West Virginia daily

If WVU coach needs another reason to stick to the running game it will be provided by cornerbacks and , who both rank among the nation's top 20 in passes defended. The duo are a big part of the nation's No. 5 pass defense (allowing 164 yards per game).

The No. 2 running back. With out with academic problems, and will get carries when freshman takes rests. With Rodriguez's penchant for running the ball, that could mean a lot of touches.

The Backyard Brawl is one of the most underrated rivalries in college football. The two campuses are only separated by 75 miles and the games often include big hits and tempers flaring out of control. Whoever grabs the physical edge will likely take control. The Panthers need to win to land in a bowl game, but their problem is that one of their biggest weaknesses – rush defense – plays right into the WVU's strength. Slaton is capable of dominating and Rodriguez will often call 12 consecutive running plays. The Mountaineers must win to remain in sole possession of first place in the Big East and in line for the league's automatic BCS bid. Revenge will also be a source of motivation. The Panthers won the last meeting 16-13 in 2004 thanks to Tyler Palko's 2-yard touchdown run in the final minutes.

Freshman quarterback is starting to make some big strides when it comes to grasping the offense. He went 19-of-30 for 241 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Bearcats' 31-16 loss at South Florida last week.

The pressure is all on the Scarlet Knights. A loss could end their season, like in 1992, when despite having six wins they did not go to a bowl game. A win would virtually guarantee a postseason appearance. The young Bearcats are starting to show signs of maturity, and out gained the Bulls 362-345. But the Scarlet Knights' wide array of offensive weapons should be able to dominate. Look for senior fullback and senior receiver to have big performances in their final game at Rutgers Stadium and turn this matchup into an offensive shootout early on.

Rutgers leads the series 6-3-1 … the last three meetings have been decided by a combined seven points … Rutgers won the last meeting 14-9 … Twenty of Cincinnati's 23 turnovers have come in their six losses … Rutgers leads the Big East in sacks with 37.

is always worth the price of a USF ticket, but if the Bulls are going to make a real run at the Big East title they need more production from receivers , and . The trio, who have combined for 41 catches, needs to be more involved to take some pressure off of Hall.

Quarterback is back, but is he ready. It didn't look like it in the Huskies' 24-0 loss at Pitt two weeks ago. He threw three interceptions and didn't look like the same player before a broken collar bone sidelined him for three games.

This matchup is full of all sorts of intriguing storylines. In their last meeting, USF captured its first Division I-A win by beating UConn 21-13 in 2000. The Bulls need to get past the Huskies to keep their league title hopes alive. Bulls coach , a former Kansas State assistant, has been mentioned among the leading candidates to replace , who has retired after 17 years of running the Wildcats program. The university recently announced it is in the process of extending Leavitt's contract. Then, there are the reeling Huskies, which despite a four-game losing streak, still have flickering bowl hopes. The Bulls' chances rest largely on Hall as usual. The Big East's leading rusher has racked up at least 100 yards on the ground in his last three games. The Huskies neeed to avoid three-and-outs on offense and get some plays from Bonislawski.

USF leads the series 2-0 … the Huskies are seventh in total defense nationally (284 yards per game) … the Bulls are the only team in the nation to have not trailed at home.

If defensive end is going to tie or break Terrell Suggs' single-season sack record (24), he must get at least one sack this week. Two would give him a solid shot. Dumervil has 20 sacks and the Cardinals have one more game at UConn next week.

Orange fans probably wish they could just forfeit this game. They just don't want to have to think about this season anymore, especially after the Cardinals crushed Rutgers 56-5 in Papa John's Stadium two weeks ago. The Cardinals could increase that huge margin of victory. The Orange do have a better defense, but the Cardinals have made solid defenses look pitiful before. Quarterback and his offensive weapons can be nearly unstoppable when he finds a rhythm.

Syracuse leads the series 3-1 … the Orange have never gone winless in league play before … the Cardinals are averaging 47.3 points (No. 3 nationally) and 496 yards per game (No. 7).

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