For the first time in a long time, we had a week without a bunch of movement among the top dogs. We’re one week closer to the finish line, though, so how will each team respond to the challenges in front of it?
Let’s take a look at how they’d stack up on a neutral field tomorrow:
1. East Carolina – The Pirates have been on top of the ladder for what seems like so long now, their feet ought to be checked for numbness. Any concerns that the NC State loss would wreck ECU’s confidence quickly eroded with the Pirates’ spanking of UAB. When you beat a team by 35, there are plenty of heroes, but Quentin Cotton was a beast on defense, nailing Blazer backs in the backfield three times. I’m still amazed that a team who looks so incredibly mediocre on paper is this solid on the field. But ECU leads the C-USA in one extremely important category: turnover margin.
2. Houston – Last month’s 37-35 loss to the Pirates looks more and more like a title game preview, with the Cougars 4-1 and getting dead beats SMU and Marshall at home in November. Ah, but wait – don’t forget Tulsa, who makes a last stand for the West title with a home date Houston next weekend. Unfortunately for the Golden Hurricane, their greatest strength is the Cougars’ as well. Houston’s 36th ranked pass defense is tops in the league, as is their total D, scoring D, rush O and scoring O.
3. UCF – Exxon Valdez-like ink has been spilled over the Golden Knights’ offense and RB Kevin Smith. So what’s left to say? The defensive front has stepped up in an unheralded role, and the Leger Douzable unit has UCF third in the league in sacks. DB Sha’reff Rashad looks like he might be regaining his form of last season, when he had 4 picks. Rashad has two in the last two games.
4. UTEP – The big homestand ended with a thud as the Miners lost 34-31 to Houston Saturday, effectively ending their inside track to the West title. Down a game and a half plus tiebreaker to the Cougs, and with three of four road dates to end the year, the Miners have awfully long heads of winning the division. Marcus Thomas is yet another top-flight C-USA back, but the nation’s 117th ranked pass defense hasn’t stopped anyone all year; it certainly won’t start doing so this week at Rice.
5. Tulsa – The boys from Oklahoma are C-USA’s best, last line of defense against an ECU/Houston title tilt, and you’d better believe that when Houston comes to town in two weeks, Tulsa will defend any chance they’ve got left like the Alamo. It was nice to see senior Chris Chamberlain post a 14-tackle game against SMU, and Chamberlain is just a few stops away from 250 career tackles now. Tulsa is a maddening outfit; they seem to boast so much potential, but have struggled against the better teams and beaten the C-USA’s bottom feeders by the skin of their collective teeth.
6. Memphis – The dark horse in all the title talk is Memphis, who is now getting some nifty QB play from Martin Hankins to go with a Jake Kasser-led defense that forces turnovers. Can the Tigers give ECU a run for its money this weekend? Vegas has made ECU a mere 5-point favorite, which might mean the upset is in the offing. Hankins is getting great protection from an offensive line allowing just 1 sack per game.
7. Southern Miss – The Golden Eagles had a big chance to make a statement Sunday against UCF, but didn’t, and now it’s a short week of prep for UAB, a team So. Miss should beat, but might not, given their recent history of struggling with weaker clubs. Like almost everyone else, the Eagles couldn’t slow Kevin Smith. Props to some defensive standouts: Martavius Prince still leads the C-USA in sacks, with 6.5, and Gerald McRate is the nation’s leading tackler, at 12.88 per game.
8. UAB – Halloween came early to Birmingham as UAB put up a frightful performance in the 41-6 loss to ECU. The Blazers haven’t been close at all in their last two outings against the C-USA big boys; will an extra day’s rest give them an edge over Southern Miss? Regardless how fresh the legs are, they’ve got to throw better. UAB’s just 116th nationally in pass efficiency, and Sam Hunt’s TD:INT ratio of 8:10 has been brutal.
9. Tulane – This team just cannot finish close games. Tulane is literally three plays from being 5-3 and in the hunt for a bowl bid, but has given up scores with 36 seconds left and no time left to lose two close ones, and couldn’t finish against UAB in a game it should have won. If the Wave were leading the East and headed for a bowl bid, Matt Forte would have a real shot to make it to New York as a Heisman finalist, but as is, he’ll be just another colorful story of the 2007 season.
10. Marshall – We are Marshall! Somehow, the Herd exploded in to the win column with a thunderous 34-21 win over Rice Saturday night in Huntington. Bernie Morris threw for 227 and ran for another 120 as Marshall jumped to a 17-0 lead at the half. C.J. Spillman, James Johnson and Maurice Kitchens all had at least 9 tackles in a solid all-around effort from the embattled D. Let’s enjoy this while it lasts, Marshall fans: UCF, ECU and Houston are next.
11. Rice – The Rice Owls, spreading wins to all corners of the globe. Rice did Saturday what no team has found a way to do since 2006, and drove Marshall straight in to victory lane with a stinker of a performance on the road. Let’s play a game: you tell me which of these stats is more shocking. A. Rice’s leading rusher, C.J. Ugokwe, averages 28 yards per game, B. Rice is 118th or worse in the nation in 4 of the 5 major defensive statistical categories, or C. statistically, Rice looks about like Notre Dame?
12. SMU – The Ponies are coach-huntin’ after Phil Bennett got the old heave ho this week, and it’ll be hard to replace his…OK, maybe it won’t be that hard to replace Bennett. But for now, the team is in disarray, despite really not being that bad so far in the C-USA. Sure, the record is 0-4, but that’s two OT losses and a last minute Tulsa TD we’re talking about. However, that’s all immaterial now. 1-7 teams don’t replace their coach if the season ain’t over.
No comments:
Post a Comment