Montreal Expos Appreciation Day Backstory

The Expos All-Star Reps in 1982

In July of 1992, at the age of 14, I lost my dad. People always wondered how was I able to get over this without the typical issues, and I never had an answer for them. I sometimes even wondered if I had issues dealing with grief, like I had suppressed it or something, but I realized as I got older that I had dealt with it in my own way, without spraying graffiti, becoming an Emo kid, even without the random tantrums. I was able to get over it because of baseball, most notably the Montreal Expos, as my uncle managed to get tickets for us to go to Olympic Stadium in Montreal weeks after my dad’s passing. The Expos played in front of over 37,000 fans on a Friday night, and beat the Cardinals to stay a game and half behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the NL East (this was back when Barry Bonds shopped in the juniors section). They got no closer, but they had a team on the field that was fun to watch. Gary Carter was playing for them, along with Delino De Shields, Larry Walker, and Dennis Martinez (just to name a few). I returned to Montreal a few times, but ironically my last game was “Dennis Martinez Day”, and even got the bobble head doll that goes along with it. Brad Wilkerson hit a walk-off grand slam that day to beat the Bonds-less Giants (which he recalls fondly in his interview with us), and my last memory of Olympic Stadium was 17,000 fans screaming and chanting. When the Expos played their last game in September of 2004, that grief came back, not so much for dad, but for the team itself. The Expos had been there for me when I needed them, and now they were gone. I had always wondered how to show my appreciation, and when this blog and pod cast started to get legs, I was able to come up with an idea to honor them, “Montreal Expos Appreciation Day”, a day devoted to everything Expos.

When I first started approaching people, I was worried about being turned down, because who cares about the Expos, right? Well, everyone I contacted got back to me, and they all had memories and strong feelings about the Expos. From Jarry Park to Puerto Rico, you are going to hear some great stories and some great quotes. From Mike Marshall making fun of Willie Davis, to Jim Beattie’s line about hoping Peter Angelos sells the Orioles, it was a great time. If you are a baseball historian, a fan of the Expos, or just a fan of the game, take a listen. You can almost hear the chants of “ole’, ole’, ole’, ole’”, the smell of the Molson Export in 32 oz cups for 6.25 Canadian, and visualize Youppi dancing on the dugout as people speak French in the background. I want to thanks Jeff for booking many of these interviews, he did a great job helping me foster this through. I also want to thank Jay Stenhouse of the Blue Jays for getting me access for Brad Wilkerson, Bill Stoneman, Buster Olney, Jim Beattie, and Dr Mike Marshall for all taking the time to walk down memory lane. These interviews are available on our new pod cast player, Podbean, at the top of the page. Enjoy, and always feel free to send me your thoughts to editor@centralmainesportsblog.com. Enjoy Expos Appreciation Week everyone!

Tuesday Morning Quick Hitters

The Pittsburgh Steelers stole a game from the Baltimore Ravens. On a sloppy night when the Steelers lost 3, count em 3 RBs, they were able to outlast the Ravens in OT 23 – 20.

For the love of all that is good, Al Davis, please pull the trigger. ESPN’s John Clayton is reporting that talks have started internally about replacing Lane Kiffin.

New York Jets DB Eric Smith has been fined and suspended for the brutal helmet to helmet hit on Arizona Cardinals WR Anquoin Boldin.

Doctors for Jaguars lineman Richard Collier say he had 14 bullet wounds in various organs and spine, is paralyzed below the waist and lost his left leg below the knee due to the shooting.

The Chicago White Sox forced a 1 game playoff on Tuesday by defeating the Detroit Tigers 8 – 2. The Pale Hose will face the Minnesota Twins Tuesday in Chicago. TBS will have the game at 6:25PM

The Boston Celtics re-signed G Sam Cassell.

Miami Heat GM Randy Pfund resigns. Take a stab at who takes over…think Dippity Doo mixed with grecian-formula.

