Post by elp525 on Mar 7, 2009 7:34:23 GMT -5
March 7, 2009
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - There wasn't much to complain about Friday when the Big East finally set the 2009 league football schedule and West Virginia was able to announce its completed slate.
Five of the Mountaineers' first seven games are at home, there is extra time to prepare between the two most high-profile non-conference games, two open dates are spaced fairly well and heat probably isn't going to be a big factor in playing South Florida.
Sure, there are some things that could have worked out better. A game at Auburn Sept. 19 is early enough that heat in the Deep South could be an issue, and the Mountaineers have to travel on a short week for what figure to be two of the most difficult Big East games. Games at South Florida (Oct. 30) and Cincinnati (Nov. 13) are on Friday nights.
But all in all, it is a pretty fair schedule.
"I really like the way it's put together,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said.
The schedule begins with non-league home games Sept. 5 against lower-level Liberty and a week later against East Carolina. The trip to Auburn follows a week later, followed by an off week before a Thursday night home game with Colorado.
That Colorado game begins a stretch of seven straight without an open date, including the Big East opener at Syracuse Oct. 10 and a visit by Marshall a week later. Then comes homecoming with Connecticut, the trip to USF, a home game with Louisville and a visit to Cincinnati.
Then there is another week off before playing the third Friday game of the season, the day after Thanksgiving at home with Pitt. The Panthers also have the prior week off.
The schedule concludes with a Dec. 5 game at Rutgers.
Other notes from the schedule:
After playing five of its first seven games at home, three of West Virginia's final five are on the road.
Five games are already booked for national television on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC - Colorado, South Florida, Cincinnati, Pitt and Rutgers. The South Florida and Cincinnati games are on ESPN2 on Friday nights, while the others will be decided later.
Cincinnati and Rutgers open the Big East season right off the bat, playing a Labor Day weekend game that is scheduled for Saturday, but could be moved a day or so in either direction for TV.
The Big East title could very well be up in the air until that first December weekend when the SEC, ACC and Big 12 play their championship games. In addition to WVU-Rutgers, Cincinnati is at Pitt and South Florida at UConn that day or night.
South Florida's schedule begins with Wofford, a trip to Western Kentucky and then Charleston Southern. The Bulls' other two non-league games are against Florida State and Miami. ... Rutgers, for the second year in a row, goes into the summer still needing to fill a spot on its schedule. ... Cincinnati's last four games are at home. ... Syracuse begins the season with three Big Ten games - Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern. ... Pitt's only road game after Oct. 16 is the one at West Virginia.
Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
Sept. 5 - LIBERTY
Sept. 12 - EAST CAROLINA
Sept. 19 - at Auburn
Oct. 1 (Thurs.) - Colorado
Oct. 10 - at Syracuse
Oct. 17 - MARSHALL
Oct. 24 - Connecticut
Oct. 30 (Fri.) - at South Florida
Nov. 7 - Louisville
Nov. 13 (Fri.) - at Cincinnati
Nov. 27 (Fri.) - Pittsburgh
Dec. 5 - at RUTGERS
Saturday games except where noted
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
MORGANTOWN - There wasn't much to complain about Friday when the Big East finally set the 2009 league football schedule and West Virginia was able to announce its completed slate.
Five of the Mountaineers' first seven games are at home, there is extra time to prepare between the two most high-profile non-conference games, two open dates are spaced fairly well and heat probably isn't going to be a big factor in playing South Florida.
Sure, there are some things that could have worked out better. A game at Auburn Sept. 19 is early enough that heat in the Deep South could be an issue, and the Mountaineers have to travel on a short week for what figure to be two of the most difficult Big East games. Games at South Florida (Oct. 30) and Cincinnati (Nov. 13) are on Friday nights.
But all in all, it is a pretty fair schedule.
"I really like the way it's put together,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said.
The schedule begins with non-league home games Sept. 5 against lower-level Liberty and a week later against East Carolina. The trip to Auburn follows a week later, followed by an off week before a Thursday night home game with Colorado.
That Colorado game begins a stretch of seven straight without an open date, including the Big East opener at Syracuse Oct. 10 and a visit by Marshall a week later. Then comes homecoming with Connecticut, the trip to USF, a home game with Louisville and a visit to Cincinnati.
Then there is another week off before playing the third Friday game of the season, the day after Thanksgiving at home with Pitt. The Panthers also have the prior week off.
The schedule concludes with a Dec. 5 game at Rutgers.
Other notes from the schedule:
After playing five of its first seven games at home, three of West Virginia's final five are on the road.
Five games are already booked for national television on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC - Colorado, South Florida, Cincinnati, Pitt and Rutgers. The South Florida and Cincinnati games are on ESPN2 on Friday nights, while the others will be decided later.
Cincinnati and Rutgers open the Big East season right off the bat, playing a Labor Day weekend game that is scheduled for Saturday, but could be moved a day or so in either direction for TV.
The Big East title could very well be up in the air until that first December weekend when the SEC, ACC and Big 12 play their championship games. In addition to WVU-Rutgers, Cincinnati is at Pitt and South Florida at UConn that day or night.
South Florida's schedule begins with Wofford, a trip to Western Kentucky and then Charleston Southern. The Bulls' other two non-league games are against Florida State and Miami. ... Rutgers, for the second year in a row, goes into the summer still needing to fill a spot on its schedule. ... Cincinnati's last four games are at home. ... Syracuse begins the season with three Big Ten games - Minnesota, Penn State and Northwestern. ... Pitt's only road game after Oct. 16 is the one at West Virginia.
Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
Sept. 5 - LIBERTY
Sept. 12 - EAST CAROLINA
Sept. 19 - at Auburn
Oct. 1 (Thurs.) - Colorado
Oct. 10 - at Syracuse
Oct. 17 - MARSHALL
Oct. 24 - Connecticut
Oct. 30 (Fri.) - at South Florida
Nov. 7 - Louisville
Nov. 13 (Fri.) - at Cincinnati
Nov. 27 (Fri.) - Pittsburgh
Dec. 5 - at RUTGERS
Saturday games except where noted
