Big East Week Seven Preview

No. 20 Rutgers aims for its first 6-0 start since 2006 when the Scarlet Knights host Syracuse Rutgers QB Gary Nova led the Scarlet Knights to a double-overtime win last year after replacing Chas Dodd. Nova has been the starter ever since and is tied for first in the Big East with 10 touchdowns through the air. Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib’s numbers are also stellar. He is tied atop the TD passes list and also leads the conference in passing yards with 310 per game.

No. 18 Louisville will look to snap a four-game losing streak to Pittsburgh. The Panthers, however, eye another victory over a ranked team after beating then-No. 13 Virginia Tech last month. Pitt ranks second in the ACC in total offense averaging nearly 460 ypg but aren’t scoring at the same clip as Louisville. The Cardinals average 31 points a contest, good for second-best in the conference.

Temple meets Connecticut when the Owls travel to East Hartford for the first time in five years. The Huskies rank sixth in the nation in total defense, allowing less than 250 ypg. They will be charged with stopping Temple’s vaunted rushing attack, which averages 170 ypg. RBs Matt Brown and Montel Harris lead a ground game that ranks second in the ACC.

In non-BCS action, Cincinnati hosts Fordham.