Monday Morning Quick Hitters

BREAKING NEWS : (Insert Ron Burgundy here) Scott Linehan is OUT as the St Louis Rams coach. Jim Haslett is in.

The Dallas Cowboys lost to a division rival Sunday, allowing the Redskins to come to Irving and beat them 26 – 24.

Brett Favre did something he has never done by throwing 6 TD passes as defenses took the day off in NYC as the New York Jets beat the Arizona Cardinals 56 – 35. By the way, can someone throw away those awful Jets unis.

The Tennessee Titans defense forced 4 turnovers and rookie RB Chris Johnson beat the Minnesota Vikings 30 – 17.

The Kansas City Chiefs stunned high scoring Denver, by picking of Jay Cutler twice and Larry Johnson had almost 200 yards runsing on the way to a 33 – 19 win over the Broncos.

The New Orleans Saints offense came to play with big performances from Deuce McAllister and Drew Brees as they slammed the San Francisco 49ers 31 – 17.

Derrick Brooks looked like the Brooks of old, helping the Tampa Bay Bucs D to 4 turnovers on the way to a 30 – 21 win over the Green Bay Packers. Tampa kicker Matt Bryant kicked less than 5 days after the death of his 3 1/2 month old son. In Packers news, Aaron Rodgers may have big shoulder issues.

It looked like 2003 all over again in Charlotte, as Mushin Muhammed, Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme had big games on the way to a 24 – 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Jacksonville Jaguars outlasted a great performance from Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub, beating the Texans in OT 30 – 27.

Derek Anderson kept his job for another week, leading the Cleveland Browns to a 20 – 12 win over the Bengals.

Better late than never for the San Diego Chargers, as the Chargers scored 25 points in the 4th quarter to outlast the Oakland Raiders 28 – 18.

The Buffalo Bills may have put the final nails in Scott Linehan’s coffin, storming back and past the St Louis Rams 31 – 14.

The Chicago Bears finally held on to a lead, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24 – 20.

Steve Buckley is reporting and Terry Francona confirmed that Boston Red Sox Starter Josh Beckett has an oblique strain and will not start til Game 3 of the ALDS in Boston on Sunday.

The American League Central still hasn’t found a winner yet. The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 5 – 1 yesterday, combined with the Minnesota Twins 6 – 0 win over the Royals forces the Pale Hose to play a makeup game Monday against the Detroit Tigers. If the White Sox win, then there will be a playoff game on Tuesday to determine the Central Division winner. If the White Sox lose, the Twins would play the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a fitting end to Shea Stadium, the New York Mets couldn’t extend their season, losing to the Florida Marlins 4 – 2. The Mets loss, combined with the Milwaukee Brewers 3 – 1 win over the Cubs, makes the Milwaukee Brewers as the NL Wild Card team and piuts the Brew Crew into the playoffs for the 1st time since Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper and Portland Maine’s own Pete Ladd played in the American League in 1982.

Here is the Playoff Picture so far

Wednesday

Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies 3 PM
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs 6:30 PM
Boston Red Sox @ California Angels 10…10 PM

Sunday Morning Quick Hitters

Upset of the day, #8 Alabama slams #3 Georgia 41 – 30…guess that Black uni didn’t do any good.

Ole Miss uses a blocked extra point to upset #4 Florida 31 – 30.

LSU stays unbeaten by beating Mississippi State 34 – 24

Michigan scores 20 in 4th Quarter, upsets #9 Wisconsin

Terps top #20 Tigers

Auburn holds on for win over Tennessee 14 – 12

Navy upsets Wake Forest 24 – 17

#2 Oklahoma takes care of #24 TCU

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the NL East for the second straight year with a 4 – 3 win over the Nationals

The New York Mets kept hope alive by beating the Florida Marlins 2 – 0. That win coupled with the Milwaukee Brewers 7 – 3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, leaves the Brewers and the Mets in a tie for the Wild Card spot.

The last day at the other New York stadium Shea.

"The House Rules!"

In my last post I briefly touched on some of the screwed up things one can encounter while playing in different home games. When I think back to all the different home games I’ve played in one game particularly stands out.

