Big East Week: 2012 Schedule Breakdown
By Kyle Kensing
RUTGERS
Kyle Flood begins his tenure after Greg Schiano’s departure. There shouldn’t be a dramatic overhaul since Flood was a Schiano assistant, but it will be odd not seeing the decade-plus RU coach manning the sidelines.
RU plays one of the higher profile non-conference games among Big East teams, traveling to Arkansas in late September. The Razorbacks are RU’s sole OOC opponent to have bowled last season, though.
Sept. 1 at Tulane (2-11)
Sept. 8 vs. Howard^ (5-6)
There was a period this spring when it looked as though Rutgers would have to scramble to fill yet another non-conference game, when reports of Howard closing down its football program surfaced this past March. Crisis was averted, and this game will happen as scheduled.
Sept. 13 vs. USF* (5-7, 1-6)
Sept. 22 at Arkansas (11-2)
Oct. 6 vs. Connecticut* (5-7, 3-4)
Last season’s loss at UConn snapped a three-game win streak for RU over the Huskies. UConn’s last winning streak in this series that dates back to the 1940s was a three-game run spanning 2001, 2003 and 2004.
Oct. 13 vs. Syracuse* (5-7, 1-6)
Oct. 20 at Temple* (9-4)
Oct. 27 vs. Kent State (5-7)
Nov. 10 at Army (3-9)
RU and West Point rekindled their rivalry that began in the 19th century during the 2007 season. The Scarlet Knights have won every installment since then, and haven’t dropped a game to the Black Knights since 1997.
Nov. 17 at Cincinnati* (10-3, 5-2)
Nov. 24 at Pitt* (6-7, 4-3)
Nov. 29 vs. Louisville* (7-6, 5-2)
SYRACUSE
Doug Marrone turned Syracuse around from a Big East cellar dweller to a bowl-game winner in 2010. Last season was a regression though, the result of a 1-6 finish in the conference.
SU faces challenges in the non-conference slate, so banking on another 4-1 run out of the league will not be conducive to a postseason run. The Orange must re-learn conference consistency, including at home. The Orange have just one win at the Carrier Dome in the last two seasons of Big East play.
Sept. 1 vs. Northwestern (6-7)
Sept. 8 vs. USC (10-2)
in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Orange were blown out in Los Angeles a season ago. This year’s encounter takes places at Giants Stadium. SU athletic director Daryl Gross brokered this match-up. Gross has connections to USC.
Sept. 15 vs. Stony Brook^ (9-4)
Stony Brook is a pre-season favorite in the Championship Subdivision, boasting one of the most prolific rushing offenses in the nation. SU’s rush defense ranked in the top-third among FBS programs. This should shake out as an intriguing in-state pairing.
Sept. 22 at Minnesota (3-9)
Oct. 5 vs. Pitt* (6-7, 4-3)
The Orange’s defeat of West Virginia last October was the program’s first home, conference win since 2009. SU’s bowl aspirations will hang largely on reversing its Carrier Dome fortunes, though it plays the majority of its league games on the road.
Oct. 13 at Rutgers* (9-4, 4-3)
Oct. 19 vs. Connecticut* (5-7, 3-4)
Oct. 27 at USF* (5-7, 1-6)
The Orange’s 13-9 win at Raymond James Stadium in 2010 was the program’s first defeat of USF since the Bulls joined the Big East.
Nov. 3 at Cincinnati* (10-3, 5-2)
Nov. 10 vs. Louisville* (7-6, 5-2)
Nov. 17 at Missouri (8-5)
‘Cuse is 2-0 all-time against MU. However, those two meetings occurred during a home-and-home in 1986 and 1987.
Nov. 23 at Temple* (9-4)
TEMPLE
Temple was an original Big East football member in 1991, but over a decade of continuous last place finishes relegated the Owls out of the league. Al Golden’s reconstruction efforts and the continued progression of Steve Addazio made Temple an obvious fit for the realigned conference.
Big East programs largely avoided the Owls for non-conference games, so the newcomers’ fit in the league is one of the off-season’s intriguing mysteries.
Aug. 31 vs. Villanova^ (2-9)
The Mayor’s Cup is in its fourth season. Temple won the last two. Last season’s 42-7 rout was the first in the series not decided by single digits.
Sept. 8 vs. Maryland (2-10)
Running back Bernard Pierce rushed for five touchdowns in Temple’s blowout here at Maryland last season.
Sept. 22 at Penn State (9-4)
Last season’s match-up in Philly went down to the wire, but the Owls were unable to convert a fourth down attempt late down the stretch.
Temple is just 3-37-1 in its 41 games against this in-commonwealth foe.
Oct. 6 vs. USF* (5-7, 1-6)
Temple makes its official return to the Big East with this faceoff against USF. The two have never played.
Oct. 13 at Connecticut* (5-7, 3-4)
The Huskies were Temple’s last Big East opponent during the Owls’ 26-wi, stretch since 2009. Temple won, 30-16.
Oct. 20 vs. Rutgers* (9-4, 4-3)
Oct. 27 at Pitt* (6-7, 4-3)
Nov. 3 at Louisville* (7-6, 5-2)
Nov. 10 vs. Cincinnati* (10-3, 5-2)
Their last meeting was an overtime, UC win in 2003.
Nov. 17 at Army (3-9)
The Owl backfield ran wild on the Black Knights in last season’s 42-14 win in Philadelphia.
Nov. 23 vs. Syracuse*
In its last season as a Big East member (2004), the Owls knocked off the Orange, 34-24.
USF
The Bulls took a sharp nosedive after last season’s first month, and finished out of the postseason for the first time since their inaugural Big East season.
Sept. 1 vs. Chattanooga^ (6-5)
Sept. 8 at Nevada (7-6)
At nearly 2900 miles, USF’s trip to Nevada is the second longest continental trek a team from the FBS will take this season. Only Army’s trip to San Diego State will cover more distance — and the difference is just 20 miles.
Sept. 13 vs. Rutgers* (9-4, 4-3)
Sept. 22 vs. Ball State (6-6)
The Bulls routed the Cardinals in their meeting last September, 37-7.
Sept. 29 at Florida State (10-3)
True freshman B.J. Daniels led the Bulls to a 17-7 win in the only match-up between these two programs ever.
Oct. 6 at Temple* (9-4)
Oct. 20 at Louisville* (7-6, 5-2)
UL is one of four teams USF has played nine times, along with Connecticut, Cincinnati and Pitt. The quartet account for the longest series in the fledgling program’s history.
Oct. 27 vs. Syracuse* (5-7, 1-6)
The last time these teams met in Tampa was Syracuse’s first and only win in the seven-game series.
Nov. 3 vs. Connecticut* (5-7, 3-4)
Nov. 17 at Miami (6-6)
The two in-state foes played to a near stalemate in last year’s defensive struggle, but The U. got a late field goal to win 6-3.
Nov. 23 at Cincinnati* (10-3, 5-2)
Dec. 1 vs. Pitt* (6-7, 4-3)
Pitt snuffed out USF’s unbeaten start in a 44-17, Thursday night rout last season. The Panthers have won four in a row against USF by a combined 66 points.