Big East Football Week #3 Recap

North Carolina 44 - Rutgers 12

T.J. Yates threw for three touchdowns, as North Carolina won their first game outside their home state since 2002, routing Rutgers 44-12.

Hakeem Nicks had two touchdown catches, and Brandon Tate added both a reception and run for a touchdown, as the Tar Heels improved to 2-0 for the time since 2000. Rutgers fell to 0-2 with both losses coming at home.

The Scarlet Knights actually opened the scoring with a 34-yard San San Te field goal on their first possession.

But after that it was all North Carolina.

After a Jay Wooten field goal tied the score at 3, Yates capped a five play, 51 yard drive with a 9-yard pass to Nicks, taking a 10-7 lead with 9:28 left in the second quarter. Tate added a 69-yard touchdown reception before the half.

When play resumed, the Tar Heels picked up right where they left off.

Tate added a 12-yard end-around touchdown run and Nicks capped a 21 point third quarter with an 11-yard touchdown reception. The final play took all the remaining life left out of an electric home crowd, which had become accustomed to big Thursday night wins.

Rutgers scored their only touchdown of the game on a 12 yard Kevin Brock reception from quarterback Mike Teel, after the Tar Heels were comfortably ahead. Teel, a fifth-year senior struggled all night, throwing three interceptions, and was unable to convert several key third downs early in the game.

For the Scarlet Knights, it was another disappointing home loss, after opening the season with a 24-7 defeat at the hands of the Fresno State Bulldogs. They now try to get their first victory of the season on the road, Saturday at Navy. Kickoff is 3:30 pm.

No. 19 South Florida 37 - No. 13 Kansas 34

Freshman kicker Mike Bonani- making his first career start- kicked three field goals including a 43-yarder as time expired, giving South Florida a thrilling comeback victory Friday night at home.

Before Bonani’s kick, the battle between two schools so anxious for national notoriety, was one of the great back-and-forth games seen in college football in recent years.

After falling behind 20-10 at the half, South Florida stormed back with 24 unanswered points to open the second half. A 37-yard A.J. Love touchdown reception to start the third gave the Bulls a 34-20 lead, and seemed to have the home team cruising toward victory.

However, much like his counterpart Matt Grothe, Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing jumpstarted a Kansas comeback, leading two scoring drives late in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 34.

When the Jayhawks defense forced South Florida to punt with under two minutes to go, it looked like Kansas might complete the comeback after having a lead for most of the first three quarters before falling behind.

But just like earlier in the game, the Bulls refused to give up. With 41 seconds into the game, the South Florida defense flushed Reesing out of the pocket, and forced the steady quarterback into his first real mistake of the game- an intercepted pass into the hands of safety Nate Allen. Allen, a senior returned the ball 40-yards, ultimately setting up Bonani- and the win.

For South Florida it was the kind of big stage win the progam- and more importantly its conference needed. They now look to go 4-0 this weekend with a game at Florida International, before opening conference play in two weeks with Pittsburgh.

Penn State 55 - Syracuse 13

It was no Hollywood ending for Syracuse.

Despite a weekend full of excitement surrounding the premiere of “TheExpress,” a movie about former Orange great Ernie Davis, Syracuse returned to its present, overmatched by the Penn State, losing 55-13.

The home team actually had all the momentum to start the game, recovering a Daryll Clark fumble on the second play from scrimmage, and looking to take an early lead.

All the excitement was dimmed however, when on the very next play, quarterback Cameron Dantley threw a lateral pass that was dropped by running back Curtis Brinkley. Because the throw was behind the line of scrimmage it was a live ball and Penn State recovered, re-gaining possession. On the very next play, Clark hit Jordan Norwood for a 55-yard touchdown reception, and the rout was on.

Norwood and Deon Butler each had a pair of first half touchdown receptions, as Penn State rolled to a 38-6 halftime lead. The Nittany Lions gained 560 yards of total offense, while holding the Orange to just 159.

It was another in a line of embarrassing losses for the Orange, with former greats Jim Brown and Floyd Little in attendance for the event. Things got so bad that Penn State back-up quarterback Pat Devlin entered the game- in the second quarter.

The Orange must regroup as they take on I-AA Northeastern at home on Saturday. Kickoff is at 3:30 pm.

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Connecticut 45 - Virginia 10

Maybe UConn’s offense isn’t so boring after all.

A week after putting up only 12 points in a win at Temple, the Huskies opened the playbook, scoring on their first four possessions and dominating the Virginia Cavaliers at home.

Donald Brown rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Tyler Lorenzen completed his first 11 passes, as the Huskies silenced a critical national media after the Temple game.

Brown ran for touchdowns of 3 and 8 yards in the first half and added a 63-yarder in third quarter to put away the Cavaliers.

Randy Edsall opened his playbook as well, getting cornerback Darius Butler into the action on offense, with a 13-yard end around touchdown run. Highly touted freshman Jordan Todman got his first career game action, scoring on a 14-yard run.

Lorenzen added a touchdown pass to fullback Anthony Davis, as UConn made its claim as the team to beat in the Big East, joining South Florida in the Big East football standings with a record of 3-0.

The Huskies now have a short week as they take on the Baylor Bears Friday night at home. The Bears, coming off their own big win- a 45-17 beat down of Washington State- feature freshman quarterback Robert Griffin, one of the best players you’ve probably never heard of.

Kickoff is at 8 pm on ESPN2.

By Aaron Torres
BigEast-fans.com Staff Writer

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