Every Friday at 8:30pm sharp, in a small Maine town, some of the state’s finest poker players (which is a bit of an overstatement) get together to play one of the most f****d up tourneys known to man. And while I always complain about playing in this tourney I can’t seem to stop subjecting myself to being tortured week in and week out.

The game structure is as follows. The buy-in is $10 and each player receives a total of forty chips. The chips all have the same value of $25. In this particular game there are no blinds. Instead they use a $25 ante so all players are in every hand pre-flop unless there is a raise. Generally I don’t mind playing with just antes, but in this game I feel it is the wrong option. The game play goes ultra quick as the antes double every time someone is sent to the rail. I have no problem with playing that way if there is just one table but most of the time there are two or more tables. This poses a problem when the tables combine because players get knocked out at varying times during the tourney. By the time all the tables combine there will be one table at a $100 ante and the other at say a $150 or $200 ante. After about ten minutes of debate the remaining players agree on a “final table ante” before resuming play.

I think Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth put it best when he said; “If it wasn’t for luck I’d win every tournament.” Now while hold’em is a skill-based game, the way this tourney is structured “Lady Luck” plays a bigger role than in your typical tournament. It is virtually impossible to bluff, as you will get called down every time. You really have to be on your game and hope the cards are running in your favor because when you enter a pot, by the time you reach the river you are almost always pot committed. The only benefit to playing this way is that we see a wider variety of winners each week.

You are required in this tournament to call what your hand is upon flipping your cards. I have mixed feelings about this rule. Don’t get me wrong I am a strong believer of knowing what you have in your hands at all times when playing but from time to time even the best player gets blinded by the cards. So lets say you think you have a set of KINGS and call it that way but in all actuality you have a FULL BOAT and your opponent has a FLUSH guess what…You just lost the hand! I like it because it keeps players focused on the tournament but like I said earlier even the best players make mistakes.

The one major gripe I have about this tourney is how the kickers are played. Let’s say you’re in a hand with one other player and you are both playing a straight of A2345 on the board. You’re holding K10 and your opponent is holding K8. They will go as far as the second card deep in your hand as a kicker to determine the winner. In all reality this should be a split pot. Again it comes down to really being on your game and picking up on that before you bet your whole stack away.

In the end it is kind of nice to try out different versions of the game but when it comes down to playing serious poker I prefer the more traditional game play.

Sorry No Links This Morning

I want to apologize for this post being the first of the day, but I do want to let you know why. Jeff and I were doing interviews all day (and by all day I really mean all day). It started at 8:45 am this morning when we talked with Buster Olney from ESPN.com. At 11:30 we spoke with Dr Mike Marshall, the 1974 NL Cy Young Award winner. At 3:30 we spoke with former Montreal Expo and current Toronto Blue Jay Brad Wilkerson, and 15 minutes after that interview we spoke with former Maine Guides and Cleveland Indians manager Doc Edwards. The Doc Edwards interview will be up by Sunday, the other ones will be posted on Tuesday, which is officially “Montreal Expos Appreciation Day”. We will also be having two more Expos guests on early next week, former Expos GM Jim Beattie and former Expos pitcher and Angels GM Bill Stoneman. You are going to like these interviews, they were all fantastic (sorry Christopher Eccleston). Also, pay close attention to Buster Olney’s blog on ESPN.com early next week….

Normal links tomorrow for a CFB weekend. Enjoy the rain everyone!

Milwaukee’s Best Ice Picks of the Week

Here we are at the quarter post and there is one thing that can be certain for this Sunday…..Ronnie Brown, nor anyone for that matter, will not carve up the Pats for 5 TD. Meanwhile, the Bills, Cowboys, Giants, Titans, Ravens and Broncos remain undefeated and Lions’ fans rejoice the firing of Matt Millen….though the negative effects of his decision making, like my decision making on one drunken Saturday night in college, will be felt for years.

