Friday Computer Trends

Friday, October 20, 2006

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CFB

West Virginia-Connecticut

MSNSportsNet

Look for Connecticut to crowd the line of scrimmage and try and force No. 4 West Virginia to throw the football when the two teams meet Friday night in East Hartford, Conn., says Mountaineer coach Rich Rodriguez. Connecticut (3-3) is coming off one of its best defensive performances of the year last weekend, holding Army to just 252 yards of offense in a 21-7 victory. UConn limited Army to only 13 first downs and 97 yards rushing. Connecticut’s three losses this year have come against quality opponents: 6-1 Wake Forest, 5-2 Navy and 5-2 South Florida. Some have made note of Connecticut’s 38-16 loss at South Florida because the Bulls run a spread offense like West Virginia’s. Friday’s game features the nation’s No. 1-ranked rushing offense in West Virginia (328.3 ypg.) going up against Connecticut’s 105^th-ranked defense against the run allowing 177.2 yards per game. Connecticut is also an excellent rushing team ranking ninth in the country averaging 209.2 yards per game. Connecticut is 17-6 in games at Rentschler Field. West Virginia is the eighth nationally ranked team Connecticut has faced in football. The Huskies are 0-7 against ranked teams. Twice UConn has played host to a ranked team at Rentschler Field, falling 31-19 to No. 17 West Virginia in 2004 and losing 30-20 to No. 16 Louisville in 2005.

Daily Press

No. 4 West Virginia’s last two games have been close at halftime before the Mountaineers outscored Mississippi State and Syracuse by a combined 52-10 in the second half to win going away. The defense, which has four new starters in the secondary this season, has been challenged to play more aggressively, especially after a sloppy game against Mississippi State that included allowing several third-down conversions.
The trend continued in the first half against Syracuse when defensive backs were caught flat-footed when a scrambling Perry Patterson completing a couple of long passes to wide-open receivers. But the defense allowed only a field goal in the second half to Syracuse in WVU’s 41-17 win Saturday.