ESPN.com - Vick, Canes have Big East making big plans

ESPN.com: College Football

Tuesday, July 4, 2000
Updated: July 6, 9:48 AM ET
Vick, Canes have Big East making big plans

By Joe Wojciechowski
ESPN.com

Ask the "experts" about the best conferences and it's almost guaranteed the Big East is hardly mentioned. That may change this season as the Big East has a national championship contender, a leader for the Heisman Trophy and a few teams that will surprise some people.

Miami is back. The swagger left for awhile, but Butch Davis has restored the the attitude and tradition. Miami is loaded defensively and ready to make a run at the title. Virginia Tech's Michael Vick is back, and that's bad news for the rest of the conference. The most dangerous offensive player around will have more opportunities to frustrate defenses this season as Tech tried to show it's not a one year wonder. Sryacuse should rebound and watch Boston College and Pittsburgh, a pair of teams on the rise.

The Big East isn't one of the glamour conferences, but it will finally be a player this fall.

Boston College Eagles
1999 record: 8-4
Coach: Tom O'Brien
Returning starters: 12 (6 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: The good news is the offense can score - a lot. The 29-29 tie score in the spring game shows that. The bad news is the defense can be scored upon - a lot. The 29-29 score in the spring game shows that as well. So, there are some things that O'Brien will be looking to fix as BC heads into the fall.

Season Openers
Team	Date	Opponent
Boston Coll.	9/2	at W. Virginia
Miami	8/31	McNeese St.
Pittsburgh	9/2	Kent
Rutgers	9/2	Villanova
Syracuse	9/2	Buffalo
Temple	9/2	at Navy
Va. Tech	8/27	Ga. Tech
W. Virginia	9/2	Boston Coll.

The offense, though, is not one of them. The Eagles have one of the best rushing attacks in the Big East with Cedric Washington, who was 10th in the nation with 1,006 yards, and sophomore William Green, who dazzled coaches with good speed and nice open field moves. Green's 53-yard TD run in the spring game was one of the highlights of the workouts. Even more impressive was the fact the offense moved as well as it did without starting QB Tim Hasselbeck, who was recovering from groin/abdominal surgery. Brian St. Pierre took the majority of the snaps and took a giant step forward in developing this spring. He is locked in at No. 2 and should something happen to Hasselbeck, the Eagles won't miss a beat. The receiving group is solid and had loads of potential, especially Dedrick Dewalt and Jamal Burke. The offensive line returns three starters and 6-foot-8 Marc Colombo looks ready to have a monster season.

The defense, on the other hand, has some work to do. There is talent, but it is young and will need to grow up quickly. Antonio Garay had a good, consistent spring, which is important since Garay and Sean Guthrie are the only certainties on the line. The linebackers are another group in transition. Scott Bradley had one of the best springs of any player - offense or defense - and looks like an all-Big East caliber player. Redshirt freshman Josh Ott may have earned a starting spot with his aggressive play this spring and Ryan Burch, a converted fullback, could be the emotional leader the Eagles need. The secondary is a good mix of youth and experience and features a star in the making with CB Jonathan Ordway.

Question mark: Will the Eagles front seven be able to make the plays? O'Brien worried about this group heading into spring and is still worried about this group heading into the fall. If they don't do their job, it doesn't matter how many points the offense scores.

Keep an eye on: RB William Green. Green, a redshirt freshman, will not take Washington's job, but he will get plenty of touches this fall.

Miami Hurricanes
1999 record: 9-4
Coach: Butch Davis
Returning starters: 14 (6 offense, 8 defense)

Outlook: While QB Kenny Kelly left early to chase curveballs in the Tampa Bay baseball organization, his former team will be chasing the national championship. Yes, Miami will miss Kelly, but Ken Dorsey showed last season and this spring he can be effective. Heck, with this much talent, a Ken Doll could almost run this show. Start with running back where James Jackson is healthy, Najeh Davenport is a bruising back with speed and Clinton Portis - the Gator Bowl star - and Jarrett Payton both showed signs of future stardom. With Jackson and Davenport back, look for Payton or Portis to redshirt. Then there are the receivers, led by Santana Moss. It might be insulting for a Miami guy to be compared to someone from FSU, but he sure plays a lot like Peter Warrick. They also have Reggie Wayne, Andre King and Big East 100-meter spring champ Daryl Jones. The offensive line returns three starters and Brett Romburg, who moved from the guard slot to center, seemed to pick up the position nicely.

Defensively, it gets even better. The secondary is one of the best in the country with all four starters returning. They have speed to play man-to-man and aren't afraid to mix it up inside as well. Dan Morgan moved from weak-side linebacker to the middle spot and it's been a natural move. The defensive line is built around Damoine Lewis and William Joseph, with Adrian Wilson and Quincy Hipps earning the other spots. If defense wins championships, this group will be getting fitted for rings.

Question mark: Who will back up Ken Dorsey? If Dorsey gets hurt, all championship bets are off. Ethenic Sands, a receiver and former high school QB, was the backup this spring, but will be challenged by incoming freshman Derrick Crudup and T.J. Prunty. Either way, if Dorsey goes down, someone with absolutely zero experience will take over.