Now for this week I’ve decided to rate the upcoming games on a beer scale. Basically, the better the game, the better the corresponding beer. For instance, this weekend’s Browns/Bengals match up will receive something along the lines of Schlitz. I will also try to select beers that are brewed geographically close to the location of one of the teams.

Now before I begin with my picks, I have a message for all of you Pats’ fans who think it’s time to quit and start thinking about next season.

Now, 10-6 last week was not bad. However, I would like to point out to the nay sayers that you can still get to 10-6 even with a 25 point blowout loss at the hands of the Dolphins. If I can do it, so can the Pats. On to the picks….

Cleveland at Cincinnati

This game features two teams who are a combined 0-6 and averaging a combined 11 points per game. The Bengals nearly stole one in New York last week while Cleveland’s offense has been so impressive that Brady Quinn may soon be under center for the Browns. To be honest, neither team can do much on either side of the ball, and not even a Bud Light Cheleda will do much for taste that will remain in your mouth days after watching these two inept teams.

Gotta take someone…….Bengals 24-7.

Minnesota at Tennessee

The Titans are 3-0 while the offense looked good with Kerry Collins under center last week against the Texans…..you almost have to feel bad for a team when Kerry Collins is far and away the most mentally stable QB on the roster. The Vikings also had a change at the quarterback position with Gus Ferotte taking over for the unproductive Tarvaris Jackson. Jesus, two playoff hopefuls resting the fate of their respective seasons on Kerry Collins and Gus Ferotte…..oh where have you gone Steve McNair and Randall Cunningham. This will be an entertaining contest, so pour a glass of Rogue Chocolate Stout in honor of the defenses and the running games.

Tennessee with a lot of Bironas…….24-10.

Denver at Kansas City

Jay Cutler has never thrown for 400 yards…that is one of the things you no longer able to say, and be correct, come next Monday. The Chiefs are just terrible, scoring just 10 points a game while giving up 26. Meanwhile Denver, with a little help from Referee you know who, is posting nearly 40 points a game and stands at 3-0. This one will be over before kick off….unless Bernard Pollard uses his magic helmet and renders the Broncos’ offense useless. I’d recommend a Coors Light, because it’s as watered down as the talent in KC, you could pound about 20 of them and still score against the Chiefs and as a Pats fan the mere sight of Bernard Pollard makes you want to put a silver bullet through your head.

Cutler to have a HUGE day…….Broncos 41-10

San Francisco at New Orleans

Both teams can put up some points, both teams can give up some points. The Niners’ two wins came against teams that are a combined 1-5 while the 1-2 Saints have played tight games against 3 quality opponents (WAS, DEN, TB). J.T. O’Sullivan (possibly of Irish decent) could have a field day against a Saints secondary that has helped the Saints to a 29th ranking in the league in pass defense. On the other sideline Drew Brees makes most corners he faces look like Ellis Hobbs. So pour yourself a glass of California’s very own Stone Ruination IPA–which stands for Infinite Points Accumulated in this game–and get ready to watch defenses to look confused for 60 minutes.

Saints in a defensive struggle…..38-27.

Arizona at NYJNJ

The Jets have looked bad through week 3, and their porous defense will once again be exposed. Kurt Warner and company should have no problem duplicating what the Chargers did to the NYJNJ secondary on Monday night…not to mention a run defense that held up like a wet paper bag when the pillsbury dough boy was on the sidelines. However, Arizona’s defense has yet to be tested against a great offense and could get a test against an offense that showed signs of life…assuming that Grandpa Favre is able to go following an ankle injury he sustained in San Diego. So grab yourself a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and watch those Jet fans’ faces turn just as pale while their season goes right into the crapper.

Cardinals 27-13.

