At the beginning of the season not one Big East team was ranked in the Top 25 of either of the two major college football polls.

But after four weeks, the bulk of the non-conference schedule has been played out. The Big East has gone 21-7 against non-conference opponents and is the only conference with no more than two teams with two losses.

For Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly, it’s enough to silence the doubters.

‘I think that we have done well out of conference and that has been chronicled,’ Kelly said. ‘I think that I have said from day one that everybody is going to have their perceptions of what the conference is about. I obviously feel strongly that this is a difficult BCS league.

‘Week in and week out we have to play very good football teams. This start has really validated the fact that this is an emerging conference that is only getting better and better.’

This trend isn’t something that is limited to just this year, though. During the past five years the Big East is a combined 143-58 in non-league games (.711 winning percentage). That mark is not only the best that the Big East has ever had over a five-year stretch, but it is also the third best mark of any Division I-A conference over that time span.

‘We sure as heck haven’t taken a step backward. I think we have taken a step forward and that’s what people will see when they look at us,’ Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt said. ‘It’s early in the year and we’ll see how it plays out come December.’

Just this past week, the proof has been on the field for the Big East.

South Florida traveled four hours north to Tallahassee, Fla. and upended No. 18 Florida State, 17-7, on Saturday in quite possibly the conference’s biggest non-conference victory so far this year. Rutgers also defeated Atlantic Coast Conference foe Maryland, 34-13.

Both games suggested that the Big East can compete with supposed higher-level conferences like the ACC, though the ACC as a conference is still more actively represented in national polls.

‘This week I saw some nice wins by Big East teams, and once again we have shown on a weekly, monthly and, most importantly, yearly basis that we can play with the best,’ West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart said. ‘I’m very proud of the Big East. I even talked to a couple coaches this week and told them that.’

Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe said that it’s just a matter of time before Big East teams start to find themselves in the rankings.

‘There are a lot of teams that start out outside the Top 25 and end up being in it, and there were some teams last year that started the year in the Top 10 and ended up not being in it at the end of the year,’ Kragthorpe said. ‘This is college football and the parity level is like it’s never been before.’

The omission of Big East teams from the Top 25 is startling, but Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall doesn’t let the hype get to him. He prefers to let the play do the talking.

‘I think that we just have a mindset as coaches and players that we are just going to go out and perform on the field and let things take care of themselves,’ Edsall said. ‘We can’t worry about what other people are saying all year. We just have to go on the field and do it, and that’s what we have been doing. We did it last year and we are doing it again this year.’

Cincinnati squeaks out win

Cincinnati’s offense was on the field for only 16:18 in a win over Fresno State on Saturday.

The Bearcats never held the ball for more than five minutes and took only 2:53 on their longest touchdown drive.

‘In 19 years of coaching you never think that you’re going to go in a game and run 39 offensive plays, as compared to your opponent’s 84, and still be around to talk about a win,’ Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly said. ‘We’re not a ball-control offense. But we’ve got to make sure we give (quarterback) Tony Pike enough snaps.’

Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews had a career day, as his 38 carries helped the Bulldogs hold onto the ball for a majority of the game. Mathews finished with 145 yards rushing with a touchdown and added 32 receiving yards.

The Bearcats’ Mardy Gilyard had nine receptions in the game for a career-high 177 yards and two touchdowns. Gilyard finished with a total 226 all-purpose yards and was named the Big East offensive player of the week.

Game of the Week

Colorado at West Virginia

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ESPN

West Virginia is set to square off with Colorado Thursday night, as the teams finish up the second leg of their home-and-home series.

Last year’s game was a thriller, with the teams going to overtime after a 14-14 draw in regulation.

The Mountaineers had the ball first in overtime, but kicker Pat McAfee nailed the left upright on a 23-yard field goal attempt.

Colorado kicker Aric Goodman became the hero, as he hit a 25-yard field goal on the Buffaloes’ ensuing possession.

The game marks the second time this year that West Virginia has played a non-conference opponent that they lost to last year. Two weeks ago, the Mountaineers avenged their loss to East Carolina from a year ago and they look to do the same this week against Colorado.

One player that Stewart is worried about is Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins.

Hawkins, the son of Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins, has thrown for 755 yards this year with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

‘I’m very worried about their quarterback, Cody Hawkins,’ Stewart said. ‘He is a tough guy and is very respected by our staff. He hurt us last year and I tried to keep the ball from him as best we could and that’s why we ran the ball so much last year. He brings it all to the table; he is just a great, great competitor.’

rwmarfur@syr.edu

Published on September 30, 2009 at 12:00 pm