy as possible, and work on the fundamentals that could help us win some of these ball games.”

BC shuts out Central Michigan

Quarterback Brian St. Pierre completed 25 of 35 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns while the defense earned their first shutout in seven years as the Eagles (3-1, 0-1) blanked Central Michigan 43-0 Saturday.

“We were very concerned about Central Michigan and their no huddle offense,” head coach Tom O’Brien said, “[but] I thought our defense played great.”

The Eagles gained a total of 523 yards over the course of the game. On the other side of the ball, the defense yielded only 88 passing yards to an offense that prior to Saturday was ranked eighth in the nation in total yards.

The Eagles are off until next Thursday, when they will host No. 4 Virginia Tech.

“It was overall a good day for us,” O’Brien said, “and what we’ll do this week is try to become a better football team and turn our attention to Virginia Tech.”

Rutgers buried in Tennessee

Head coach Greg Schiano took a few positive sentiments from Rutgers’ (1-4, 0-1) 35-14 loss at Tennessee on Saturday.

“I thought our kids went down and played extremely well,” Schiano said, “obviously not well enough, but I think our team took steps in the right direction.”

The Scarlet Knights gave up only 94 rushing yards, and no Volunteer running back rushed for more than 40 yards.

Schiano hopes his run defense can continue its strong play, as after this off week it must face a powerful running attack in Avon Cobourne and WVU.

“I think it’s going to be a great challenge,” Schiano said. “I looked at their stat sheet last night and I thought [WVU’s rushing total] was a typo.”