Green Bay at Tampa Bay

Doubtful that Chad Clifton and Warren Sapp will be the honorary captains for this game. The Pack are coming off of a tough loss to the Cowboys while the Bucs are looking to create seperation from the rest of the division. Look for the Bucs’ defense to try to seperate limb from body on Sunday and go after Rodgers. Meanwhile, the Packers are losing Al Harris just in time as the Bucs played it conservative last week and threw the ball just 67 times–yes, Brian Griese is still their quarterback. For this one, I would pour me a tall glass of New Glarus’ Fat Squirrel, sit back, and watch Rodgers run for dear life.

Tampa Bay……24-14.

Atlanta at Carolina

At 2-1 hopes have risen from the ashes in Atlanta…..but those hopes come crashing back down to earth once people realize that the Falcons have beaten the lowly Lions and lowlier Chiefs, not to mention that 11 out of their final 13 games are against playoff quality teams. The Panthers on the other hand are 2-1 after playing the Chargers, Bears and Vikings. With Steve Smith back from a 2 game suspension for getting into a fight with teammate Ken Lucas, obviously Smith doesn’t have Scott Boras as his agent who would have gotten Lucas kicked off the team, the Panthers should use this week’s game as a means to get the offense on track. For this one a Natty Ice might would be in order, as the Falcons’ season is going on ice starting Week 4.

Panthers….28-13.

Houston at Jacksonville

The Jags finally got their running game going last week…of course it was against a Colts’ defense that is trying to dethrone the Jets as softest defense in the league. However, also entering that discussion are the Houston Texans, who are surrendering 170 yards per game through two weeks. With Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, Mario Williams will have limited chances to get to David Gerrard…but hey, at least the Texans secondary won’t get exposed. To celebrate the Texans going 0-3, and Taylor and Jones running all over the Texans defense, grab yourself a Lone Star…….the only thing that could be as bad as watching Houston try and play defense.

Jags…….27-14.

San Diego at Oakland

This may get out of hand. The Chargers have been moving the ball up and down the field at will….with a dinged up LT. Meanwhile, the Raiders are still a side show and Lane Kiffin watch continues, but they have some play makers and could continue the theme of exposing a Shawne Merroid-less defense. However, when the Bolts go up by 17 the Raiders will have no choice but to abandon the run and turn to a passing game that is Cornhuskeresque. Though San Diego should have no problems, I’ll raise a Dogfish Head 60 to a game that will feature offense, offense, and absolutely no defense….and who knows, maybe an official will have gone to the Hochulli school of officiating.

Bolts…..44-24.

Buffalo at St. Louis

Buffalo looks poised to take the AFC East, while the Rams look poised to…..I have no idea what they poised for. Scott Linehan, in an attempt to save his job, cut starting cornerback Fakhir Brown, and then decided to bench Marc Bulger (a move that has made Linehan about as popular as Matt Millen), who has been taking a beating behind an offensive line that resembles a MASH unit, in favor of Trent Green, a guy whose return to football has drawn pleas from many to retire because of the number of concussions he has sustained. Regardless, no way a team that has been outscored by 87 this season ends the Bills’ win streak. So I’ll por a glass of Budweiser’s new Beer, American Ale, because Budweiser trying to make a flavorful beer is about as ingenious as starting Trent Green.

Bills’ special teams outscores the Rams’ offense………..31-13.

Washington at Dallas

With all 4 NFC East teams looking like a playoff contender, this is the biggest match up of the week. The Cowboys enter the game 3-0 while the Skins sit at 2-1. Tony Romo and company have shown they can move the ball on anyone while Jason Campbell is starting to pick up the offense brought in by Jim Zorn. While offense will certainly be what is talked about leading up to the game, the defenses will be the difference makers. Washington held both the Saints and Cardinals relatively in check, while the Boys played very well against a Green Bay team that employs an offense similar to that of Washington.

Most are picking the Boys, but I like the Skins’ defense to keep Romo in check and for Campbell to move the ball……….pour me an HSA for this week 4 matchup, and I’ll drink to Jerry Jones avoiding all cameras and microphones after Washington pulls the upset, 24-20.

