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Notes From the Margin: Big East and Big Eleven
By Jason Roberts | October 17, 2008
Moving on to the Big East and Big Ten conferences for Week Eight, we find Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly divulging plans for the return of quarterbacks Tony Pike and Dustin Grutza, ask the question whether or not - based on the numbers - Rutgers’ Mike Teel should still be the Scarlet Knights’ starting quarterback, find West Virginia’s Bill Stewart having to explain just why Jarrett Brown looked so bad against Syracuse, Ron Zook eright) expressing his opinion that knocking a female co-ed down onto a dance floor doesn’t deserve suspension, investigate the amazing bounce-back by Adam Weber after surgery in order to lead his team against Illinois last week, and a great little tirade by an Ohio State tight end about the legitimacy of the Buckeyes’ offense.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Enquirer writes this week that head coach Brian Kelly intends to start Chazz Anderson at quarterback against Connecticut October 25th unless Tony Pike is healed enough from a broken left arm sustained in the Bearcats’ contest again the Akron Zips in late September. The Enquirer also maintains that Dustin Grutza, recovering from a broken leg and sprained ankle, could be available as early as the week of November 8, the scheduled date of Cincinnati’s Big East showdown with the West Virginia Mountaineers; even so, Kelly is quoted as having said that at that point, Grutza would still be forced to compete for the starting quarterback role against Pike.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, in a separate piece from earlier in the week, highlights the fact that junior running back Jacob Ramsey had a career week against the Marshall Thundering Herd, taking 17 carries for 99 yards and, in doing so, is “showing signs of developing into the kind of back the UC coaching staff envisioned” when they elected to move him from linebacker last year.
Connecticut Huskies
The Hartford Courant suggests Thursday that quarterback Zach Frazer of the Connecticut Huskies has proven “cool” in his time playing in place of starter Tyler Lorenzen (since September 26th), and that his even-keeled temperament is anything but an act. Against North Carolina, Frazer ended up throwing three interceptions, but did not “appear unraveled,” notes the Courant, finishing 24 of 44 for 210 yards. As he expressed to reporters this week, “I feel like I’m fitting into the offense more and more every day.” “One thing is,” Frazer goes on to state, “I definitely need to eliminate the turnovers. It was my fault last game so that’s one thing I’m working on, just little things here and there, making sure my elbows are up and stuff like that . . . The coaches are helping me out; they’re doing everything they can to help me.”
Louisville Cardinals
The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky notes that wide receiver for the Louisville Cardinals, Scott Long, had “a favorable season debut” last week against the Memphis Tigers, catching three passes for 18 yards. “He was a little rusty,” said head coach Steve Kragthorpe, “and I think he would say that, too after recovering from a gunshot. But he made a couple of plays for us and really brought a physical presence to the field. I think he did a nice job in blocking situations.”
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Pint-sized wide receiver Tim Brown, who measures in at 5′8″ and 165 pounds, saw eight touches of the ball this past Saturday against the Cincinnati Bearcats - three by reception, one by run, and four on kickoff returns -, this after combining for just 11 in the first five games of the 2008 season. Brown comments in an article for the website NJ.com, “Coach is trying to get the ball in my hands now. I want to be able to use my speed all over the field. It feels good to be able to have a chance to make plays for this team again.” Expect that the wideout’s role will expand as Rutgers takes on Connecticut this weekend; Brown is currently suffering from a hand injury, but head coach Greg Schiano notes he feels the junior will be “okay” to play versus the Huskies.
Meanwhile, a separate article published by NJ.com note that starting quarterback Mike Teel needs just 54 yards to become the No. 2 career-passer for the university; currently, the senior has 7, 135 yards, but can easily overtake the all-time leader, Ryan Hart, should he eclipse 8,482 yards passing by the end of this season.
Despite those numbers, a third piece printed on NJ.com hints at the fact that perhaps Teel should not be the starting quarterback for Rutgers, especially considering the following statistics, which look at the 57 of 59 offensive drives the Scarlet Knights have posted against BCS opponents so far this season:
- Eight — or 14 percent — of those drives have covered 60 yards or more.
