Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - CINCINNATI: First-time starting quarterback Tony Pike completed 20-of-24 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bearcats to a 45-20 romp over the Miami-Ohio RedHawks in non-conference play on Saturday. John Goebel ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati (2-1), which won the game despite losing two fumbles and allowing Miami to hold the ball for nearly 35 minutes. Cincinnati led 10-0 after the first quarter, and although Miami put up a decent fight, the Bearcats never lost the lead. Cincinnati will do battle with MAC foe Akron on Saturday.
CONNECTICUT: The Huskies are flying high after a thrilling 31-28 victory over Baylor on Friday. Donald Brown gained 150 yards on 34 carries with two touchdowns, including the go-ahead three-yard scoring run with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter. Tyler Lorenzen completed 13-of-23 passes for 125 yards, with no scores and two interceptions, while rushing eight times for 73 yards and two touchdowns for Connecticut (4-0). Brad Kanuch had four grabs for 30 yards to lead the Huskies, who will battle Louisville on the road this Friday.
LOUISVILLE: The Cardinals played a rare Wednesday game against Kansas State of the Big 12, and they treated the home crowd to a 38-29 victory. Freshman running back Victor Anderson made the most of his 18 carries, earning 176 yards and three touchdowns. Hunter Cantwell connected on 22-of-33 passes for 274 yards and a pair of scores for Louisville (2-1), which has won two straight following a 27-2 thumping at the hands of Kentucky in its season opener. Brock Bolen added 104 yards to the potent running attack which accumulated 303 yards, while Doug Beaumont led all receivers with nine catches for 119 yards in the win. The Cardinals remain home to take on Connecticut this Friday.
PITTSBURGH: The Panthers have reason to celebrate after holding on for a 21-20 victory over Big Ten foe Iowa on Saturday. LeSean McCoy's touchdown run early in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner. He finished with a team- best 78 yards rushing for the Panthers (2-1), while Bill Stull converted 11- of-25 passes for 129 yards in the victory as well. Pitt will clearly be favored on the road this weekend against a Syracuse team that is 1-3 after beating an FCS opponent this past weekend. The Orange have failed to even remain competitive against FBS foes.
RUTGERS: Things continue to get worse for the Scarlet Knights, who fell to 0-3 on Saturday with a 23-21 loss to Navy on the road. The lone bright spot for Rutgers was the play of Jourdan Brooks, who carried the ball 22 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. It appears that Brooks is capable of filling the void created when former star Ray Rice made the leap to the NFL after last season. After losing to Fresno State in the opener, the Scarlet Knights fell to North Carolina. If there is a reason for optimism, it is that Rutgers has yet to face Big East competition and is therefore still in the race for the league title. The Scarlet Knights figure to have a great chance to pick up their first win of the season on Saturday against Morgan State.
SOUTH FLORIDA: Playing as the nation's 12th-ranked team, South Florida expected to crush Florida International on Saturday. That did not happen, but the Bulls managed to hold on for a 17-9 victory. Mike Ford only gained 24 rushing yards on 14 carries, but he did have a pair of scores on the ground. Matt Grothe connected on 14-of-22 passes for 137 yards for the Bulls (4-0) and also ran for 48 yards on 11 carries. Jamar Taylor gained 54 yards on 12 touches. A.J. Love had three grabs for 56 yards in the win. NC State awaits the Bulls this weekend, and considering that the Wolfpack beat nationally- ranked East Carolina this past weekend, USF figures to have its hands full.
SYRACUSE: The Orange posted their first victory of the season this past weekend, but it is hard to get too excited about a 30-21 decision over FCS foe Northeastern. Syracuse did plenty of damage on the ground, as the team had two running backs rush for over 100 yards for the first time since 2004. Senior Curtis Brinkley led the way with a career-high 145 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, while Doug Hogue ran for 100 yards. The Orange won the game despite allowing the Huskies to make good on 10-of-14 third down conversion attempts. The level of competition increases significantly this weekend as Syracuse takes on Pittsburgh in a Big East showdown.
WEST VIRGINIA: Last Thursday, the Mountaineers suffered a heart-breaking loss to Colorado by a 17-14 final in overtime. Patrick White completed 10 passes on 14 attempts for 43 yards, but also rushed 19 times for 148 yards and crossed the goal line twice for the Mountaineers (1-2). Noel Devine had 26 carries and gained 133 yards, while adding three grabs for 11 yards. In the extra session, Pat McAfee missed a field goal attempt, opening the door for the Buffaloes to win the game. First-year head coach Bill Stewart recently signed a long-term contract, but there are plenty of WVU supporters who aren't convinced that he is the right man to lead the program. Marshall invades Morgantown for a battle with the Mountaineers this Saturday.