Philadelphia at Chicago

Brian Westbrook’s status is still up in the air. Without him, McNabb will have to look for rookie DeSean Jackson for some big plays…and hope the rookie runs into the end zone with the ball. After an impressive week 1 win in Indy, Chicago has dropped the past two games by a total of 6 points to a pair of quality opponents. Chicago’s defense has shown shades of its former self, while the Eagles, assuming Westbrook is out, are just 3-6 since 2004 with their do everything running back on the sidelines. McNabb’s struggles will limit what Kyle Orton has to do….which will consist of handing the ball of to Forte most of the day.

Grab yourself a Yingling for what will be a classic……Bears, 20-13.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

The Steelers are without Willie Parker and in his place will be rookie Rashard Mendenhall….who gave the Ravens some bulletin board material and couldn’t hold onto the ball in pre-season. The status of Willis McGahee is questionable, but the health of Ben Roethlisberger will be question all night as the Ravens will have no problem getting to him as #7 has been sacked 12 times so far this season.

I’ll take a bottle of Miller High Life, because calling it the Champagne of Beers and thinking that makes it good is kind of like thinking this game will be good because it’s on Monday night……Ravens 15-7.

Thursday Morning Quick Hitters

The Boston Red Sox used 4 1st inning runs along with a critical hit late to beat the Cleveland Indians 5 – 4. Tampa Bay also won, beating the Baltimore Orioles 11 – 6, so the Rays are still up on the Sox by 3 games for the AL East Division Title.

The Minnesota Twins took the 2nd game in the battle for the AL Central title, beating the White Sox 3 – 2. The Twins are now just 1/2 game back..

The New York Mets blew an opportunity to gain ground on the Philadelphia Phillies, who lost to the Atlanta Braves 10 – 4, by blowing a 4 run lead to the Chicago Cubs and finally losing in the 10th inning 9 – 6. The Mets remain 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and tied for the Wild Card with Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Brewers gained that tie with the Mets by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4 – 2.

The LA Dodgers opened up a 4 game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks by slamming the San Diego Padres 12 – 4. The D-Backs lost to the St Louis Cardinals 4 – 2.

Troy Brown will make his retirement official today.

The ax finally fell in Detroit. Matt Millen (Patrick Sullivan applauds somewhere) finally wore out his welcome in Detroit.

The New York Giants suspended Plexiglas Burress for 2 weeks and 1 game. Burress will appeal.

Jason Taylor discusses potentially career ending injury.

Former Nebraska Cornhusker RB Thunder Collins charged with murder.

Beanie Wells and Terrell Pryor to start for the Buckeyes

The Boston Celtics brought their trophy, courtesy TD Banknorth Maine, to Maine yesterday. Don’t forget, the Sports Vortex had Boston Celtics great Jo Jo White yesterday. You can download the interview on the right Talkshoe widget.

NFL Power Rankings

Here are your official NFL Power Rankings

1 – Dallas Cowboys

2 – New York Giants

3 – Philadelphia Eagles

4 – Tennessee Titans

5 – Denver Broncos

6 – Buffalo Bills

7 – Green Bay Packers

8 – Washington Redskins

9 – San Francisco 49ers

10 – Baltimore Ravens

Big East Preview, Week 5

This week brings the first in-conference games, as we head into the end of early season play. Some teams have found their way, while others have no clue. The big storyline right now would have to be the coaches on the hot-seat. Three or four could possibly be ousted by late January. However, there is still plenty of time for some of those guys to still make a positive impression. To the picks.

Last Week: 7-1

Season: 21-6

Bye Week: None

Morgan State at Rutgers: This should be the Knights first win. Morgan State does have a winning record in 1-AA, but haven’t played an FBS opponent. Rutgers main concern should be if Mike Teel will connect more with his receivers than with his right cross. Rutgers’ D-backs beware if this game goes the wrong way…Teel will be on the prowl to knock a brother out.