- Eighteen (32 percent) went three and out.
- Thirty-one (54 percent) resulted in punts.
- Twenty (35 percent) covered 10 yards or less.
- Six (11 percent) resulted in negative yardage.
- Six (11 percent) ended in interceptions.
- Eight (14 percent) resulted in touchdowns.
- The average Teel-led drive this season lasts 5.5 plays and covers 27.6 yards.
South Florida Bulls
Good news for fans and fantasy owners of the South Florida Bulls; the St. Petersburg Times reports that not only is senior linebacker Bruce Mompremier back with the first team defense and potential starter this weekend against Syracuse, but defensive end George Selvie and sophomore Terrell McClain will also be evaluated today to determine if they will be capable of playing Saturday. At the same time, The Ledger for Lakeland, Florida quotes running backs coach for the Bulls, Carl Franks, as stating that at the tailback position, USF is “as healthy as we were at the very beginning of the preseason training camp.”
The Times also reports that redshirt sophomore Mon Williams will transfer from the University of Florida to South Florida at the end of the fall semester. Williams, a four-star running back prospect that was switched to linebacker at the start of the year, is moving to be closer to his family.
Syracuse Orangemen
The website Syracuse.com notes that Syracuse University continues to struggle at the quarterback position, this as Cameron Dantley continues to gain experience under center after replacing Andrew Robinson following the season opening loss to Northwestern. Thus far the junior has gone 73-of-126 passing for 753 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions, but led the Orangemen to a record of 1-4. Head coach Greg Robinson acknowledges that he thinks Dantley is “doing well” and feels “he’s going to get better,” but will need to avoid the same types of errors present as Syracuse took on West Virginia and the Orangemen failed to punch the ball into the endzone on several occasions in the third and fourth quarter. Fortunately, as the article points out, Dantley has “benefited from a legitimate running game,” something that Robinson did not have last year; however, Syracuse will have to cultivate better play at the wide receiver position for Dantley to progress further than he already has this season.
The television station WTVH covers Syracuse running back Curtis Brinkley in an article published on its website on Thursday, noting that despite having surgeries on both of his knees last year, the senior has bounced back and accumulated 621 yards and three touchdowns through the first six games the Orangemen have played. More impressive, in four of those aforementioned contests, the Syracuse tailback has gone for 100 yards or better; still, Brinkley tells the news channel, “It’s good but I think I can do more. I think I can rush for a couple of 200-yard games.”
West Virginia Mountaineers
According to the website Cleveland.com, West Virginia’s head coach Bill Stewart felt it necessary to defend backup quarterback Jarrett Brown, this as many questioned the starter’s capabilities after going 14-of-20 for just 52 yards against the Syracuse Orangemen in place of normal incumbent, Patrick White. Stewart told reporters that Brown played Saturday with a “bum shoulder,” sustained the week prior against Rutgers, and that he was at best “60-65 percent” matching up with Orangemen; that, subsequently, prevented the junior from throwing deep, but did not keep Brown from doing what had to be done in providing the Mountaineers with their second straight win with him under center.
Big Ten
Iowa Hawkeyes
Fantasy owners who happened to venture through the bevy of games shown on national television last week may have caught a glimpse of an interesting young talent at tailback for the Iowa Hawkeyes by the name of Jewel Hampton. A true freshman, Hampton got an opportunity to show what he can contribute to the Iowa offensive unit, taking 22 carries for 114 yards and three touchdowns in what ended up a 45-9 rout of the Indiana Hoosier this past Saturday. Scary enough, lead running back for the Hawkeyes, Shonn Greene, advises readers of the Des Moines Register to keep a close eye on Hampton, stating, “Don’t worry about Jewel. He’s going to keep on getting better. The sky’s the limit for him.” Averaging 6.2 yards per carry, Hampton is perhaps surprisingly keeping pace with the junior rusher (averaging 6.2 yards per carry as well) and figures to factor into the Hawkeyes’ rushing game even further as Iowa prepares to take on a struggling Wisconsin Badgers squad this upcoming weekend.