Keep an eye on: RB James Jackson. He looks healthy and if he stays that way, he will rush for over 1,000 yards and be an all-Big East player.

Pittsburgh Panthers
1999 record: 5-6
Coach: Walt Harris
Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: The spring was supposed to show who was going to run the high-octane attack that is Walt Harris' offense. Instead, David Priestly sat out with a shoulder injury meaning John Turman heads into the fall as the starting quarterback for the Panthers. Turman has more experience, but Priestly is a streaky QB who can light it up for games like his 357-yard average over a three game stretch last season. This battle is far from over. Whoever gets the keys to the offense, though, will have some nice features. Kevan Barlow is the starting tailback, but sophomore Torrie Cox is moving up the charts with a bullet. He already flew by Nick Goings as the No. 2 back thanks to a fantastic spring and will challenge Barlow in the fall. The Panthers have one of the best receiving tandems in the conference in Latef Grim and Antonio Bryant, who combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 10 TDs last season. The offensive line is solid, returning three starters and Mark Browne, who missed last season with a shoulder injury, has impressed coaches this spring and will be starting at tackle in the fall.

Defensively, the Panthers will have some holes to fill. The defensive line features Bryan Knight, but little else as most every position remains up in the air heading into the fall. Seven letterman return to make linebacker a deep position, and the secondary features sophomore safety Ramon Walker, who has the speed of a cornerback and the disposition of a linebacker.

Question mark: Will the defensive line stop anyone? Last season they gave up over 140 yards a game and they lost their best players. If some of the young players don't step up in the fall, Pittsburgh could be in trouble.

Keep an eye on: CB William Ferguson. Ferguson was a star of the spring game with two interceptions and will not only start, but make a huge impact in the fall.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
1999 record: 1-10
Coach: Terry Shea
Returning starters: 10 (6 offense, 4 defense)

Outlook: Shea needs some help to save his job, but he's made some changes to give Rutgers its best chance to win this fall. He simplified the offensive blocking schemes. He changed to a 3-4 defense from a 4-3. He put in a new nickel package. Will it work? Who knows, but at least they're trying.

Offensively, the Scarlet Knights head into the fall with a QB who sat out the spring with a bum shoulder in Mike McMahon, but Chad Schwenk had a excellent spring and should the injury prone McMahon get hurt again, Schwenk's ready. Dennis Thomas returns to tailback after a season at fullback. Thomas is a big enough back to break the first tackle and fast enough to do something after he does. Walter King and Errol Johnson, Rutgers' top two receivers last year, are back and L.J. Smith is the best tight end in the conference. The offensive line will rotate eight players with the new schemes in hopes of keeping everyone fresh to create room for Thomas as well as getting better pass blacking.

Defensively, the line is getting a complete overhaul and coaches are still waiting for someone -- anyone -- to step up and claim a starting job. The depth at linebacker, however, is the reason for the switch to the 3-4 defense. Wes Robertson earned on of the middle slots while Dennis McCormack and Mitch Davis snagged the outside slots. Tony Berry leads the secondary and Garrett Shea, the coach's son, is back from a neck injury and provides a spark to the defense.

Question mark: Will the 3-4 work? With so many question on the line, it will be up to the deep group of linebackers to make this defense click.

Keep an eye on: SS Shawn Seabrooks. Seabrooks, A transfer from Tennessee, has been dropping jaws and receivers this spring and will make this defense much better.

Syracuse Orangemen
1999 record: 7-5
Coach:Paul Pasqualoni
Returning starters: 12 (5 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: With a pretty good defense, solid running game and quality receiving, it would seem that Pasqualoni would name a starting QB and make a run for the BCS. Nope. Too easy. Troy Nunes looks to be the leader right now, but redshirt freshman R.J. Anderson had a great spring and Madei Williams, who split time with Nunes last season, is back. Don't forget Juco transfer Chad Elliott, who was a backup at Arizona State in 1998. If they get past this, the Orangemen have a good running game with Dee Brown and James Mungro and solid receivers in Pat Woodcock and Malik Campbell. Don't forget Maurice Johnson, whom Syracuse timed at 4.18 in the 40-yard dash this spring. (Yes, that said 4.18) The offensive line would appear to be in trouble after losing four starters, but Sean O'Connor and P.J. Alexander played plenty last season and will fit in well this season.

Defensively, the strength of the Orangemen is in its line. Duke Pettijohn is an animal in shoulder pads and is joined by Dwight Freeney, Rickie Simpkins and Eric Downing. Linebacker J.R. Johnson won the right to replace Keith Bullock and ILB Clifton Smith is going to be a star. The secondary will be challenged often, as teams won't be able to do much against that talented line. Should Will Allen and Will Hunter continue to impress, this could be a very tough defense.

Question mark: Who will be under center against Buffalo Sept. 2? Well, there are four downs and four Syracuse quarterbacks. Surely, Pasqualoni wouldn't try that, would he?