Prediction: 34-20 Rutgers

Cincinnati at Akron: A very nice debut by Bearcat quarterback Tony Pike last week. Dustin Grutza’s replacement went 20-24 for 241 yards and three scores against Miami of Ohio. Pike will take that confidence into a game where he should be able to pass all over the Zips. Akron did post a win at Syracuse, but that is not really impressive considering the state of the Orange. The Zips have scored a respectable 105 points…but the major issue is that they have allowed 110. Zip hurler Chris Jacquemain does have a strong arm, though interceptions have been a problem…and will be a problem against this Bearcat defense. Cincy will roll on offense and win the battle of turnovers as well.

Prediction: 38-24 Cincinnati

Marshall at West Virginia: The battle of the Mountain State may actually be a battle this year…especially with the state of the Mountaineer offense. Struggling to find their identity, WVU needs to become multi-dimensional, because Marshall will stack the box against the run. The Herd comes in with a respectable 3-1 record, with their only loss coming by the hands of Wisconsin. Frosh QB Marc Cann and senior wideout Darius Passmore have led a powerful passing attack. The two have already connected 26 times, four for scores. The Mountaineers have done nothing threw the air for two-straight weeks, but did have Noel Devine bust out last week on the ground. Having Reed Williams back on defense for WVU was beneficial, as the squad was solid against Colorado. Defense won’t be the issue for the Mountaineers; it lands solely on the offense and the coaching staff. Bill Stewart needs a win badly, and this is the week to make a statement that WVU isn’t taking the year off. Expect more dynamic play-calling, with a charged defense to bolster the Mounties to a win.

Prediction: 35-17 WVU

South Florida at NC State: This is a very interesting match-up. USF has been leading the way for the Big East, but injuries and a poor performance last week raises concerns. NC State comes in full of confidence after taking down East Carolina, though injuries have hit them as well. Russell Wilson, who starred at QB last week, has been ruled out, so third-string Harrison Beck gets the nod. USF has to be salivating by the thought of this situation. The Bulls’ front seven will be attacking all night long. The Pack’s leading tackler is also out, so Matt Grothe and co. must exploit the middle of the field. USF has to get the offense rolling, especially against a squad that will struggle to score points. Lackluster performances eventually will catch up with the Bulls if they are not careful. The team with the least injuries may win this game, and that doesn’t bode well for State.

Prediction: 27-14 South Florida

Pitt at Syracuse: It was the return of LeSean McCoy last week for Pitt in a huge win over Iowa. Syracuse also was successful, in a win over Northeastern. However, the big storyline entering the game is Greg Robinson’s tenure at the ‘Cuse is in deep water, following less-than confident words from the Orange AD. Coach Wanny is in the hot-seat as well, considering many thought Pitt would be a Big East contender this year…which may still happen. The ‘Cuse still didn’t play well against an inferior opponent last week, which is not a good sign. The Panthers’ offense will successfully run the ball, which will open up some easy passing routes. Pitt has had its share of problems, but nothing like Syracuse is going through.

Prediction: 30-10 Pitt

Game of the Week. UConn at Louisville: The Cardinals came back from the dead last week, with a big win over Kansas State. Freshman tailback, Victor Anderson was virtually unstoppable, going for 176 yards and three scores. The Cardinals’ defense was much more active as well, creating three turnovers in the win. UConn just keeps getting the job done. Now 4-0, the Huskies are out to prove that they can repeat as Big East champs (yes, last year they were the co-champ…how we tend to forget.) The big question for UConn is can they comeback from a 10 point or more deficit? Tyler Lorenzen hasn’t been blowing anyone away with his arm. It has been the Donald Brown show all year. Expect Louisville to stack the box and force Lorenzen to throw down the field. As for the offense, the Cardinals need Cantwell to be more consistent. This may be a battle of whatever quarterback gets to 150 yards his team wins. A Friday night home crowd, an improved defense, and the emergence of a running game will prove to be too much for UConn.

Prediction: 34-29 Louisville

Chris Sedenka is the host of the PM JAB, which can be heard weekdays between 3-7pm on 96.3FM and AM1440 sports radio WJAB in Central and Southern Maine…and wishes KFC was healthy.