Meanwhile, the Globe Gazette writes this week that senior wide receiver for the Hawkeyes, Andy Brodell, appears to being “picking up where he left off” at the end of the 2006 season; given that the wideout missed the last eight games of last year because of a hamstring injury, expectations were that Brodell might play a bit rusty heading into 2008, but has proven otherwise, particularly last weekend, where the senior grabbed four catches for 95 yards and a touchdown against Indiana. With the latter, the Gazette notes, Brodell now has three straight games with a scoring grab of 30 yards or better and ranks among the Big Ten’s most productive receivers, accumulating 300 yards and three touchdowns on a total of 17 receptions. “He’s emerged and is doing a good job,” comments Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. “The big thing is he’s healthy right now. It’s been a process for him. He was really turning the corner at the end of 2006, and then he had that tough year last year. It hasn’t been easy for him.”
Michigan Wolverines
The website MLive.com talks this week that with both Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan showing signs of struggling with head coach Rich Rodriguez’s spread option offense, some are wondering if the Michigan faithful might see freshman hotshot recruit, Justin Feagin, getting playing time under center sometime in the near future. The answer to that inquiry, reports writer John Hueser of The Ann Arbor News is an emphatic “no,” though rumors have it that the freshman could very well play some at receiver before the year is up. Hueser apparently suggests that “Feagin would definitely be an upgrade running the ball,” but is still “very, very raw as a passer,” unable to “measure up to Sheridan.”
In other quarterback news for the Michigan Wolverines, head coach Rich Rodriguez told The Daily Collegian this week that he thinks that Steven Threet will be available this coming Saturday against Penn State, this after suffering a bruised elbow last week in a disappointing loss to the Toledo Rockets.
Rodriguez also stated that tailback Brandon Minor is as of mid-week questionable, suffering as he is from bruised ribs, but wide receiver Martavious Odoms will return to the playing field against the Nittany Lions this weekend.
Michigan State Spartans
A potentially troubling headline reveals concern for some fantasy owners, this as the website MLive.com reports that head coach Mark Dantonio has told reporters that it “remains to be seen” whether outstanding tailback Javon Ringer will continue to see the same workload he has up to this point in the season. Dantonio comments, “It just depends on how tired he gets and where he would be at from a durability standpoint . . . thus far, he’s not the kind of guy who wants to stand on the sideline. He wants to be in the thick of it.” Yet, whether he can continue at the same pace he has so far in the 2008 season remains a relevant question and one that fantasy owners with Ringer on their starting roster will want to watch carefully over the next couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, the Lansing State Journal reports this week that while many critics have harped on starting quarterback Brian Hoyer, the senior now stands third in passing efficiency in the Big Ten and is fifth in terms of yards per games for conference quarterbacks. After a rough start to the 2008 season, Hoyer has improved his play significantly in conference play and accumulated stats that include 41-of-70 for pass attempts, 614 yards throwing, five touchdowns and just one interception over his last three starts.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
A bye-week couldn’t come at a better time for Tim Brewster’s squad, for according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, starting quarterback Adam Weber of the Minnesota Golden Gophers needs time to let an injured knee get some rest. Brewster, head coach for the Gophers, managed to keep the media at bay about Weber’s being hurt heading into last week’s game against Illinois, this even though the sophomore actually sustained a tear to his meniscus cartilage in the first drive of Minnesota’s game versus Indiana seven days prior. The Tribune points out that Weber was able to play through the pain of the tear in what ended up a 16-7 win over the Hoosiers, but by the next day, found the knee completely locked up. As such, he had an MRI Monday morning and was immediately taken into surgery on Monday afternoon. Typically, the article suggests, a person would take upward of three weeks to recover from such a procedure; instead, Weber rested for the next five days and was back on the field Saturday afternoon, leading his team against the Illini. “He’s an example of what a football player is,” commented Minnesota’s top receiving threat, Eric Decker, who also played through an injury during this weekend’s game. “You try to build off that. Obviously he was hurting, but he got the job done. I look at him like Brett Favre. He’s going to go out and play. He’s a football player. He’s really given himself up for the team. As a fellow teammate, you want to do the same. It’s respect.”