Keep an eye on: LB Clifton Smith. The sophomore won't have to make every play with a good group of players around him, but he'll make a good deal of them anyway.

Temple Owls
1999 record: 2-9
Coach: Bobby Wallace
Returning starters: 13 (6 offense, 7 defense)

Outlook: After having two quarterbacks last season, Wallace had made it clear Devin Scott is his guy this season and Scott responded with a solid spring. He'll need to keep playing well to keep the job with juco transfer Mike Frost arriving in the fall, but he gives the Owls their best shot of winning. Tanardo Sharps was the spring's best running back. The receiving corps took a hit when Carlos Johnson unexpectedly quit, but sophomore Sean Dillard has the speed to be a home run threat. The offensive line returns six letterman, but they are all freshman and sophomores. This will be a group that goes through some growing pains.

Defensively, linebackers Taylor Suman and Levar Talley will set the tone for a very young defense. Suman and Talley seemed to make every tackle last year and this season will be no different. They should get some help from DT Dan Klecko and CB Philip Shepard, but Temple will have a lot of new faces in new places and will need time to get it together.

Question mark: Will the secondary be able to stop anyone? This is a group that features just one returning starter and has a few players making the switch from offense to defense. If they don't pick it up quickly, they will be picked on unmercifully.

Keep an eye on: WR Sean Dillard. Scott needs someone to throw to with the loss of Johnson and Dillard has game-breaker potential.

Virginia Tech Hokies
1999 record: 11-1
Coach: Frank Beamer
Returning starters: 11 (8 offense, 3 defense)

Outlook: How valuable is Michael Vick? No one was allowed to touch him. At all. Breathe on him and it was extra sprints. With the offensive line the Hokies have back, though, that mantra might carry through the season. All Big-East performers Matt Lehr and Dave Kadela return to anchor the best line in the Big East. RG Josh Redding looks like he bench presses Range Rovers for fun and LT Anthony Lambo, who covers Vick's blind side, is the most athletic of all the lineman. Steve DeMasi and Jake Grove will continue to battle it out for the center spot, but this is a solid group that will keep Vick's uniform clean. That's good, because Vick is the most dangerous player in the conference, if not the country. Bamer is giving Vick more responsibilities in hopes of creating more options for his playmaker. Lee Suggs is the No. 1 tailback, although Vick is still their best runner. Andre Kendrick, who missed the spring with academic problems, will challenge Suggs in the fall. At receiver, Andre Davis and Emmett Johnson form a nice tandem and should each get a few bombs thrown their way.

Defensively, it's not so rosy. Cory Bird will be a star and Nathaniel Adibi has emerged at end to try to replace Cory Moore, but there are plenty of other questions. While redshirt freshman DB Willie Pile's spring performance allowed Nick Sorenson to move from safety to outside linebacker and Ben Taylor to go from outside linebacker to inside backer, how quickly everyone adapts to the changes remains to be seen. This won't be the dominating unit it was last season, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to be good enough that Vick's magic isn't wasted.

Question mark: Who will kick the ball? Special teams are always a Hokie strength but this year they'll have to replace four-year starters in both kicker Shayne Graham and punter Jimmy Kibble. Redshirt freshman Carter Warley came out of the spring as Graham's replacement, but Robert Peaslee will have to hold off incoming freshman Vinnie Burns in the fall for the punting duties.

Keep an eye on: QB Michael Vick. Duh. If he stays healthy -- and there's no reason to think he won't -- he's the most exciting player in college football.

West Virginia Mountaineers
1999 record: 4-7
Coach: Don Nehlen
Returning starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)

Outlook: The loss of QB Marc Bulger has everyone wondering if Brad Lewis is ready to take over, but who cares? As long as he can pivot and stick a football in Avon Cobourne's belly, he'll be fine. Cobourne won the Big East rushing title with 1,138 yards and 10 TDs in a fantastic freshman season. He's done little this spring to say he won't improve on those numbers this year. A good reason why he'll likely top those gaudy numbers are the fact the Mountaineers' offensive line lost just one starter, but that's easy enough to fix as Rick Gilliam moves from guard to center and Michigan transfer Jason Brooks slides into the guard spot. If Nehlen decides to throw the ball, Khori Ivory, who received an extra year of eligibility, leads a good group of receivers.

Defensively, it's not as scary as previously thought. Antwan Lake moved from defensive end to tackle and Chris Edmonds moves to end from linebacker to bring some speed to the defensive front. Kyle Kayden highlights a sound linebacker group and the secondary is a work in progress that will still be up in the air come fall.

Question mark: Will the Mountaineers be able to stop the pass? With the secondary in shambles and safety Rick Sherrod the only returner, Richard Bryant and Lewis Davis need to improve on the corners.

Keep an eye on: QB Scott McBrien. The freshman turned heads this spring with his arm strength and accuracy. He'll need more reps, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see him get them at Lewis' expense.

Joe Wojciechowski is the college football editor for ESPN.com