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Columbus Dispatch reports that head coach Jim Tressel, expects to see tight end Rory Nichol back in action this coming Saturday, this after missing the last couple of games due to an ankle sprain suffered in the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The article also claims that receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, who suffered a concussion in the Buckeyes’ game with Wisconsin, will return to the playing field this weekend, while backup running back Dan Herron will be evaluated to see if he is strong enough to play at Michigan State (he too suffered a concussion against the Badgers).
The website Cleveland.com, in the meantime, hosts a hoot of an article on the response of Ohio State Buckeyes’ tight end Jake Ballard to the inability of the team’s offense to score touchdowns, particularly in light of the game against Purdue, where OSU’s offensive unit failed to reach the endzone one time in the entire game with the Boilermakers. States Ballard, “We can’t keep playing like that if we want to win the Big Ten. We definitely need to step our game up.” Asked to clarify why he felt the tam was having challenges, the tight end continued, “I don’t really know. Maybe it’s the fact that we’re just getting used to playing with everybody. I mean, the offensive line keeps moving around, it’s all guys who aren’t used to playing with each other. Then there’s a new quarterback, obviously. Terrelle [Pryor]’s definitely a whole different quarterback from Todd [Boeckman]. And the fact that he can run at any time so we just have to keep playing and blocking and keep the blocks alive longer to give him more time back there.” Also, the junior mentioned the need to get Chris “Beanie” Wells the ball more at tailback; Wells “is definitely a big part of this team. His leadership on the field is just incredible. So if our running back’s saying [as Wells did about OSU needing to show they were more diversified on offense than just Pryor running with the ball] that then maybe they [the coaching staff] might look into that a little bit more.”
Purdue Boilermakers
The Indianapolis Star Tribune reveals the good news this week that tight end for the Purdue Boilermakers, Kyle Adams, appears to be close to getting back to the playing field, this after suffering a knee injury in the first game of the year and subsequently developing an infection which has kept him on the sidelines the entirety of the season to date. Head coach Joe Tiller comments, “I would really, really be disappointed if we don’t have Adams next week (for Minnesota). I saw Kyle (on Monday) in the weight room when I was in there riding . . . . He cam in and rode a bike. He’s running and doing the best he’s done since he had the surgery.” Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Justin Siller, who played at both quarterback and running back early on this season but has been absent from the huddle for the past two weeks, is currently being withheld from more playing time so that the coaching staff can get a better look at true freshman running back Ralph Bolden; Tiller noted that he felt Siller “didn’t fit into the offensive package the Boilermakers put it for Penn State and Ohio State” as well, and that he might see limited time for the remainder of the year, allowing head-coach-in-waiting, Danny Hope, to make the decision on how best to utilize Siller after Tiller finishes his final season with the Boilermakers.
Wisconsin Badgers
The rumors have run rampant this week over who head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, Bret Bielema, might name starter under center this week as UW takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes, but, thanks to The Badger Herald, we now know that junior Dustin Sherer will be taking over at quarterback Saturday in place of incumbent starter, senior Allan Evridge. “I think on Sunday,” Bielema told reporters, “we [he and offensive coordinator, Paul Chryst] both agreed that Dustin, when he was in there [against Penn State this past Saturday], did a lot of good things.” “Paul and I have made discussions in the last couple weeks about the quarterback situation,” the head coach continued, “and where we would go . . . . during the course of Saturday’s ballgame, after that last series, we obviously made the change and went in a certain direction.” Obviously, it was a direction they liked, as Sherer replaced Evridge in the third quarter and finished 9-for-17 with 115 yards passing.
Topics: Big 10, Big East, College Football, Jason Roberts, Notes From the Margins |
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